What is Computational: Definition and 318 Discussions

Computation is any type of calculation that includes both arithmetical and non-arithmetical steps and which follows a well-defined model (e.g. an algorithm).
Mechanical or electronic devices (or, historically, people) that perform computations are known as computers. An especially well-known discipline of the study of computation is computer science.

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  1. H

    Geometry Optimization in Computational Chemistry

    I've read an article about computational chemistry in which the authors were performing a geometry optimization. For this purpose, they firstly optimized the geometry at HF/6-311++G(d,p) level with full relaxation on the potentiel energy surface (what does that mean exactly ? Can we extract this...
  2. L

    Solve Wave Function - Computational

    Homework Statement Hi all, I've been working on this assignment for some time now and seem to be stuck before I even get going! So, The wave equation: d^2 u(x,t) / dx^2 = d^2 u(x,t) / dt^2 can be written as: du/dt = v dv/dt = dw/dx dw/dt = dv/dx w = du/dx I need to solve this...
  3. C

    How to use 3D FDTD code for 1D problem?

    Hello, I have a three dimensional FDTD code. The problem I have for simulation is one dimensional. How can I use this 3D FDTD code for the 1D problem. The 1D problem is like this: in one-dimension half of the problem space is filled with a dielectric medium and the other half is free-space. A...
  4. C

    MSc Computational Physics: career options & salary?

    I have a BSc of Physics from a different university. I start my MSc of Computational Physics next semester (I've just been taking courses at the new university this semester). I am an above-average programmer with a pretty good background in CS theory. I am very multidisciplinary and have lots...
  5. A

    MATLAB MATLAB code for Computational Fluid Mechanics

    Hello guys, I'm writing to get some help on an exercise I've been thinking but I can't get to solve. I have to write the code for the Example 8.5 of the book White, Fluid Mechanics. Here is the problem and the solution I have to obtain. It is about one duct that has three sections in which I...
  6. N

    Got a job as a quant, want to get back to physics

    Hi all, I was doing HEP-EXP in a US institution, got MSc and started Phd. However in the middle of it I decided that job prospects weren't good as far as tenure track positions are concerned and I found a job as a quantitative analyst in a hedge fund. I work there for the past 18 months. But...
  7. P

    Schools Computational Fluid Dynamics in Physics Graduate School

    I want to go to physics grad school, but I also want to be ready to go to into CFD for industry if academia doesn't pan out - what area of physics would prepare me best for that?
  8. D

    Online Courses and Computational Biology

    Hi there, I have some questions about taking online courses and academics in general. I’m not sure where I can get advice about this stuff online so I’ve come here hoping the science community can help. Thanks! Goal: I wish to pursue a master’s degree in computational biology. Current...
  9. \Theta

    Computational Chemistry in undergrad?

    Hey there folks! I'm a math/computer science major focusing on scientific computing and I was wondering what courses I would need to take in my undergrad to be able to help out in Computational/Theoretical Chemistry. I've taken general chem and taking P Chem soon, is this enough or are there...
  10. Ritzycat

    Career availability in: Computational biology, bioinformatics, biostat

    Hello friends. I am interested in what kind of job prospects there are for those who major in computational biology, bioinformatics, or biostatistics. If someone could also explain the major differences between these fields to me too, that would be very helpful.
  11. G

    Best books for computational quantum mechanics?

    Hi, I'm entering graduate school this fall and was looking to improve my computational physics knowledge. I have experience with MATLAB, Python, Java, and some C. My question is which resources do you think are the best for learning the methods required for computational quantum...
  12. M

    Computational Physicst prospects?

    I'm wondering what kind of work a computational physicist does outside of academia with, let's say, a masters degree. Looking at internships, it seems like the degree is overly general and in most cases a computer science, engineer, business, or math major could do better unless I happen to...
  13. G

    Applied and Computational Math (MS) @ RIT, Program Opinion

    Hi, I got admit to RIT's http://www.rit.edu/programs/applied-and-computational-mathematics.(I am an international student). The course Structure is as follows : (with options either in : Discrete Math/ Dynamical systems/ scientific Computing) First Year MATH-611 Numerical Analysis 3...
  14. J

    What options are available for pursuing a PhD in computational physics?

    Undergrad here. Does anyone on this forum have experience working in a computational physics research group at the graduate level? I noticed Carnegie Mellon has "computational physics" as a research area for its physics PhD students. It sounds like it would be right up my alley but it's unclear...
  15. N

    Temporal coherence in Computational ghost imaging

    In pseudo-thermal ghost imaging using a laser beam passing through a rotating ground glass plate, the temporal coherence is important since the intensities in both scanning and bucket detectors have to be measured within the coherence time of the beam. However, in computational ghost imaging...
  16. A

    Computational Systems Biology?

    I was wondering what are the general opinions on the field? I am a freshman physics major planning to switch to this major. I can basically pursue an emphasis on neurosystems, CS, molecular biology or bioinformatics. If I do end up majoring in CSB, I will probably double major with math or...
  17. E

    Computational Physics: Four Wave Mixing Signal Amplification

    I made this code for a non linear process called Four Wave Mixing in which. Two pulses will enter a fiber to get a new wave called idler and try to amplify the signal but I think it's not working well because of the units so I called them in the figure arbitrary units until the problem is fixed...
  18. K

    Computational, theoretical or mathematical physics for finance (Quan)?

    Hi. My purpose is to take a phd in physics, and after few years as researcher to become a Quant. What phd is better for this purpose: computational, theoretical or mathematical physics? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computational_physics
  19. S

    Are Computational Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence the same?

    What is the real difference between computational and artificial intelligence?
  20. A

    Application of wavelets in computational electromagnetics

    Hello everyone, I am a first year graduate student, wavelets is one of the courses that I am taking presently. As part of the course, I plan to explore application of wavelets in computational electromagnetics (CEM). The idea behind it is to study a few applications where wavelets are used in...
  21. Hercuflea

    Have any nobel prizes been awarded to computational physicists?

    Seems like most have been to observational astronomers, and experimental solid state people generally. Would it be possible for a physicist whose main focus in research was computational to win a Nobel Prize?
  22. H

    Useful Classes for Computational Physics?

    I'm an undergraduate Physics major. By next semester I'll be three classes away from a Computer Science minor. I've taken a few programming classes and really enjoyed them(java and C#), so I will most likely be going the theoretical/computational route for grad school. I've selected some...
  23. J

    Is computational physics a PhD area of study?

    If someone wanted to go into computational physics, would that be the PhD area of study, or is it just a branch of the better known areas, like hep, condensed matter, etc. Also is it considered theoretical or experimental? (I would assume experimental). Thanks!
  24. S

    Computational Physics or E+M course

    Next semester I have a choice to take a computational physics course or E+M 2. The materials covered in the computational physics course are: applications of scientific computational techniques to solutions of differential equations, matrix methods, and Monte Carlo methods used in physics...
  25. T

    Medical Physics ^ Computational Medicine?

    Hi everyone, I've been looking at some programs for medical physics and I'm some what interested in computational medicine so I was wondering if these two fields every unit? Is it possible to research computational medicine as a medical physicist? From what I've read they mostly deal with...
  26. M

    Is there such a thing as computational Material Science?

    I was wondering because I'm interested in getting a Materials science graduate degree, but was wondering if my options would be limited to experimental work. What sort of work would comp. materials science involve? My rough guess would be creating models/simulations of materials as opposed to...
  27. T

    Java Suitability of Java for computational physics, as compared with C or F

    I have recently begun physics graduate school. My own programming background is in Java, but I haven't done much computational physics of a caliber that required me to implement things *well*. My research advisor states that most of the numerical simulation that takes place in our field...
  28. P

    Can I get into computational neuroscience from EE?

    I am finishing my BS this semester in electrical engineering with an emphasis in signal processing and I want to eventually become a researcher in computational neuroscience. Is this transition viable? Since I ultimately want a Ph.D in neuroscience should I get my masters in neuroscience or...
  29. A

    Computational methods and computational modelling in physics

    I'll be starting a degree course in applied maths and physics next month (though I might change to the theoretical physics pathway next year). I was reading about my course online, and apparently I'll have to choose between two sets of two modules (on top of the 4 compulsory modules). One set...
  30. C

    Good careers in Computational Physics?

    I'm trying to go into big data and I like physics so I'm going for a degree in computational physics. I'm thinking of learning Hadoop and Storm, because all of the corporate careers seem to require them. Am I barking up the right tree? What kind of career path will a Bachelor's in Computational...
  31. H

    Physics Computational Physics: A Career in the Intersection of Physics and Coding?

    I think I've decided on this career field (I really love physics and coding) with electrical engineering as my backup in case I change my mind. Is there anyone out there who is either on their degree track or has a career in that can give me info on their thoughts/experiences/projects you work...
  32. P

    Computational Physics Book Based ON ''c'' Programming

    I am a beginner at computational physics. I have knowledge on C programming only and some knowledge on numerical analysis. please suggest me books which I can follow to learn Comp.physics. The book must be based on C programming. I do not have knowledge on python, java or fortran. please help.
  33. T

    Chemistry BS, Looking to go into computational chemistry

    Hi Physics forum. I am a BS in biochemistry, looking into going into computer programming with my chemistry degree. I got A's in Gen Chem I and II, Organic Chem, Analytical Chem, Physical Chem, but I sucked at Biochemistry and got a C-. I got a B in Calc II but I was good at the Integration...
  34. C

    Undergrad computational physics text?

    Hi everyone. I've had my BS in physics for 5 years now, and I'm looking to brush up on some areas that I never covered in my undergrad career. Specifically, I'm looking for an undergrad computational physics textbook that I could use to work through some "real-world" physical examples and...
  35. N

    Computational Physics vs Computational Engineering

    Hi everyone, next year i will finish my Bachelor degree in Computer Engineering, since physics is my passion , i was a little bit in doubt to which course to choose in order to become a physicist. My doubt is about these courses: - Photonics Engineering (from electronics eng. department)...
  36. J

    Entry Level Computational Science Jobs

    Ever since I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree as a Computer Science major, I have been wanting to get into the field of scientific computing/computational science. I have educated myself a lot by taking online courses like Scientific Computing, Computing for Data analysis, Machine...
  37. V

    Engineering Computational Skills of a Nuclear Engineer

    This Fall I will be joining my university for MS Nuclear Engineering. My undergraduate major is Mechanical Engineering. I have a few questions. 1. How important is computational physics in Nuclear Engineering? 2. How to go about learning and practicing it in the context of nuclear engineering...
  38. D

    How much physics & EE for computational neuroscience?

    So there seems to have been many posts about how much math is required for computational neuroscience, but I don't know if anyone has raised the question of how much physics&EE is required for this field. It seems like circuit analysis is used quite extensively in modeling single neurons, but...
  39. G

    Computational physics specialization

    I really like all (most) fields of physics and I find it hard to choose a specialization for my master's and eventually my career. Is it possible to specialize in computational physics so that I could work in many different fields?
  40. G

    Career prospects for computational sciences and similar msc programs

    Sometimes I get the impression that with a masters degree in computer science, electrical engineering or similar will with a very high probability land you a job you're very overqualified for, performing trivial tasks that you certainly didn't need an msc for. Is this accurate at all...
  41. C

    Masters doubt regarding computational neuroscience career

    I'm a biomedical engineering student interested in computational neuroscience, "the neural code" and systems neuroscience to be more concrete. The problem is in my country Mexico, master's degrees either focus in the mathematical side or the biological. What would be better to study a master's...
  42. T

    Is theoretical physics always computational?

    I'm interested a lot in physics and math like most people here and I believe I can say I'm also good at them. I'm also more attracted to theoretical, abstract subjects than experimental or more phenomenological physics. I heard that any "real world" diff eq. more complicated than the hydrogen...
  43. T

    Computational Science and String Theory?

    Hi everyone. I'm interested in computational science but have an interest in string theory as well as I'm sure a few people here do. My question is does computational science have a place in the research for string theory? Would a physicist simply give some numbers for a computational...
  44. M

    Engineering Computational Mechanics vs. Structural Engineering

    Hello. I am currently a mechanical engineering junior at the University of Kentucky. I am beginning to consider graduate school. I know I want to study applied mechanics, but am unsure of whether I should study CM as a ME grad student or SE as a CE grad student. What is the difference between...
  45. G

    Would I like the world of computational mechanics

    I'm a first year ME student considering my options. I'd consider myself fairly far to the theoretical, hands-off side of humankind. I'm better with differential equations than with a wrench, so to speak. This basically leaves me with two realistic options - control systems and computational...
  46. N

    Neurophysics vs computational neuroscience

    What's the difference between above-mentioned fields? Moreover how engineering perspective focused on brain signal analysis and signal processing differ from those? Is this approach only for practical purposes like noise reduction from signals and detecting signals which we already...
  47. C

    Masters in computational physics

    Has anyone here done a masters in computational physics? I am doing a double major in computer science and physics and it was always my intention to combine both fields for a career. I am basically finished with my CS degree and I have a very valuable internship at a large IT company doing...
  48. F

    Applied Mathematics vs Computational Finance

    I have received some admissions decisions from the graduate programs that I have applied to, and I am stuck with a tough decision to make. I am hoping to hear from those who may have found themselves in a similar situation or someone who may have relevant industry experience who can shed some...
  49. C

    Can someone verify a computational result for me?

    This is for a computational physics class, but isn't a homework question, per se. My friend and I have two different sets of code trying to achieve the same thing and we're getting vastly different answers, orders of magnitude apart. We haven't covered this sort of problem in our intro E&M...
  50. T

    Python 2 vs Python 3 for Computational Tasks

    I've decided to learn Python (having a background in C++ and Matlab), and I'm a little unsure about which version to get. I've read in a few places that Python 2.x is better because packages like numpy and scipy don't work with Python 3.x, but this seems to be out of date since as far as I can...
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