Complements of Mathematics for Chemistry and Biology

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

Examination procedure

written and oral



Examination procedure notes

There will be an ongoing written test and a final one, followed by the final oral exam


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