Complements of Mathematics for Chemistry and Biology

Academic year 2025/2026
Lecturer Michele Benzi, Franco Flandoli, Andrea Carlo Giuseppe Mennucci, Milo Viviani

Examination procedure

<p>written and oral</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

Examination procedure notes

<p>There will be an ongoing written test and a final one, followed by the final oral exam</p><p><br></p>

Prerequisites

The course is held in the first year and does not require prerequisites other than the usual high school education


Syllabus

Linear Algebra


  • vector spaces, linear dependence (bases, dimension…), linear transformations
  • matrices, vectors and correspondence with the intrinsic concepts of point 1); change of basis
  • determinants (basics)
  • eigenvalues and eigenvectors, algebraic and geometric multiplicity
  • inner product, orthogonalization, unitary matrices, orthogonal projectors
  • diagonalization and Jordan form
  • Schur form and the spectral theorem



Mathematical Analysis


First part: calculus in one and more variables from a practical point of view:

  • limits, derivatives and integrals in one variable
  • partial derivatives and their use, for example, for maxima and minima in multiple variables, even constrained ones
  • Differential equations, practical solution methods
  • curves, curve integrals, potentials.


Second part: theory elements from the textbook:

  • elements of topology of Euclidean space and metric spaces
  • spaces of functions and convergences
  • elements of theory of differential calculus in multiple variables
  • elements of theory of differential equations


Bibliographical references

teacher's notes and lists of exercises, for the first part, chapters 5, 6, 7, 8 (in part; and with some of the proposed exercises) of the book "complements of Mathematics" (L. Ambrosio, C. Mantegazza, F. Ricci) for the second part