620-163 Introductory Applied Mathematics

The assumed background for this subject is VCE Specialist Mathematics 3/4 or a very good result in VCE Mathematical Methods 3/4. It is recommended that students with a study score of 32 or less in VCE Specialist Mathematics 3/4 take 620-163 before proceeding to 620-143.

620-141

This subject lays the foundations for subsequent studies in applied mathematics and differential equations. Students completing this subject will develop skills in discrete and continuous modelling and appreciate the possibilities for applications in physical sciences, statistics and other areas.

Topics covered: Differentiation: Review and extension of standard methods including implicit differentiation, derivatives of inverse functions and applications. Integration: Standard methods including integrations by parts, applications to areas, volumes, lengths of curves, moments and centre of mass of laminas and continuous statistical distributions. Simple Differential Equations: single population models, springs and oscillatory processes, numerical solution of differential equations. Difference Equations: Standard methods for linear equations; discrete population models; stochastic modelling problems.

Up to 24 pages of written assignments, class tests totalling not more than 1.5 hours and a 3-hour end-of-semester written examination.