LUCIANO M. MEDRANO JR.

NUMERICAL SOLUTIONS
FOR CE PROBLEMS
 Contents

1 Preliminaries 5

2 System of Linear Equations 11

A Course Syllabus 19
1
Preliminaries

1.1 Matrices

Definition 1.1. A matrix is an array of numbers arranged in rows

and columns.
Examples of matrices
Matrix A has two rows and four columns; matrix B has three " #
2 −1 5 12
rows and one column. We denote the matrices by A2×4 and B3×1 A=
4 0 −3 −1
respectively.  
A general matrix A of size m × n will be denoted by Am×n = [ aij ], 3
B= 5 
 
where aij represents the number in the ith row and jth column. In
−9
the example, b21 = 5 and a14 = 12.
A matrix having one row is called a row vector and a matrix
having one column is called a column vector. In the example above,
matrix B is a column vector. We shall use lowercase letters for vec-
tors and uppercase letters for matrices.
A matrix A is a square matrix if the number of rows and the
number of columns are equal. We denote a square matrix of size
n × n by An .
The diagonal of a square matrix An consists of the numbers
a11 , a22 , . . . , ann . Identity
 matrix
 I3 .
A square matrix of size n × n consisting of only 1s in the diago- 1 0 0
0 1 0
 
nal and 0s elsewhere is called an identity matrix of size n, denoted
0 0 1
by In .
Two matrices A and B are conformant if their dimensions are the
same. Two conformant matrices A and B are equal if corresponding
entries are equal, that is, aij = bij for each row i and column j.
Example 1.1. Find the values of p and q that satisfy
" # " #
2p + q 12
=
2q + 5 −3p

Solution: Equality of matrices require solving the system of equa-

tions (
2p + q = 12
2q + 5 = −3p
Solving the system of equations by elimination or substitution
yields
p = 29, q = −46
6 luciano m. medrano jr.

1.1.1 Matrix Operations

Addition and subtraction are defined only for conformant matrices.
If Am×n = aij and Bm×n = bij , then their sum and difference are

A + B = [ aij + bij ] (1.1)

A − B = [ aij − bij ] (1.2)

If a matrix is multiplied by a real number (called scalar), each ele-

ment of the matrix is multiplied by that scalar.

c · A = [c · aij ] (1.3)

Let Am× p = [ aij ] and B p×n = [bij ] be two matrices. The product AB
is a matrix Cm×n = [cij ] defined by

p
cij = ∑ aik bkj cij = ai1 b1j + ai2 b2j + · · · + aip b pj
k =1

The condition for matrix multiplication is that the number of

columns of the first matrix equals the number of rows of the sec-
ond matrix. Note that the product Am× p B p×n is defined while
B p×n Am× p in not defined.

Example 1.2.
 
2 1 " #
 5
 −4 3 7 0
−2 −2 −4
 
 0 6
−3 −1

Solution: The dimension of the first matrix is 4 × 2 and the di-

mension of the second matrix is 2 × 3, therefore, the product is
 
? ? c13
? c13 = 2(0) + 1(6) = 6
? ? 
C 4×3 =
 
c32 = 0(7) + (−2)(−4) = 8
c32

? ? 
? ? ?

1.1.2 Determinant
Definition 1.2 (Determinant). Let A = [ aij ] be a square matrix of
size 2. The determinant of A, denoted |A|, is a real number defined
as  
a
 11 a12 

|A| =   = a11 a22 − a12 a21 (1.4)
 a21 a22 

Definition 1.3 (Determinant). Let A = [ aij ] be a square matrix of

size n. Let Mij be the (n − 1) × (n − 1) submatrix of A obtained
by deleting the ith row and jth column. The determinant of Mij is
called the minor of aij . The cofactor Aij of aij a real number defined
as
Aij = (−1)i+ j |Mij | (1.5)
 numerical solutions for ce problems 7

Definition 1.4. The determinant of a square matrix A is given by

n
|A| = ∑ aij Aij any row i (1.6)
j =1
n
|A| = ∑ aij Aij any column j (1.7)
i =1

Eqn. (1.6) is called the row expansion of |A| and Eqn. (1.7) is
called the column expansion of |A|.

Example 1.3. Compute the determinant of the matrix

 
2 1 1
3 2 3
 
1 4 9

by expanding about

a. row i = 2

b. column j = 3

1.1.3 Matrix Inverse

In this section, we learn two methods of finding a matrix B such
that BA = In where A is a square matrix and |A| ̸= 0. The matrix
B having this property is called the inverse of the matrix A, and is
denoted by A−1 .
Elementary Row Operations
Let A be a square matrix such that |A| ̸= 0. The inverse A−1 can
be obtained by following these steps:

1. Compose the augmented matrix M = [A | In ].

2. Perform the elementary row operations as many times as

necessary to obtain a matrix [In | C] that is row equivalent
to M. See the Gauss-Jordan method on page 13 for an
example.

The matrix C above is the inverse of A, and we write A−1 = C.

Example 1.4. Use elementary row operations to find the inverse of

the matrix " #
0 2
−7 3

Adjoint Matrix
Let A be a square matrix. The adjoint of A, denoted adj(A) is
defined as
adj(A) = [ A ji ] (1.8)

where Aij is the cofactor of aij . It should be noted that Aij is the
cofactor of the element in the ith row and jth column of A, but
8 luciano m. medrano jr.

its position on the adjoint matrix adj(A) is in the jth row and ith
column.
An important property of the adjoint matrix is given below.

A · adj(A) = adj(A)A = |A|In

Furthermore, if |A| ̸= 0, the inverse of A is

1
A −1 = adj(A) (1.9)
|A|
Example 1.5. Show that the adjoint of the matrix
 
10 0 0 0
−1 11 0 0
Q=
 
 2 −1 10 0


0 3 −1 8

is  
880 0 0 0
 80 800 0 0 
Q −1 =
 
−168

80 880 0 
−51 −290 110 1100

1.2 Taylor Series

Definition 1.5. Let a function f ( x ) be infinitely differentiable at x = a.

The function is said to have a Taylor Series representation
∞
f (k) ( a ) f ′ ( a) f ′′ ( a)
f (x) = ∑ k!
( x − a)k (1.10) f ( x ) = f ( a) +
1!
( x − a) +
2!
( x − a )2
k =0
f ′′′ ( a) f (4) ( a )
where f (k) ( a) represents the value of the kth derivative at x = a. + ( x − a )3 + ( x − a )4 + · · ·
3! 4!
That is, f (1) ( a) = f ′ ( a), f (2) ( a) = f ′′ ( a), and so on. The notation
f (0) ( a) represents the value of the zero-th derivative at x = a, or
simply f ( a).
Table 1.1: Derivatives of ln x at x = 1
Example 1.6. Express the Taylor series representation of f ( x ) = ln x
k f ( k ) ( x ) f ( k ) (1)
about x = 1.
0 ln x 0
Solution: We take the first few derivatives of ln x and evaluate 1 1
1
x
each at x = 1. The results are summarized in Table 1.1.
2 − x12 -1
Therefore, we can write ln x as a Taylor series 2
3 x3
2
f (1) f ′ (1) f ′′ (1) 4 − x64 -6
ln x = + ( x − 1) + ( x − 1)2
0! 1! 2! 5 24
24
x5
f ′′′ (1) f (4) ( 1 )
+ ( x − 1)3 + ( x − 1)4 + · · ·
3! 4!
0 1 −1 2
= + ( x − 1) + ( x − 1)2 + ( x − 1)3
1 1 2 6
−6 24
+ ( x − 1)4 + ( x − 1)5 + · · ·
24 120
1 1 1
= ( x − 1) − ( x − 1)2 + ( x − 1)3
1 2 3
1 1
− ( x − 1) + ( x − 1)5 + · · ·
4
4 5
 numerical solutions for ce problems 9

which can be expressed in the compact form

∞
1
ln x = ∑ (−1)k+1 n (x − 1)k
k =1

The series representation of f ( x ) = ln x is valid when | x − 1| < 1,

or
0<x<2
Outside this range, the series will have an infinite sum and is said
to diverge.
If we consider only the terms of Eqn. (1.10) up to ( x − a)n , the
Taylor series is truncated and the resulting expression is called the
Taylor polynomial of degree n, denoted Tn ( x ), that can be used to
approximate f ( x ).
n
f (k) ( a )
Tn ( x ) = ∑ k!
( x − a)k (1.11)
k =0

Example 1.7. Use T5 to approximate ln 0.8.

Solution: We have

ln x ≈ ( x − 1) − 21 ( x − 1)2 + 13 ( x − 1)3 − 14 ( x − 1)4 + 15 ( x − 1)5

so that

0.22 0.23 0.24 0.25

ln 0.8 ≈ −0.2 − − − − = −0.223 131
2 3 4 5
The value of ln 0.8 is -0.223 143 55, so that the approximation is
‘good’ to four decimal places.
1

The graphs of different Taylor polynomials for ln x are shown in

Fig. 1.1. For values of x less than 1, the value of T4 ( x ) is closer to 0.5 1 1.5 ln x 2
T1
ln x than the other three Taylor polynomials. −1
T2
T3
−2
T4

Figure 1.1: Taylor approximations for ln x

2
System of Linear Equations

Many solutions to engineering and applied science problems re-

quire formulation of a mathematical model involving the variables
of interest. The simplest of these models is a system of linear alge-
braic equations, whose form is shown below.


 a11 x1 + a12 x2 + · · · + a1n xn = b1

a21 x1 + a22 x2 + · · · + a2n xn = b2


.. (2.1)


 .

am1 x1 + am2 x2 + · · · + amn xn = bm


The system may be represented as the matrix equation

Ax = b

where
  
  
a11 a12 ··· a1n x1 b1
 a21

a22 ··· a2n 

 x2 
 
 b2 
 
A=
 .. .. .. ,
..  x=
 ..  ,
 b=
 .. 

 . . . .   .   . 
am1 am2 ··· amn xn bm

We note that the general system above

• has m equations;

• has n unknowns (x1 , x2 , . . . , xn );

• the a’s are coefficients of the unknowns;

• the b’s are constants.

The system of linear equations can have a unique solution, no

solution or multiple solutions.
In this course, we shall consider only the case where the number
of equations equals the number of unknowns. Equivalently, we will
explore the case of a square coefficient matrix A. The solution can
be obtained by a direct method or by an iterative method. Larger
sytems are usually solved with the aid of a software.
12 luciano m. medrano jr.

2.1 Direct Methods

2.1.1 Gauss Elimination

The Gauss elimination method is an elementary method that re-
duces the system of an equivalent upper triangular system, which
can be solved by back substitution. This is illustrated by an exam-
ple.

Example 2.1. Solve the system

2x + y + z = 10 (1)
3x + 2y + 3z = 18 (2)
x + 4y + 9z = 16 (3)

Let us eliminate x first. Using equations (1) and (2), we obtain a

new equation
y + 3z = 6 (4)
Using equations (1) and (3), we obtain another equation

−7y − 17z = −22 (5)

We eliminate y using equations (4) and (5) where we get

z=5 (6)

We use equation (6) to solve for y in equation (4) and the results
to solve for x in equation (1). We find that the solution is

x = 7, y = −9, z = 5

Since we used equations (1), (4) and (6), we also have the system

2x + y + z = 10
y + 3z = 6
z=5

with the same solution. In matrix form, we write

    
2 1 1 x 10
0 1 3  y  =  6 
    
0 0 1 z 5

Elementary Row Operations

We define three row operations that mimic the elimination
method. Let ri be the ith row of a matrix.

row operation description

kri → ri the row vector kri is the new row i of
the matrix
ri ↔ r j the ith and jth rows are interchanged.
kri + r j → r j the row vector kri is added to the jth
row.
 numerical solutions for ce problems 13

Applying any row operation on a matrix yields a new matrix.

We say that the new matrix is “row equivalent” to the original
matrix.
We demonstrate the Gauss elimination using the three elemen-
tary row operations.

Example 2.2. Solve the system

2x + y + z = 10
3x + 2y + 3z = 18
x + 4y + 9z = 16

We first form the matrix M by augmenting A and b

  
2 1 1  10
M = 3 2 3  18
  

1 4 9  16

then we apply the row operations as many times necessary to ob-

tain an upper triangular matrix. To ‘eliminate x’ of r2 and r3 , we
perform
 
−3 12 r1 + r2 → r2
 
− 12 r1 + r3 → r3

The resulting matrix is row equivalent to M.

 
2 1 1 10
 
M≡ 1 3
0 2 2 3
0 72 17
2 11

We use r2 to ‘eliminate y’ of r3 . The resulting matrix is also row

equivalent to M.
 
2 1 1 10 2x + y + z = 10
 
M≡ 1 3
0 2 2 3 
 1 3
2y + 2z =3
0 0 −2 −10 −2z = −10
The upper triangular system shown on the right is solved by back
substitution.

If the row operations 2r2 → r2 and 2r3 → r3 are performed

before eliminating y, we get an intermediate matrix
 
2 1 1 10
0 1 3 6
 
0 7 17 22

that is also row equivalent to M.

2.1.2 Gauss-Jordan Method

The drawback of the Gauss elimination method is the use to back
substitution to complete the solution of the system. The Gauss-
Jordan method, a modification of the Gauss elimination, eliminates
14 luciano m. medrano jr.

the back substitution by eliminating an unknown in all equations

except one (called the pivot equation). We illustrate this method.
Example 2.3. Solve the system

2x + y + z = 10
3x + 2y + 3z = 18
x + 4y + 9z = 16

by the Gauss-Jordan method.

In this method, we eliminate (a) the first unknown in all equa-
tions except the first, (b) the second unknown in all equations ex-
cept the second, and so forth by elementary row operations. Before
eliminating an unknown, we will force the coefficients of (a) the
first unknown in the first equation, (b) the second unknown in
the second equation, and so on, to unity using the row operation
kri → ri .
   
2 1 1 10 1 12 12 5
3 2 3 18 1 r1 → r1 3 2 3 18
   
 2  
1 4 9 16 1 4 9 16
 
1 12 12 5
−3r1 + r2 → r2 
0 1 3

2 2 3 
−1r1 + r3 → r3
 
7 17
0 2 2 11
At this stage, x is eliminated in all equations except the first. Now
we force a coefficient 1 on the variable y in equation 2, followed by
the elimination of y in equations 1 and 3.
   
1 12 12 5 1 12 12 5
   
0 1 3 3 2r2 → r2 0 1 3 6 
 
 2 2
0 27 17 2 11 0 72 17
2 11
 
1 0 − 1 2
− 12 r2 + r1 → r1 
0 1 3

7
6 
− 2 r2 + r3 → r3
 
0 0 −2 −10
The last step is the elimination of z in equations 1 and 2.
   
1 0 −1 2 1 0 −1 2
  1  
 − 2 r3 → r3 0 1 3 6
0 1 3 6   

0 0 −2 −10 0 0 1 5
 
1 0 0 7
1r3 + r1 → r1  
0 1 0 −9
−3r3 + r2 → r2
 
0 0 1 5
The final augmented matrix is equivalent to the system

x=7
y = −9
z=5
 numerical solutions for ce problems 15

2.2 Iterative Methods

In the previous section, we learned two direct methods for solving

Ax = b, the Gauss Elimination and the Gauss-Jordan methods. We
now turn our attention to iterative methods. An iterative numerical
solution starts with an initial vector and generates a sequence of
successive vectors. If successful, the sequence converges to the
solution vector x.
Unlike the direct methods, where the total number of operations
is known in advance, the number of operations required by an
iterative method depends on how many iteration steps must be
performed for satisfactory convergence, as well as the nature of
the system at hand. By convergence, we mean that the iteration
must be terminated as soon as two successive vectors are close to
one another. To measure proximity of two vectors, we will use the
Euclidean distance.

Definition 2.1 (Euclidean Norm). The Euclidean norm of a vector

v′ = [v1 , v2 , . . . , vn ], denoted ∥v∥ is defined as
q
∥v∥ = v21 + v22 + · · · + v2n (2.2)

The general idea behind iterative methods to solve Ax = b is to

express A as the matrix D − P so that

(D − P)x = b =⇒ Dx = Px + b

where D is a diagonal matrix and |D| ̸= 0. There exists a matrix

D−1 , where D−1 D = In so that

x = D−1 (Px + b)

The system cannot be solved in its present form, as the solution

vector x appears on both sides. Instead, it will be solved by itera-
tions. Choose an inital vector x(0) and compute x(1) . Next, use x(1)
to find the new vector x(2) , and so on. We restate the formula above
as
x(k+1) = D−1 (Px(k) + b), k = 0, 1, 2, . . . (2.3)

The sequence of vectors obtained through Eqn. (2.3) converges if

lim x(k) = xs
k→∞

where xs is the solution vector.

If two successive vectors x(k+1) and x(k) are such that
( k +1)
− x(k) < ε

x

for some specified error ε > 0, we consider x(k+1) an acceptable

approximation of xs .
16 luciano m. medrano jr.

2.2.1 Jacobi Method

Convergence of the Jacobi method, also called the method of simul-
taneous displacements, relies on a special class of matrices known as
diagonally dominant. A square matrix An is diagonally dominant if
in each row, the absolute value of the diagonal entry is greater than
the sum of the absolute values of all the off-diagonal entries, that is,
n
| aii | > ∑ |aij |
j =1
j ̸ =i

The linear system Ax = b has a unique solution xs , and the

sequence of vectors generated by the Jacobi iteration, Eqn.(2.3),
converges to xs regardless of the choice of the initial vector x(0) .
Example 2.4. Use the Jacobi method to approximate the solution of
the linear system


 −v +11w − x +3y = 25

 3w − x +8y = 15



10v − w + 2x =6
2v −w +10x −y = −11


Our matrices D and P are

   
10 0 0 0 0 1 −2 0
 0 11 0 0  1 0 1 −3
D= P=
   
 −2
 
0 0 10 0 1 0 1 
0 0 0 8 0 −3 1 0
The inverse of the matrix D is
 
1
0 0 0
 10 
0 1
−1 11 0 0
D =
 
1

0 0 0
 10 
1
0 0 0 8

Taking the initial vector

 
0
0
x (0) =0= 
 
0
0
we find  
3
 5 
 25 
x (1) = D −1 x (0) =
 11 
 11 
− 
 10 
15
8
and
      
1 3
0 0 0 0 1 −2 0 6
 10    5   
1 25 
(2)
0
11 0 0  1
 0 1 −3  11   25 
   
x =   11  + 
 
1
  
   −2  − 10  −11
0 0 0  1 0 1     
 10
1 15
0 0 0 8 0 −3 1 0 8 15
 numerical solutions for ce problems 17

 
1.0473
 
 1.7159 
=
 

−0.8052
  Table 2.1: Successive approximations by
0.8852 the Jacobi method
k v w x y
0 0 0 0 0
Additional iterates are generated in a similar manner and are pre- 1 0.6000 2.2727 -1.1000 1.8750
sented in Table 2.1. 2 1.0473 1.7159 -0.8052 0.8852
3 0.9326 2.0533 -1.0493 1.1309
Note that
(7) (7) 4 1.0152 1.9537 -0.9681 0.9738
e = x − x(6) = 0.0163

5 0.9890 2.0114 -1.0103 1.0214
6 1.0032 1.9922 -0.9945 0.9944
so that x(7) is an acceptable solution to the system at ε = 0.02. 7 0.9981 2.0023 -1.0020 1.0036

The percent relative error of the kth approximate, defined as

(k)
e

x(k)

is often used as a stopping criterion. For instance, if the percent

relative error should not exceed 0.001,
(7)
e
= 0.0062
x (7)

so that additional iterations are needed.

2.2.2 Gauss-Seidel Method

Based on Eqn. (2.3), every component of x(k+1) is calculated en-

tirely from x(k) of the previous iteration. In other words, to access
x(k+1) , the kth iteration has to be completed so that x(k) is entirely
available. Performance of Jacobi iteration can be improved if the
most updated components of a vector are utilized, as soon as they
are available, to compute the subsequent components of the same
vector. This is the reasoning behind the Gauss-Seidel method. Gen-
erally the vector x(k) by this method is expected to be a better esti-
mate than the estimate by the Jacobi method.
The coefficent matrix A is expressed as Q − U, where U is an
upper triangular matrix. The matrix equation can then be rewritten
as
Qx(k+1) = Ux(k) + b

which can be solved for x(k+1) .

x(k+1) = Q−1 (Px(k) + b) (2.4)

Example 2.5. Use the Gauss-Seidel method to approximate the

solution of the linear system


 10v −w +2x =6

 −v +11w − x +3y = 25



2v −w +10x −y = −11
3w − x +8y = 15

18 luciano m. medrano jr.

Our matrices are

   
10 0 0 0 0 1 −2 0
−1 11 0 0 0 0 1 −3
Q= U=
   
 2 −1
 
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A
Course Syllabus

A.1 Vision, Mission, Quality Policy, College Goals and Program

Objectives

University Vision
The President Ramon Magsaysay State University as a premiere
learner-center and proactive university in a digital and global soci-
ety.

University Mission
PRMSU shall primarily provide advance and higher professional,
technical, and special instructions in various disciplines; under-
take research, extension and income generation programs for the
sustainable development of Zambales, the region and the country.

Quality Policy
The President Ramon Magsaysay State University is committed
to continually strive for excellence in instruction, research, exten-
sion and production to strengthen global competitiveness adhering
to quality standards for the utmost satisfaction of its valued cus-
tomers.

Non-Discrimination Statement
The PRMSU values diversity and seeks talented students, faculty,
and staff from diverse backgrounds. The PRMSU does not dis-
criminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender
identity, religion, creed, national, or ethnic origin, citizenship sta-
tus, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected
class status in the administration of its admissions, financial aid,
educational or athletic programs, or other University administered
programs or in its employment practices. Questions or complaints
regarding this policy should be directed to the Vice President of
Academic and Student Affairs and Director of Student Affairs,
PRMSU, Iba, Zambales.
20 luciano m. medrano jr.

A.1.1 College of Engineering Vision

A center of academic excellence and innovative technology in the
country.

A.1.2 College of Engineering Mission

1. To provide quality instruction through competent faculty and
state-of-the-art technology.
2. To conduct applied research for the sustainable development of
products and services.
3. To engage in extension programs that uplifts the quality of life of
the community it serves.
4. To promote the culture of technopreneurship among faculty and
students.

A.1.3 College Goals

1. Promote a culture of academic excellence among students and
faculty.
2. Provide students in-depth understanding of engineering pro-
cesses.
3. Develop among students the use of practical technology for the
improvement of their quality of life.
4. Prepare students to conduct scientific research.
5. Develop among students concern for the environment.

100% of the graduates will pass the Licensure Examinations and/or the
average passing percentage of respective programs (i.e. RCE, REE, RMEE,
RME, CPM, etc.) of the College of Engineering is above the national
passing rate.

A.2 Course Information

A.2.1 Course Code

NS 313

A.2.2 Course Title

Numerical Solutions for CE Problems

A.2.3 Course Description

The course provides background on numerical analysis needed to
solve civil engineering problems numerically when their analyti-
cal solution is either not available or difficult to obtain. MATLAB
programming environment or its equivalent will be introduced and
used in the course.
 numerical solutions for ce problems 21

A.2.4 Place of Course in the Program

Mathematics

A.2.5 Pre-Requisite
MTN 6 – Differential Equations

A.2.6 Credit Units

2 units Lecture, 1 unit Laboratory

A.2.7 Contact Hours per Week

2 hours (Lecture) + 3 hours (Laboratory)

A.2.8 Course Delivery Mode

Online Approach: Synchronous and Asynchronous. This couse is
conducted virtually using videoconferencing application (Google
Meet) and Learning Management System (Google Forms, Google
Mail)

A.2.9 Course Communication

Announcement and Google Meet invitations will be sent via Google
Mail, on a regular basis.

A.2.10 Course Requirements

• Smartphone, Laptop, Desktop, Smart TV or Tablet
• Connection (Internet Bandwidth Minimum Requirement)
– 2.0 MBps up and down for single screen
– 2.0 MBps up, 4.0 Mbps down for dual screen
– 2.0 Mbps up, 6.0 Mbps down for triple screen
– 150-300 kbps for screen sharing only
– 60-80 kbps for audio VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
• Software Platforms
– Google Meet
– Free LMS (Google Classroom)
– University LMS
• Any form of multimedia presentation
• Basic knowledge in using Gmail and LMS Applications

A.2.11 Course Etiquette

taken from The University of Mem-
General Guidelines phis
https://www.memphis.edu/fcbe/
When communicating online, you should always: students/netiquette.php

• Treat your instructor(s) with respect, even in email or in any

other online communication.
22 luciano m. medrano jr.

• Always use your professors’ proper title: Dr. or Prof., or if you’re

in doubt use Mr. or Ms. (Corollary: Make sure if you use a
gender-specific title that you are clear on their gender. Some
names can be gender ambiguous. When in doubt, go find a pic-
ture of them online.)
• Unless specifically invited, don’t refer to them by first name.
Some will be OK called ‘Bob’ and others will expect to be ‘Dr.
Smith’.
• Use clear and concise language. Be respective of readers’ time
and attention.
• Remember that all college level communication should have
correct spelling and grammar.
• Avoid slang terms such as ‘wassup?’ and texting abbreviations
such as ‘u’ instead of ‘you’.
• Use standard fonts that are optimized for online reading (e.g.,
sans serif) along with a consistent and readable size (12 or 14 pt.)
• Avoid using the caps lock feature AS IT CAN BE INTERPRETED
AS YELLING.
• Limit and possibly avoid the use of emoticons. Not everyone
knows how to interpret them.
• Be cautious when using humor or sarcasm as tone is sometimes
lost in an email or discussion post and your message might be
taken literally or offensively.
• Be careful sharing personal information online (both yours and
other’s).

Discussion Board Netiquette and Guidelines

When posting on the discussion board in your online class, you
should:
• Make posts that are on topic and within the scope of the course
material. If necessary, re-read the instructions from your instruc-
tor.
• Take your posts seriously and review and edit your posts before
sending. (Would you put sloppy writing with poor grammar in a
formal research paper?)
• Be as brief as possible while still making a thorough comment.
Remember this is a discussion area, not a doctoral thesis.
• Always give proper credit when referencing or quoting another
source. (Corollary: Don’t copy and paste another student’s post
and claim it as original as that is essentially plagiarism.)
• Be sure to read all messages in a thread before replying.
• Don’t repeat someone else’s post without adding something of
your own to it. (See corollary above regarding reuse of someone
else’s post.)
• Avoid short, generic replies such as, “I agree.” You should in-
clude why you agree or add to the previous point. The point of a
discussion in an online course is to help you and your other stu-
dents learn through in-depth consideration of important topics.
 numerical solutions for ce problems 23

• Always be respectful of others’ opinions even when they differ

from your own. When you disagree with someone, you should
express your differing opinion in a respectful, non-critical way.
(Corollary: Do not make personal or insulting remarks.)
• Be open-minded as that is one of the major points of participat-
ing in an open classroom discussion.

Email Netiquette
When you send an email to your instructor, teaching assistant, or
classmates, you should:
• Use a clear and descriptive subject line as a way to give them a
reason to open your email.
• Be brief. Don’t make the reader have to scroll to read the entire
message.
• Put the most important part at the very beginning. They may not
read it to the end.
• Avoid attachments unless you are sure your recipients can open
them. This is especially important with many people using
smart-phones and tablet PCs to view email.
• Sign your message with your name and section.
• Think before you send the e-mail to more than one person. Does
everyone really need to see your message? (Corollary: Be sure
you REALLY want everyone to receive your response when you
click, “reply all”.)
• Similarly, be sure that the message author intended for the infor-
mation to be passed along before you click the “forward” button.
• If you are sending an email while upset or angry, think about not
sending it until you’ve cooled off. A 24-hour resting period is
often a good idea.

A.3 Student Outcomes

A.3.1 Institutional Learning Outcomes

A PRMSU graduate is expected to be an excellent:
A. Leader
1. Strong network leader, who is committed, morally upright,
and responsible, and who proactively governs in the specific
field of specialization
2. Visionary leader, who effectively manages and optimizes
human capital toward sustainable development
B. Communicator
3. Strong and effective communicator, who has the power to
express himself/herself orally and in writing, and other ap-
propriate modes of expression
4. Competitive and lifelong learner, whose excellence in services
towards local and global needs
C. Innovator
 24 luciano m. medrano jr.

5. Research-oriented individual, who uses scientific process to

create knowledge necessary to address varied societal needs
towards inclusive growth and sustainable development
6. Critical thinker and problem solver, who is equipped in re-
search methods and utilizes empirical evidence and scien-
tific approach to knowledge creation and utilization through
knowledge transfer

A.3.2 Program Educational Objectives

Within four to five years after graduation, the alumni from the
College of Engineering of the President Ramon Magsaysay State
University shall be:
1. Leaders and lifelong learners in the areas of planning, design,
construction, operation, maintenance, and management in the
academe or industry;
2. Engineers with exemplary work ethics and commitment to serve
and improve the community;
3. Analytical professionals capable of creating opportunities and
initiating innovative solutions in their field of expertise and
specialization;
4. Dynamic and proactive in managing resources to ensure sustain-
ability of the environment.

A.3.3 Program Intended Learning Outcomes

When one has fully completed the BS in Civil Engineering Pro-
gram, the students shall have the ability to:
1. Apply knowledge of mathematics and science to solve complex
civil engineering problems;
2. Design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and inter-
pret data;
3. Design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs
within realistic constraints, in accordance with standards;
4. Function in multidisciplinary and multi-cultural teams;
5. Identify, formulate, and solve complex civil engineering prob-
lems;
6. Understand professional and ethical responsibility;
7. Communicate effectively;
8. Understand the impact of civil engineering solutions in a global,
economic, environmental, and societal context;
9. Recognize the need for, and engage in life-long learning;
10. Know contemporary issues;
11. Use techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary
for civil engineering practice;
12. Know and understand engineering and management principles
as a member and leader of a team, and to manage projects in a
multidisciplinary environment;
13. Understand at least one specialized field of civil engineering
practice.
 numerical solutions for ce problems 25

A.3.4 Course Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the students will be able to:

1. Identify appropriate numerical/mathematical tool or concepts

suitable for the solution of the CE problem;
2. Analyze the CE problem to translate it to a numerical solution;
3. Use a computer software developing a solution to the problem;
4. Solve civil engineering problems numerically when their analyti-
cal solution is either not available or difficult to obtain.

A.4 Course Content and Constructive Alignment

Student Teaching
Week Assessment
PILOs CILOs Topic Learning Outcomes Topic Outline Learning Learning
No. Tasks
Time Activities
1, 5, 7, 9, 11 1 Solve matrix equations and Review of Mathematical Foun- 1-2 10 hrs Lecture Assignment
understand a Taylor series dation Discussion
1, 2, 3, 4 Solve system of linear equa- Solving Systems of Linear 3-5 15 hrs Lecture Assignment
tions using direct and iterative Equations Discussion
methods
Find roots of equations using Roots of Nonlinear Equations 6-8 15 hrs Lecture Assignment
bracketing or open methos Discussion
MIDTERM EXAMINATION 9 3 hours Written Exam
1, 5, 7, 9, 11 1, 2, 3, 4 Interpolate values using poly- Curve Fitting and Interpolation 10-11 10 hrs Lecture Assignment
nomial approximations Discussion
Approximate values of the Numerical Differentiation 12 5 hrs Lecture Assignment
derivative at observation points Discussion
Approximate values of a defi- Numerical Integration 13-15 15 hrs Lecture Assignment
nite integral Discussion
Determine the equation fo the Regression Analysis 16-17 10 hrs Lecture Assignment
best-fit ine for a given data set
Interpret the coefficients of the Discussion
regression line
FINAL EXAMINATION 18 3 hours Written Exam

A.5 Grading System

Assessment Task Midterm Period Final Period Targets and

Standards
Participation 10% 10% At least 75% of
Activity 30% 30% the class
obtaining a
Assignment 10% 10%
grade of 75% or
Project 20% 20%
better
Major Exam 30% 30%
Total 100% 100%
Semestral Grade = 50% Midterm Grade + 50% Final Grade

A.6 Course-Level Curriculum Map

26 luciano m. medrano jr.

Legend: I - introductory; E - Enabling; D - Program Educational

Program Intended Learning Outcomes (PILOs)
Demonstrative Objectives (PEOs)
COURSE INTENDED LEARNING OUT- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 2 3 4
COMES (CILOs)
CILO 1 - Identify appropriate numeri- E D E E E I I
cal/mathematical tool or concepts suitable
for the solution of the CE problem
CILO 2 - Analyze the CE problem to trans- E D E E E I I
late it to a numerical solution
CILO 3 - Use a computer software develop- E D E E E I I
ing a solution to the problem
CILO 4 - Solve civil engineering problems E D E E E I I
numerically when their analytical solution
is either not available or difficult to obtain

A.7 Additional/Suggested Readings

1. S.S. Sastry, (2012) Introductory Methods of Numerical Analysis (5th

ed), PHI Learning Private Limited

2. Richard L. Burden, J. Douglas Faires & Annette M. Burden,

(2016) Numerical Analysis (10th ed), Cengage Learning

3. Steven C. Chapra, (2018) Applied Numerical Methods with MatLab®

for Engineers and Scientists (4th ed), McGraw-Hill Education

4. Ramin S. Esfandiari, (2017) Numerical Methods for Engineers and

Scientists with MatLab® (2nd ed), CRC Press

5. Brian D. Hahn & Daniel T. Valentine, Essential MatLab® for Engi-

neers and Scientists (7th ed), Elsevier

6. Dean G. Duffy, (2004) Advanced Engineering Mathematics with

MatLab® (4th ed), CRC Press

A.8 Class Policies

A.8.1 Attendance
1. Attendance will be checked every meeting.

2. A student may miss no more than 20% of the total class hours,
which is equivalent to 18 class hours.

3. As a general rule, an absence is unexcused. It is the duty of the

student to provide a valid excuse before (if applicable) upon
return to class.

A.8.2 Communication and Submission of Work

1. Official communication shall be coursed through email.

a new email if you are starting a new topic.

2. Submission of student’s work shall be via email. All submitted

work shall be in portable document format (PDF). Image format
(png, jpeg, bmp) will not be accepted.
 numerical solutions for ce problems 27

3. Insure that no page of the solution is rotated 90 or 180 degrees.

4. Submitted work must be attached to the email. Sharing a link to

the file will not be honored as submission.

5. Email with attachment must be a new email using the compose

button.

6. When resubmitting your work, you should ‘reply’ to your

own email.

7. New emails must have an appropriate subject line, like Answer to

Assignment #2. The body of the message must have your name
and section at the very least. If the email is a submission of
work, do not forget to attach the PDF file. Check that you are
sending the right file.

A.8.3 Assessment
1. Assignment and major exam solutions must strictly conform
to the notation used by your instructor. Any deviation in the
notation shall be assumed that the solution is not the work of the
student and therefore constitute as an act of cheating.

2. Submission of student’s work beyond the deadline will have a

grade of zero.

3. Missed exam (and non-submission thereof) will have a grade of

zero. To avoid incurring a failing mark in the major examination,
the student concerned must provide a valid excuse before the
day of the exam (when applicable).

A.8.4 Missed Attendance, Activity or Exam

1. A student is excused in a class in any of the following circum-
stances:

• participating in the college or university activity

• representing the college or university in an event outside of
the university
• health condition.

The student must provide a valid excuse before such event or

circumstance (when applicable).

2. A student may be excused in the class or activity due to other

reasons, but excuse is granted on a case-to-case basis.

3. The student is not excused in any requirement missed due to

absence; he/she must comply with the activity to avoid getting a
failing mark on the activity.
28 luciano m. medrano jr.

4. A student who misses the midterm examination and provides

a valid excuse will not be allowed to take the examination.
His/her mark in the final examination shall be his mark in the
midterm examination.

5. A student who misses the final examination and provides a

valid excuse, shall be given a special examination, provided that
he/she has a ‘passing’ class standing.

6. A student who misses both examinations shall be given a failing

grade in both.

A.8.5 Academic Integrity

• It is expected that the student follows the highest principles of
academic honesty.

• Any form of work that will be submitted should be their own.

• Cheating in quizzes, homework, and exams, as well as academic

dishonesty in general, will not and never be tolerated. Any at-
tempt at cheating in any requirement will entail the student
a zero grade on the submitted work, and the case will be for-
warded to the Office of Student Affairs.

• Once found responsible of academic dishonesty violation (cheat-

ing, fabrication, plagiarism, sabotage, participation in academi-
cally dishonest activities, facilitating academic dishonesty, etc),
a student will be subjected to the university’s rules and regula-
tions which may result to a failing mark or expulsion from the
university.

A.8.6 Consultation
Due to this pandemic face-to-face consultation is not encouraged.
Consultation via e-mail is encouraged.

A.8.7 Special Services

If you are a student with special needs and require accommoda-
tions, you must be registered with the University’s Guidance and
Counseling Office (GCO). Students must provide current documen-
tation to GCO which identifies their special needs and need for
accommodation(s). Students must meet instructors with appropri-
ate notification from GCO of the approved accommodation as early
in the semester as possible. You may learn more about the services
of the GCO by visiting its office.

Note: For other academic and student policy, please refer to the student handbook/manual.