Course

Introduction to Numerical Analysis

Faculty
Science & Technology
Department
Mathematics
Course code
MATH 3316
Credits
3.00
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
35
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Tutorial
Typically offered
To be determined

Overview

Course description
This course is a presentation of the problems commonly arising in numerical analysis and scientific computing and the basic methods for their solutions. Topics include number systems and errors, solution of nonlinear equations, systems of linear equations, interpolation and approximation, differentiation and integration, and initial value problems. This course will involve the use of a numerical software package (such as MATLAB) and/or a high-level programming language (such as C/C++).
Course content
  1. Number systems and errors
  2. Solution of nonlinear equations
  3. Systems of linear equations
  4. Interpolation and approximation
  5. Differentiation and integration
  6. Initial value problems
Learning activities

Lectures, tutorials, problems sessions, assignments (written and/or MATLAB).

Means of assessment

Evaluation will be carried out in accordance with Douglas College policy.  The instructor will present a written course outline with specific evaluation criteria at the beginning of the semester.  Evaluation will be based on some of the following criteria:

1.    Tutorials    0 – 10% 
2.    Tests   20 – 70%
3.    Assignments/Group work     0 – 20%
4.    Attendance    0 – 5%
5.    Final examination    30 – 40%
Learning outcomes

Upon completion of MATH 3316 the student should be able to:

  • understand decimal, binary and floating point representation of numbers
  • understand error propagation and how to estimate numerical error
  • implement methods to solve nonlinear equations including, but not limited to, bisection method, secant method, fixed point iteration and Newton’s method
  • understand how to accelerate convergence in different solution methods for nonlinear equations
  • define and determine rate of convergence for solution methods to nonlinear equations
  • solve directly a system of linear equations using Gaussian elimination
  • solve linear systems numerically using matrix factorization, partial pivoting and matrix inverse
  • understand computational complexity of direct methods for Gaussian elimination
  • define the norm, determinant and condition number of a matrix
  • solve linear systems numerically using iterative methods
  • understand how iterative methods for solving linear systems differ from direct methods for solving linear systems
  • recognize eigenvalue problems and understand the issues involved in obtaining eigenvalues numerically
  • understand interpolating polynomials: Lagrange form and error formula
  • implement spline interpolation
  • understand the concept of trigonometric interpolation and Fourier series and Chebyshev polynomials
  • use the method of least squares to deal with inconsistent linear systems
  • use the QR factorization to solve least squares problems
  • understand and implement numerical differentiation techniques including finite differences and Richardson extrapolation
  • understand and implement numerical quadrature, using methods such as Romberg integration and composite rules
  • solve numerically initial value problems using Euler’s method and Runge-Kutta methods
  • use and understand the concepts of convergence, stability and stiffness when solving initial value problems numerically
  • solve numerically systems of ordinary differential equations
  • optional: Discrete Fourier representation and transforms, Singular Value Decomposition
Textbook materials

Consult the Douglas College bookstore for the current textbook. Examples of books under consideration include:

Burden, Richard L. and Faires, J. Douglas, Numerical Analysis, current edition, Nelson.
Ascher, Uri M. and Grief, Chen, A First Course on Numerical Methods, current edition, SIAM
Sauer, Timothy, Numerical Analysis, current edition, Pearson

Requisites

Prerequisites

MATH 1220 and MATH 2232;
Exposure to a high-level programming language or course such as CMPT 1110 is recommended.

Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

College Transfer Credit. See BC transfer guide for transfer details. (www.bctransferguide.ca)

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

Course Transfers

These are for current course guidelines only. For a full list of archived courses please see https://www.bctransferguide.ca

Institution Transfer details for MATH 3316
Athabasca University (AU) AU MATH 3XX (3)
Capilano University (CAPU) CAPU MATH 3XX (3)
Coast Mountain College (CMTN) CMTN MATH 1XX (3)
College of New Caledonia (CNC) CNC MATH 2XX (3)
College of the Rockies (COTR) COTR MATH 3XX (3)
Columbia College (COLU) COLU MATH 2nd (3)
Coquitlam College (COQU) No credit
Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) KPU MATH 4220 (3)
Northern Lights College (NLC) NLC MATH 2XX (3)
Okanagan College (OC) OC MATH 1XX (3)
Simon Fraser University (SFU) SFU MACM 316 (3)
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) TRU MACM 3XXX (3)
University Canada West (UCW) UCW MATH 3XX (3)
University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) UBCV MATH_V 3rd (3)
University of Northern BC (UNBC) UNBC MATH 335 (3)
University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) UFV MATH 316 (3)
University of Victoria (UVIC) UVIC CSC 349A (1.5)

Course Offerings

Winter 2025