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AM 41: Mathematical Methods in the Brain Sciences
Brown University
Fall 2005



Lectures

week of 9/5
week of 9/12
week of 9/19
week of 9/26
week of 10/3
week of 10/10
week of 10/17
week of 10/24
week of 10/31
week of 11/7
week of 11/14
week of 11/21
week of 11/28
week of 12/5
final exam


Wednesday, Sept. 7

Administrative details:

    1. Contact information and webpage.

    2. Student list and scheduling.
        Please send me email (mth@dam.brown.edu) with
          - name
          - year (freshman, sophomore, ...)
          - concentration
          - other math courses you have taken (Calculus and higher)

    3. Course goals (see Syllabus)

    4. Grading policies and attendance (see Syllabus)

Handout: class outline
   

Friday, Sept. 9

Administrative details (refer new students to webpage)

Introduction and Overview: (you will not be tested on this material)

    0.1 Three Main Topics
           0.1.1 Differential Equations (see Links for pictures of neurons)
           0.1.2 Probability and Statistics
           0.1.3 Information Theory


Monday, Sept. 12

Introduction to MATLAB: (see Links(today begins material that you will be tested on)

    0.2 MATLAB
           0.2.1 Plotting sinusoids.  TrigDemo.m handout.

Wednesday, Sept. 14 (class cancelled for Baby Josephine!)

Thursday, Sept. 15  (substitute teacher: Ya Jin)

Calculus Review in B&H 153 from 7-8:30 pm

Friday, Sept. 16  (substitute teacher: Mario Micheli)

           0.2.2 Computing Fibonacci numbers.  FibonacciDemo.m handout.
           0.2.3 A simple differential equation


Monday, Sept. 19   (no fee add deadline)

           0.2.4 Numerical integration

           Homework #1 (due in class Mon., Sept. 26)
           Challenge #1 (optional; turn in with HW#1 for extra credit)

1. Differential equations
   
    1.1 One-dimensional differential equations
          1.1.1 Differential equations and their numerical integration. 

Wednesday, Sept. 21

          1.1.1 Differential equations and their numerical integration. 
                   ODE_Demo.m handout.
          1.1.2 Linear equations

Friday, Sept. 23

          1.1.2 Linear equations


Monday, Sept. 26

HOMEWORK #1 DUE in class  (3 graphs, MATLAB code, brief explanation)
solutions

          1.1.2 Linear equations
          1.1.3 Some non-linear equations
                   Overhead 1.1.3 #1Overhead 1.1.3 #2
          1.1.4 Qualitative analysis

Wednesday, Sept. 28

          1.1.4 Qualitative analysis

           Homework #2 (due in class Fri, Oct. 7)
           Challenge #2 (optional; turn in with HW#2 for extra credit)

    1.2 Two-dimensional differential equations
          1.2.1 Examples

Friday, Sept. 30

          1.2.2 Qualitative analysis
                   1.2.2.1 The phase plane
                   ODE2D_Quiver_Neuron.m handout
                   ODE2D_Trajectory_Neuron.m handout


Monday, Oct. 3    (add deadline; grade option deadline)

                   1.2.2.1 The phase plane

          1.2.3 Pairs of linear equations
                   1.2.3.1 Stability analysis
                   Overhead 1.2.3.1 #1Overhead 1.2.3.1 #2Overhead 1.2.3.1 #3
                   Overhead 1.2.3.1 #4Overhead 1.2.3.1 #5

          Homework #3 (due in class Mon, Oct. 17 in class)
          Challenge #3 (optional; turn in with HW#3 for extra credit)

                   1.2.3.2 Nullclines

Wednesday, Oct. 5

          1.2.4 Pairs of nonlinear equations
                   1.2.4.1 Stability and local analysis
                   1.2.4.2 Two neuron example
                   Overhead 1.2.4.2 #1
                   Neuron Nullcline handout 
                   1.2.4.3 Linear approximations near equilibria

Friday, Oct. 7

HOMEWORK #2 DUE in class
solutions

                   1.2.4.3 Linear approximations near equilibria
                   Overhead 1.2.4.3 #1Overhead 1.2.4.3 #2Overhead 1.2.4.3 #3,
                   Overhead 1.2.4.3 #4 


Monday, Oct. 10

Columbus Day - NO CLASS

Wednesday, Oct. 12

                   1.2.4.4 Limit cycles and the Poincare-Bendixson Theorem
                   Overhead 1.2.4.4 #1Overhead 1.2.4.4 #2Overhead 1.2.4.4 #3
                   Overhead 1.2.4.4 #4

          Homework #4 (due in class Fri, Oct. 21)
          Challenge #4 (optional; turn in with HW#4 for extra credit)

Friday, Oct. 14     (audit deadline)

Differential Equations review for Exam #1
Differential Equations Practice Exam      Solutions


Monday, Oct. 17

HOMEWORK #3 DUE in class
solutions

2. Probability and Statistics
    2.1 Probabilities and random variables
          2.1.1 Probability spaces
                   2.1.1.1 Sample spaces
                   2.1.1.2 Events
                   2.1.1.3 Probabilities

Wednesday, Oct. 19

                   2.1.1.3 Probabilities
                   Birthday handout

Friday, Oct. 21

HOMEWORK #4 DUE in class
solutions

                   2.1.1.4 Conditional probabilities


Monday, Oct. 24

                   2.1.1.4 Conditional probabilities

Wednesday, Oct. 26

          2.1.2 Random variables
                   2.1.2.1 Definition
                   2.1.2.2 Probability distributions

3-4 pm Exam Review, CIT 219

Thursday, Oct. 27

Exam #1, Barus & Holley 166, 7-10 pm

Friday, Oct. 28

                   2.1.2.2 Probability distributions
                   2.1.2.3 Probability densities

return Exam #1


Monday, Oct. 31

                   2.1.2.3 Probability densities
                   2.1.2.4 Mean, variance and standard deviation

Wednesday, Nov. 2

                   2.1.2.4 Mean, variance and standard deviation
                   2.1.2.5 The normal density function
                   2.1.2.6 The binomial distribution

          Homework #5 (due in class Friday, Nov. 11)
          Challenge #5 (optional; turn in with HW #5 (or #6 or #7) for extra credit)

Friday, Nov. 4

                   2.1.2.6 The binomial distribution

    2.2 Limit laws of probability
          2.2.1 The Law of Large Numbers (LLN)
                   2.2.1.1 Independent random variables
                   2.2.1.2 Identically distributed random variables


Monday, Nov. 7

                   2.2.1.3 LLN
                   LLN_Uniform.m handoutLLN_UniformSq.m handout

Wednesday, Nov. 9

          2.2.2 The Central Limit Theorem (CLT)
                   2.2.2.1 Examples (with MATLAB)
                   2.2.2.2 Standardized sums
                   SampleUniformSums.m handoutSampleUniformSqSums.m handout

Friday, Nov. 11 

HOMEWORK #5 DUE in class
solutions

                   2.2.2.3 CLT
                   CLT_test handout

          Homework #6 (due in class Friday, Nov. 18)


Monday, Nov. 14

    2.3 Hypothesis Testing
          2.3.1 Basic elements of a hypothesis test
                   2.3.1.1 Main idea
                   2.3.1.2 Definitions
                   2.3.1.3 Critical region and significance level

Wednesday, Nov. 16

                   2.3.1.3 Critical region and significance level
          2.3.2 Examples
                   2.3.2.1 Voter preference
                   2.3.2.2 Tricky Baby Josephine

Friday, Nov. 18

HOMEWORK #6 DUE in class
solutions

                   2.3.2.3 Approximate tests using CLT
                   2.3.2.4 Extreme fishing

          Homework #7 (due by noon Tuesday, Nov. 29, in my box)


Monday, Nov. 21

Probability and Statistics review for Exam #2
Probability and Statistics Practice Exam    Solutions

Wednesday, Nov. 23

Thanksgiving recess - NO CLASS

Friday, Nov. 25

Thanksgiving recess - NO CLASS


Monday, Nov. 28

3. Information Theory
    3.1 Measures of information / uncertainty
          3.1.1 "Twenty questions"
          3.1.2 Bits

3-4 pm Problem Session, CIT 219

Tuesday, Nov. 29

HOMEWORK #7 due in my box in 182 George St (1st floor) at 12:00 noon
solutions

Wednesday, Nov. 30

          3.1.2 Bits

3-4 pm Exam Review, CIT 219

Thursday, Dec. 1

Exam #2, Barus & Holley 166, 7-10 pm

Friday, Dec. 2

return Exam #2

          3.1.3 Entropy

          Homework #8  (due in class Friday, Dec. 9)


Monday, Dec. 5   

          3.1.4 Lossless coding
                   3.1.4.1 Codes
                   3.1.4.2 Prefix codes
                   3.1.4.3 Optimal prefix codes
                   link to Claude Shannon handout

Wednesday, Dec. 7

    3.2 Measures of mutual information
          3.2.1 Pairs of random variables
                   3.2.1.1 Joint probability distributions
                   3.2.1.2 Joint entropies
                   3.2.1.3 Conditional probability distributions

Friday, Dec. 9    (drop deadline; incomplete deadline)

HOMEWORK #8 Due in class
solutions

                   3.2.1.4 Conditional entropies
          3.2.2 Mutual information
                   Summary handout
 
          3.2.3 An application in neuroscience

          Fill out class surveys.

          Homework #9  (due by 4pm Wednesday, Dec. 14, in my box)


Tuesday, Dec. 13

Problem session  7-8:30 pm  Barus & Holley 158

Wednesday, Dec. 14

HOMEWORK #9 due in my box in 182 George St (1st floor) at 4:00 pm
solutions

Friday, Dec. 16

Exam review  7-8:30 pm  Barus & Holley 158

Saturday, Dec. 17

EXAM #3  9:00 am  Barus & Holley 155