Customer Reviews

Numerical Methods

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4 star:		(2)
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I had previously sat in on a Numerical Analysis class, and I have to say that this book was much better than the one that we were forced to use. The examples were clear, and the text focused much less on proofs and more on how to do problems and calculate their error. The sample programs on disk were also thorough, and included in several different languages (c, fortran, pascal, maple, mathematica, & matlab).

In my never-ending quest for the best textbook for each of my courses, I examine a large number of math and computer books. The current book used in my numerical analysis class is "Elementary Numerical Analysis" by Atkinson and Han. My standard criterion for changing is that the new book must be significantly better than my current favorite. By significantly better, I mean that the cost to me when changing is more than offset by the advantages that the new book gives the students.
While I consider this book on a par with the Atkinson book and maybe even a bit better, it doesn't quite cross the threshold. The coverage is what is ordinarily considered that of a one-semester course in numerical analysis, so in that regard it is still in the pack. A broad spectrum of exercises appears at the ends of the sections and solutions to the odd-numbered ones appear in an appendix.
I consider this book to be slightly more readable than some of the others that I have seen. Maple is used as the symbolic mathematics package used to illustrate the examples and a CD containing the code used to generate the examples is included. This book is good enough to tempt me to make the switch but not good enough to make me do it.

Thanks so much for this book. At my local bookstore I would have had to pay $180. I went online and found a NEW copy for $40 - saving me almost $140. The book is fine, I use it as a textbook for class, and it is very easy to follow.