Computational and Data Sciences (CDS)
College of Science
101 Introduction to Computational and Data Sciences (3:3:0) Introduction to the use of computers in scientific discovery through simulations and data analysis. Covers historical development and current trends in the field.
301 Scientific Information and Data Visualization (3:3:0) Prerequisites: CDS 101, CS 211, MATH 125, MATH 113. The techniques and software used to visualize scientific simulations, complex information, and data visualization for knowledge discovery. Includes examples and exercises to help students develop their understanding of the role visualization plays in computational science and provides a foundation for applications in their careers.
302 Scientific Data and Databases (3:3:0) Prerequisites: STAT 354, MATH 125. Data and databases used by scientists. Includes basics about database organization, queries, and distributed data systems. Student exercises will include queries of existing systems, along with basic design of simple database systems.
401 Scientific Data Mining (3:3:0) Prerequisite: CDS 302. Data mining techniques from statistics, machine learning, and visualization to scientific knowledge discovery. Students will be given a set of case studies and projects to test their understanding of this field and provide a foundation for future applications in their careers.
421 Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics (3:3:0) Prerequisites: MATH 446, proficiency in at least one computer programming language and computer operating system, or permission of instructor. The course will cover the governing equations of fluid dynamics; numerical discretization of the governing equations and popular techniques for solving flow problems; applications of CFD to some classic fluid dynamics problems; and setting up the CFD simulation using a CFD software package. At the end of the course, students will understand the process of developing a geometrical model of the flow, applying appropriate boundary conditions, specifying solution parameters, and visualizing the results. The students are expected to complete several computer projects, including writing their own CFD computer program to analyze simple fluid flow problems, as well as setting up the CFD simulation using a CFD software package.
461 N-Body Simulation Methods (3:3:0) Prerequisites: PHYS 510 and MATH 446. Covers particle methods to solve variety of physical systems. Emphasizes study and development of numerical results, and visualization of these results in complex physical systems. Applications and projects include stellar and galaxy dynamics, smoothed particle hydrodynamics, plasma simulations, and semiconductor device theory algorithms on parallel and vectorized systems.
486 Topics in Computational and Data Sciences (3:3:0) Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Covers selected topics in computational and data sciences not covered in fixed-content courses.
487 Electronic Structure Computations (3:3:0) Prerequisite: PHYS 308. Covers computational aspects of materials science, such as first-principles methods of electronic structure calculations of solids, clusters, and molecules, as well as the use of empirical potentials. Examples will be drawn from metals, insulators, and semiconductors. The students will be directed to construct simple codes and guided in the use of the more sophisticated available computational packages.