PHYS 220, Spring 2009 — Course Outline
Week #1: 22–23 Jan 2009
∅ Lab #0 Introduction to MATLAB, programming & the Noyes Lab
⊕ No HW this week
© Some codes from lecture: eps220.m
⊗ Here's a non-commercial "MATLAB-esque" software package you can download for free (legally): GNU Octave. It is very similar to MATLAB (or so it was when I used it in graduate school!).
∇ Throughout the semester, most solutions to the labs and HW assignments will be posted on-line, directly accessible from this page. Other solutions will be posted in the course display case (across from my office in REIC 109). Occasionally, I will post outstanding student work as a solution.
Week #2: 26 Jan–30 Jan 2009
© Some codes from lecture: floatRep.m, powerpoint.m, verticalPos.m
⊕ Homework #1 due 2 Feb (quadratic.m is required for the solution)
Here are two codes used in my solution in the homework case: (Lab #1) constForce.m and constForceBrak.m; (HW #1) projectileKin.m and projectileKinBrak.m
∅ Lab #1 is posted here and is due at the beginning of lecture on Monday, 2 Feb.
∇ Here is a link to Numerical Recipes in C, 2nd ed. in an on-line version. For this week (and beyond) you may find these sections highly useful as a reference: Ch. 16.0 Integrating ODEs, Ch. 16.1 Runge-Kutta Method (Euler is also described). Although you'll not need it for this course, a more advanced section on adaptive stepsize for ODE solvers in Ch. 16.2.
Week #3: 2–6 Feb 2009
© Some codes from lecture:
  • run_expDec.m (wrapper to execute a large number of ode-solver steps and plot the results; probably far more than you require, but a good example code)
  • expDec.m (derivative function for exponential decay)
  • odeStep_euler.m (a single Euler step)
  • odeStep_midPt.m (a single 2d order Runge-Kutta or mid-point step)
  • odeStep_rk4.m (a single 4th order Runge-Kutta step)

⊕ Homework #2 due 9 Feb. Both the HW & lab make use of techniques illustrated in the codes listed above for this week. A solution is available.
∅ Lab #2 is posted here and is due at the beginning of lecture on Monday, 9 Feb. But you should be able to finish it during the lab session! A solution is available.
Week #4: 9–13 Feb 2009
© Some codes from lecture: (more are embedded within the lab & hw solutions)
  • genericODE.m (nice wrapper to solve an ODE wherein you specify the method of solution via one more function handle – very detailed comments are in the code)

⊕ Homework #3 due 16 Feb. This assignment is the figurative & literal work we did in lecture, translating ODE from mathematical expressions to MATLAB expressions. A solution is available.
∅ Lab #3 is available here.
Week #5: 16–20 Feb 2009
⊕ Homework #4 due 23 Feb. A solution is available.
∅ We'll continue with Lab #3 and wrap it up this week. A solution is available, but you should also look to the display case for an example of a classmate's excellent responses to this Lab's problems.
Week #6: 23–27 Feb 2009
⊕ Homework #5 due 2 Mar. A solution is posted here.
∅ Lab #4 is available here and will be due 2 March in class. The codes required for the lab are accessible off of the lab assignment page. One of your classmate's solutions is posted to the display case as an exemplar for the class – this is how a solution should look!
Week #7: 2–6 Mar 2009
⊇ Project proposals due 6 Mar; to help you here are a list of potential projects. You'll note they all involve ODEs, what you've studied thus far. If you want to branch out to another topic we'll cover later, feel free to be bold.
⊕ no HW this week
∅ Lab #5 is available here and will be due the Monday following Spring Break (16 Mar) in class.
Spring Break: 9–13 Mar 2009
Week #8: 16–20 Mar 2009
¤ Brief review for mid-term exam on Wednesday
⊕ No HW this week
⊗ Mid-Term Examination (in class, 18 Mar)
∅ No lab this week.
Week #9: 23–27 Mar 2009
⊕ No HW this week
∅ Lab #6 is available here and will be due Monday, 30 Mar. A solution is posted here.
© Some codes from lecture:
  • expFit.m – non-linear optimization code for problems of the type y = Cet/τ = K
  • expFitDemo.m – demonstration code of above from class
Week #10: 30 Mar–3 Apr 2009
© Here are the data set & codes for the G laboratory simulation and analysis: And here are some codes for the solution of Laplace's equation problems in E&M:
⊕ Homework #6 due 6 Apr. A solution is posted here.
∅ Lab #7 is available here and will be due Monday, 6 Apr. A solution is posted here.
Week #11: 6–10 Apr 2009
⊕ Homework #7 due 9 Apr in time for lab. A solution is posted here.
∅ Lab #8 is available here and will be due Monday, 13 Apr. A solution is posted here.
© Here are the codes for the Biot-Savart law demos with a line current and a current loop:
Week #12: 13–17 Apr 2009
© Here are the codes for the vibrations on a string problems discussed in lecture:
⊕ HW #8 is available here and will be due Monday, 20 Apr. A solution is posted here.
∅ Lab #9 is available here and will be due Monday, 20 Apr. Example plots for the solutions to Lab #9 are given here.
Week #13: 20–24 Apr 2009
⊕ No HW this week.
∅ Lab #10 is available here.
⊄ No lecture 24 Apr, Spring Fest
Week #14: 27 Apr–1 May 2009
∅ No lab this week. But the following codes may be useful for completing Lab #10:
  • QM_PIBshoot2.m — demo I showed in class for the unperturbed square well
  • QM_PIBstep.m — code to take a single step to the right in solving for ψ as a function of E
  • QM_PIBplot.m — the code used to plot intermediate solutions for ψ(x)

⊕ No HW this week.
Week #15: 4 & 8 May 2009
¤ Final Exam (take-home edition) will be posted here beginning 4 May.
∅ No Lab this week.
⊕ No HW this week. Project presentations during final exam session (in classroom, 1-3pm, 8 May).