| Unit name | Asymptotics |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MATHM4700 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Kerswell |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites | |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Mathematics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
The course treats asymptotic methods, which have their own fascination; asymptotic series are often divergent, yet can be more useful than convergent series as approximations (e.g. Stirling's formula for n! is the first term of one such series). Asymptotic approximations for various types of integral are discussed, both for large parameter values and large domains. Finally, we see how asymptotic methods can be used to find approximate solutions of ordinary differential equations in situations where other methods fail.
