1 Definition and Applications of Computational
Science
Definition
Computational science is a relatively new discipline, and there is
currently no consensus on a precise definition of what computational science
actually is. In broad terms, computational science involves using computers
to study scientific problems and complements the areas of theory and
experimentation in traditional scientific investigation. Computational
science seeks to gain understanding of science principally through the
use and analysis of mathematical models on high performance computers.
Computational science has emerged as a powerful and
indispensable method of analyzing a variety of problems in research,
product and process development, and manufacturing.
Computational simulation is being accepted as a third methodology in
scientific research, complementing the traditional approaches of theory
and experiment. Computer
simulations provide both qualitative and quantitative insights into many
phenomena that are too complex to be dealt with by analytical methods or too
expensive or dangerous to study by experiments. Many experiments and
investigations that have traditionally been performed in a laboratory, a
wind tunnel, or the field are being augmented or replaced by
computer simulations. Some studies, such as nuclear repository
integrity and global climate change, involve time
scales that preclude the use of realistic physical experiments.
The availability of high performance computers, graphic
workstations, and high speed networks, coupled with major advances in
algorithms and software, has brought about a revolution in the way
scientific and engineering investigations are carried out.
Computational science should not be confused with computer science.
Computational science focuses on a scientific or engineering problem and
draws from computer science and mathematics to gain an improved
understanding of the problem. Computer science focuses on the computer
itself. Even though the areas are quite distinct, many of the topics
typically considered to be in the
domain of computer science are of much value in computational science.
Applications
Traditional or established areas of computational science include:
- Computational fluid dynamics
- Atmospheric science
- Seismology
- Structural analysis
- Chemistry
- Magnetohydrodynamics
- Reservoir modeling
- Global ocean/climate modeling
- Environmental studies; and,
- Nuclear engineering
Some nontraditional and emerging areas of computational science include:
- Biology
- Economics
- Materials research
- Medical imaging; and,
- Animal science.
The list continues to grow. More recently, computational science has
begun
to make inroads into other areas, such as music and the visual arts.
What is a Computational Scientist
The term computational scientist is
commonly used to describe scientists, engineers, and mathematicians who
apply high performance computer technologies in creative and essential
ways to advance the state of knowledge in their respective fields. A
computational scientist must have expertise in an applied discipline and
must also be familiar with leading-edge
computer architectures and the data structures
issues associated with those architectures. A computational scientist must
also have a good understanding of both the analysis and implementation of
numerical algorithms and the ways that algorithms map to data structures and
computer architectures, and additionally, must be comfortable with
networking technologies that permit access to remote computers,
massive data bases, and visualization facilities. Recently, scientific visualization
has become an essential tool of the computational scientist for the
preprocessing of data sets and the interrogation of massive amounts of
computational results.
In summary, a computational scientist, using networking and visualization
tools,
works in the intersection of 1) an applied science or engineering
discipline;
2) computer science; and 3) mathematics.
This multi-disciplinary activity has given rise to a new way of conducting
research.
EXERCISES
1. Access the following sites where you will find examples of
computational science. Write a description of three of the five sites.
- Computational
chemistry
- Chemically reacting
flows
- Jupiter impact
- Condensed matter physics
- Boundary
element methods in science and engineering
2. Write a paragraph comparing and contrasting computer science and
computational science.
3. Access the three computational science application sites listed
below and write a brief description of each of them.
- El Nino
- The Weather Processor
- Grand Challenges
4. Access the scientific visualization hyperlink. Write a
description of one of the two visualization examples listed at the end
of the link.
5. Access three of the sites for the scientific visualization
applications. Write a brief description of each of these and state how
visualization helps to reveal the phenomena.
- Fortner
Company Visualization Gallery
-
High Performance Computing Centre visualization examples
- NASA's Scientific
Visualization Gallery
Visualization of
Glacier Changes from Landsat Data
Lunar
Topography
6. Can you foresee a way in which you could use visualization in your
project? Write a brief paragraph describing it.
