Universities and Online Degrees Guide

University of the Witwatersrand

Bachelor of Science in Computational and Applied Mathematics

The Bachelor of Science in Computational and Applied Mathematics in Mathematics is offered by University of the Witwatersrand.

Program Length: 3 YEARS.

Bachelor of Science in Computational and Applied Mathematics offered by the University of the Witwatersrand

Study the application of mathematics and computational techniques to problems in commerce and industry, engineering, finance and economics, society, the medical sciences, the environment and pure sciences.

Overview

Advanced Mathematics has become a very powerful and practical tool in many disciplines and professions. The specialised task of finding practical solutions to real life problems by means of mathematical invention is the objective of researchers in the School of Computational and Applied Mathematics.

Students become skilled in the use of mathematics in a ‘pencil and paper’ way, constructing mathematical models, performing calculations, judging the usefulness of the models and deciding on how they might best be applied to industry and commerce. Real life problems can be very complicated and the applied mathematician will often need computer skills for judging his or her model and the accuracy of the mathematics. The computer solutions can themselves be very difficult to compute (some real problems could take the fastest computer years to solve), so applied mathematicians really need advanced computer skills. Many researchers become involved in academic studies of these difficult computer problems.

The School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics is interested in mathematical applications such as valuation of financial products for large banks and corporations; graduates can eventually earn very large salaries. Continuum mechanics describes the distortion of a solid and the flow of liquids. Companies often have optimisation problems, such as the shortest path for copper wire for a telephone service. The School is interested in academic problems in mathematics, such as numerical analysis and differential equations, in astronomy and in physics.

Applied Mathematics is important in many disciplines. The School also teaches engineers, architects, building scientists, town planners, commerce students, and medical and health science students.

Curriculum

First year

• Computational and Applied Mathematics I

AND

• Mathematics I (Major):
  • Algebra I
  • Calculus I

AND

• Any two other Level I courses

Recommended courses:

• Computer Science I:
  • Discrete Computational Structures I
  • Introduction to Algorithms and Programming I
  • Introduction to Data Structures and Algorithms I
  • Basic Computer Organisation I
• Physics I (Major)

Second year

• Computational and Applied Mathematics II

AND

• Mathematics II :
  • Abstract Mathematics II
  • Basic Analysis II
  • Introduction to Mathematical Statistics II
  • Linear Algebra II
  • Multivariable Calculus II
  • Transition to Abstract Mathematics II

AND

• Any other Level II major depending on other course sets

Third year

• Computational and Applied Mathematics III

AND

• Any other Level III major depending on other course sets