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Major Physics and Computer Science (66 credits)

Offered by: Physics     Degree: Bachelor of Science

Program Requirements

The Major Physics and Computer Science is designed to give motivated students the opportunity to combine the two fields in a way that will distinguish them from the graduates of either field by itself. The two disciplines complement each other, with physics providing an analytic problem-solving outlook and basic understanding of nature, while computer science enhances the ability to make practical and marketable applications, in addition to having its own theoretical interest. Graduates of this program may be able to present themselves as being more immediately useful than a pure physics major, but with more breadth than just a programmer. They will be able to demonstrate their combined expertise in the Special Project course which is the centrepiece of the final year of the program.

Program Prerequisites

Students entering Physics programs from the Freshman program must have successfully completed the courses below or their equivalents. Quebec students must have completed the DEC with appropriate science and mathematics courses.

  • CHEM 110 General Chemistry 1 (4 credits)

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Chemistry : A study of the fundamental principles of atomic structure, radiation and nuclear chemistry, valence theory, coordination chemistry, and the periodic table.

    Terms: Fall 2015

    Instructors: Gauthier, Jean-Marc; Sewall, Samuel Lewis; Huot, Mitchell; Barrett, Christopher; Friscic, Tomislav; Pavelka, Laura (Fall)

    • Fall

    • Prerequisites/corequisites: College level mathematics and physics or permission of instructor; CHEM 120 is not a prerequisite

    • Each lab section is limited enrolment

  • CHEM 120 General Chemistry 2 (4 credits)

    Offered by: Chemistry (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Chemistry : A study of the fundamental principles of physical chemistry.

    Terms: Winter 2016

    Instructors: Pavelka, Laura; Butler, Ian Sydney; Siwick, Bradley; Gauthier, Jean-Marc; Huot, Mitchell (Winter)

    • Winter

    • Prerequisites/corequisites: College level mathematics and physics, or permission of instructor: CHEM 110 is not a prerequisite

    • Each lab section is limited enrolment

  • PHYS 131 Mechanics and Waves (4 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : The basic laws and principles of Newtonian mechanics; oscillations and waves.

    Terms: Fall 2015

    Instructors: Ragan, Kenneth J (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lectures; 1 hour tutorial, 3 hours laboratory in alternate weeks; tutorial sessions

    • Corequisite: MATH 139 or higher level calculus course.

    • Restriction: Not open to students taking or having taken PHYS 101, CEGEP objective 00UR or equivalent

    • Laboratory sections have limited enrolment

  • PHYS 142 Electromagnetism and Optics (4 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : The basic laws of electricity and magnetism; geometrical and physical optics.

    Terms: Winter 2016

    Instructors: Gervais, Guillaume; Engelberg, Edith M (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lectures, 3 hours laboratory in alternate weeks; tutorial sessions

    • Prerequisite: PHYS 131.

    • Corequisite: MATH 141 or higher level calculus course.

    • Restriction: Not open to students taking or having taken PHYS 102, CEGEP objective 00UR or equivalent

    • Laboratory sections have limited enrolment

One of:

  • BIOL 111 Principles: Organismal Biology (3 credits)

    Offered by: Biology (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Biology (Sci) : An introduction to the phylogeny, structure, function and adaptation of unicellular organisms, plants and animals in the biosphere.

    Terms: Fall 2015

    Instructors: Krahe, Rudiger; Dhindsa, Rajinder S; Gregory-Eaves, Irene (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 2 hours lecture and 3 hours laboratory

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken CEGEP objective 00UK or equivalent; or BIOL 115.

    • This course serves as an alternative to CEGEP objective code 00UK

    • May require departmental approval.

    • Open to all students wishing introductory biology.

    • Attendance at first lab is mandatory to confirm registration in the course.

    • This class will use a Student Response System (clicker) which can be obtained from the Bookstore.

  • BIOL 112 Cell and Molecular Biology (3 credits)

    Offered by: Biology (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Biology (Sci) : The cell: ultrastructure, division, chemical constituents and reactions. Bioenergetics: photosynthesis and respiration. Principles of genetics, the molecular basis of inheritance and biotechnology.

    Terms: Winter 2016

    Instructors: Dent, Joseph Alan; Schöck, Frieder (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 2 hours lecture and 3.5 hours laboratory/seminar

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking CEGEP objective 00XU or equivalent; or BIOL 115; or AEBI 122

    • Attendance at first lab is mandatory to confirm registration in the course.

MATH 133 and either MATH 140/141 or MATH 150/151.

  • MATH 133 Linear Algebra and Geometry (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Systems of linear equations, matrices, inverses, determinants; geometric vectors in three dimensions, dot product, cross product, lines and planes; introduction to vector spaces, linear dependence and independence, bases; quadratic loci in two and three dimensions.

    Terms: Fall 2015, Winter 2016, Summer 2016

    Instructors: Disegni, Daniel; Kelome, Djivede; Baratin, Aristide; Anderson, William J (Fall) Novytska, Yuliya; Kelome, Djivede (Winter) Baratin, Aristide (Summer)

    • 3 hours lecture, 1 hour tutorial

    • Prerequisite: a course in functions

    • Restriction A: Not open to students who have taken MATH 221 or CEGEP objective 00UQ or equivalent.

    • Restriction B: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 123, MATH 130 or MATH 131, except by permission of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

    • Restriction C: Not open to students who are taking or have taken MATH 134.

  • MATH 140 Calculus 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Review of functions and graphs. Limits, continuity, derivative. Differentiation of elementary functions. Antidifferentiation. Applications.

    Terms: Fall 2015, Winter 2016, Summer 2016

    Instructors: Hundemer, Axel W; Hu, Ying; Wallace, Michael (Fall) Vonk, Jan (Winter) Jakobson, Dmitry (Summer)

    • 3 hours lecture, 1 hour tutorial

    • Prerequisite: High School Calculus

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken MATH 120, MATH 139 or CEGEP objective 00UN or equivalent

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 122 or MATH 130 or MATH 131, except by permission of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics

    • Each Tutorial section is enrolment limited

  • MATH 141 Calculus 2 (4 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : The definite integral. Techniques of integration. Applications. Introduction to sequences and series.

    Terms: Fall 2015, Winter 2016, Summer 2016

    Instructors: Pang, Chung Yin Amy (Fall) Shokoohi, Farhad; Hundemer, Axel W; Barsheshat, Yariv (Winter) Al Balushi, Ibrahim; 91ÉçÇøivray, Annaliza (Summer)

    • Prerequisites: MATH 139 or MATH 140 or MATH 150.

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken MATH 121 or CEGEP objective 00UP or equivalent

    • Restriction Note B: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 122 or MATH 130 or MATH 131, except by permission of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

    • Each Tutorial section is enrolment limited

  • MATH 150 Calculus A (4 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Functions, limits and continuity, differentiation, L'Hospital's rule, applications, Taylor polynomials, parametric curves, functions of several variables.

    Terms: Fall 2015

    Instructors: Roth, Charles (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lecture, 2 hours tutorial

    • Students with no prior exposure to vector geometry are advised to take MATH 133 concurrently. Intended for students with high school calculus who have not received six advanced placement credits

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken CEGEP objective 00UN or equivalent

    • Restriction Note B: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 122 or MATH 130 or MATH 131, except by permission of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics

    • MATH 150 and MATH 151 cover the material of MATH 139, MATH 140, MATH 141, MATH 222

  • MATH 151 Calculus B (4 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Integration, methods and applications, infinite sequences and series, power series, arc length and curvature, multiple integration.

    Terms: Winter 2016

    Instructors: Roth, Charles (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lecture; 2 hours tutorial

    • Each Tutorial section is enrolment limited

    • Prerequisite: MATH 150

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken CEGEP objective 00UP or equivalent

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 122 or MATH 130 or MATH 131, except by permission of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken MATH 152

U1 Required Courses (21 credits)

  • COMP 250 Introduction to Computer Science (3 credits)

    Offered by: Computer Science (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Computer Science (Sci) : An introduction to the design of computer algorithms, including basic data structures, analysis of algorithms, and establishing correctness of programs. Overview of topics in computer science.

    Terms: Fall 2015, Winter 2016

    Instructors: Blanchette, Mathieu; Waldispuhl, Jérôme (Fall) Crepeau, Claude (Winter)

    • 3 hours

    • Prerequisites: Familiarity with a high level programming language and CEGEP level Math.

    • Restrictions: COMP 203 and COMP 250 are considered to be equivalent from a prerequisite point of view, and cannot both be taken for credit.

  • MATH 222 Calculus 3 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Taylor series, Taylor's theorem in one and several variables. Review of vector geometry. Partial differentiation, directional derivative. Extreme of functions of 2 or 3 variables. Parametric curves and arc length. Polar and spherical coordinates. Multiple integrals.

    Terms: Fall 2015, Winter 2016, Summer 2016

    Instructors: Drury, Stephen W; Huang, Jingyin (Fall) Drury, Stephen W (Winter) McGregor, Geoffrey (Summer)

  • MATH 223 Linear Algebra (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Review of matrix algebra, determinants and systems of linear equations. Vector spaces, linear operators and their matrix representations, orthogonality. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors, diagonalization of Hermitian matrices. Applications.

    Terms: Fall 2015, Winter 2016

    Instructors: Fox, Thomas F (Fall) Pichot, Michael (Winter)

    • Fall and Winter

    • Prerequisite: MATH 133 or equivalent

    • Restriction: Not open to students in Mathematics programs nor to students who have taken or are taking MATH 236, MATH 247 or MATH 251. It is open to students in Faculty Programs

  • MATH 240 Discrete Structures 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Mathematical foundations of logical thinking and reasoning. Mathematical language and proof techniques. Quantifiers. Induction. Elementary number theory. Modular arithmetic. Recurrence relations and asymptotics. Combinatorial enumeration. Functions and relations. Partially ordered sets and lattices. Introduction to graphs, digraphs and rooted trees.

    Terms: Fall 2015

    Instructors: Vetta, Adrian Roshan (Fall)

    • Fall

    • Corequisite: MATH 133.

    • Restriction: For students in any Computer Science program. Others only with the instructor's permission. Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 235.

  • PHYS 230 Dynamics of Simple Systems (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Translational motion under Newton's laws; forces, momentum, work/energy theorem. Special relativity; Lorentz transforms, relativistic mechanics, mass/energy equivalence. Topics in rotational dynamics. Noninertial frames.

    Terms: Fall 2015

    Instructors: Pereg-Barnea, Tamar (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Prerequisite: CEGEP Physics or PHYS 131.

    • Corequisite: MATH 222

    • Restriction: Not open to students taking or having passed PHYS 251

  • PHYS 257 Experimental Methods 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Introductory laboratory work and data analysis as related to mechanics, optics and thermodynamics. Introduction to computers as they are employed for laboratory work, for data analysis and for numerical computation. Previous experience with computers is an asset, but is not required.

    Terms: Fall 2015

    Instructors: Warburton, Andreas; Engelberg, Edith M (Fall)

    • Fall

    • 6 hours of laboratory and classroom work

    • Corequisite: PHYS 230 or PHYS 251

  • PHYS 258 Experimental Methods 2 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Advanced laboratory work and data analysis as related to mechanics, optics and thermodynamics. Computers will be employed routinely for data analysis and for numerical computation, and, particularly, to facilitate the use of Fourier methods.

    Terms: Winter 2016

    Instructors: Warburton, Andreas; Engelberg, Edith M; Brunner, Thomas (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 6 hours of laboratory and classroom work

    • Prerequisite: PHYS 257

U2 Required Courses (24 credits)

  • COMP 206 Introduction to Software Systems (3 credits)

    Offered by: Computer Science (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Computer Science (Sci) : Comprehensive overview of programming in C, use of system calls and libraries, debugging and testing of code; use of developmental tools like make, version control systems.

    Terms: Fall 2015, Winter 2016

    Instructors: Meger, David; Dudek, Gregory L (Fall) Vybihal, Joseph P (Winter)

  • COMP 251 Algorithms and Data Structures (3 credits)

    Offered by: Computer Science (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Computer Science (Sci) : Introduction to algorithm design and analysis. Graph algorithms, greedy algorithms, data structures, dynamic programming, maximum flows.

    Terms: Fall 2015, Winter 2016

    Instructors: Crepeau, Claude (Fall) Vetta, Adrian Roshan (Winter)

  • COMP 302 Programming Languages and Paradigms (3 credits)

    Offered by: Computer Science (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Computer Science (Sci) : Programming language design issues and programming paradigms. Binding and scoping, parameter passing, lambda abstraction, data abstraction, type checking. Functional and logic programming.

    Terms: Fall 2015, Winter 2016

    Instructors: Pientka, Brigitte (Fall) Panangaden, Prakash (Winter)

  • COMP 350 Numerical Computing (3 credits)

    Offered by: Computer Science (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Computer Science (Sci) : Computer representation of numbers, IEEE Standard for Floating Point Representation, computer arithmetic and rounding errors. Numerical stability. Matrix computations and software systems. Polynomial interpolation. Least-squares approximation. Iterative methods for solving a nonlinear equation. Discretization methods for integration and differential equations.

    Terms: Fall 2015

    Instructors: Chang, Xiao-Wen (Fall)

  • MATH 314 Advanced Calculus (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Derivative as a matrix. Chain rule. Implicit functions. Constrained maxima and minima. Jacobians. Multiple integration. Line and surface integrals. Theorems of Green, Stokes and Gauss. Fourier series with applications.

    Terms: Fall 2015, Winter 2016

    Instructors: Panati, Annalisa (Fall) Roth, Charles (Winter)

  • MATH 315 Ordinary Differential Equations (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : First order ordinary differential equations including elementary numerical methods. Linear differential equations. Laplace transforms. Series solutions.

    Terms: Fall 2015, Winter 2016, Summer 2016

    Instructors: Xu, Jian-Jun (Fall) Lu, Xinyang (Winter) Roth, Charles (Summer)

    • Prerequisite: MATH 222.

    • Corequisite: MATH 133.

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 325.

  • PHYS 232 Heat and Waves (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : The laws of thermodynamics and their consequences. Thermodynamics of P-V-T systems and simple heat engines. Free, driven, and damped harmonic oscillators. Coupled systems and normal modes. Fourier methods. Wave motion and dispersion. The wave equation.

    Terms: Winter 2016

    Instructors: Lovejoy, Shaun MacDonald (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 3 hours lectures

    • Prerequisites: CEGEP Physics or PHYS 142, and CEGEP chemistry or CHEM 120, and PHYS 230.

    • Restriction: Not open to students taking or having passed PHYS 253

  • PHYS 241 Signal Processing (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Linear circuit elements, resonance, network theorems, diodes, transistors, amplifiers, feedback, integrated circuits.

    Terms: Winter 2016

    Instructors: Dobbs, Matthew Adam (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 2 hours lectures; 3 hours laboratory alternate weeks

    • Prerequisite: CEGEP physics or PHYS 142.

U3 Required Courses (21 credits)

  • COMP 360 Algorithm Design (3 credits)

    Offered by: Computer Science (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Computer Science (Sci) : Advanced algorithm design and analysis. Linear programming, complexity and NP-completeness, advanced algorithmic techniques.

    Terms: Fall 2015, Winter 2016

    Instructors: Hatami, Hamed (Fall) Hatami, Hamed (Winter)

  • MATH 323 Probability (3 credits)

    Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Sample space, events, conditional probability, independence of events, Bayes' Theorem. Basic combinatorial probability, random variables, discrete and continuous univariate and multivariate distributions. Independence of random variables. Inequalities, weak law of large numbers, central limit theorem.

    Terms: Fall 2015, Winter 2016, Summer 2016

    Instructors: Anderson, William J (Fall) Vrbik, Irene (Winter) Kelome, Djivede (Summer)

    • Prerequisites: MATH 141 or equivalent.

    • Restriction: Intended for students in Science, Engineering and related disciplines, who have had differential and integral calculus

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 356

  • PHYS 331 Topics in Classical Mechanics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Forced and damped oscillators, Newtonian mechanics in three dimensions, rotational motion, Lagrangian mechanics, small vibrations, normal modes. Introduction to Hamiltonian mechanics.

    Terms: Winter 2016

    Instructors: Dasgupta, Keshav (Winter)

  • PHYS 339 Measurements Laboratory in General Physics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : Introduction to modern techniques of measurement. The use of computers in performing and analysing experiments. Data reduction, statistical methods, report writing. Extensive use of computers is made in this laboratory; therefore some familiarity with computers and computing is an advantage.

    Terms: Winter 2016

    Instructors: Cooke, David (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 6 hours

    • Prerequisite: PHYS 241 or permission of instructor

  • PHYS 340 Majors Electricity and Magnetism (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : The electrostatic field and scalar potential. Dielectric properties of matter. Energy in the electrostatic field. Methods for solving problems in electrostatics. The magnetic field. Induction and inductance. Energy in the magnetic field. Magnetic properties of matter. Maxwell's equations. The dipole approximation.

    Terms: Fall 2015

    Instructors: Siwick, Bradley (Fall)

  • PHYS 446 Majors Quantum Physics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : de Broglie waves, Bohr atom. Schroedinger equation, wave functions, observables. One dimensional potentials. Schroedinger equation in three dimensions. Angular momentum, hydrogen atom. Spin, experimental consequences.

    Terms: Fall 2015

    Instructors: Cumming, Andrew (Fall)

  • PHYS 489 Special Project (3 credits)

    Offered by: Physics (Faculty of Science)

    Overview

    Physics : A project incorporating aspects of both physics and computer science, under the joint supervision of the two departments. The Physics aspect may be either laboratory-based or theoretical in nature. The Computational aspect will involve the development and implementation of algorithms arising from the investigation.

    Terms: Winter 2016

    Instructors: Sutton, Mark (Winter)

    • Winter

    • 6 hours

    • Restriction: Only open to students in their final year of the Joint Major in Physics and Computer Science after consultation with the adviser(s) for the program

Faculty of Science—2015-2016 (last updated Aug. 20, 2015) (disclaimer)
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