Meeting time: Tue, Thur., 12:30pm-1:45pm
Location: Southwick 309
Time: Tue 3:30pm-5:00pm, Wed 3:00pm-4:30pm
or by appointment (minhyung_cho@uml.edu)
Many problems arising in mathematics, science, and engineering cannot easily be solved analytically. Examples include weather prediction, modeling of groundwater flow, and analyzing the motion of a wind turbine blade, to name just three. For this type of problem it is often necessary to generate approximate solutions using a computer.
Specialized software is available for many applications, but even these software packages often require extensive programming on the part of the user. For other applications, there may be no specialized software available, in which case the user must develop his or her own solution.
MATLAB, a software package widely used in industry and in government labs, offers both a wide variety of preprogrammed capabilities and a structured programming language. By learning MATLAB, you will be able to generate approximate solutions of many commonly occurring mathematical problems, and you will be able to learn other programming languages should the need arise. These skills will be useful to you in your other science and engineering courses and in your career.
Class handout (Main textbook)
MATLAB – A practical introduction to programming and problem solving, 4th edition (Optional)
Homework will be assigned every Thursday and due on following Thursday at 12:29 PM. You should write code by yourself and turn in by email (files must be attached) before due date. Discussion between classmates are allowed but sharing codes are not allowed. No late homework will be accepted.
There will be two in-class/take-home midterms and a cumulative take-home final exam.
Tentative Schedule:
Midterm 1: 10/10 (in-class + take home)
Midterm 2: 11/14 (in-class + take home)
Take Home Final Due: 12/16 (Monday), 5:00pm
Final grade will be computed according to the following scheme
The Centers for Learning and Academic Support Services (CLASS) provide tutoring services, including an online searchable tutoring schedules are available that include resources on all campuses. A tutoring request form is also available if there are no tutors listed for the class for which you need help.
Math Department tutoring center: Southwick 310, Mon-Fri 10:00 am-5:00 pm
Please note that the registrar has determined that Nov. 14, 2024 is the last day to withdraw with grade of “W” from a course (Fall 2024 Academic Calendar).
Academic dishonesty is prohibited in all programs of the University and sanctions may be imposed on any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty. Details on UML policy can be found at
http://www.uml.edu/Catalog/Undergraduate/Policies/Academic-Integrity.aspx. Note in particular that any incident which results in some action being taken must be reported to the Provost’s Office.
Generative AI tools, such as chatbots, image generators, or code generators, to complete assignments, exams, or any other academic work are not allowed
Using any online tutoring services during exams will result in an academic dishonesty report to the Provost office with FX grade (F with a permanent record) recommendation
If you are registered with Disability Services and will require course accommodations, please notify me via the Accommodate semester request process as soon as possible so that we might make appropriate arrangements. It is important that we connect to discuss the logistics of your accommodations; please speak to me during office hours or privately after class as I respect and want to protect your privacy. If you need further information or need to register for academic accommodations, please visit the Disability Services Website.
Additionally, Student Disability Services supports software for ALL students (not just those registered with their office). The university has literacy software that allows you to read on-screen text aloud, research and check written work, and create study guides. You can download the software from the IT Software webpage on the UML assistive technologies website.
We are a campus that cares about your wellbeing and success. Your personal health and well-being are of utmost importance to faculty and campus administrators. I’m available to talk about your stresses or concerns related to your coursework in my class.
Here are some resources to support your well-being:
Counseling Services provide crisis intervention, assessment, referrals, short term individual counseling and group therapy. Call to book an appointment at (978) 934-6800.
UMatter2 is a university-wide initiative to support students and promote mental health. They can be reached at (978) 934-6671. You will find information at that website on how to access Togetherall, an online community which is a peer-to-peer platform dedicated to mental health support.
Centers for Learning and Academic Support Services (CLASS) provides advising services including goal setting, course selection, SIS functions, changing majors/minors and course deletions. (978) 934-2936 or Advisement@uml.edu.
UMass Lowell—and your professor—value human diversity in all its forms, whether expressed through race and ethnicity, culture, political and social views, religious and spiritual beliefs, language and geographic characteristics, gender, gender identities and sexual orientations, learning and physical abilities, age, parenting status and social or economic backgrounds. Enrich yourself by practicing respect in your interactions, and enrich one another by expressing your point of view, knowing that diversity and individual differences are respected, appreciated, and recognized as a source of strength.
The Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) supports and advocates for students while leading diversity-related programming. At the same time working to create an inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ individuals via the LGBTQ+ Resource Center. Contact (978) 934-4336 or Multicultural_Affairs@uml.edu
UMass Lowell recognizes the importance of mutual trust between students and faculty. Neither faculty nor students may record video or audio of a course or private conversation without all parties’ consent. Massachusetts is a two-party consent state, which means it is illegal to record someone without their permission. Recordings of classroom lectures are the intellectual property of the instructor. Instructors have the right to prohibit audio and video recording of their lectures, unless the requesting student is registered with Disabilities Services and recording of class sessions is an approved accommodation. In addition, sharing of or selling recordings of classroom activity, discussions or lectures with any other person or medium without permission of the instructor is prohibited.
| Date | Topic | Homework |
|---|---|---|
| 9/5 (Thur) | Some useful built-in functions (Handout 1) | HW 1 (Due 9/12 Thur) |
| 9/10 (Tue) | Variable names and script files (Handout 2) | |
| 9/12 (Thur) | Data format and array basics (Handout 3) | HW 2 (Due 9/19 Thur) |
| 9/17 (Tue) | Practice day | |
| 9/19 (Thur) | Vector and Matrix algebra (Handout 4) | HW 3 (Due 9/26 Thur) |
| 9/24 (Tue) | Practice day | |
| 9/26 (Thur) | Two-dimensional plots - Part 1 (Handout 5) | HW 4 (Due 10/3 Thur) |
| 10/1 (Tue) | Two-dimensional plots - Part 2 (Handout 6) | |
| 10/3 (Thur) | Three-dimensional plots (Handout 7) | HW 5 (Due 10/8 Tue. 5:00pm), temp_data.m |
| 10/8 (Tue) | Review/Practice day | |
| 10/10 (Thur) | Exam 1 | |
| 10/17 (Thur) | Data input and output (Handout 8, UMLdata.txt, ExcelDataFile.xlsx) | HW 6 (Due 10/24 Thur, 5:00 pm) , HW6.xlsx |
| 10/22 (Tue) | Function files (Handout 9) | |
| 10/24 (Thur) | Practice day | HW 7 (Due 10/31 Thur) |
| 10/29 (Tue) | Logical variables, the IF structure, and the Switch-case structure (Handout 10) | |
| 10/31 (Thur) | Practice day | HW 8 (Due 11/12 Tue. 5:00pm) |
| 11/5 (Tue) | For loops and while loops (Handout 11) | |
| 11/7 (Thur) | Practice problems using loops (Practice Problems) | |
| 11/12 (Tue) | Practice day | |
| 11/14 (Thur) | Exam 2 | |
| 11/19 (Tue) | Basic Statistics, Working with polynomials (Handout 12) | |
| 11/21 (Thur) | Curve fitting, Spline interpolation (Handout 13) | HW 9 (Due 11/26 Tue. 5:00pm) , HW9a.xlsx, HW9b.xlsx |
| 11/26 (Tue) | Symbolic utilities | |
| 12/3 (Tue) | Miscellaneous Useful Utilities | |
| 12/5 (Thur) | Cell arrays, Structures, and Character Strings | HW 10 (Due 12/12 Thur.) |
| 12/10 (Tue) | Simple Animated Graphics | |
| 12/12 (Thur) | Fourier Series Basics | |
| 12/16 | Take Home Final (Due 12/16 5:00pm) |