Arduino and Numerical Mathematics

Abstract

Connecting theory and practice in teaching is sometimes difficult as it requires expensive or delicate equipment, thus limiting the teacher to giving demonstrations in which students are passive participants. Numerical mathematics, as an applied discipline, should be taught on real world examples. By using inexpensive Arduino hardware, we can create simple experiments that are easily reproduced by students. Furthermore, the experiments generate tangible data which can be processed numerically. We present several exercises in numerical mathematics which are based on experiments in electrical engineering with Arduino, and show how to turn them into motivational examples.