Course title: Introduction to Scientific Computing

Course number: EART 119

Instructor: Gary A Glatzmaier

Text: "Practical IDL Programming" by Liam E Gumley, Chapters 1-7

Course description:

This is an introduction to solving scientific problems using computers. Students learn the basics of the Unix operating system, the Emacs editor, and a user-friendly scientific programming language called IDL (Interactive Data Language). All class sessions are held in a computing lab where each student uses a computer workstation to work through the examples presented in class and to work on assignments. The students learn how to produce computer simulations of two-dimensional time-dependent problems in Earth sciences and astronomy and to display the numerical solutions as movies.

Topics:

Weeks 1-4: Learning how to use a computer

- UNIX operating system

- EMACS text editor

- IDL programming language

- Mid-term exam

Weeks 5-6: Heat transfer problems

Weeks 7-8: Fluid flow problems

Weeks 9-10: Orbital dynamics problems