Math 171 - Spring 2025
Computer  Literacy  for  Mathematics

Computers and Programming for Beginners
  TR 12:55-2:10 Ayres G013(East side)

  • Course Info
    The   ASSIGNMENTS   are here

    Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics
    "The nice thing about computers is that they will do exactly what you tell them to do.
    Unfortunately, they will do it exactly, so you need to get your instructions exactly right."
                      --David J. Eck, The Most Complex Machine, p.173
    "A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history,
    with the possible exception of handguns and tequila."
                      -- Mitch Ratliffe, Technology Review, Apr. 1992

  • How-To Essentials (unix,vi,zip,Xwindows,gnuplot,f77,WWW) PDF for printing
  • gnuplot basics ,   a short intro ,   gnuplot FAQ,   gnuplot site  
    gnuplot - How to print ,    gnuplot - On the fly (on unix/Linux)  and  template (for win or linux)

  • WSL_ubuntu (setup instructions) simplest way to have Linux on Windows10/11  
  • VirtualBox next best way to have Linux on Mac or Win   instructions and set up shared folder
  • Linux cheat sheet , very extensive, more than you really need...
  • tcsh shell in Linux: setup-tcsh
  • zip archive/compress for win32/64 (zip/unzip entire folders): 7-Zip   (free!)
  • VI editor vim ,   most powerful editor, available for all platforms (free!)   vi_QuickGuide.pdf
  • Remote login tools for win: PuTTY and PSCP   or:   openSSH   or:   SSH Tunnel   (free!)
  • X Windows on your PC:   Xming   or   NX Free   ...but best is   WSL for Win10/11   or VirtualBox
  • LaTeX help 1.1
  • UTK computer and email accounts , in particular Linux/Volweb accounts
  • UTK-ORNL Joint Institute for Computational Sciences (JICS)
  • Interdisciplinary Graduate Minor in Computational Science (IGMCS)

    Computational Resources    
  • on UNIX/Linux and VI editor         • on FORTRAN and C                 • on Matlab and Maple
  • on Computational Science           • on Internet - WWW - HTML           • Examples - Simulations
  • Modeling Books                    • Think Python good for self-study
  • Pitfalls in Computation SIAM News, Dec.2019     The Perils of Floating Point Lahey 1996, examples of machine arithmetic pitfalls
    Interesting/Useful sites
    How Stuff Works ,   in particular:
  • How PCs work     How bits and bytes work     How microprocessors work
  • How computer memory works     How hard disks work     How did the Internet start?
  • How Web servers and the Internet work     How NAT (Network Address Translation) works
  • How email works     What do you call the @ symbol used in email addresses?
  • How file compression works       How MP3 files work
    About Mathematics
  • Mandelbrot Set Quanta Mag.2024, spectacular video
  • AI for Science Weinan E, SIAM News, Dec.2023   (superb! grand synthesis of ideas)
  • In AI, is bigger always better? Nature, Mar.2023, profound issues about Generative AI, LLMs
  • Big Data / Data Science: Data Science Programs Guide for Students
  • DeepXDE: A Deep LearningLibrary for Solving Differential Equations, by Lu-Meng-Mao-Karniadakis, SIAM Review 63, 2021
  • The $25,000,000,000 Eigenvector: The Linear Algebra behind Google ( SIAM Review 48, 2006)
  • Illustrating the Impact of the Mathematical Sciences nice!
  • How Imaginary Numbers Were Invented, Veritasium, excellent video, very revealing history and story, Nov.2021
  • A New IEEE 754 Standard for Floating-Point Arithmetic in an Ever-Changing World SIAM News, July 2021
  • The role of applied math in real-time pandemic response, excellent talk by Nina Fefferman (UTK), Apr.2020
  • DEs, a tourist guide But what is a PDE? But what is a Neural Network?   excellent videos by Grant Sanderson, of many at 3Blue1Brown
  • Timeline of Mathematics from 500BC to today, nice infographic
  • Pros and Cons of the Algorithm Age, Pew Research, Feb.2017   profound questions about the future...
  • The Map of Computer Science   and   The Map of Mathematics , by Dominic Walliman, 2017 (excellent videos!)
  • Mathematicians of the Day     and     Famous Scientists chronology (from Kai Lai Chung: Green, Brown, and Probability,1995)
  • How Mathematics built the modern world Nov.2023   interesting history up to Industrial Revolution
  • Cheer up, Math/CS/Engineering are most Lucrative College Majors:   Economic Value of College Majors
  • SIAM Career Center and Careers in Applied Mathematics (SIAM brochure)   . . .   and some funny occupational descriptions
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