Mathematics for Physical Science and Engineering

Mathematical Methods Using Symbolic Computing opens with an introduction to symbolic computing at a level designed to be accessible to an audience that is intellectually ready to study detailed mathematics but which knows little or nothing about symbolic computing or the languages that support it. Since the symbolic computing language available to students will often be chosen by the instructor and may depend upon various practical issues, the book provides parallel support for both MAPLE and MATHEMATICA, the two languages with the most capability and the greatest availability.The aim of the text is designed to clarify and optimize the efficiency of the student's acquisition of mathematical understanding and skill and to provide students with a mathematical toolbox that will rapidly become of routine use in a scientific or engineering career.In later chapters that focus on mathematical topics, the use of symbolic computing methods to provide insight and solve practical problems is fully incorporated into the mathematical development. This approach not only provides students with additional routes toward understanding, but also gives them the tools needed to solve real-world mathematics problems.