MAD 4401: Introduction to Numerical Analysis
Spring 2025
Instructor
Instructor: Dr. Chunmei Wang
Email: chunmei.wang@ufl.edu,
Website: https://people.clas.ufl.edu/chunmei-wang/
Office: Little Hall 302
Lecture
Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays Period 5 (11:45am-12:35pm) and Period 6 (12:50pm-1:40pm), Fine Arts C 127
Office hours: MWF Period 4 (10:40am-11:30am)
TA Information:
Period 5 class:
TA: Smorchkov, Dmitrii M
Email: dsmorchkov@ufl.edu
Office: Little Hall 459
Office hour: Periods 6 and 7 on Wednesday and Period 7 on Friday
or you can attend by Zoom Link: https://ufl.zoom.us/j/94596125263
Period 6 class:
TA: Ding,Chi
Email: ding.chi@ufl.edu
Office: Little Hall 433
office hour: Thursday period 4 (10:40 am – 11:30 am) LIT 433; Thursday period 5 (11:45 am – 12:35 pm) LIT 215; Thursday period 6 (12:50 pm – 1:40 pm) LIT 433
or you can attend by Zoom Link: https://ufl.zoom.us/j/5076739853
Website
Canvas: https://elearning.ufl.edu/
Course Description
This course is an introduction to the basic techniques of numerical analysis, the study of methods for solving mathematical problems with computers. We will focus on the mathematical theory behind the methods and algorithms used.
Topics to be covered
- binary and floating-point representation of numbers (Ch. 0)
- methods to solve algebraic equations (Ch. 1)
• methods to solve systems of equations (Ch. 2)
• interpolation (Ch. 3) - numerical differentiation and integration (Ch. 5)
- solving ordinary differential equations (Ch. 6)
Prerequisites
Linear algebra (MAS 3114 or MAS 4105) with a minimum grade of C and experience with a scientific programming language.
Textbook
Numerical Analysis (3rd edition) by Timothy Sauer
https://www.pearson.com/en-us/subject-catalog/p/numerical-analysis/P200000006340/9780137982189
ISBN-13: (Hardcover) 9780134696454; (Loose-Leaf) 9780134697338; (eText) 9780137982189
Textbook companion web site (contains MATLAB code, solutions to selected exercises, and additional examples): https://bit.ly/2yN3AEX
Software
MATLAB: MATLAB Homework assignments will use MATLAB Grader (https://grader.mathworks.com).
The full MATLAB software will be used for the course project, which is available on any computing device through UF Apps (https://info.apps.ufl.edu) and in computer labs (https://labs.at.ufl.edu/locations/). An alternative option is GNU Octave (https://octave.org).
There will be no MATLAB questions on exams.
Communication
Course Announcements: Posted on Canvas. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure they receive notifications for this course.
Personal Matters: Students may e-mail the instructor via Canvas Inbox or e-mail using their official UF e-mail address.
Attendance
Attending lectures are vital to the learning process. Furthermore, a huge part of the transition into your professional careers is being where you are supposed to be when you are supposed to be there. As such, your attendance is expected at every lecture. To encourage the attendance, if your attendance reaches 80%, you will get 1 point bonus; if your attendance reaches 85%, you will get 2 points bonus; if your attendance reaches 90%, you will get 3 points bonus; if your attendance reaches 95%, you will get 4 points bonus. Furthermore, our focus is on the tasks at hand and not on extraneous activities such as chatting, texting, surfing the web/social media, etc.
Written Homework
Written homework assignments showing all work with proper notation will be due weekly in class. The two lowest Written Homework scores will be dropped at the end of the semester.
MATLAB Homework
MATLAB homework assignments will be due weekly via Canvas.
The two lowest MATLAB Homework scores will be dropped at the end of the semester.
Project
During the second half of the semester, you will have the opportunity to work as part of a team on a project using MATLAB (or GNU Octave). Your team will give an oral presentation (during the last week of class) and write a 5–10 page paper (due on the last day of class).
Exams
Midterm Exams (during lecture)
Friday, February 7
Friday, March 7
Friday, April 4
Final Exam (comprehensive)
Period 5: Tuesday April 29, 3:00 p.m – 5:00 p.m
Period 6: Wednesday April 30, 10:00 a.m – 12:00 p.m.
There are no exam retakes or corrections, no lowest exam will be dropped, and there will be no extra credit assignments to erase the consequences of a bad exam score.
Grading Scheme
- 25% Written Homework
- 10% Matlab Homework
- 10% Project
- 30% Midterm Exams (10% each)
- 25% Final Exam
Your final course grade will be no lower than the following: A-=[90,93) A=[93,100] B-=[80,83) B=[83,87) B+=[87,90) C=[70,76) C+=[76,80) D=[60,70) E=[0,60)
Grades are based only on academic work and are calculated using the same criteria for all students. It is unethical to bring to your instructor’s attention the possible impact of your mathematics grade on your future plans, including graduation, scholarships, jobs, etc. More information on UF grading policies (including requests for withdrawal (W) or incomplete (I*/I) grades) may be found at: https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/academicregulations/grades-grading-policies/
Make-Up Policy for Homework/Exams
Make-up homework/exam work is allowed only when written evidence of an official University excused absence is provided (http://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/academicregulations/attendance-policies/).
The instructor must be notified as soon as possible, preferably before the homework due date or exam with as much advanced notice as possible. A detailed account of the situation and supporting documents are required.
If you do not have an official University excused absence, but are unable to complete homework on time for any reason, see the Late Policy below.
Late Policy for Homework
Late submissions will receive a point deduction of 10% per day late. Note that late days are counted in 24-hour periods. For example, if the cutoff for on-time submission is 11:59pm, submitting between 12:00am–11:59pm the next day is one day late, and so on. Every assignment has a hard deadline, usually 2 days past the original due date, and late submissions (penalty or not) are not accepted after the hard deadline.
Classroom Behavior
To foster a positive learning environment, students and instructors have a shared responsibility. We want a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment where all of us feel comfortable with each other and where we can challenge ourselves to succeed.
The use of personal electronics such as laptops, tablets, and cell phones is distracting to the other students and the instructor. Their use can degrade the learning environment. Therefore, students are not permitted to use these devices during the class period (unless they are being used solely for note taking purposes).
Accessibility
Accessibility and Accommodation
Students with disabilities who experience learning barriers and would like to request academic accommodations should connect with the Disability Resource Center by visiting https://disability.ufl.edu/get-started/.
It is important for students to share their accommodation letter with their instructor and discuss their access needs as early as possible in the semester.
Honesty Policy Regarding Cheating, Plagiarism, etc.
UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge (http://sccr.dso.ufl.edu/policies/student-honor-code-student-conduct-code/) which states,
We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honor and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code. On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: “On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment.”
The Student Conduct Code (http://sccr.dso.ufl.edu/process/student-conductcode/) specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of the honor code and the possible sanctions. Furthermore, you are obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please or consult with the instructor in this class.
Online Course Evaluation
Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing course evaluations online via GatorEvals. Guidance on how to give feedback in a professional and respectful manner is available at http://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/students/.
Students will be notified when the evaluation period opens, and can complete evaluations through the email they receive from GatorEvals, in their Canvas course menu under GatorEvals, or via http://ufl.bluera.com/ufl/. Summaries of course evaluation results are available to students at http://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/publicresults/.
Important Note: Information contained in the course syllabus, other than the grade and absence policy, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.