Welcome to the HomePage for Mathematics 300
"Mathematical Computing"
From the Mathematics Department, Washington State University
Spring 1998.

Instructor: D.C. Barnes

Office Hours Mon. Fri. 3:10 to 4:30 in Neill 203 and other hours by appointment. Call me at 335-3133 or send me Email to: Barnes@mail.wsu.edu.

Textbooks:
Required: LATEX A Document Preparation System by L. Lamport.
Other reference books to special topics will be suggested from time to time.

We will have access to the Math. Dept. Computing lab for our assignments as the lab schedule allows.

I have constructed a set of WWW links that may be especially useful for our projects in Math300. There is also a Math300 ftp archive that contains some useful files to download.

Here is the list of URL's for the Math300 Spring 1998 HomePages.

Here is a version of the Emacs Editor for MS-Windows machines and here is the place that has the program that you will need to "UNZIP" it. The last link will point you to two *.exe files called pk250w16.exe and pk250w32.exe. Use the "32" file if you use Win95 and the "16" file if you use win3*. Download the emacs.zip file and the appropriate pk*.exe file to your home machine. First run the pk* program and it will setup the unzip process on your local machine. Then apply that unzip routine to the emacs.zip file. This "unzipping" will create a bunch of new files, one of which will be a setup routine for emacs. Do the setup thing and this should get you going with emacs.

Good Luck!!

Here are various files that we will use from time top time in M300.

Here is a SAMPLE.TEX file for you to experiment with and here is a brief introduction to the LATEX2e update to the classical LATEX.

Here is a good example of a LATEX file; it is a Math273 final exam that I gave last year.

Here is a LATEX "package", named M300.sty, that you may find useful for your writing projects.

Here are some files that you can use to include graphics into your LATEX files. Download all 9 of them into your UNIX directory and we will discuss using them in Class. Remember to point the mouse at the link and hold down the shift key while left clicking to get the file saved into your directory.

trig.sty ---- epsfig.sty ---- graphicx.sty ---- keyval.sty ---- graphics.sty ---- test.tex ---- odd11.ps ----odd11.gif ---- dvips.def.

 

Here is a very simple "HomePage" that may serve as a starting point if you want to build yourself a "page on the net."

index.htm

To use it click on its link and then, after it appears in your Web browser, click the "File" button and then the "Save As.." option to put the HTML source code into your home directory. You may then modify it to meet your needs. Click here to see how to make your page accessible to everyone on the Web.

An introduction to Unix.

This course will start with an introduction to the computer operating systems Dos, Windows, and Unix. This will be followed by an introduction to the computer communications programs Tcp, Telnet, Gopher, Netscape, and others. This portion of the course will also include accessing the fabulous internet for downloading data and software, how to use newsgroups, where various mathematical data archives are located, and how to customize your system. I have set up a special Math. 300 HomePage, and we will all be able to access it from the math lab and (if you have the proper equipment) by modem from your homes. The URL (this is where you are at now.) is

http://www.sci.wsu.edu/math/faculty/barnes/m300.htm

The next part of the course will study the mathematical typesetting system TEX together with two of its associated macro packages AmSTEX and LATEX. We will have several writing assignments using LATEX, Mathematica, and HTML. Much of your grade for the course will be based on these assignments. There will be several shorter papers (one--three pages) and at least one longer paper (perhaps 8 or 10 pages). You will have the opportunity to revise this long paper and to discuss it with me and others in the class before turning in the final version. Shortly, we will discuss some of the possible topics for the paper; however, one of the rules is that the subject may not be a study of some famous mathematician. This could result in a contribution to your writing portfolio that is now required by the university. You will get at least two grades on each paper. The most important grade will be based on the quality of the final product. A second grade will be given based on the quality of the \LaTeX\ source code for the document and its overall appearance. This segment of the course will also include a study of various programmable text editors, especially Emacs, Sprint, Brief, and other relatives. We will also have an assignment assignment using the Mathematica editor that will combine writing and mathematical skills.

You should be aware that plagiarism, the copying of others' work without acknowledgment, is a very serious breach of academic honesty. In flagrant cases it is punishable by expulsion from school. In my view, it is equivalent to sending in a ``ringer'' to take an exam for someone else.

Following the LATEX part of the course, several mathematical software packages (such as Excel, Derive, Matlab, and Mathematica will be studied. Written lab reports (using the LATEX typesetting system) will be submitted. There will not be any in class examinations. The course is divided into two hours of lecture and several hours of laboratory work each week. The hours for the laboratory are not scheduled; you may do this part on your own time, even at home if you have the proper equipment and software. I will be in the Newton Computing Lab at times throughout the year to help with some "hands on computing" and we will arrange these exact times later.

There will be other ways for you to improve your lot in Math. 300. Suppose that you make a special study of some mathematical software package such as a program to plot phase planes or to generate fractial curves. If you would like to make an oral presentation of the system to the class, then this would count as either an ``extra credit'' paper or would take the place of one of the other assignments. There are hundreds of such programs floating about, and we will see some of them as we roam about on the internet. Finally, my vision of this course is that of an interactive seminar; participation in class discussions and questioning will be counted as a good thing that will also improve your lot.

On the other hand, missing too many classes will lower your grade in M300.

Nov. 1 , Jan. 12