Computational Science Program

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Computational science is the use of computers to perform research in other fields. It is the application of computer simulation and other forms of computation to problems in various disciplines. (This should not be confused with computer science, which is the study of topics related to computers and information processing.)

The problems that computational science addresses are computational problems that involve (1) the topic in which the problem arises (physics, chemistry, linguistics, etc.), (2) the mathematics which is the language in which the computation can be formulated, and (3) the computer science which is the language in which the computational problem can be solved.

Because of advances in computer technology, the use and application of computational methods has been growing at a great rate. The increasing ubiquity of computers calls for expertise in integrating mathematics, computer science, and various fields of study. Thus, computational science as a discipline has grown.

Currently only a minor is offered. For more details, contact the Computational Science program directors: Andy Rundquist, Physics; Arthur Guetter, Mathematics.

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