Fundamentals of Scientific Computing

By: Bertil Gustafsson

Write A Review

eText | 11 June 2011

At a Glance

Format
ePUB

eText

$84.99

or 4 interest-free payments of $21.25 with

Instant online reading in your Booktopia eTextbook Library *

Read online on

Desktop

Tablet

Mobile

Not downloadable to your eReader or an app

Why choose an eTextbook?

Instant Access *

Purchase and read your book immediately

Read Aloud

Listen and follow along as Bookshelf reads to you

Study Tools

Built-in study tools like highlights and more

* eTextbooks are not downloadable to your eReader or an app and can be accessed via web browsers only. You must be connected to the internet and have no technical issues with your device or browser that could prevent the eTextbook from operating.

The book of nature is written in the language of mathematics -- Galileo Galilei

How is it possible to predict weather patterns for tomorrow, with access solely to today's weather data? And how is it possible to predict the aerodynamic behavior of an aircraft that has yet to be built?

The answer is computer simulations based on mathematical models - sets of equations - that describe the underlying physical properties. However, these equations are usually much too complicated to solve, either by the smartest mathematician or the largest supercomputer. This problem is overcome by constructing an approximation: a numerical model with a simpler structure can be translated into a program that tells the computer how to carry out the simulation.

This book conveys the fundamentals of mathematical models, numerical methods and algorithms. Opening with a tutorial on mathematical models and analysis, it proceeds to introduce the most important classes of numerical methods, with finite element, finite difference and spectral methods as central tools. The concluding section describes applications in physics and engineering, including wave propagation, heat conduction and fluid dynamics. Also covered are the principles of computers and programming, including MATLAB®.