layout: schedule published: true date: ‘2026-10-08’ —
Physical Modeling - Day 2
Repository: https://github.com/colbrydi/physical-modeling
Agenda (80 minutes)
- 10 min - Check-in and review of simulation assumptions
- 20 min - Introduce spatial-temporal dynamics and numerical approximation
- 35 min - Guided work in
02-Wave_Equaiton.ipynb - 15 min - Share observations and questions about model behavior
Learning Goals
By the end of this class, you should be able to:
- Describe how a grid-based model represents spatial and temporal change.
- Relate numerical approximation choices to simulated wave behavior.
- Use visual and numerical output to reason about model stability and limits.
In-Class Focus
Today we move from state-based dynamics to a spatial-temporal wave model. The focus is on how a computational grid and update rules approximate physical behavior.
Use the repository as the primary working reference:
- Repository: https://github.com/colbrydi/physical-modeling
- Notebook:
02-Wave_Equaiton.ipynb
As you work, ask what the grid represents, how time steps affect the result, and which observed patterns may reflect numerical choices rather than the physical system.
Before Next Class
- Finish any remaining work in
02-Wave_Equaiton.ipynb. - Note one assumption or approximation that affects the wave model.
- Preview
03-Finite_Element_Analysis.ipynb.