Computation

Code:

L.EC003

Acronym:

C

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Complementary Sciences/Technologies

Instance: 2025/2026 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Web Page:	https://moodle2526.up.pt/course/view.php?id=5138
Responsible unit:	Department of Civil and Georesources Engineering
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Civil Engineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
L.EC	215	Syllabus	1	-	6	52	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

JUSTIFICATION:
It is essential, in any kind of higher education course, to know how to use computers. In engineering courses, it is also important to know how to use them to solve problems. In order to achieve this skill, students should have the necessary knowledge to implement computer programs and use logical thinking. This UC is provided with the expertise of propositional calculation enabling the students to develop logical thinking. On the other hand, MATLAB facilitates the learning of computer programming and provides a large library of software that will further enable the students to solve more technical problems.

OBJECTIVES:
Students are encouraged to use the computer, in an efficient way, for solving various problems. They have to develop general algorithms to solve common scientific problems.

Learning outcomes and competences

SKILLS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1. Technical knowledge of programming: identify the logical operations and properties of these operations, recognize expressions written with sums and products and establish programs written in pseudocode and MATLAB.

2. Understanding: recognize the advantages and disadvantages of alternative resolutions and identify programs written in pseudocode and MATLAB.

3. Application: ability to implement innovative methods, solve problems in emerging areas and in some exceptional cases solve unfamiliar problems, in expanded and multidisciplinary contexts; acquisition of skills enabling lifelong learning, mainly by self-directed or autonomous ways.

4. Analysis: Develop an algorithm implies analyze all requirements of the problem and organize and sort the resolution of each one of the tasks underlying to the requirements.

5. Synthesis: Formulate programmes and elaborate algorithms for solving general problems easily applicable to real problems of engineering. To combine the basic notions of information technology in the development of complex algorithms.

6. Evaluation: recognize, among several solutions, the most efficient one; choose the best solution for any new problems.

7. Interpersonal skills: communication written and oral - ability to communicate with non specialists, their findings, knowledge and reasoning underlying, in a clear and unambiguous way within study group or individual works.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. Elements of Logic. [5%]
1.1. Terms and Propositions;
1.2. Logical operations;
1.3. Properties of logical operations;
1.4. Propositional Expressions;
1.5. Conditions: Universal, impossible and possible;
1.6. Formal implication;
1.7. Quantifiers.

2. Algorithms. [40%]
2.1. Pseudocodes;
2.2. Basic tools for all programming languages;
2.3. Indexed variables.

3. MATLAB Language. [55%]
3.1. Matlab environment;
3.2. Elements: characters, constants, variables and arithmetic, relational, and logical operators;
3.3. Matlab functions, arithmetic and logical expressions;
3.4. Matrices and “arrays”;
3.5. Programming: sequence control instructions;
3.6. MATLAB Files (. mat e. m);
3.7. Functions;
3.8. Graphics;
3.9. ChatGPT in learning programming in Matlab.

Scientific Content: 60% Technological content: 40%

DEMONSTRATION OF THE SYLLABUS COHERENCE WITH THE CURRICULAR UNIT'S OBJECTIVES:
Students will have to recognize expressions written in mathematical language with sums and products. In logics, students have to identify the operations with conditions and apply the logical properties to simplify these propositional expressions. They will use the MATLAB language to implement the programs, exploring graphics.

Mandatory literature

Ana Maria Faustino; Linguagem Matlab - Apontamentos, 2013
Timmy Siauw; An introduction to MATLABc2ae programming and numerical methods for engineers. ISBN: 978-0-12-420228-3 (Part 1: Introduction to Programming for Engineers - Digital access to the document (on FEUPnet))
Getting started with MATLAB; http://rt.uits.iu.edu/visualization/analytics/math/matlab.php

Complementary Bibliography

Palm, William J.; Introduction to MATLAB 6 for engineers. ISBN: 0-07-234983-2
Magrab, Edward B.; An engineer.s guide to MATLAB. ISBN: 0-13-011335-2
Pratap, Rudra; Getting started with MATLAB version 6. ISBN: 0-19-515014-7
Morais, Vagner; MATLAB 7 & 6. ISBN: 972-722-354-0
Chapman, Stephen J.; MATLAB programming for engineers. ISBN: 0-534-42417-1
Cormen, Thomas H.; Introduction to algorithms
Getting started with MATLAB R2014a,; Mathworks, http://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/getting-started-with-matlab.html

Teaching methods and learning activities

The main approach is teaching evolutionary programming, in which the complexity of the problems to solve increases as long as the instructions are given. At the beginning, there will be a presentation of some technical algorithmics. In theoretical and practical lectures, examples will be used with the computer. In theoretical-practical classes, students will also develop and test their own programs in the resolution of several problems. In order to show the use of MATLAB to solve problems in engineering, there will be the participation of invited teachers who make frequent use of this tool. This curricular unit is inserted into the Moodle platform, in order to enhance the discussion among all participants. In this platform, all students have access to every issue provided by the teachers and may strengthen their concepts by solving self-evaluation tests whose results are immediately commented on. They may also use the forums to bring questions before all the community of Computation.

DEMONSTRATION OF THE COHERENCE BETWEEN THE TEACHING METHODOLOGIES AND THE LEARNING OUTCOMES:
The use of computers in different types of classes, as well as their use in evaluation, has a relevant impact on this curricular unit. Furthermore, the application of interactive methodologies among all participants of the curricular unit (students and teaching staff), using the Moodle platform, allows dynamic teaching ensuring the achievement of learning outcomes. The participation of the department teaching staff that applies frequently the computational tools used in the curricular unit allows for raising the interest and involvement of students.

Software

Matlab

keywords

Physical sciences > Mathematics > Algorithms
Physical sciences > Mathematics > Mathematical logic
Physical sciences > Computer science > Programming

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Teste	100,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	110,00
Frequência das aulas	52,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Approval in the course unit requires meeting the attendance condition, which is considered fulfilled if a student, having been regularly enrolled, does not exceed the maximum number of absences corresponding to 25% of the scheduled in-person classes for each type of class. In addition to the cases provided for in the regulations currently in force at FEUP, students who obtained a final grade in the course unit equal to or greater than 6 (out of 20) in the immediately preceding academic year are exempt from the attendance condition.

Calculation formula of final grade

The evaluation consists of three evaluation components:

   QZ = Quizzes in lectures;
   T1 = 1st Test to be held in the mid-school period;
   T2 = 2nd Test to be realized at the end of the semester.

Both 1st and 2nd Test (T1 and T2) define a base classification CB = 50%xT1+50%xT2.

Determination of the final classification (CF):

    Let CF1 = CB and CF2 = 15%xQZ+85%xCB 

    The final classification is obtained as follows:  CF = max {CF1,CF2}

Notes:

      1 - In the 2nd Test (T2) the student must have a minimum classification of 6 values.

      2 - Non-attendance to one of the Tests implies a mark of 0 in that Test. In particular, the non-attendance to one of the tests T1 and/or T2 implies that no classification will be given to the UC of Computation.

      3 - Students not approved may have access to the exam of supplementary season ("exame de recurso"). 

     4 - During the appeal period, students may only improve their CB grade, and they can choose to improve either the T1 or T2 grade, or take a global test corresponding to CB.

Examinations or Special Assignments

(see "Calculation formula of final grade")

Observations

During any assessment moment, the possession of any electronic device (e.g., mobile phones, tablets, earphones, smartwatches, etc.) is strictly prohibited, except for those explicitly authorized by the teaching staff (e.g., calculators).
It is the student's responsibility to anticipate this situation before the start of the assessment.