Theoretical Methods in the Physical Sciences: An introduction to problem solving using Maple V

Baylis, William E.

ISBN 10: 081763715X / ISBN 13: 9780817637156

Published by Birkhäuser, 1994

About this Item

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: Theoretical Methods in the Physical Sciences: An introduction to problem solving using Maple V
• Publisher: Birkhäuser
• Publication Date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 081763715X
• ISBN 13: 9780817637156
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

The advent of relatively inexpensive but powerful computers is af­ fecting practically all aspects of our lives, but some of the greatest influence is being felt in the physical sciences. However, university curricula and teaching methods have responded somewhat cautiously, having only recently come to terms with the now omnipresent calcula­ tor. While many instructors at first feared that the widespread use of pocket calculators would lead to generations of students who could not multiply or perhaps even add, few now seriously lament the disappear­ ance of slide rules, logarithm tables, and the often error-bound tedium that such tools of the trade demand. Time that used to be spent on the use of logarithm tables and manual square-root extraction can be prof­ itably turned to earlier studies of calculus or computer programming. Now that the calculator has been accepted into the classroom, we face a computer-software revolution which promises to be considerably more profound. Modern textbooks in the physical sciences routinely assume their readers have access not only to calculators, but often to home or even mainframe computers as well, and the problems teachers discuss and assign students can be more complex and often more realistic than in the days of only pad and pencil computations. As less effort is spent on numerical computation, more can be devoted to conceptual under­ standing and to applications of the increasingly sophisticated mathe­ matical methods needed for a real appreciation of recent advances in the discipline.

Synopsis

This text is designed for a one-term course. It uses the Maple package as an integral part of learning how to solve a range of problems taken from elementary physics, astronomy, chemistry and geology. At the same time it encourages the reader to think about what is being calculated, to relate results to physical experience, to make order-of-magnitude estimates of both answers and errors, and to carry out dimensional and unit checks of calculations. It is packaged with a 3.5" diskette containing Maple worksheets for each chapter and data files of physical constants, conversion factors, and chemical isotopes. The diskette is formatted on MS-Windows, but its files can also be used on Apple and Unix platforms.