A new course on computational methods in electromagnetics

The authors summarize their three-year experience with a computer-methods course for electromagnetics, introduced as an elective for senior undergraduates. The main features of the course include: (1) the inclusion of the finite-difference method of solving engineering problems formulated in terms of partial differential equations; (2) the use of the finite-difference method to solve engineering problems such as the design of microstrip transmission lines and eigenvalue problems including the propagation characteristics in waveguides of arbitrary cross sections; and (3) the use of the method of moments to solve dynamic field problems including radiation from linear antennas and scattering from two-dimensional inhomogeneous dielectric objects. Key steps in developing the course are noted and results from the various computer programs written by the students are presented.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">></ETX>