Building Computational Physics Into the Undergraduate Curriculum

一组与IBM兼容的486/33台PC被用来帮助Rose-Hulman物理学和应用光学(PH/AO)教员将计算物理构建到课程的所有领域。每个Rose-Hulman大一新生现在都要学习一整年的数学符号数学包。计算机集群使PH/AO教师能够首先熟悉数学，然后在本科课程的所有课程水平上制定定期的数学作业，以加强和提高学生的技能。这些课程通常使用笔记本功能，因此学生可以修改模板或外壳。在较高级别的PH/AO课程中，一组不同的模拟和作业基于CUPS(综合本科生物理软件)项目中的材料(从1992年9月开始提供测试版)。这需要教员的努力少得多，因为书面的CUPS资源材料总是建议学生通过修改现有的源程序来探索物理的一些方法。高年级物理课程中的CUPS模拟应该会引起学生和教职员工的极大兴趣。该集群为运行和使用CUPS提供了可访问的高速计算资源。此外，这些机器支持广泛的混沌模拟，以及正在开设的一门关于物理系统中的混沌的课程的实验数据采集。将以该集群为主要资源发起针对PH/AO专业的课外软件活动。这项工作将与其他部门的工作同时进行，以制作软件演示以加强课堂教学。它还应该提高学生对物理或应用光学专业的兴趣。

A cluster of 486/33 IBM-compatible PCs ia being used to assist Rose-Hulman physics and applied optics (PH/AO) faculty in building computational physics into all areas of the curriculum.Every Rose-Hulman freshman is now exposed to the Mathematica symbolic mathematics package for a full year. The cluster of PCs enables PH/AO faculty to first get familiar with Mathematica, and then develop regular Mathematica assignments at all course levels in the undergraduate curriculum, to reinforce and build up students' skills. These often use the notebook feature, so students can modify a template or shell.In upper level PH/AO courses, a different set of simulations and assignments are based on materials in the CUPS (Comprehensive Undergraduate Physics Software) project (available in beta version, starting in September, 1992). This requires much less effort from faculty, because written CUPS resource materials always suggest a number of ways in which students can explore the physics by modifying existing source programs. CUPS simulations across the upper-level physics courses should generate a lot of interest in both students and faculty. The cluster provides an accessible high-speed computing resource to run and use CUPS.In addition, the machines support extensive chaos simulations, and experimental data acquisition for a course being offered on chaos in physical systems.An extracurricular software activity for PH/AO majors will be initiated, using the cluster as the main resource. This will work in parallel with other departmental efforts to generate software demonstrations to enhance classroom teaching. It should also increase student interest in physics or applied optics as a major.