BIO-5329: Mathematical methods for biochemistry and biophysics

Fall 2006

Instructor

Mailing list

If you're enrolled in or auditing the class, please join the mailing list at http://cholla.wustl.edu/mailman/listinfo/bio-5329.

Time and place

Class meets every Wednesday and Friday from 8:00-9:30 AM although the location varies:

The Metrolink provides convenient transportation between the campuses for Wash U students and employees. More information can be found here; a detailed timetable specific to Med School and Danforth stops is available here (PDF).

Pre-requisites

A knowledge of vector calculus is assumed.

Grading

Grades will be determined by class participation (20%), homework assignments (80%).

Texts

The required lecture notes are available for purchase from MedPIC. The cost is $20 (cash or check, no credit) and covers copying expenses. Please pick these up as soon as possible.

A reference such as Advanced Engineering Mathematics by Erwin Kreyszig or Mathematical Methods for Physicists by George Arfken and Hans Weber is recommended. I have requested that these two texts be placed on reserve at Olin library; however, I haven't heard back from the library yet. Other useful information can be obtained from Mathworld.

Topics

  1. Introduction and overview
  2. Calculus review
  3. Highlights of complex analysis
  4. Matlab: introduction (Matlab files)
  5. Series
  6. Linear algebra
  7. Matlab: matrix algebra (Matlab files)
  8. Ordinary differential equations
  9. Partial differential equations
  10. Matlab: differential equations (Matlab files)
  11. Integral equations
  12. Transform methods

Assignments

Assignments will be posted after class starts.

  1. Problem set 1: questions (PDF), answers (PDF)
  2. Problem set 2: questions (PDF), answers (PDF), Matlab files (directory)
  3. Problem set 3: questions (PDF), answers (PDF), Matlab files (directory)
  4. Problem set 4: questions (PDF), answers (PDF), Matlab and Mathematica files (directory)
  5. Problem set 5: questions (PDF) answers (PDF), Matlab files (directory)

Calendar

Aug 30 (214 FLTC)
introduction and overview, calculus review
Sep 1 (214 FLTC)
calculus review, complex analysis
Sep 6 (521 Becker)
complex analysis
Sep 8 (316 Whitaker)
Matlab introduction
Sep 13 (521 Becker)
problem set 1
Sep 15 (521 Becker)
series
Sep 20 (521 Becker)
linear algebra
Sep 22 (521 Becker)
linear algebra
Sep 27 (521 Becker)
linear algebra
Sep 29 (521 Becker)
linear algebra
Oct 4 (521 Becker)
problem set 2
Oct 6 (316 Whitaker)
Matlab: matrix algebra
Oct 11 (316 Whitaker)
Matlab: matrix algebra
Oct 13 (316 Whitaker)
Matlab: matrix algebra
Oct 18 (521 Becker)
ordinary differential equations
Oct 20
university holiday
Oct 25 (521 Becker)
ordinary differential equations
Oct 27 (521 Becker)
ordinary differential equations
Nov 1 (521 Becker)
problem set 3
Nov 3 (521 Becker)
partial differential equations
Nov 8 (521 Becker)
partial differential equations
Nov 10 (521 Becker)
partial differential equations
Nov 15 (521 Becker)
partial differential equations
Nov 17 (521 Becker)
partial differential equations
Nov 22
university holiday
Nov 24
university holiday
Nov 29 (521 Becker)
problem set 4
Dec 1 (521 Becker)
integral equations
Dec 6 (521 Becker)
transform methods
Dec 8 (521 Becker)
transform methods
Dec 8 (521 Becker)
Matlab: differential equations
Dec 8 (521 Becker)
Matlab: differential equations
Dec 20
problem set 5 due (at noon)

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