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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2021/2022

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Biological Sciences : Postgraduate

Postgraduate Course: Applicable Mathematics for MSc Drug Discovery and Translational Biology (PGBI11029)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Biological Sciences CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryThis course will provide the essential mathematical tools to approach problems in computational structural biology. Vector and matrix algebra and their applications in crystallographic computing will be covered.
Course description Algebra
Definition of vectors and matrices
Row reduction to echelon form
Solving linear equations with matrices, Gaussian elimination
Matrix addition, subtraction, multiplication, transpose, inversion
Determinants
Geometrical interpretation of inhomogeneous and homogeneous equations
and determinants

Geometry
Pythagoras' Theorem and trigonometric ratios
Cartesian coordinates
Equation of a line in the plane, intersection of lines
2D vector addition, subtraction, scaling, and dot product
Unit vectors, section formulae, vector equation of a line
Vectors in 3D, parametric equation of a line, vector product
Planes in 3D, parametric equation of a plane
Intersections of lines and planes

Crystallographic applications

Maps and transformations: projection, rotation, dilation, reflection, identity
and inversion
Linear transformations and the geometrical interpretation of eigenvalues
and eigenvectors
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements School mathematics at approximately A-level in the English system.

Not recommended for students studying on a Mathematic programme.
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2021/22, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  45
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 20, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 76 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 80 %, Coursework 20 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) In-course assessment (worth 20%)

Final written examination in December diet (worth 80%)
Feedback The students are provided with sample problems and solutions and this in combination with in-course assessment problems allows students to check their understanding of the basic problem solving skills required for the exam.
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S1 (December)2:00
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. do basic manipulations on matrices including row reduction, addition, subtraction, multiplication, inversion
  2. understand how matrices can be used to solve simultaneous linear equations and use Gaussian elimination to achieve this
  3. understand how vectors can be used to represent lines and planes in 2D and 3D Cartesian coordinate systems and to be able to find the intersections between them
  4. find angles between lines using the dot product and find areas and volumes using vector and triple vector product
  5. apply linear maps to vector spaces and find their corresponding eigenvalues and eigenvectors and understand what these represent
Reading List
Recommended Textbook
Basic Algebra and Geometry, Hirst and Singerman 2006, Pearson
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsAppMaths
Contacts
Course organiserDr Paul Taylor
Tel: (0131 6)50 7058
Email: p.taylor@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMrs Claire Black
Tel: (0131 6)50 8637
Email: Claire.Black@ed.ac.uk
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