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Unit of study_
BMET9960: Biomedical Engineering Mathematical Modelling
2025 unit information
BMET9960 is designed to equip you with the necessary tools to mathematically model and solve a range of canonical problems in engineering: conduction heat transfer, vibration, stress and deflection analysis, convection and stability. You will learn how to compute analytical and numerical solutions to these problems, and then apply this to relevant and interesting biomedical examples. By the end of this unit you will know how to derive analytical solutions via separation of variables, Fourier series and Fourier transforms and Laplace transforms. You will also know how to solve the same problems numerically using finite difference, finite element and finite volume approaches. The theoretical component of the unit is complemented by tutorials where you will learn how to use Matlab to implement and visualise your solutions. There is plenty of support in the early weeks of the unit to refresh your Matlab knowledge, or to learn Matlab for the first time if you've had no prior experience. Gaining a good working knowledge of Matlab to solve engineering problems and explore the solution space of these problems is one of the key benefits of this unit - it will set you up very well for future units requiring programming expertise! There is a strong emphasis in both the lectures and tutorials on example-based learning - you will see and attempt many different examples involving a wide range of biomedical applications. Applications include electrical, mechanical, thermal and chemical mechanisms in the human body and specific examples include heat regulation, vibrations of biological systems, and analysis of physiological signals such as ECG and EEG. This is a challenging but very rewarding unit and you'll come away feeling well-equipped with useful tools for your future engineering career. We hope you enjoy it!
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Engineering
| Study level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Biomedical Engineering |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
|---|---|
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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BMET2960 or AMME2960 or AMME2000 |
| Assumed knowledge:
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Undergraduate mathematics (1000-level) and an appreciation of the biomedical engineering process |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Understand and apply the physical relations and mathematical modelling of fundamental problems in engineering structures, fluid mechanics and heat and mass transfer.
- LO2. Creatively solve assignment problems which focus on real-life engineering applications
- LO3. Develop proficiency in a structured approach to engineering problem identification, modelling and solution; develop proficiency in translating a written problem into a set of algorithmic steps, and then into computer code to obtain a solution
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 1 2025
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
