Unit information: Mathematical Programming in 2021/22

Unit name	Mathematical Programming
Unit code	MATH20014
Credit points	20
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Dr. Harris
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	A in A Level Mathematics or equivalent
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Mathematics
Faculty	Faculty of Science

Description including Unit Aims

Lecturers: Andrew Donald, Charles Harris, Silke Henkes, and Alexander Holroyd

Unit Aims

The use of computers is increasingly pervasive in all areas of mathematics. This unit aims to introduce the foundational concepts of programming and some of the many computational tools in common use by mathematicians.

Unit Description

Toward the end of the term, students will have the opportunity to work together in small groups and apply their knowledge to solve one of several computational problems, similarly to the Mathematical Investigations unit

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of the unit, the students should be able to

• write, debug and run programs in Python
• demonstrate familiarity with the basic concepts of programming and algorithms
• apply and use various computational methods and tools
• work in teams

Teaching Information

The unit will be taught through a combination of

• synchronous online and, if subsequently possible, face-to-face lectures
• asynchronous online materials, including narrated presentations and worked examples
• guided asynchronous independent activities such as problem sheets, computing exercises and/or other exercises
• synchronous weekly group problem/example classes, workshops and/or tutorials
• synchronous weekly group tutorials
• synchronous weekly office hours

Assessment Information

Assessment will be 100% coursework-based, with weekly individual programming assignments submitted and assessed online and a group project component later in the term

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MATH20014).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.