Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering: A Comprehensive Guide [Paperback]

K. F. Riley (Author), M. P. Hobson (Author), S. J. Bence (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 26, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0521890675 | ISBN-13: 978-0521890670 | Edition: 2

The new edition of this highly acclaimed textbook contains several major additions, including more than four hundred new exercises (with hints and answers). To match the mathematical preparation of current senior college and university entrants, the authors have included a preliminary chapter covering areas such as polynomial equations, trigonometric identities, coordinate geometry, partial fractions, binomial expansions, induction, and the proof of necessary and sufficient conditions. Elsewhere, matrix decompositions, nearly-singular matrices and non-square sets of linear equations are treated in detail. The presentation of probability has been reorganized and greatly extended, and includes all physically important distributions. New topics covered in a separate statistics chapter include estimator efficiency, distributions of samples, t- and F- tests for comparing means and variances, applications of the chi-squared distribution, and maximum likelihood and least-squares fitting. In other chapters the following topics have been added: linear recurrence relations, curvature, envelopes, curve-sketching, and more refined numerical methods.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...the book provides scientists who need to use the tool of mathematics for practical purposes with a single, comprehensive book." Optik

"This textbook is a well-written, modern, comprehensive, and complete collection of topics in mathematical methods ranging from a review of differential and integral calculus to group and representation theory, probability, the calculus of variations, and tensors." Science Books and Films

"The second edition of Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering by Riley et al is a great scientific textbook." European Journal of Physics

Book Description

The new edition of this highly acclaimed textbook contains several major additions, including more than four hundred new exercises (with hints and answers). To match the mathematical preparation of current senior college and university entrants, the authors have included a preliminary chapter covering areas such as polynomial equations, trigonometric identities, coordinate geometry, partial fractions, binomial expansions, induction, and the proof of necessary and sufficient conditions. The authors have ako taken this opportunity to include many other important mathematical methoda that were not found in the first edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 1256 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 2 edition (August 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521890675
• ISBN-13: 978-0521890670
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.8 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,773,699 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just one comment, this is a great book., May 29, 2007

By 

Morning Bird (VA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering: A Comprehensive Guide (Paperback)

This is one of the best mathematical methods book, very readable.

It has very clear explainations, in each topic it's developing from basic intuitions until it reaches the genralized equations, several detailed examples help a reader checks his understanding and follows the authors.

The contents are very well-organized and self-contained, one can looks directly at the topic he wants to know. It's lucid and normally answer and teach a reader what he wants to do. All definitions make sense and a reader can accepts easily it's a smart thing to do math that way.

It also serves as a one-stop, if you feel confused when you're reading because your background knowledge is not strong enough, just search for the previous related topics, all brilliant explainations are waiting for you to grasp them, make you ready for what you need.

Any undergrads and beginning grad students in Physics will find this book is great. This is an excellent example how to write an approachable math methods book. Eventhough it has a thick over than 1,300 pages, but it never turns a reader away becuase of its thickness at all. Once one starts reading it, he'll enjoy and come back looking for another explaination.

One more great point is, this book contains a lot of real physical examples besides the math formulations, make a reader understands the topic deeply and sees a practical use.

Besides the book, I totally don't agree with a previous comment from a chemical physicist who gave this book just one star.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars comprehensive AND comprehensible, October 15, 2007

By 

Harvey S. Picker (Hartford, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering: A Comprehensive Guide (Paperback)

I've been teaching an upper-level course in math methods of physics on and off for thirty-five years or so. This is as good a text as I've found. In fact, I've been using this book since it began life as a much smaller volume by Riley alone. It has always provided a down-to-earth exposition of applicable mathematics. Now it provides more than ever, include two nice chapters on group theory, with more problems than the previous editions.

Despite its broad coverage, it is not an encyclopedia. Individual sections are thorough, well illustrated by examples, and comprehensible. Yes, I might have organized some of the material somewhat differently. But that is largely a matter of taste.

The reviewer who alleges that one must have mastered a lot of math to benefit from this book clearly has not read the first chapter. The book by Boas with which he compares it is a) less comprehensive, b) at a lower level overall, c) and a lot more expensive.

At $63, this volume is a real bargain.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars clear exposition of practical material, October 17, 2007

By 

Davit Potoyan "David the invincible" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering: A Comprehensive Guide (Paperback)

Beautifuly organized compendium of mathematical tools which are daily bread and butter of every theoretical physicst. Excellent for first year graduate students wanting to pursue career in any branch of theoretical physics.
The main advantages which distinguishes this classic from others is clear and conscise pedagogical style and excellent selection of topics which are being discussed fully and without sacrifising mathematical rigour.
However for advanced students this text may sometimes bore with overdetailed explanations and minor details.
Summing up everything, if you wanna learn mathphys and want to start you are in the right place.