U NIVERSITY OF THE W ITWATERSRAND , J OHANNESBURG

School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics

APPM1006/A & 1021/A : Numerical Methods

Course Outline 2019

1. Staff Members
Course coordinator: Dr Terry-Leigh Oliphant

Semester 1
Lecturer: Dr Adewunmi Gideon Fareo
Email: Adewunmi.Fareo@wits.ac.za
Office: MSB116

2. Timetable for Lectures, Tutorials and Lab Sessions

Lectures will be held in NCB1 (New commerce building 1) . Tutorials will be held in various
Science Stadium venues and will be facilitated by tutors. Lab sessions will be held in the
Undergraduate Mathematical Sciences Labs. The arrangement of Lectures, Tutorials and Labs
may be subject to change from week to week. Please keep up to date with notices on Wits-Sakai
for more information.
Group 1

Day Group Time Activity Venue

Tuesday Group 1 08:00-09:45 LAB MSL004/005/006
Thursday Group 1 and 2 12:30-13:15 Tut WSS101/102/103/104/105/106/107/122/201/207.
Friday Group 1 14:15-17:00 Lecture NCB1

Group 2

Day Group Time Activity Venue

Wednesday Group 2 10:15-12:00 Lecture NCB1
Thursday Group 1 and 2 12:30-13:15 Tut WSS101/102/103/104/105/106/107/122/201/207.
Friday Group 2 14:15-17:00 LAB MSL004/005/006
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3. Course Description
This course is an introduction to Numerical Methods. Many problems formulated in Science
and Engineering have solutions which may not be obtained from analytical procedures. Such
problems could involve solving a linear system of equations, or a non-linear system, or it could
entail finding the zeros of a system of nonlinear equations.
When it is impossible to solve these problems analytically, numerical solution is sought.
This course aims to present the development of numerical algorithms to provide numerical
solutions to such problems that cannot be solved analytically or exactly. The primary aim of the
course is to enable students to develop the basic understanding of numerical algorithms and the
skills needed to implement algorithms using Matlab to solve mathematical problems.

4. Course Content and Outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to

a. Solve a linear system of equations by hand and iteratively

b. Determine the solution of a nonlinear equation in one variable

c. Determine the solution of a system of nonlinear equation

d. Interpolate through a set of data points

Chapter 1:Mathematical Preliminaries:(Burden and Faires Chapter 1)

• At the end of this chapter students must know the basics of calculus.

Chapter 2:Direct Methods for solving linear systems: (Burden and Faires
Chapter 6)
• At the end of this chapter students must be able to solve a linear system of equations using
Gaussian elimination (with and without partial pivoting) and LU decomposition (with and
without partial pivoting).

Chapter 3: Iterative Methods for solving linear systems: (Burden and

Faires Chapter 7.1 and 7.3)
• At the end of this chapter students must be able to solve a linear system of equations
iteratively using Jacobis method, Gauss-Seidel method and the SOR method.

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Chapter 4: Solutions of equations in one variable: (Burden and Faires

Chapter 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3)
• At the end of this chapter students must be able to solve a nonlinear equation in one
variable using Bisection, Fixed point iteration, Method of false position and Newtons
method.

Chapter 5: Numerical solution of nonlinear equations: (Burden and Faires

Chapter 10.1 and 10.2)
• At the end of this chapter students must be able to solve a system of nonlinear equations
using Newtons method.

Chapter 6: Interpolation and Polynomial Approximation: (Burden and

Faires Chapter 3.1, 3.3 and 3.4)
• At the end of this chapter students must be able to interpolate through a set of data points
using Lagrange polynomials, Divided Differences and Hermite polynomials.

5. Assessment: Tests, Assignments and Examination

The course will be assessed through two theory tests, weekly lab assessments and a final exam-
ination. The final examination consists of a hand written examination and a lab examination.
The percentage allocations for the tests and exam (which together comprise the final mark
for Numerical methods) are:

• Theory EXAM 40%

• Lab EXAM 10%

• Tests and weekly assessments 50%:

Tests
Tests will be set to assess your understanding of the topics covered. Each test is based on the
sections covered since the last test. The relevant sections to be covered in the test will be made
known to you by your lecturer in good time.
The weekly assessments comprise of programming section and theory multiple choice sec-
tion. The theory multiple choice section is administered via the Wits Sakai platform. The
programming section will assess your ability to write algorithms using Matlab to find numeri-
cal solutions to certain tasks given to you. Although, this course assumes no prior knowledge of
Matlab, students are advised to practice the art of writing simple algorithms to find numerical

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APPM1006/A & 1021/A Course Outline 2019 Second Block

solution to the problems covered in class on a regular basis.

Below are provisional test dates:

Group 1 and 2
Test 1: 14th March 2019 Time: 12:30-2:30 Venue: TBA
Test 2: 16th May 2019 Time: 12:30-2:30 Venue: DJ Exam hall

Examination
Examinations will take place during the May/June 2019 examination period.

NB!! NB!! If you are absent from a test you will get a zero mark for the test unless you produce
a doctors certificate or relevant document. If you bring a doctors certificate or a relevant docu-
ment you will be given an opportunity to write a deferred test. If you miss the deferred test, you
will get a zero mark.
If you are absent from an examination then you may apply to the Faculty for a deferred exam-
ination. Please inform the course coordinator and lecturer if you do so, so that they are able
to make arrangements on your behalf in the event that you are granted a deferred examination.
Take note, that you will be required to produce a doctors certificate. The Faculty Office will
have the relevant forms which you will need to fill in.

6. Consultation
Lecturers will be available for consultation for 15 minutes after every lecture.

Consultation time is Tuesday: 12:15-15:00.

Venue: MSB 116 for group 1 and group 2

7. Textbooks and Recommended Reading

The following books are recommended for further reading to supplement lectures and notes:
• Essential MATLAB for Scientists and Engineers, Brian Hahn (Latest Edition)
• Numerical Analysis, Burden and Faires (any edition starting from the 7th edition is ac-
ceptable)
The list is not exhaustive. More books can be found in various on-campus libraries which have
ample resources for your perusal.
Best Wishes!