**Syllabus - 2016 Scientific Computing Bootcamp**

Woodruff Scientific, Inc., 4000 Aurora Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98103

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**SCBC1 – Grand Challenges in Computational Plasma Physics**
  - Computation as third pillar of science 
  - Multi-physics and multi-scales for nuclear fusion simulations
  - OFES HPC (initiatives, centers, SciDac)
  - Current research directions globally, nationally, and locally
//Duration: 2 hours lecture//


**SCBC2a – Some Computer Science Considerations**
  - Modeling & simulation, and why
  - Overall process of computational simulation
  - Some sources of approximation*
  - Algorithmic (in)stability
  - Accuracy versus precision
//Duration: 1 hour lecture (* can be partially hands-on)//


**SCBC2b – Using UNIX**
  - Introduction to the UNIX command line
  - Introduction to make
//Duration: 4 hours interactive hands-on//


**SCBC3 – Introduction to R&D codes**
  - Introduction of some codes we use and why
  - FORTRAN syntax
  - Compiling and debugging
  - Revision control and repositories
//Duration: 3 hours lecture + hands-on//



**SCBC4 – High Performance Computing**
  - Parallel computing, scalability
  - Schedulers, jobs, batching, queue handling
  - Hands-on: running an R&D code at NERSC, retrieving data
  → local facility tour (2016, 2015: Hyak@UW; 2014: Hutch)
  
//Duration: 3 hours lecture + hands-on, without tour//


**SCBC5 – Post-Processing**
  - VisIt introduction, tutorial, application to SCBC4 generated data
  - ParaView introduction, tutorial, application to SCBC4 generated data
  - Scripting with Octave
//Duration: 4 hours lecture + hands-on//


**SCBC6 – Verification and Validation in Scientific Computing**
  - Verification & validation
  - Predictive capabilities, restrictions
  - Synthetic diagnostics
  - Reproducibility of results
//Duration: 3 hours//


**SCBC7 – Solving PDEs Numerically with Finite Elements**
  - Partial differential equations background, as needed
  - Equation sets most regularly used in plasma physics
  - Spatial and temporal discretization
  - Common time advance methods
  - Demonstration of Fluxgrid, CUBIT*
//Duration: 4 hours lecture (* can be hands-on)//


**SCBC8 – Contemporary Issues in Plasma Physics and Nuclear Fusion**
Anticipated but not be limited to:
  - Multi-fluid modeling (mixed neutral-plasma models)
  - Multi-physics (Fokker-Plank coupling to MHD)
  - Adaptive solvers
  - Flux-source expression of dominant equations
//Duration: 3-4 hours (anticipated 6-8 presentations)//


**SCBC9 – Future of Scientific Computing**
  - Exascale roadmap
  - Hardware/software, architecture/algorithms gap
  - Algorithmic considerations & foresight
//Duration: 2 hours//