Lecture 1 - Introduction to Numerical Methods

The objective of this lecture is to introduce you to the basic concepts of numerical methods and explain their importance in solving real-world civil engineering problems. By the end of the lecture, you should understand:

1. What numerical methods are and why they are used in civil engineering.
2. Common types of errors that occur in numerical methods, such as round-off and truncation errors.
3. How to calculate absolute and relative errors to assess the accuracy of a numerical solution.
4. The role of programming tools like MATLAB or Python in implementing numerical methods.