COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE ACADEMY

A function of the Center for Computational Science and Advanced Distributed Simulation
at the University of Houston-Downtown

Application Information

GOALS OF THE PROGRAM

• Sharpen mathematical communication (written and oral) skills;
• Strengthen problem formulation and problem solving skills;
• Develop better reasoning skills and a higher level of abstraction;
• Prove that mathematics is a creative form of art and great fun.

DATES

Students will attend sessions at the University of Houston-Downtown on each of the following Saturdays from 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.:  

October 13, 27                                                        January 12, 26                                                              April 13, 27

November 3, 17                                                      February 9, 23 

December 1, 8                                                         March 9, 30 

A separate lesson will be designed for each of the 14 sessions. Lessons will typically discuss a group of concepts and problems chosen from the areas listed below. Worksheets will contain questions inviting students to investigate, rather than providing them with the answers right away. 

The first part of these worksheets will be conceptual (the new material) which all students will be expected to cover. At the end of these sessions, instructors will encourage students to report to the whole class on their findings, and together they will discuss and summarize the definitions, theorems and processes learned. This part of the material will be later used to emphasize the fascinating interrelations among various parts of mathematics. 

The second part of the worksheets will contain questions that go further into the topics. Each student or group of students will be encouraged to work on these problems after having finished with the beginning part, or later at home. References will be provided for further reading on the subjects. 

 TOPICS WILL BE INCLUDED FROM THE AREA OF:

• Number theory;
• Computational Sciences;
• Probability (combinatorial and geometric);
• Coding theory (the basics, examples);
• Graph theory (various classes of graphs: trees, planar graphs, Euclidean and Hamiltonian graphs, isomorphisms, applications);
• Optimization and algorithms using graphing calculators;
• Abstract mathematics (axioms of groups, easy theorems, examples);
• Fuzzy logic (applications to artificial intelligence);
• Recreational mathematics (as Martin Gardener defines it);
• Sharpen mathematics skills using PLATO.

No tuition or fees will be charged for participation in the Computational Sciences Academy. However, each student is expected to provide his/her own transportation to UH-Downtown.  

FACILITIES

All program functions will be held in classrooms at the University of Houston-Downtown, and instructors will be UHD faculty members. Students will be expected to abide by the rules set by the University of Houston-Downtown and the Program Director.