ASTR 474 Problem Set 07: Reproducible Research Audit

Objectives and instructions

Practice computational reasoning, quantitative analysis, validation, and scientific communication for lectures 13-14.

Use SI or explicitly stated astronomical units consistently; show conversions and significant figures.
Cite all data, software, and adapted code. Distinguish supplied measured data from synthetic records.
Include runnable code and record environment, command, and seed where used.
Collaboration on concepts is permitted; each submitted derivation, code, and interpretation must be the student's own and contributors must be named.

Revisions and resubmissions are encouraged to improve mastery and grade under the course policy.

Problem 7.1

Choose one result from the course and create an audit table separating solver/discretization, stochastic, parameter, measurement, and model uncertainty. Mark inapplicable terms and justify each choice.

Deliver: derivation or code, units/conventions, a reproducible result, uncertainty or validation evidence, and a short physical interpretation.

Problem 7.2

Run the clean-environment command and verify the pinned dependency versions and checksums. Identify one limitation of software-version pinning for random-stream or platform reproducibility.

Deliver: derivation or code, units/conventions, a reproducible result, uncertainty or validation evidence, and a short physical interpretation.

Problem 7.3

Write a 250-word abstract whose conclusion is no stronger than the convergence, residual, and provenance evidence. Attach a reproducibility manifest and one independent cross-check.

Deliver: derivation or code, units/conventions, a reproducible result, uncertainty or validation evidence, and a short physical interpretation.

Reproducibility check

Use this generated reference result as one consistency check, not as a substitute for showing reasoning: The final validation dossier retains four distinct measures: three-body energy drift 5.33e-13, shock L1 error 0.00521, transmission standard error 0.00244, and fitted residual RMS 3.0897 m/s.

No textbook exercise is adopted for this course; problems are original and cite the primary software/data sources in the reference log.

Submission

Submit a readable PDF report, source code, environment/version record, and any generated tables/figures. The assignment is complete only when another student can rerun the command and identify the inputs and validation test.