The University of Queensland
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Syllabus
This subject is about learning to use computers to help solve
problems in Mechanical Engineering.
It will involve problem formulation and programming in a
general-purpose computing language, specifically C, and
exercises with a more mathematically oriented language, MATLAB.
Various numerical methods will be introduced throughout
the semester and programming applications will involve
aspects of dynamics, solid mechanics, design, fluid mechanics,
thermodynamics and management.
With this subject, we aim to provide you with skills and confidence
in applying computers to the analysis of engineering problems and
also provide a good foundation for more advanced study in computing.
See below for more details.
Lecture Times
- Wednesday 12noon-1pm, Room 3-329
- Thursday 12noon-1pm, Room 8-388
Tutorials and Laboratory Work
- Monday 9am-10am, Room 78-336 (and possibly 50-N301)
- Friday 9am-10am, Room 78-336 (and possibly 50-N301)
Exercise sheets will be distributed most weeks.
These exercises will usually require access to a computer so
the computing laboratory is reserved for this subject on
Mondays and Fridays, 8am-10am.
Tutors will be available 9am-10am.
Take the opportunity to try the exercises yourself before
asking for help.
Lecturers/Tutors
- Peter Jacobs
(peterj@mech.uq.edu.au)
- M. N. Macrossan
(michael@mech.uq.edu.au)
- B. Horton (horton@mech.uq.edu.au)
- M. Jokic (s341456@student.uq.edu.au)
- A. Robbins
Assessment
- 4 small Homework/Laboratory assignments (10% of total)
- 2 larger Homework/Laboratory assignments with formal reports (20% of total)
- Mid-semester Quiz (10% of total)
- End-of-semester examination (60% of total)
This exam will be closed-book, 2 hour duration.
All assignments will have to be posted in the box outside
Room 45-204 by 5pm on the due date.
Late submissions will not be accepted.
Attach to the front of each assignment submission, a cover page
providing your name, student ID and a signed statement that the
submission is your own work.
You are encouraged to discuss problems and approaches to solving them
but you are not permitted to share or copy code.
Textbook
The recommended text is
- S. R. Lerman
Problem solving and computation for scientists and
engineers: An introduction using C.
Prentice Hall, 1993
This book is good because it covers algorithmic topics beyond
just C programming.
However, it seems that the bookshop will not have sufficient
copies of Lerman's book.
At the time of writing these notes (Mid July), the bookshop does have
a number of copies of the following books on C programming.
- A. Kelly & I. Pohl
A book on C.
4th Ed. Addison-Wesley
- B.W. Kernighan & D.M. Richie
The C programming language.
2nd Ed. Prentice-Hall
The K & R book is considered to be a "classic" in this field.
- Introduction: computer-assisted problem solving;
algorithm representation; sample problem and implementation in C;
introduction to the Turbo C programming environment.
- Elements of C programming: variables, functions, operators;
simple input and output; representation of numbers.
- Control structures: branching and logic; loops.
- The preprocessor; debugging.
- Pointers; functions revisited (pass by reference);
arrays; strings.
- Standard C library; input and output.
Data structures.
- Introduction to MATLAB:
matrix variables and operators; graphical output; programming.
- Introduction to numerical analysis.
- Data analysis: statistics, linear regression.
- Solving a nonlinear equation using Newton's method.
- Quadrature with rectangular, trapezoidal and Simpson's rules.
- Integration of ODE's with the Euler method
and modified Euler method.
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PJ, 16-July-1999; Updated 02-Aug-1999