I hereby submit a letter of intent to apply for the "XXX" summer course. Through the following paragraphs I will discuss the reasons.
Taking a course in a foreign university is for many students a great opportunity, because they can learn new cultures and improve their skills in some specific areas. I am studying computer science and there are at least three reasons for me to take this course. In the first place it helps me to understand subjects in the field of simulation, which is one of my fields of interest, in the second place, being an exchange participating in the exchange program and studying in a different country increases my abilities in foreign languages, and last, it will add my cultural understanding and allow me to experience more of the world.
Firstly, I have been interested in the simulation since I finished high school. Early at the university I developed a simulator of parabolic and circular motion with simple models from Newtonian mechanics. Few years later, with more knowledge in software development and newly using models from Newtonian mechanics, I developed a toll road simulator in 3D space for the “YYY”, a company that manages the tolls in the region where I live. In the annexes you can look for some of the project’s pictures. Later, in a course of artificial intelligence, I developed a virtual robot in a discrete 2D space. This robot can sort some objects in their respective places, in a square board with obstacles, by means of special algorithms that minimize the total cost. Nowadays, I am working in the simulations of protein folding as my degree work.
Understanding protein folding implies do research using different techniques and approaches that let us answer the question of “how a native protein structure results from the interatomic physical forces.” Some approaches in this context are molecular dynamics simulations, lattice models, and motion planning.
Molecular dynamic simulations are mathematical models that describe the protein folding in three-dimensional space, in dependence of complex force fields, through differential equations. Hence Numerical Differentiation, Modeling Physical Problems via PDE, and Numerical Solution of Differential Equations are important subjects that will introduce me in this interesting area and help me to do my work.
Lattice models are approaches that let us simulate the protein folding, like molecular dynamic simulations, but in a simpler way by means of the discretization of the three-dimensional space. I believe that Discretization Methods and Finite Element Methods subjects will complement my research.
The motion planning perspective is an approach that is used in areas such as automation and animation, and also in paper-folding problems studied in computational geometry, and to computational biology problems such as protein folding. You can find works like Guang Song in which robotic motion planning algorithms are generalized and used for simulate protein folding. The Automation subject, in this vein, will give me a better insight about this approach.
In addition, last year I was studying the German language with a scholarship from DDDD and UUUU. There, I achieved the level B1. With the experiences in this course, I hope to improve my improve my German language skills. Furthermore, the interaction with the international classmates and the course lectures will let me practice my English.
Finally, I am really fascinated with German culture. Since last year I have met three Germans, who have interesting thoughts and they have made me feel curious about this culture. The first is CCCC; he was my German teacher, a great person. The second is IIII, she is my degree work director and has a wide knowledge in mathematics (bachelor’s degree), computer science (master’s degree) and industrial management (doctorate's degree), her achievements and her personality surprise me. The third is LLLL, nowadays, she is teaching me another course from DDDD, the course is about practical things in Germany; such as cultural differences, regional studies, written applications and interviews, etc. Therefore I want to take courses in Germany which bring me deeper look in this fascinating culture.
On the whole, this course, in short-term, will improve some essential skills for the development of my degree work and, in long-term, will build a robust background that would let refine some ideas for a master’s thesis that suits my interests. Additionally, the course will bring me closer to German culture and hopefully it will guide the making of my future studies in Germany.