Computational Electrodynamics: The Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method, Third Edition [Hardcover]

Allen Taflove (Author), Susan C. Hagness (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1580538320 | ISBN-13: 978-1580538329 | Publication Date: June 30, 2005 | Edition: 3

This extensively revised and expanded third edition of the Artech House bestseller, Computational Electrodynamics: The Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method, offers engineers the most up-to-date and definitive resource on this critical method for solving Maxwell's equations. The method helps practitioners design antennas, wireless communications devices, high-speed digital and microwave circuits, and integrated optical devices with unsurpassed efficiency. There has been considerable advancement in FDTD computational technology over the past few years, and the third edition brings professionals the very latest details with entirely new chapters on important techniques, major updates on key topics, and new discussions on emerging areas such as nanophotonics. What's more, to supplement the third edition, the authors have created a Web site with solutions to problems, downloadable graphics and videos, and updates, making this new edition the ideal textbook on the subject as well.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Allen Taflove has pioneered the finite-difference time-domain method since 1972, and is a leading authority in the field of computational electrodynamics. He is currently a professor at Northwestern University. Susan Hagness is an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Hagness received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1038 pages
• Publisher: Artech House; 3 edition (June 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580538320
• ISBN-13: 978-1580538329
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.4 x 2.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #360,725 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #96 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Physics > Electromagnetism > Electricity

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The book for FDTD, November 8, 2005

By 

Kevin (Columbia, MD, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Computational Electrodynamics: The Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method, Third Edition (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent and thoroughly enjoyable reference/tutorial. The book is suitable for use in an advanced undergraduate/first-year graduate class with a prerequisite of one semester of undergraduate E&M. (The authors' preface indicates that this prerequisite is not entirely necessary, but I don't see how you could understand what is going on without it.)

The book can also be used for self-study. In this vein, the book's website contains 1d-, 2d-, and 3d-matlab scripts that are excellent for learning how to actually implement all of this stuff. The third edition weighs in at just over 1000 pages with a price tag of $139, which is $10 cheaper than the 2nd edition was when it came out.

Allen Taflove is, perhaps, the leader in the development and use of this technique. Allen is now at Northwestern. Susan Hagness was a recent PhD student of his (1998) and is now an associate professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at the University of Wisconsin. The authors are at the forefront in the development of applications.

The third edition is significantly larger than the 2nd edition and includes several applications chapters that were cowritten with the major researchers in the field. The extraordinary explosion of application areas for FDTD is captured in the later chapters, and these chapters give students and new researchers a clear flavor of the vitality and interest in the field which extends from the detection of breast cancer to ELF pulses produced by earthquakes. It is refreshing to find authors who so readily give credit to others in their field. Taflove and Hagness have been very gracious in this regard, and as a consequence have a much better book and a very detailed and useful bibliography.

I very heartily recommend this book to anyone who wishes to use FDTD techniques.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Agree with Prior Reviewer, September 21, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Computational Electrodynamics The Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method (Antennas & Propagation Library) (Hardcover)

I cannot quite honestly give this book (*first* edition, not second) a full five-point-zero stars because it somewhat comes apart the closer one gets to the final chapters. I read this book a few years ago, so I apologize for lack of specificity. However, I completely agree with the prior reviewer who stated that this book is better than Kunz's and Luebbers' book, which I appears to be a slightly edited compilation of previous publications --- even if that is completely untrue. In fact, in my opinion, Taflove's book (again, first edition) is a *much* better textbook than Kunz and Luebbers.

The Book News review is somewhat misleading. Taflove derives the difference equations in full, painstaking detail. (Perhaps the Book News reviewer fell asleep during that portion.) For me, this was the most valuable and educational portion of the book. Example applications have their place, but only after understanding the basic principles. Taflove did an excellent job in describing these principles, which go far beyond the basic Yee algorithm (e.g. extrapolation techniques and incorporation of BC's). Those readers familiar with other FD books should understand what I'm saying here: Anyone who reads this book and understands it will not only be conversant about FDTD but should also be able to write solid working codes. With the K&L book, this is very questionable.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent but a few topics have yet to be covered., February 24, 2009

By 

RJ "dollops" (Northern California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Computational Electrodynamics: The Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method, Third Edition (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book that covers FDTD well but not completely. The authors are very knowledgeable and the book is quite easy to read.
A few things are not covered as well as I would have liked:
* Adding voltage, current sources.
* Adding resistors, inductors, caps.

Also, a few things such as the exponential equations for Berenger's PML are not covered well. To complement this, you need Berenger's original paper on the subject.

The example code on the web site for the publisher:
http://www.artechhouse.com/Detail.aspx?strBookId=1123
is exteremely useful, since the code contains what the text of the book is missing in cases.

[...]

I'd highly recommend this book as the foundational book for FDTD and also suggest that you complement this with some of the original papers and also the book:
The Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method for Electromagnetics with MATLAB simulations by Atef Elsherbeni and Veysel Demir,
which contains information on current,voltage sources and more extensive code examples.