Practical Numerical C Programming

Master the C code appropriate for numerical methods and computational modeling, including syntax, loops, subroutines, and files. Then, this hands-on book dives into financial applications using regression models, product moment correlation coefficients, and asset pricing.

Next, Practical Numerical C Programming covers applications for engineering/business such as supermarket stock reordering simulation as well as flight information boards at airports and controlling a power plant. Finally, the book concludes with some physics including building simulation models for energy and pendulum motion. Along the way, you’ll learn center-of-mass calculations, Brownian motion, and more.

After reading and using this book, you'll come away with pragmatic case studies of actual applications using C code at work. Source code is freely available and includes the latest C20 standard release.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

* Apply regression techniques to find the pattern for depreciation of the value of cars over a period of years
* Work with the product moment correlation coefficient technique to illustrate the accuracy (or otherwise) of regression techniques
* Use the past stock values of an asset to predict what its future values may be using Monte Carlo methods
* Simulate the buying of supermarket stock by shoppers and check the remaining stock: if it is too low print a message to reorder the stock
* Create a file of arrivals for an airport and send data to the airport’s display boards to show the current situation for the incoming flights
* Simulate the patterns of particles moving in gases or solids

WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR

Programmers and computational modelers with at least some prior experience with programming in C as well as programming in general.

Philip Joyce has 28 years experience as a software engineer – working on control of steel production, control of oil refineries, communications software (pre-Internet), office products (server software), and computer control of airports. Programming in Assembler, COBOL, Coral66, C, and C++. Mentor to new graduates in the company. He also has a MSc in computational physics (including augmented matrix techniques and Monte Carlo techniques using Fortran) - Salford University 1996. Chartered scientist, chartered physicist, member of the Institute of Physics (member of the higher education group).

Chapter 1 Review of C

Review of C and SDK with reference to the topics in this book.

Reminds the reader of C syntax.

Use loops, subroutines, file access.

Create typical programs in C using SDK Exercises

PART 1 – FINANCIAL APPLICATIONS

Chapter 2 Regression:

Use regression techniques to find the pattern for depreciation of the value of cars over a period of years.

Program written will create graphical displays to illustrate the topic.

Exercises

Chapter 3 Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PMCC):

Use this technique to illustrate the accuracy (or otherwise) of regression techniques.

Exercises

Chapter 4 : Asset Pricing

Use the past stock values of an Asset to predict what its future values may be using Monte Carlo methods.

Graphics displays to illustrate the topic.

Exercises

PART 2 – ENGINEERING/INDUSTRIAL/COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS

Chapter 5: Supermarket Stock Reordering Simulation

Create a file of stock for a supermarket. Simulate the buying of stock by shoppers. Check the remaining stock. If it is too low print a message to reorder the stock.

Exercises

Chapter 6: Flight Information Boards at Airports

Create a file of arrivals for an airport. Send data to the airport’s display boards to show the current situation for the incoming flights. Update a flight and refresh the information to the display boards.

Exercises

Chapter 6 : Power Plant Control

Program receives messages about pressures, temperatures, flow rates etc for a power plant. The program checks for values outside safety ranges and acts upon any problem values by sending messages to both the gauges and the managers responsible for them.

Exercises

PART 3 – PHYSICS APPLICATIONS

Chapter 8 Potential Energy and Kinetic Energy Simulation

Use formulas for Potential Energy and Kinetic Energy to show how one falls at the same rate as the other rises.

Exercises

Chapter 9 Pendulum Simulation Use formulas for the motion of a pendulum to create a graph to illustrate the mathematical relationship on a graph .

Exercises

Chapter 10: Centre of Mass Calculation

Calculate the centre of mass of unusually-shaped objects.

Exercises

Chapter 11 : Brownian Motion

Simulate the patterns of particles moving in gases or solids.

Graphical displays to illustrate the topic.

Exercises

Chapter 12 Vacancy Model of Atoms Moving in Solids

Demonstrate the Vacancy Model of atoms moving in solids where they can move into empty sites within the solid. Graphical displays will show the movement of the atoms within a 2D site.

Exercises

APPENDICES

A. C Programming Code Guide

B. Answers to exercises

These could be contained in an included CD which could also contain some data files the students could use in their examples