Modern Mathematical Methods for Physicists and Engineers [Paperback]

C. D. Cantrell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 9, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0521598273 | ISBN-13: 978-0521598279

The advent of powerful desktop computers has revolutionized scientific analysis and engineering design in fields as disparate as particle physics and telecommunications. This up-to-date volume provides the essential mathematical and computational education for students, researchers, and practicing engineers. The author begins with a review of computation, and then deals with a range of key concepts including sets, fields, matrix theory, and vector spaces. He then goes on to cover more advanced subjects such as linear mappings, group theory, and special functions. He concentrates exclusively on the most important topics for the working physical scientist or engineer with the aim of helping them to make intelligent use of the latest computational and analytical methods. The book contains well over 400 homework problems and covers many topics not dealt with in other textbooks. It will be ideal for senior undergraduate and graduate students in the physical sciences and engineering, as well as a valuable reference for working engineers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'The emphasis on computation sets Cantrell's book apart ... it would provide an excellent introduction to some of the computational issues in applying numerics to non-linear dynamical problems.' David Jefferies, The Times Higher Education Supplement

'Precisely because one can dip in, this book has a very real value as a reference for science graduates with some mathematical background who find themselves seriously in need of some more.' Derek Raine, The Observatory

'... unique in the sense that it sails across the ocean of contemporary advanced mathematics by an impressive tour de force ...'. Thomas Z. Fahidy, Measurement Science & Technology

'... an excellent job of surveying selected topics of modern mathematics that graduate students of physics and engineering are likely to encounter.' Any Magid, Computer Applications

'It is not the contents of the book that is really original - albeit one could already prize the good selection of materials by the author - but it is the way they are presented, the choice of examples and exercises, the way to solve the exercises, and the successful equilibrium between the basic classical concepts and issues that no student can skip, and the computational tools nowadays available, that are remarkable ... a book to be recommended, from beginning to end.' E. Elizalde, Zentralblatt für Mathematik und ihre Grenzgebiete Mathematics Abstracts

Book Description

The advent of powerful desktop computers has revolutionized scientific analysis and engineering design in fields as disparate as particle physics and telecommunications. Modern Mathematical Methods for Physicists and Engineers provides an up-to-date mathematical and computational education for students, researchers, and practicing engineers. Throughout, the author concentrates exclusively on the most important topics for the working physical scientist or engineer with the aim of helping them to make intelligent use of the latest computational and analytical methods. The book contains well over 400 homework problems and covers many topics not dealt with in other textbooks.

Product Details

• Paperback: 768 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (October 9, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521598273
• ISBN-13: 978-0521598279
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,432,940 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, March 11, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Modern Mathematical Methods for Physicists and Engineers (Paperback)

Of all the "mathematical methods" or "applied mathematics" books
on my shelf, this is the one I find myself turning to most often.

There are many other books where you can look up, say, the
orthogonality properties of some "special function," but for an
authoritative explanation of fundamental mathematics as used
in physics today -- especially computational physics -- Cantrell
is excellent.

I often have to check with Cantrell to get an answer to questions
like "Is this result in this other text true in general, or only
in the special case that its author describes?". I never have
to double check to see to what extent the results in Cantrell
apply -- he makes things like that quite clear.

Cantrell has included a healthy dose of linear algebra and
functional analysis in his text, at the expense of some of the
chapters in more traditional mathematical physics texts, such as
those on contour integration or special functions.

However, examples of the use of special functions are sprinkled
liberally thoughout the text. And although the chapter on that
subject is mostly about Bessel functions, Cantrell's discussion
of Bessel functions is, typically, different from and more
insightful than conventional treatments.

My quibbles with the book have to do not with its content, but
with "first edition" glitches -- a figure here or a typo there.
And some sort of bug in the index preparation process left many
of the page numbers referred to in the index "off" by a page
or two. On the other hand, the hardcover edition that I have
lays open nicely on my desk, and after heavy use the binding
has not broken, and no pages have fallen out.

It would be nice if there were an appendix of "Answers to Exercises,"
or maybe a "Student's Guide." However, many of the exercises
are of the "Show that ..." variety, so the lack of such an appendix
is not nearly the drawback that it might be.

Overall: Excellent book, highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not for the non-expert, March 31, 2009

By 

Srinivas Swaminathan - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Modern Mathematical Methods for Physicists and Engineers (Paperback)

I took the class under this author and this book was the required textbook. I had some background in numerical methods, but this book does not lead you to the advanced topics starting from the basics. It seems to jump to very specific topics directly, with no apparent progression. I did not find the book very useful, due to my limited background. If you are an expert in these topics, you might find it good as a quick reference.