Course Outline
   

1)       Approximation by polynomials

  • The approximation problem: good approximations and norms of function

Class notes

  • Taylor’s theorem in several dimensions and the Weierstrass Approximation theorem

Atkinson, 4.1

  • Polynomial interpolation: existence and formula

Atkinson 3.1

  • Pointwise error representation, maximum norm bounds. Is the error small?

Atkinson 3.1, 3.4, 3.5

  • Piecewise polynomial interpolation: basis functions in one and two dimensions, error representations, error bound

Atkinson 3.7, Class notes

  • Least square approximations: orthonormal polynomials and orthogonal projections, error result

Atkinson 4.3-4.5, Class notes

  • Approximation of functions in Sobolev space

Class notes

   

2)       Finding roots of functions

  • The bisection method

Atkinson 2.1, Estep and Johnson 10, 12

  • Fixed points and the fixed point iteration

Atkinson 2.5, Estep and Johnson 8, 13

  • Local and Global convergenc

Estep and Johnson 13, 26

  • Rates of Convergenc

Estep and Johnson 13, 26

  • A higher order convergent method: Newton’s metho

Atkinson 2.2, 2.10, 2.11, Estep and Johnson 26

  • Practical considerations: variations of Newton’s metho

Notes

   

3)       Numerical integration

  • Simple rules: trapezoidal and Simpson’s rule

Atkinson 5.1

  • Interpolatory quadrature: Newton-Cotes formula

Atkinson 5.2

  • Precision, error representations, error bound

Atkinson 5.2, 5.4

  • Gauss quadratur

Atkinson 5.3

  • Numerical integration in two dimension

Notes

   

4)       Solving initial value problems for ordinary differential equations

  • Background

Atkinson 6.1

  • Existence and uniqueness of a solution of an initial value problem by an a posteriori convergence result

Notes

  • Methods for numerical solution of differential equations: finite difference and finite element method

Atkinson 6.2, 6.10, 6.3, Notes

  • A priori convergence result

Notes

  • Error estimation and a posteriori error result

Notes

  • Adaptive error control

Notes

  • Stability issue

Atkinson 6.9, Notes