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3 Computational Science Lecture

Computational science is an interdisciplinary field that uses computational methods to study problems in science and technology that cannot be sufficiently addressed through experimentation or theory alone. It involves algorithms and models, software, and computer infrastructure and draws upon computer science, mathematics, and applied sciences. Many scientific disciplines have incorporated computational science techniques.

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40 views3 pages

3 Computational Science Lecture

Computational science is an interdisciplinary field that uses computational methods to study problems in science and technology that cannot be sufficiently addressed through experimentation or theory alone. It involves algorithms and models, software, and computer infrastructure and draws upon computer science, mathematics, and applied sciences. Many scientific disciplines have incorporated computational science techniques.

Uploaded by

Jhovita Xue
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Computational Science

This article explains what computational science is and


how it relates to other fields.

Computational science is a rapidly growing


interdisciplinary field. There are many problems in
science and technology that cannot be sufficiently
studied experimentally or theoretically. It may be too
expensive or too dangerous, or simply impossible
due to the space and timescales involved.

In fact, computational science is considered by


many to be a third methodology in scientific
research, along with theory and experiment, and
working in tandem with them. Computational
science can be used to corroborate theories that
cannot be confirmed or denied experimentally, for
example theories relating to the creation of the
universe. On the other hand, advances in
experimental techniques and the resulting data
explosion, allow for data-driven modelling and
simulation.

You should not confuse computational science,


which uses computational methods to deal with
scientific problems, and computer science, which
focuses on the computer itself. Having said that,
computational science draws upon computer
science, as well as upon mathematics and applied
sciences. Computational science typically consists
of three main components:

1.

algorithms and models

2.

software developed to solve problems and

3.

the computer and information infrastructure e.g.


hardware, networking and data management
components.
Clearly, computational science is an intersection
between mathematics, applied disciplines and
computer science.

Some of the disciplines traditionally associated with


computational science include: atmospheric
sciences (e.g. weather forecasting, climate and
ocean modelling, seismology etc.), astrophysics,
nuclear engineering, chemistry, fluid dynamics,
structural analysis and material research. It’s easy
to see why these disciplines were quick to take up
computational science.

However, more recently, other disciplines, such as


medicine (e.g. medical imaging, blood flow
simulations, bone structure simulations), biology
(e.g. ecosystem and environmental modelling) and
economics became part of computational science
as well. It is quite common nowadays to come
across terms like computational economics or
computational biology.

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