Math Refreshers for Engineers |
|
<< back to course list
Math Refreshers for Engineers — Background Information "Use It or Lose It" : Among engineers, the old saying “use it or lose it” aptly applies to the technical skills we learned in our undergraduate or graduate courses. An absence from the classroom of only a few years can significantly diminish our math and basic engineering skills. Math as a Tool: As an engineer with over 25 years of university experience teaching both undergraduates and graduates, I have found that students who lack a basic understanding of engineering fundamentals, and equally importantly, of how to use "math as a tool," often encounter difficulties, not only as they pursue their engineering education, but also when they try to handle more technically advanced work assignments. Goal: As an educator and an engineer, my goal for all the math courses is to instill in participants a working knowledge of how math is used as a tool for problem solving, from initial identification of assumptions through final interpretation of results. By taking these courses in a convenient two-day format, participants can quickly get back up on the "learning curve," without spending weeks or months in often unproductive self-study or re-taking a formal undergraduate or graduate level math course. Objective: The objective of these two-day refresher courses is to provide the opportunity for technical professionals to upgrade their basic engineering and math skills quickly and conveniently. The courses are intended for engineers and others who have a need or desire to enhance their technical ability and increase their professional competency. The courses have proven particularly helpful for those taking technical classes, pursuing either graduate or undergraduate studies, or desiring just a review or an introductory overview. Emphasis is placed on how to set up, analyze, and interpret engineering problems. Review and Overview: Courses designated as "Review" are directed toward participants who have had some exposure to the subject, as would be the case for the Calculus or the Differential Equations courses. Courses designated as "Introductory Overview" are directed toward participants who have had no previous experience with the subject but still have a need to learn more about the topic and to be introduced to the topic in as non-threatening a way as possible. This might be the case for the Statistics or the Partial Differential Equations courses. Course Materials: Each participant receives a copy of the instructors course notes and an appropriate review text containing many examples and worked-out problems. Some Work-Related Aspects of the Math Refresher Courses 1. Engineers, particularly those given new assignments, are often asked to review technical reports or professional journal articles to become familiar with a technical project. Typically, this literature contains mathematical equations and derivations that the engineer needs to interpret in order to understand the relevance of the technical material presented. 2. Like foreign languages, one’s skill with mathematics can diminish without consistent use. For sometimes years, many engineers are assigned tasks that do not require them to use the math skills they once had. As a result, if their jobs require them to “think mathematically,” they need to get back up on the “knowledge curve.” They could attempt to re-acquire these skill on their own, but that could take weeks and still not provide the competency and insight needed. The goal of the math refresher short courses is to review and enhance these basics skills in the context of practical engineering examples and to accomplish that in a convenient two-day format. 3. There is a great deal of emphasis today on the use of computers to help design and develop systems and components. However, much of what is being programmed is based on analytical analysis of fundamental laws and principles of engineering. Examples of the old adage “garbage in - garbage out” can easily occur if programmers do not have a good understanding of both the analytic methods and the physical laws they are asked to implement. 4. When required to take specific technical training courses, many engineers find themselves overwhelmed by “the math” and do not derive full benefit from these courses as a result. 6A. Calculus with Analytical GeometryThe objective of this course is to provide a review of calculus and analytical geometry. Emphasis is placed on how to use math as a tool to set up and interpret engineering problems. This course is intended for those with a work-related need, those taking technical training classes, pursuing either graduate or undergraduate studies, or desiring just a refresher. Topics include:
The objective of this course is to provide a review of differential equations with Laplace transforms. Emphasis is placed on how to use math as a tool to set up and interpret engineering problems. This course is intended for those with a work-related need, those taking technical training classes, pursuing either graduate or undergraduate studies, or desiring just a refresher. Topics include:
The objective of this course is to provide a basic introductory overview of linear algebra and matrix analysis techniques used in engineering. Basic concepts are developed and explored through examples and geometrical interpretations. This course is intended for those with a work-related need, those taking technical training classes, and those pursuing either graduate or undergraduate studies. No previous experience with linear algebra nor matrices is required. Topics include:
6D. Partial Differential Equations & Boundary Value Problems The objective of this course is to provide an introductory overview of linear partial differential equations (PDE) as they apply in engineering. Basic physical laws are reviewed and applied to the derivation and interpretation of initial- and boundary-value problems. This course is intended for those with a work-related need, those taking technical training classes, and those pursuing either graduate or undergraduate studies. No previous experience with Partial Differential Equations is required. Topics include:
Topics of interest to the course participants. 6E. Applied Statistics with Excel Examples The objective of this course is to provide a basic introductory overview of statistics and probability as they apply in engineering. Basic concepts are developed and explored through simple examples and graphical illustrations. The course also acquaints participants with numerical techniques of statistical analysis using Excel examples. This course is intended for those with a work-related need, those taking technical training classes, and those pursuing either graduate or undergraduate studies. No previous experience with probability or statistics is required. Topics include:
Topics of interest to the course participants. Learning Options:
Course Materials: Each student receives:
|
To register for a class, or if you have any questions about our offerings,
please contact
Alan Stuart, Ph.D |
© 2008 ADSTUART ASSOCIATES |