Advanced Mathematical Methods for Scientists and Engineers I - by Carl M Bender & Steven a Orszag (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Intended for graduate students and advanced undergraduates, this book gives a clear, practical and self-contained presentation of the methods of asymptotics and perturbation theory for obtaining approximate analytical solutions to differential and difference equations. These methods allow one to analyze physics and engineering problems that may not be solvable in closed form and for which brute- force numerical methods may not provide useful solutions.

Review Quotes

"This book is a reprint of the original published by McGraw-Hill ref [MR0538168 (80d:00030)]. The only changes are the addition of the Roman numeral I to the title and the provision of a subtitle, "Asymptotic methods and perturbation theory". This latter improvement is much needed, as the original title suggested that this was a teaching book for undergraduate scientists and engineers. It is not, but is an excellent introduction to asymptotic and perturbation methods for master's degree students or beginning research students. Certain parts of it could be used for a course in asymptotics for final year undergraduates in applied mathematics or mathematical physics.

This is a book that has stood the test of time and I cannot but endorse the remarks of the original reviewer. It is written in a fresh and lively style and the many graphs and tables, comparing the results of exact and approximate methods, were in advance of its time. I have owned a copy of the original for over twenty years, using it on a regular basis, and, after the original had gone out of print, lending it to my research students. Springer-Verlag has done a great service to users of, and researchers in, asymptotics and perturbation theory by reprinting this classic." (A.D. Wood, Mathematical Reviews)