Computer Problem-Solving Workshop

At present this is an informal 8-week "course" in computer problem-solving choices. It will tentatively meet on Wed & Sat afternoons for "in-towners" and involve 3 classes and 3 assignments each on computer-assisted problem-solving when doing detective work on natural systems with:

Excel or other spreadsheets

Plot data from an anyspeed airtrack to discover what laws operate at high speed

As above, for data from sliced interstellar graphite onions with upper and lower uncertainty limits, to discover the laws governing core/rim diameter ratios

Make a Size Histogram from Data on Bug-Juice Crystals

MathCAD or other physical-science calculators

Defining, Tracking, and Changing Units of Gravitational Acceleration

Root Solving and Plots of Constant Acceleration at Any Speed

Matrix and Equation Solving of Circuits with Kirchoff's Laws

Mathematica, Maple, or other symbolic math programs

Analytical Roots for the Equations of Constant Acceleration

3D/contour/parametric plots of E-fields and Klein Bottles

Using Taylor Series for Analytical Approximation of Gas Laws

HTML/Java and other web development tools

Using the Web to solve problems in Microscopy of Crystals

Putting Reports of your Own Work on the Web

Write an Applet to Calculate Event Horizon Radii

Visual BASIC or other graphical programming languages

Write a Program to Calculate Event Horizon Radii

Simulate Orbits of a Bound Particle

Generate and Analyse Data from a Matrix of Simulation Experiments

Our first implementation of this workshop is scheduled to begin in the 2nd week of May, 1999. If you have suggestions or are interested in helping out or participating, drop at note to pfraundorf@umsl.edu.