A Guided Tour of Mathematical Methods: For the Physical Sciences
Cambridge University Press
Edition: 2, 2009-06-01
EAN 9780521542616, ISBN10: 0521542618
Paperback, 524 pages, 24.4 x 17 x 2.8 cm
Language: English
Mathematical methods are essential tools for all physical scientists. This second edition provides a comprehensive tour of the mathematical knowledge and techniques that are needed by students in this area. In contrast to more traditional textbooks, all the material is presented in the form of problems. Within these problems the basic mathematical theory and its physical applications are well integrated. The mathematical insights that the student acquires are therefore driven by their physical insight. Topics that are covered include vector calculus, linear algebra, Fourier analysis, scale analysis, complex integration, Green's functions, normal modes, tensor calculus and perturbation theory. The second edition contains new chapters on dimensional analysis, variational calculus, and the asymptotic evaluation of integrals. This book can be used by undergraduates and lower-level graduate students in the physical sciences. It can serve as a stand-alone text, or as a source of problems and examples to complement other textbooks.
From reviews of the first edition: '... a splendid book, quite a delight to see mathematical models from a different perspective ... treatment is so smooth that it is hard to know at any instant whether one is learning new tools or assimilating the applications to interesting examples ... excellent.' Donald de Cogan, International Journal of Numerical Modelling