Computer Techniques in Physics

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Describe general principles and simple algorithms for solving physics problems

Disciplinary Specific Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Write two reports, which describe the physics problem/project and your solution and evaluate your solution and its implications, in a style suitable for publication in a professional scientific journal

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Apply two or more computational techniques to solve two physics problems/projects numerically

Scientific computation

• Languages for scientific computation
• Getting answers right and fast
• Recurrence relations
• Computer exercise: Fourier series.

Monte Carlo and random numbers

• Monte Carlo simulations
• Generating random numbers
• Computer exercise: Buffon, random flights, random number generation.

Numerical integration

• Trapezium rule and improvements
• Multidimensional integrals
• Computer exercise: Gaussian integration, random flights.

Finite differencing

• Approximations to differentials
• Matrix calculations
• Eigenvalues
• Computer exercise: diffusion, harmonic oscillator, Heisenberg model.

Differential equations

• Principles of numerical solution and stability
• Quantum mechanics
• Computer exercises: hanging chain, Morse potential, harmonic oscillator.

Signal processing

• High and low pass filters
• Fourier analysis
• Computer exercise: digital filter, Fourier transform.

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

PL DeVries. A First Course in Computational Physics. Wiley.

Assessment strategy

The assessment is 2 projects of equal difficulty, each using different techniques in numerical computation.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External