PCS 521

Introduction to complex variables and their role in physics. Taylor formula, truncation error and round-off error. Nonlinear interpolation and curve fitting. Numerical integration. Ordinary differential equations, systems of linear differential equations. Differential equations of first and second order and their applications in physics. Numerical solutions of non-linear differential equations. All topics will be illustrated with physics examples including, but not limited to, damped oscillations, forced oscillations and resonance, motion with variable acceleration, motion in a viscous fluid. Use of MATLAB programming language.