Scientific Computing [2/2]

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Well, that was supposed to be posted a little bit earlier...

Here we are, SC Part 2 :)
[This was part 1: Scientific Computing [1/2]]

The subjects for the 2nd term were in the alphabetic order:

• Computational Geometry
• Distributed Computing
• Environmental
• Theory of Computations
• Selected Topic

Computational Geometry was one of the good classes...we learned many algorithms & we brainstormed for solutions together. At the end of the year we made a package that could (test for line intersections, construct convex hull, test for point location & test for star shaped polygons and gets their kernel)

[some snapshots]

Distributed Computing...In this subject we studied the structure of parallel platforms...the control, communication and networks...The goal was to run an algorithm on more than one machine in parallel.

We studied many algorithms. For every algorithm, we studied how it works in series, in parallel and analyzed it.

It was an interesting subject and I enjoyed it's study...

Environmental...I can not stop remembering Dr.M.Hashim entering our exam and saying: "Any Questions?"...we replied that we're SC so we don't take security (lucky us :D) so he said: "3andoko emta7an bee2a!" (the translation for environmental) :D 

So what's about this subject?..It's name is Environmental and Global Change.

Statistical: is the set of mathematical equations that describe the behavior of an object in terms of random variables and their distributions (studied first term in Simulation)

Deterministic: outcomes are precisely determined through the relationships between the states and events in the system without using random variables (we are interested in this)

We studied the ODEs (Ordinary Differential Equations) & the PDEs (Partial Differential Equations)...how to solve them using a number of methods & how to evaluate them.

At the end we made a package that could solve differential equations in a generic way with most of the techniques.

Theory of Computations...This subject has lots of similarities with Automata (studied in our 3rd year). First we decide if a given problem is computable or not...then we study those computable problems...we find the order (P, NP),  construct a machine that would represent this problem or write a program (sometimes we're only allowed 4 basic instructions in writing our program)

Selected Topic...This is a course that you get to choose regardless to your department.

I chose to study Java with IBM corporation. I don't know whether it was the best choice or not...As a whole package (system, organizing, syllabus) I wouldn't take it again. At the beginning there was lots of problems about the groups. I lost some of the lectures..then I ended up in a group that hated their instructor! He was changed, but what do you expect from the new instructor who knows she came to substitute the one we didn't like?

Anywayz the time was also not enough for her to give us the whole syllabus...I knew the basics of Java (applications/web) and I tried to get the most benefit out of what was left

This was the 2nd term. I enjoyed being an SCian for this year.

I hope you find this post useful. May you choose the best department that would suit you. May you be compatible with it & enjoy your last year ever as an undergraduate student.

[You might be interested to look at this topic too: Starting your GP?]