Integrators compared
Compare Euler, Runge-Kutta 4 and Verlet on an orbit and measure energy conservation.
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Physics & maths · 22Advanced
Computational Physicist
Learners who would rather simulate than calculate by hand.
Python and numerical methods, then mechanics, waves and optics, and condensed matter physics.
383hours of coursework
39weeks at 10 h
5steps
19courses
4universities
Target skills
PhysicsCalculusApplied MathematicsMechanicsIntegral CalculusAlgebraLinear AlgebraDifferential EquationsElectromagneticsData ProcessingRestful APIXML
Skill labels as listed on Coursera.
Target jobs
- Simulation engineer
- Computational physicist
- Scientific data scientist
Progression
- 1University of MichiganBeginnerPython, SQL, SQLite
Stated prerequisites: No prerequisites; designed as an on-ramp to programming
Show the 5 courses
Course Level Length Rating (reviews) Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python) Beginner 17 h 4.8 (233,775) Python Data Structures Beginner 20 h 4.9 (97,365) Using Python to Access Web Data Beginner 19 h 4.8 (44,591) Using Databases with Python Beginner 14 h 4.8 (21,659) Capstone: Retrieving, Processing, and Visualizing Data with Python Beginner 9 h 4.7 (14,483) - 2The Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyBeginnerMATLAB
Stated prerequisites: Single variable calculus and some computer programming ability
Show the 5 courses
Course Level Length Rating (reviews) Matrix Algebra for Engineers Beginner 20 h 4.9 (4,726) Differential Equations for Engineers Beginner 27 h 4.9 (2,251) Vector Calculus for Engineers Beginner 30 h 4.8 (1,425) Numerical Methods for Engineers Intermediate 40 h 4.8 (451) Mathematics for Engineers: The Capstone Course Intermediate 10 h 5.0 (45) - 3Rice UniversityIntermediate
Stated prerequisites: Algebra, geometry, trigonometry; basic calculus helpful
Show the 3 courses
Course Level Length Rating (reviews) Physics 101 - Forces and Kinematics Intermediate 30 h 4.7 (210) Physics 101 - Energy and Momentum Intermediate 23 h 4.6 (49) Physics 101 - Rotational Motion and Gravitation Intermediate 28 h 4.8 (104) - 4Rice UniversityIntermediate
Stated prerequisites: A year of introductory physics
Show the 3 courses
Course Level Length Rating (reviews) Physics of Oscillators and Waves Intermediate 20 h 4.8 (20) Physics of Light and Materials Intermediate 17 h 4.8 (10) Physics of Geometrical and Physical Optics Intermediate 20 h — - 5University of Colorado BoulderBeginner
Stated prerequisites: Newtonian mechanics and algebra; linear algebra and basic calculus helpful
Show the 3 courses
Course Level Length Rating (reviews) Phases of Matter: Solid, Liquid, Gas and Beyond Beginner 13 h 4.8 (11) Universal Theories Beginner 14 h — Modern Topics in Condensed Matter Physics Beginner 12 h 4.9 (12)
With Coursera Plus
This path takes 383 hours, about 9 months at 10 hours a week. A Coursera Plus subscription gives access to most of its courses during that time.
Projects to build
N-body problem
Simulate the inner solar system and observe orbital precession.
Vibrating string
Solve the one-dimensional wave equation and animate the normal modes.
Band structure
Compute the band structure of an atomic chain in the tight-binding model.
Free textbooks
Notes on Diffy QsJiří LeblFree, CC BY-SA 4.0
University Physics, Volumes 1 to 3OpenStaxFree, CC BY 4.0
Solid State Physics (lecture notes)David Tong, CambridgeFree notes