2026 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Engineering Undergraduate major in Mechanical Engineering
Fundamentals of information and mathematical sciences
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Mechanical Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Hiroto Tanaka
- Class Format
- Lecture/Exercise (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-8 Mon (I3-302, 303, 310)
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- MEC.B201
- Number of credits
- 110
- Course offered
- 2026
- Offered quarter
- 2Q
- Syllabus updated
- Jun 5, 2026
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This course offers lectures and exercises on the fundamentals of computer systems and programming languages, as well as the basics of numerical analysis methods applicable to engineering. Students will learn the following numerical analysis methods and necessary knowledge:
1. Errors in numerical calculations.
2. Various methods for solving systems of linear equations, which are fundamental techniques in numerical calculation.
3. Methods for solving nonlinear equations.
4. Interpolation methods.
5. Numerical integration methods.
Course description and aims
The learning objectives are as follows:
1. Understand the basic mechanisms of computer systems and programming languages.
2. Become able to create and execute programs in the C language.
3. Become able to develop programs that perform various numerical analyses
Keywords
Programming, Numerical computation, C language
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
- Ability to solve new problems and make creative proposals by utilizing advanced and specialized knowledge in mechanical engineering
Class flow
Lectures and exercises will be conducted in person. For the exercises, students are required to use their own laptops that they bring to class.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Overview of computers and programs. Basics of C language |
Understanding the mechanics of computers and programs. Create and execute simple programs in C language. |
| Class 2 | Basics of C language and conditional branches |
Understand the basic calculation methods in C language using conditional branching. |
| Class 3 | Looping. Arrays and pointers |
Become proficient in using looping, arrays, and pointers. |
| Class 4 | Arrays, pointers, and strings |
Become proficient in using arrays, pointers, and strings. |
| Class 5 | File input/output. Functions. Numerical calculations and its errors. |
Learn how to read data from files and write results to files. Become proficient in using functions. |
| Class 6 | Numerical solutions to systems of linear equations and nonlinear equations. |
Comprehend Gaussian elimination. Understand Gaussian elimination, bisection method, and Newton's method. |
| Class 7 | Interpolation methods and numerical integration methods. |
Understand interpolation methods including Lagrange Interpolation Polynomial. Understand numerical integration methods including Gauss-Legendre integration, |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
N.A.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Instruction manuals and course materials provided by the lecturers.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Understanding of the basics of programming and mathematical computation will be evaluated by final exam (about 50%), assignments, and exercises (about 50%). There is a possibility to cancel the final exam.
Related courses
- MEC.B221 ： Statistical data analysis
- MEC.B222 ： Fundamentals of computational mechanics
- MEC.K332 ： Finite Element Analysis
- LAS.I121 ： Computer Science I
Prerequisites
Only the undergraduate students of Mechanical Engineering Department can take this coruse, due to the limited capacity of the classrooms and TAs' support. Students of the other departments cannot take this course.
Students must bring their own Windows laptop PC to the class. Microsoft Visual Studio 2026 Community (Free) should be installed. Installation methods will be instructed via LMS. The laptop PCs and software will be used in the first lecture.
Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).
Hiroto Tanaka: tanaka.h.4e0e[at]m.isct.ac.jp
Office hours
Contact by e-mail. If you'd like to have a face-to-face meeting, make an appointment in advance.