Scientific Computing with MATLAB and Octave (Texts in Computational Science and Engineering) [Hardcover]

Alfio Quarteroni (Author), Fausto Saleri (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 5, 2006 | ISBN-10: 354032612X | ISBN-13: 978-3540326120 | Edition: 2nd

This textbook is an introduction to Scientific Computing, in which several numerical methods for the computer solution of certain classes of mathematical problems are illustrated. The authors show how to compute the zeros or the integrals of continuous functions, solve linear systems, approximate functions by polynomials and construct accurate approximations for the solution of ordinary and partial differential equations. To make the presentation concrete and appealing, the programming environments Matlab and Octave, which is freely distributed, are adopted as faithful companions. The book contains the solutions to several problems posed in exercises and examples, often originating from specific applications. A specific section is devoted to subjects which were not addressed in the book and contains the bibliographical references for a more comprehensive treatment of the material. The second edition features many new problems and examples, as well as more numerical methods for linear and nonlinear systems and ordinary and partial differential equations.

This book is presently being translated or has appeared in the following languages:  Italian, German, French, Chinese  and Spanish.

Reviews for "Scientific Computing with MATLAB" - 1st edition:

" ... Scientific Computing with MATLAB is written in a clear and concise style, figures, tables and formula boxes complement the explanations... The whole book is an invitation, if not a request, of the authors to the reader to play with MATLAB, apply its powerful menagerie of functions to solve the given (or own) problems - in brief, supervised learning by doing .... is a stimulating introductory textbook about numerical methods that successfully combines mathematical theory with programming experience..." Anselm A.C. Horn, Journal of Molecular Modeling 2004

"... An excellent addition to academic libraries and university bookstores, this book will be useful for self-study and as a complement to other MATLAB-based books. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals." S.T. Karris, Choice 2003

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews:

" ... Scientific Computing with MATLAB is written in a clear and concise style, figures, tables and formula boxes complement the explanations... The whole book is an invitation, if not a request, of the authors to the reader to play with MATLAB, apply its powerful menagerie of functions to solve the given (or own) problems - in brief, supervised learning by doing .... is a stimulating introductory textbook about numerical methods that successfully combines mathematical theory with programming experience..." Anselm A.C. Horn, Journal of Molecular Modeling 2004

"... An excellent addition to academic libraries and university bookstores, this book will be useful for self-study and as a complement to other MATLAB-based books. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals." S.T. Karris, Choice 2003

From the reviews of the second edition:

"The authors present … details about the MATLAB and Octave environments, with information about how the two products can be acquired. … readers will find a useful set of about 60 references to books and articles about numerical methods and algorithms. … If you work on a daily basis with things like Fourier transformations … and Chebyshev interpolations, then you’ll find this book invaluable. If, like me, you are required to support people who work with those things, you’ll need this book … ." (G. K. Jenkins, ACM Computing Reviews, Vol. 49 (12), December, 2008)

From the Back Cover

This textbook is an introduction to Scientific Computing, in which several numerical methods for the computer solution of certain classes of mathematical problems are illustrated. The authors show how to compute the zeros or the integrals of continuous functions, solve linear systems, approximate functions by polynomials and construct accurate approximations for the solution of ordinary and partial differential equations. To make the presentation concrete and appealing, the programming environments Matlab and Octave, which is freely distributed, are adopted as faithful companions. The book contains the solutions to several problems posed in exercises and examples, often originating from specific applications. A specific section is devoted to subjects which were not addressed in the book and contains the bibliographical references for a more comprehensive treatment of the material. The second edition features many new problems and examples, as well as more numerical methods for linear and nonlinear systems and ordinary and partial differential equations.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 318 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 2nd edition (October 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 354032612X
• ISBN-13: 978-3540326120
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,300,435 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars easy to understand and use algorithms, April 10, 2005

By 

W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Scientific Computing with MATLAB (Texts in Computational Science and Engineering,) (Hardcover)

As you would expect from Springer, here is a technically very accurate book. It goes over the main concepts of numerical analysis, which the authors call "scientific computing". Same thing, really. Unlike earlier years, where someone studying this field would have to write out her own Fortran code to apply the methods, we now have MATLAB. The authors chose this powerful package as one in which to explain and implement the algorithms.

These algorithms are essentially unchanged from what a book on the topic might have described, 20 years ago. Finding numerical integrals, roots of equations, solving linear systems of equations etc.

But using MATLAB helps streamline any coding. And you are encouraged to code, in the problems supplied by the book. There are even answers to some of these. So quite apart from understanding the concepts, a bonus is that you can become quite adept at fully using MATLAB's abilities as a research tool.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just a word: Excellent!, March 21, 2011

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[e-mail] (San José, Costa Rica) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Scientific Computing with MATLAB and Octave (Texts in Computational Science and Engineering) (Hardcover)

The one and ONLY book that refers explicitly to Octave. Before giving many dollars away on Matlab try the open source Octave.