Introduction to Mathematical Modeling

Office hours: Wednesday after class until 6pm, or by appointment .

To make an appointment, or contact me (the instructor, Jonathan Goodman), send email to goodman@cims.nyu.edu, drop in during office hours, or phone (212-998-3326).

Each document will be posted intwo formats, Postscript format (.ps), and a translation of the Postscript file into PDF format. Postscript is a language created by Adobe for high end printers. If you have a Postscript printer, you can simply print the Postscript format file. This is the best method. Software for viewing and printing Postscript files on non Postscript printers, mostly under the name "ghostscript" is free for the downloading. The Acrobat reader, which allows you to view and print PDF format files, is an Adobe product and can be downloaded free. I make the PDF files from the corresponding Postscript file using another Adobe product, the Distiller. It too can be downloaded from the Adobe web site.

• Homework 1 is due February 1. You can download the assignment in postscript (.ps) format or in acrobat (.pdf) format. Along with the assignment are a Matlab program, and four plots: plot1.ps, plot2.ps, plot3.ps, plot4.ps, or, in acrobat format, plot1.pdf, plot2.pdf, plot3.pdf, and plot4.pdf. If you have questions or comments on the homework, try posting them on the class bulletin board first. I will post responses there, as may other students in the class, or any outsiders who stumble on this hot web site.
• Homework 2 is due February 9. You can download the homework in postscript (.ps) format or in acrobat (.pdf) format. 2/13/00: the homework is graded. Please look at the comments.
• Homework 3 is also due February 9. You can download it in postscript (.ps) format, or in acrobat (.pdf) format. This homework is very much like homework 1. As I started grading homework 1, it became clear that people needed more practice with this stuff before we move on. Here are comments on the graded homework.
• Homework 4 is finally ready, in acrobat (.pdf) format or postscript (.ps) format.
• Homework 5 is finally ready, in acrobat (.pdf) format or postscript (.ps) format.
• Homework 6 is ready, in acrobat (.pdf) format or postscript (.ps) format. Please post on the class bulletin board if you have problems or questions.
• Homework 7 is ready, in acrobat (.pdf) format or postscript (.ps) format. Before doing question 4, look at the hints on Matlab.
• Homework 8 is ready, in acrobat (.pdf) format or postscript (.ps) format.
• Homework 9 is ready, in acrobat (.pdf) format or postscript (.ps) format. Please email me if anything is unclear. I will post answers on the class bboard. Corrected Tuesday at 10am. Please download again. The correction is in the definition of energy in question 2. Good luck.

• For the class on Monday, January 24 in Acrobat (.pdf) format, or in Postscript (.ps) format.
• Here is some help getting started with Matlab. I will work Matlab into homework assignments from now on.
• Here is another introduction to Matlab, in .ps format and in .pdf format. It starts at a different level, basically assuming that you have some exposure to computer programming and linear algebra.
• For the material on single oscillators and energy and friction, in Acrobat (.pdf) format, or in Postscirpt (.ps) format.

• An article from the New York Times on the use of mathematics in designing treatments for cancer

• The undergraduate Mathematics program at New York University
• The main web page for the Mathematics Department at New York University

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