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2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Science Undergraduate major in Earth and Planetary Sciences

Computational Planetary Science

Academic unit or major
Undergraduate major in Earth and Planetary Sciences
Instructor(s)
Hidenori Genda / Yoshiaki Endo
Class Format
Lecture/Exercise (Face-to-face)
Media-enhanced courses
-
Day of week/Period
(Classrooms)
5-8 Tue (南6号館2階211演習室) / 5-8 Fri (南6号館2階211演習室)
Class
-
Course Code
EPS.L330
Number of credits
220
Course offered
2025
Offered quarter
3Q
Syllabus updated
Mar 19, 2025
Language
Japanese

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

The methods of numerical analysis and numerical experiments are major pillars in Earth and planetary sciences, ranging from large-scale numerical calculation methods for various processes on earth and in space to numerical computations for analysis. In this course, the instructor will give lectures about basic usage of programing language (Fortran90/95), and exercises about the fundamentals of numerical calculations – matrix computations, solutions of non-linear equations and ordinary differential equations, numerical integration, solutions of partial differential equations, and the like. Students will also learn to use UNIX at the basic level and create graphs. In addition, students themselves work on numerical calculations for advanced problems applied to actual problems with earth and planetary sciences, from problem setting, development of a calculation method, execution, to the physical interpretation. They will make a presentation on their own study toward the end of the exercises. One class session consists of lectures for one period and exercises for three periods.

Course description and aims

The goal of this course is to acquire the ability to make basic numerical calculations to carry out numerical analysis and numerical experiments necessary for the earth and planetary science research. Specifically, students will be given lectures and exercises about basic UNIX, programing languages and numerical calculation methods. In addition, students are expected to acquire the ability to apply numerical calculations to various processes on earth and in space and to make a physical interpretation on the calculation results.

Keywords

numerical calculation methods and exercises

Competencies

  • Specialist skills
  • Intercultural skills
  • Communication skills
  • Critical thinking skills
  • Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

Numerical calculation methods in the first half of the course and exercises in the second half

Course schedule/Objectives

Course schedule Objectives
Class 1

the basics of UNIX and programing

the basics of UNIX and programing

Class 2

the basics 1 of Fortran (conditional branching)

the basics 1 of Fortran (conditional branching)

Class 3

the basics 2 of Fortran (loop)

the basics 2 of Fortran (loop)

Class 4

the basics 3 of Fortran (array)

the basics 3 of Fortran (array)

Class 5

how to plot figures

how to plot figures

Class 6

nonlinear equation

nonlinear equation

Class 7

numerical differentiation and integration, and their precision

numerical differentiation and integration, and their precision

Class 8

system of linear equations and matrix

system of linear equations and matrix

Class 9

ordinary differential equation, Euler method and Runge-Kutta method

ordinary differential equation, Euler method and Runge-Kutta method (No.1)

Class 10

ordinary differential equation, Euler method and Runge-Kutta method 2

ordinary differential equation, Euler method and Runge-Kutta method (No.2)

Class 11

data analysis 1 (the basics of Python)

set the research problem

Class 12

perform calculations 1

perform calculations 1

Class 13

perform calculations 2

perform calculations 2

Class 14

analysis of the results

analysis of the results

Class 15

presentation

presentation

Study advice (preparation and review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend a certain length of time outside of class on preparation and review (including for assignments), as specified by the Tokyo Institute of Technology Rules on Undergraduate Learning (東京工業大学学修規程) and the Tokyo Institute of Technology Rules on Graduate Learning (東京工業大学大学院学修規程), for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

nothing

Reference books, course materials, etc.

announced during the lectures

Evaluation methods and criteria

tasks, report and presentation of exercises

Related courses

  • nothing

Prerequisites

nothing