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Readings

All readings are from the textbook: George Konidaris, James Douglass Penn, Masayuki Yano, and Anthony T. Patera. Math, Numerics, and Programming (for Mechanical Engineers). V1.1, 2012. Files for each available unit are provided in the following table, courtesy of the authors.

Students should read all of the assignments for the unit before proceeding to the associated MATLAB® Exercises and the Problem Sets. In general, students should skip the advanced material in the text, indicated either by blue shading or by blue "Advanced Material" bookends.

UNITS UNIT FILES Reading Assignments SUPPORTING VIDEOS
Unit I. (Numerical) Calculus; Elementary Programming Concepts (PDF - 2.9MB)

Section 2.1, but only up to (and not including) Example 2.1.5

Chapter 4

Section 7.1

 The Macro-Me-Robot^1
Unit II. Monte Carlo Methods

(PDF - 2.2MB)

Appendix A: Estimation: The Normal Density (PDF)

Bernoulli/Area Estimation Summary slides (PDF)

Sections 5.1, 5.3, 5.4

Sections 6.1–6.4

Chapters 8–10

Section 11.1

Appendix A

Bernoulli/Area Estimation Summary slides

  
Unit III. Linear Algebra 1: Matrices and Least Squares; Regression (PDF - 2.2MB)

Chapter 14

Sections 15.1–15.3

Sections 16.1, 16.2, 16.3.1, 16.3.2

Sections 17.1, 17.2.1–17.2.4

 The Macro-Me-Robot: Friction Test
Unit IV. Ordinary Differential Equations (PDF - 1.2MB)

Chapter 18

Sections 19.1.1–19.1.7

  • Also Example 19.1.9 and in particular Figure 19.12(a) (note in Example 19.1.9 the text refers to Figure 19.11 but should refer to Figure 19.12).

Section 19.2

Section 19.3.1

  • Note we will cover in lecture some of the material of Sections 19.3.2 and 19.4. You need not read Sections 19.3.2 and 19.4 before the lectures; rather, Sections 19.3.2 and 19.4 can serve for subsequent reference.

Section 19.1.9, in particular Example 19.1.14 and Figure 19.14(b)

 Macro-Me-Suspension
Unit V. Linear Algebra 2: Linear Systems This unit is not available    
Unit VI. Linear Algebra 3: Eigenvalue Problems This unit is not available    
Unit VII. Nonlinear Problems (PDF) Chapter 23 Robot Arm Demo
V1.1 Errata (PDF)