Modern Simulations under NT

Physics 683

Monday, Thursday 1:30-4:30, Rockefeller B3

This class is a graduate computer laboratory, focusing on the next generation of tools for computation, simulation, and research. Inspired by the new Intel equipment grant, we focus this semester on developing and exploring tools for research under Windows NT. The class will be at a reasonably high level of sophistication.

Computational Topics

Threads. Use both processors on your machine to do one task; let your simulation run at full steam, and yet be able to extract and view the current results.
Languages. Explore C++ and Python (for higher--level interpreted interactive analysis) and MPI (for parallel simulations). Guest lecture by Chris Myers.
GUI Interfaces. In the new world, it's sometimes easier to have buttons, sliders, and menus than to command--line or file input, especially for the exploratory work needed in simulations.
Visualization. It's always better to get dynamical, graphical output.

Scientific Topics

Molecular Dynamics: Direct Simulations of Atomic Motion. Guest lecture by Paulette Clancy; Verlet, symplectic algorithms, neighbor lists, boundary conditions; melting, perhaps plastic flow and fracture.
Lattice Monte Carlo: Algorithms and the Ising model. Lattice gas and Ising models.
Avalanches and Noise: Dynamics of Disordered Systems. The same Ising models, but with avalanches and dirt instead of temperature.
Lattice Gauge Theories: QCD on the PC. Contributed by Peter Lepage.
Electronic Structure Theory: the Local Density Approximation. By Mike Teter.
Pattern Formation: Fluids, Turbulence, and Chaos (with Eberhard Bodenschatz).
Quantum Monte Carlo: Guest Lecture by the Chester/Kalos collaboration.
Finite Element Methods: Guest Lecture by Tony Ingraffea, finite element methods for crack growth simulations.
High Energy Experimental Simulations: Possible guest lecture by Lawrence Gibbons.

Last modified: April 7, 1998

James P. Sethna, sethna@lassp.cornell.edu.

Statistical Mechanics: Entropy, Order Parameters, and Complexity, now available at Oxford University Press (USA, Europe).