Physics 210: Intro Computational Physics: Course Notes & Resources

• Course Web Pages Hard Copy  [PDF] &  Intitial Survey  [PDF] (Sep 4)
  
• Unix / Linux (Sep 4 - Sep 16)
• Lectures
  
• Unix / Linux Notes [PDF]
• Labs
  
• Linux Lab 1
• Linux Labs 2, 3 & 4
• Overview of Programming [PDF] (Sep 18)
• Maple (Sep 18 - Oct 2)
• Lectures
• Worksheet [PS] showing calculations from Chapter 2 of Maple 9 Learning Guide (version 3, Sep 30)
  
• Worksheet [PDF] illustrating usage of some particularly useful Maple commands: basic calculus, linear algebra.
• Labs
  
• Maple Introductory Labs
• Maple Programming Labs
• Reference Material
• Maple User Manual [PDF]
• Maple Programming Guide [PDF]
• Maple 9 Learning Guide [PDF]
• Maple 7 Programming Guide [PDF] (Chapters 1, 2 especially useful for novices
• Matlab / octave (Oct 7 - )
• Lectures
  
• Overview of Matlab Programming [PDF]
• Labs
• Matlab Introductory Labs
• Matlab Programming Labs
  
• Material from Gilat
  
• Calculations from Ch 1 [HTML]
• Calculations from Ch 2 [HTML]
• Calculations from Ch 3 [HTML]
  
• Browse course script and function .m files [HTML]
• Matlab resources (will also be relevant to octave in most cases)
  
• Numerical Computing with Matlab by Cleve Moller: [Individual chapters in PDF]
• Experiments with Matlab by Cleve Moller [Individual chapters in PDF]
  
• Resources from Mathworks, the distributors of Matlab
• Matlab Central: Contains searchable contributions from the Matlab user community
• Matlab Tutorial: Contains Mathworks tutorials, as well as links to other sites and resources
  
• Mathtools.net: Another exchange site for Matlab users (contains physics section)
• A collection of Matlab Resources (including tuorials) compiled by Ian Mitchell, UBC CS
• octave resources
  
• octave documentation [HTML]
• info documentation (for help with octave's doc command) [HTML]
• Finite Difference Approximation (Oct 7 - )
• Lectures
  
• Overview of Finite Difference Approximation [PDF]
• A convenient method for specifying the FDA grid spacing
  
• Nonlinear pendulum [PDF]
• N-body problems [PDF]
• Excerpts from L.F. Richardson's 1910 paper on FDAs [1 | 2 | 3]
• Labs
• Nonlinear pendulum labs
• Cellular Automata and Visualization Utiltiies
• Labs
• Cellular automata and visualization utilities
• Homework 3 Material
• Homework 3 handout  [PDF] [LaTeX source]
  
• Homework 3 code examples
• Homework 3 help page (tips and hints)
  
• Homework 3 bug page
• Browse course Matlab files
  
• The road ahead!
• Term Project Information
• General information / instructions
  
• Term project ideas
• instructor's sample term project proposal [PDF]
  
• Animations from representative term projects (and related simulations)
  
• Gravitational N-body dynamics (planar)
  
• N = 6 (random initial conditions) [MPEG]
• N = 3 ("Earth-Moon-Satellite") [MPEG]
• Toomre model model of galaxy collisions
• From Michelle Kunimoto's 2012 project [MPEG]
  
• N identical charges on a sphere (evolution to equilibrium configuration) 
  
• N = 4 [MPEG] 20 [MPEG] 60 [MPEG]
• Ray tracing optics simulation
  
• From Alex Fang's 2013 project [MPEG | MPEG]
  
• Game of Life (not available as term project!) [MPEG].  Coding for CA Forest fire simulation is very similar.
• 1-dimensional time dependent Schrodinger equation (particle in a box, illustrating tunneling)
• Free particle (no potential) [MPEG]
• Free particle, moderate & large potential barrier (superimposed evolution) [MPEG]
• KdV equation
• Single solition [MPEG]
  
• Three solitons [MPEG]