Welcome to Modern Computational Math! For grades, log into Moodle. If you need help, contact Prof. Wright.
Prof. Wright's office hours: Mon. 1–2pm, Wed. 9–10am, Thurs. 10–11am, and Fri. 1–2pm in RMS 405. Check Google Calendar for up-to-date availability, or email to schedule an appointment.
Help sessions: Thursdays 7–8pm in Tomson 188
Do the following before the first class:
- Complete the Introductory Survey, if you haven't done so already.
- Install Mathematica on your computer. If you've already installed Mathematica, open it up and check that your license key is still active. You might be prompted to upgrade to the most recent version. For assistance, see this IT Help Desk page.
Friday
February 6
February 6
Introduction; Mathematica basics
Do the following before next class:
- Read the Syllabus and complete the Syllabus Quiz on Moodle.
- Watch the 15-minute video Hands-On Start to Mathematica by Wolfram.
- Read pages 1–12 of Experimental Mathematics. Come to class prepared to summarize Archimedes's method for computing \(\pi\).
- Practice: Complete the Intro Mathematica homework problems and submit your notebook to the Intro Mathematica problem submission on Moodle. Try to finish this before class on Monday. However, it's due Monday at 5pm, so there is time to ask last-minute questions on Monday.
Monday
February 9
February 9
Computing \(\pi\)
Do the following before next class:
- Read: In our Experimental Mathematics text, read from the "Accuracy, Efficiency, and Representation" header on page 9 through page 21. Pay special attention to the concepts of accuracy, efficiency, and representation. Also note the definition of the Madhava series on page 19.
- Read the following reference pages about the Wolfram Language: Fractions & Decimals, Variables & Functions, Lists, Iterators, and Assignments.
- Prepare: Run the code in the Functions in Mathematica notebook, then answer the preparation question for February 11 on Moodle.
- Practice: Modify the code from class to complete the Archimedes's Method practice problems, and upload your solutions to the Archimedes's Method problem submission on Moodle. Try to do this before class on Wednesday, though there is time to ask questions on Wednesday before this is due at 5pm.
- Optional: If you're curious why the sum of reciprocals of squares converges to \(\pi^2/6\) (on the Intro Mathematica practice problem), then watch this video.
Wednesday
February 11
February 11
Madhava series for \(\pi\)
Bonus video: Paths to Math: John Urschel
Do the following before next class:
- Read the following pages about the Wolfram Language: Operations on Lists, Assigning Names to Things, and Functions and Programs.
- Prepare: Read pages 21–25 in our Experimental Mathematics text, stopping at Exercise 1.13. Then answer the preparation question for February 13 on Moodle.
- Practice: Complete the Madhava series practice problems and upload your solutions to the Madahava Series assignment on Moodle. Try to do this before class on Friday, though there is time to ask questions on Friday before this is due at 5pm.
Friday
February 13
February 13
Inverse tangent formulas for \(\pi\)
MSCS Colloquium: A CURIous Invitation Friday, February 13, 3:30–4:30pm in RNS 210
Do the following before next class:
- Prepare: Read Ways to Apply Functions from An Elementary Introduction to the Wolfram Language. Then answer the preparation question for February 16 on Moodle.
- Practice: Read Section 1.4, pages 29–32 in the text. Then complete the Inverse Tangent Formulas practice problems and upload your solutions to the Inverse Tangent Formulas assignment on Moodle. Try to do this before class on Monday, though there is time to ask questions on Monday before this is due at 5pm.
- Looking ahead: Take a look at the \(\pi\) Project, due next Friday. You don't need to write any code for this yet, but start thinking about the problem and planning the methodology you will use for this project.
Monday
February 16
February 16
Formulas for \(\pi\) by Ramanujan and others
Do the following before next class:
- Practice: Read Section 1.5 in our Experimental Mathematics text (pages 33–38). Then cmplete the Iterative Methods for \(\pi\) practice problems and upload your solutions to the Iterative Methods assignment on Moodle. Try to do this before class on Wednesday, though there is time to ask questions on Wednesday before this is due at 5pm.
- Prepare: Read from the beginning of Section 1.6 in the text through page 40. Then answer the preparation question for February 18 on Moodle.
- Begin work on the \(\pi\) Project (first draft due Friday). Look at the Sample Project Report to see an example of the sort of report you will turn in.
Wednesday
February 18
February 18
Probabilistic approaches for \(\pi\)
Bonus video: Eugenia Cheng on The Late Show
Do the following before next class:
- Project: Work on your \(\pi\) Project. Your first draft is due Friday (Moodle link). Remember that after the initial grading, you will have a chance to revise and resubmit for a higher grade.
- Prepare: Read Section 2.1 (pages 51–53) in our Experimental Mathematics text. Then answer the preparation question for February 20 on Moodle.
- Looking ahead: The Dart Board \(\pi\) practice problems are due on Monday (since the \(\pi\) Project is due Friday). However, these practice problems are quite similar to what we did in class on Wednesday, so you might want to complete them while our in-class work is fresh in your mind.
- Optional: Read about how Google computed 100 trillion digits of \(\pi\) or how StorageReview set the current record of 314 trillion digits.
Friday
February 20
February 20
Fibonacci numbers
Do the following before next class:
- Practice: Finish the Dart Board \(\pi\) practice problems from Wedneseday and upload your solution to the Dart Board Pi assignment on Moodle.
- Prepare: Read Section 2.2 (pages 54–62) in the Experimental Mathematics text. Also watch The magic of Fibonacci numbers, a 6-minute TED talk by Prof. Arthur Benjamin. What is the most interesting mathematical fact about the Fibonacci numbers that you find in either the text or the video? Answer the preparation question for February 20 on Moodle.
- Looking ahead: Read Chapter 1, "Flourishing," in Mathematics for Human Flourishing by Francis Su, available here on JSTOR. (If necessary, log into JSTOR using your St. Olaf account.) By next Wednesday, you will answer two reflection questions (see below) based on this text about mathematics as a human activity.
Monday
February 23
February 23
Fibonacci implementations
MSCS Colloquium: Dr. Alex Knutson, How Simple Statistics and Human Genetics can Guide Drug Discovery Monday, February 23, 3:30–4:30pm in RNS 210
Do the following before next class:
- Reflection: Read Chapter 1, "Flourishing," in Mathematics for Human Flourishing by Francis Su, available here on JSTOR. (If necessary, log into JSTOR using your St. Olaf account.) Then answer the following questions, writing at least one paragraph per question.
- What virtues have acquired as a result of doing mathematics? (Think of virtues as aspects of character that mathematics might build, such as habits of mind, that shape the way you approach life.)
- What value is there in studying math if you'll never use what the math that you're learning?
- Practice Read Section 2.3 in the text up to the "Further Generalizations" heading (pages 63–72) Then complete the Computing Fibonacci practice problems and upload your solutions to the Computing Fibonacci assignment on Moodle. Try to do this before class on Wednesday, though there is time to ask questions on Wednesday before this is due at 5pm.
- Optional: Begin revising your \(\pi\) Project. Talk with the professor if you have questions about how to do this. Revisions are due Monday, September 29. You may submit your revisions to the same project link on Moodle as before.
Wednesday
February 25
February 25
Fibonacci identities
Bonus video: Francis Su — Mathematics for Human Flourishing short version and long version
Do the following before next class:
- Prepare: Run the code in the Solving Sytems in Mathematica notebook, then answer the preparation question for February 27 on Moodle.
- Practice: Finish reading Section 2.3 in our Experimental Mathematics text. Then complete the Fibonacci Identities practice problems and upload your solutions to the Fibonacci Identities assignment on Moodle. Try to do this before class on Friday, though there is time to ask questions on Friday before this is due at 5pm.
- Optional: Work on revising your \(\pi\) Project. Talk with the professor if you have questions about how to do this. Revisions are due Monday, September 29. You may submit your revisions to the same project link on Moodle as before.
Friday
February 27
February 27
Fibonacci polynomial identities
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
MSCS Colloquium: Kaelyn Willingham, Doing Geometry in a Tropical Climate! Monday, March 2, 3:30–4:30pm in RNS 210
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Wednesday
March 4
March 4
Generalized Fibonacci numbers
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Friday
March 6
March 6
Iterated functions; Collatz trajectories
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Monday
March 9
March 9
Patterns in Collatz trajectories
Generalized Fibonacci
Project due
Project due
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Wednesday
March 11
March 11
More Collatz trajectories
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Friday
March 13
March 13
The logistic map
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Monday
March 16
March 16
The logistic map
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Wednesday
March 18
March 18
Logistic map bifurcation diagrams
Generalized Fibonacci
Project revisions due
Project revisions due
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Friday
March 20
March 20
The Feigenbaum constant
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Monday
March 23
March 23
Intro to Sage and CoCalc
Iterated Functions
Project due
Project due
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Wednesday
March 25
March 25
Prime numbers
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Friday
March 27
March 27
Prime numbers: sieve of Eratosthenes
Have a great Spring Break! No class March 30 — April 6.
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Wednesday
April 8
April 8
Properties of prime numbers
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Friday
April 10
April 10
Counting primes
Iterated Functions
Project revisions due
Project revisions due
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Monday
April 13
April 13
Counting primes and the Riemann zeta function
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Wednesday
April 15
April 15
Counting primes and the Riemann zeta function
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Friday
April 17
April 17
Detecting large primes
Primes Project
due
due
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Monday
April 20
April 20
Pseudorandom numbers
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Wednesday
April 22
April 22
Probabilistic simulation
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Friday
April 24
April 24
Random walks
Primes Project
revisions due
revisions due
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Monday
April 27
April 27
1D Random walks
- To be announced
Wednesday
April 29
April 29
2D Random walks
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Friday
May 1
May 1
2D Random walks
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Monday
May 4
May 4
3D Random walks
Random Walk
Project project due
Project project due
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Wednesday
May 6
May 6
Artificial intelligence and computational mathematics
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Friday
May 8
May 8
Artificial intelligence and computational mathematics
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Monday
May 11
May 11
Final projects
Random Walk project
revisions due
revisions due
Do the following before next class:
- To be announced
Wednesday
May 13
May 13
Final projects
We've made it to the end of the semester! A few last things to do:
- To be announced
Wednesday
May 20
May 20
Final Presentations 9:00–11:00am
