Customer Reviews (1)

Fairly good book on computational physics
This book is a fairly decent overview of computational physics. The author covers most of the topics that one would obtain in taking a senior level or first year graduate course in this subject. It could be used successfully in such a course as there are problem sets at the end of each chapter that can be solved most efficiently by writing programs. In addition, the author gives pseudocode throughout the book for the main algorithms. The most useful chapter to me was Chapter 7, which covered Monte Carlo techniques. The author is pretty thorough in his treatment of this subject, and does discuss how to apply this technique in calculating path integrals in quantum mechanics. Unfortunately, he limits his discussion to the harmonic oscillator and does not give any problem sets at the end of the chapter that will allow the reader to apply the techniques to other potentials in quantum mechanics (such as maybe the anharmonic oscillator or the double well potentials). The author also discusses finite difference methods and finite element methods in the last two chapters. The author unfortunately does not discuss the numerical solution of the Boltzmann transport equation, which is of interest to me.Overall though a pretty nice job, and will introduce the new comer to the field. ... Read more

Book Description
Computational Materials Engineering is an advanced introduction to the computer-aided modeling of essential material properties and behavior, including the physical, thermal and chemical parameters, as well as the mathematical tools used to perform simulations. Its emphasis will be on crystalline materials, which includes all metals. The basis of Computational Materials Engineering allows scientists and engineers to create virtual simulations of material behavior and properties, to better understand how a particular material works and performs and then use that knowledge to design improvements for particular material applications.The text displays knowledge of software designers, materials scientists and engineers, and those involved in materials applications like mechanical engineers, civil engineers, electrical engineers, and chemical engineers.

Readers from students to practicing engineers to materials research scientists will find in this book a single source of the major elements that make up contemporary computer modeling of materials characteristics and behavior. The reader will gain an understanding of the underlying statistical and analytical tools that are the basis for modeling complex material interactions, including an understanding of computational thermodynamics and molecular kinetics; as well as various modeling systems. Finally, the book will offer the reader a variety of algorithms to use in solving typical modeling problems so that the theory presented herein can be put to real-world use.

Balanced coverage of fundamentals of materials modeling, as well as more advanced aspects of modeling, such as modeling at all scales from the atomic to the molecular to the macro-material
Concise, yet rigorous mathematical coverage of such analytical tools as the Potts type Monte Carlo method, cellular automata, phase field, dislocation dynamics and Finite Element Analysis in statistical and analytical modeling
Companion web site will offer ample workable programs, along with suggested projects, resources for further reading, and useful classroom exercises ... Read more

Book Description

The goal of this book is to teach computational scientists how to develop tailored, flexible, and human-efficient working environments built from small programs (scripts) written in the easy-to-learn, high-level language Python. The focus is on examples and applications of relevance to computational scientists: gluing existing applications and tools, e.g. for automating simulation, data analysis, and visualization; steering simulations and computational experiments; equipping old programs with graphical user interfaces; making computational Web applications; and creating interactive interfaces with a Maple/Matlab-like syntax to numerical applications in C/C++ or Fortran. In short, scripting with Python makes you much more productive, increases the reliability of your scientific work and lets you have more fun - on Unix, Windows and Macintosh. All the tools and examples in this book are open source codes. The third edition is compatible with the new NumPy implementation and features updated information, correction of errors, and improved associated software tools.

Customer Reviews (4)

strong computational emphasis
Langtangen's emphasis here is on a reader who comes from a strong background in engineering or science, and is familiar with common computational ideas and has done some programming, but not necessarily in Python. The typical book on Python is aimed at a general programming reader, and the examples in such a book usually are quite elementary, from a computational viewpoint.

The merit of Langtangen's book is that he gets into a lot of computational ideas. This is not a trivial book. Aspects like parsing data in files, connecting to local and remote hosts, and interacting with programs written in other languages are covered. For the latter, the important cases of Fortran and C programs are explained. The choices of these languages is deliberate. In science and engineering, they are the dominant languages for raw computation. And you are likely to have legacy code written in these, that you cannot abandon while using Python.

Great Suppliment to Numerical methods
When I first got ahold of this book I had just finished learning all the gory details of good numerical codes.But when developing tests for simple cases I found that development went way too slow, so someone suggested I learn Python. This book provides a great demonstration of how python can supplement your existing codes.Either by organizing the tests, formatting output, or just adding pretty interfaces.

This book contains a lot of the necessary extras that a scientist or engineer must do to get his work going or finished, which is too pedantic to be taught in most courses.It shows the power of Python over some other scripting languages for this purpose.It is definitely one of the best references on my book shelf.

Python for Science Academics and Engineers, NOT programmers
I bought this book as an experienced programmer and Unix user expecting more of a "Numerical Recepies in Python" emphasis on the efficient implementation of algorithms which happen to be in Python.I should have paid more attention to the description.

This book is really more of a "Grad Student's Guide to Everyday Python Usage".I imagine it would be very valuable to a mathematics Grad student without too much programming or shell experience, looking for an alternative to Matlab.However, there is very little "Computational Science" in this book.Do NOT expect a cookbook of high performance algorithm implementations.

The book is a very verbose 700+ pages, all in an unexcitingacademic LaTeX format.The author works through idiom after idiom for accomplishing different tasks in fairly stand-alone sub-sections without much of a feeling of conceptual "flow" between them.It sort of feels like reading through the author's personal lab notes that he took everytime he learned a new language feature or trick.

If you are an experienced programmer, you will quickly get impatient with the verbose presentation that emphasizes idioms and examples instead of fundamental concepts and syntax reference tables.But, if you are an experienced programmer, you are not the target audience for this book.

Braddock Gaskill

Convincing demonstration of Python's value in science
The author has 2 main goals:
1) To improve the productivity of scientists familiar with specific software systems (especially Matlab, Maple, and Mathematica) by teaching them to "glue" applications together.
2) To advocate Python as the preferred "glue" language. In his own words, "I hope to convince computational scientists having experience with Perl that Python is a preferable alternative, especially for large long-term projects."

He has certainly done a creditable job. As an expert in computational differential equations, he neglects neither efficiency nor correctness, while stressing both simplicity and reliability. In this sense, he has done a great service to the Python community.

The question is: What justifies the purchase of his book?
The answer is: Chapters 4, 9, and 10.

Contents:

1. Introduction--26pp
Very convincing arguments.

2. Getting Started With Python Scripting--38pp
Interesting examples.

3. Basic Python--56pp
A too-quick tutorial. Go to python dot org instead.

4. Numerical Computing in Python--48pp
Stellar explanations of vectorized array operations.

5. Combining Python with Fortran, C, and C++--36pp
Details use of Fortran2Py and SWIG. Mentions many alternatives.

6. Introduction to GUI Programming--70pp
Useful examples of Tkinter/pmw widgets.

7. Web Interfaces and CGI Programming--24pp
Good source of ideas.

8. Advanced Python--132pp
Deep and extensive. Includes: option parsing, regular expressions, data persistence and compression, object-oriented programming, exceptions, generic programming, efficiency.

9. Fortran Programming with NumPy Arrays--32pp
All about efficiency and re-use.

10. C and C++ Programming with NumPy Arrays--40pp
More about efficiency. NumPy C API, C++ objects, and SCXX.

11. More Advanced GUI Programming--73pp
Tedious discussion of both Web and standalone GUIs. BLT, canvas, cgi.

12. Tools and Examples--70pp
Excellent examples of PDE solvers, with a powerful GUI, but quite long and tedious.

A. Setting up the Required Software Environment--16pp
Wonderfully specific installation instructions!

B. Elements of Software Engineering--50pp
Python's strength! Very practical advice on modularity, documentation, coding style, regression-testing, version-control.


Strengths:
+ Downloadable py4cs package, esp. numpytools module
+ Great advice everywhere, e.g. CGI checklist, Pythonic programming, and trouble-shooting.
+ Concrete evidence for most assertions.
+ Very attractive presentation. Sturdy, high-quality cover, binding and pages. Brief, elegant code fragments (except in Chapter 12). Readable prose. No wasted space.
+ Available as 5MB pdf file, after purchase of hardcopy. Very nice.
+ Slides, installation instructions, and errata also at web site. Very professional.


My peeves:
- Not enough tables to be a useful manual.
- On p.428(#7) he points out that handling a raised exception is very slow. However, when I time his example with a positive argument, the try-except version is 20% faster (b/c the if clause is skipped), so he is actually giving bad advice for the general case. Luckily, he contradicts himself later, on page 685: "Exceptions should be used instead of if-else tests." The best advice: Avoid common exceptions in inner loops.
- The 10-page index is not as great as it at first seems. (See Martelli's Python in a Nutshell for a better one.)
- Pure interface functions should 'raise NotImplementedError', rather than 'return'.
- Exceptions should never be trapped mindlessly with 'except:'. That would hide your own SyntaxErrors!
- Too many exercises. (It's published as a textbook.) Since there are no answers, the exercises are useless for non-students. (See Lutz's Learning Python for effective exercises with answers.)


Overall rating:
This contains the best information on numerical programming in Python that I've seen. Though expensive, it could easily be your only Python book, given the excellent online documenation already available. ... Read more

Book Description
(NOTES)This text focuses on the topics which are an essential part of the engineering mathematics course:ordinary differential equations, vector calculus, linear algebra and partial differential equations. Advantages over competing texts: 1. The text has a large number of examples and problems - a typical section having 25 quality problems directly related to the text. 2. The authors use a practical engineering approach based upon solving equations. All ideas and definitions are introduced from this basic viewpoint, which allows engineers in their second year to understand concepts that would otherwise be impossibly abstract. Partial differential equations are introduced in an engineering and science context based upon modelling of physical problems. A strength of the manuscript is the vast number of applications to real-world problems, each treated completely and in sufficient depth to be self-contained. 3. Numerical analysis is introduced in the manuscript at a completely elementary calculus level. In fact, numerics are advertised as just an extension of the calculus and used generally as enrichment, to help communicate the role of mathematics in engineering applications. 4.The authors have used and updated the book as a course text over a 10 year period. 5. Modern outline, as contrasted to the outdated outline by Kreysig and Wylie. 6. This is now a one year course. The text is shorter and more readable than the current reference type manuals published all at around 1300-1500 pages. ... Read more

Product Description
This book offers a fundamental and practical introduction to the use of computational methods, particularly finite element methods, in the simulation of fluid flows in porous media. It is the first book to cover a wide variety of flows, including single-phase, two-phase, black oil, volatile, compositional, nonisothermal, and chemical compositional flows in both ordinary porous and fractured porous media. In addition, a range of computational methods are used, and benchmark problems of nine comparative solution projects organized by the Society of Petroleum Engineers are presented for the first time in book form.Computational Methods for Multiphase Flows in Porous Media reviews multiphase flow equations and computational methods to introduce basic terminologies and notation. A thorough discussion of practical aspects of the subject is presented in a consistent manner, and the level of treatment is rigorous without being unnecessarily abstract. Each chapter ends with bibliographic information and exercises.This book can be used as a textbook for graduate or advanced undergraduate students in geology, petroleum engineering, and applied mathematics, and as a reference book for professionals in these fields, as well as scientists working in the area of petroleum reservoir simulation. It can also be used as a handbook for employees in the oil industry who need a basic understanding of modeling and computational method concepts and by researchers in hydrology, environmental remediation, and some areas of biological tissue modeling. Calculus, physics, and some acquaintance with partial differential equations and simple matrix algebra are necessary prerequisites.List of Figures; List of Tables; Preface; Chapter 1: Introduction; Chapter 2: Flow and Transport Equations; Chapter 3: Rock and Fluid Properties; Chapter 4: Numerical Methods; Chapter 5: Solution of Linear Systems; Chapter 6: Single Phase Flow; Chapter 7: Two-Phase Flow; Chapter 8: The Black Oil Model; Chapter 9: The Compositional Model; Chapter 10: Nonisothermal Flow; Chapter 11: Chemical Flooding; Chapter 12: Flows in Fractured Porous Media; Chapter 13: Welling Modeling; Chapter 14: Special Topics; Chapter 15: Nomenclature; Chapter 16: Units; Bibliography; Index. ... Read more

Book Description
This book surveys the major topics that are essential to high-performance simulation on parallel computers or computational clusters. These topics, including programming models, load balancing, mesh generation, efficient numerical solvers, and scientific software, are vital ingredients in the research fields of computer science, numerical analysis, and scientific computing. In addition to presenting the technological basis, this volume addresses selected applications that combine different techniques in order to meet demanding computational challenges. Through contributions from a wide range of internationally acknowledged experts, this book gives a to-the-point and self-containing overview of efficient ways to deal with large-scale simulation problems. ... Read more

Book Description
This book covers modern approaches to Verification and Validation of computer codes, and other topics related to Quantification of Uncertainty and code Quality Assurance. Especially noteworthy are the Method of Manufactured Solutions, a general method for obtaining exact solutions for use in code Verifications, and the Grid Convergene Index, a method for uniform reporting of grid convergence tests. The methods and issues are applicable to commercial codes as well as to in-house developed research codes, and to all problems modeled by partial differential equations; examples include Computational Fluid Dynamics, groundwater flow and transport modeling, electrodynamics, etc. The book provides useful formulas and practical guidance for error estimation and for experimental Validation. ... Read more

Book Description
Students embarking on their studies in chemical, mechanical, aerospace, energy, and environmental engineering will face continually changing combustion problems, such as pollution control and energy efficiency, throughout their careers. Approaching these challenges requires a deep familiarity with the fundamental theory, mathematics, and physical concepts of combustion. Based on more than two decades of teaching experience, Combustion Science and Engineering lays the necessary groundwork while using an illustrative, hands-on approach.

Taking a down-to-earth perspective, the book avoids heavy mathematics in the first seven chapters and in Chapter 17 (pollutants formation and destruction), but considers molecular concepts and delves into engineering details. It begins with an outline of thermodynamics; basics of thermochemistry and chemical equilibrium; descriptions of solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels; chemical kinetics and mass transfer; and applications of theory to practical systems. Beginning in chapter 8, the authors provide a detailed treatment of differential forms of conservation equations; analyses of fuel combustion including jet combustion and boundary layer problems; ignition; flame propagation; interactive and group combustion; pollutant formation and control; and turbulent combustion.

In addition, this textbook includes abundant examples, illustrations, and exercises, as well as spreadsheet software in combustion available for download. This software allows students to work out the examples found in the text. Combustion Science and Engineering imparts the skills and foundational knowledge necessary for students to successfully approach and solve new problems. ... Read more

Book Description

The numerical treatment of partial differential equations with particle methods and meshfree discretization techniques is a very active research field both in the mathematics and engineering community. Due to their independence of a mesh, particle schemes and meshfree methods can deal with large geometric changes of the domain more easily than classical discretization techniques. Furthermore, meshfree methods offer a promising approach for the coupling of particle models to continuous models. This volume of LNCSE is a collection of the papers from the proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Meshfree Methods held in September 2003 in Bonn. The articles address the different meshfree methods (SPH, PUM, GFEM, EFGM, RKPM, etc.) and their application in applied mathematics, physics and engineering. The volume is intended to foster this new and exciting area of interdisciplinary research and to present recent advances and results in this field.

Product Description
This book presents the full range of computational science and engineering -- the equations, numerical methods, and algorithms with MATLAB® codes.The author has taught this material to thousands of engineers and scientists.The book is solution-based and not formula-based: it covers applied linear algebra and fast solvers, differential equations with finite differences and finite elements, Fourier analysis, optimization, and more.

ContentsChapter 1: Applied Linear Algebra; Chapter 2: A Framework for Applied Mathematics; Chapter 3: Boundary Value Problems; Chapter 4: Fourier Series and Integrals; Chapter 5: Analytic Functions; Chapter 6: Initial Value Problems; Chapter 7: Solving Large Systems; Chapter 8: Optimization and Minimum Principles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Pure love
Dr Strangs book, is simply a work of love. If you have no idea of computational engineering, yet you want to see a man who had spent a lifetime in love, and still burried deep within it, experience Dr Strang's words. Pure and perfect. His style unparalleled, his passion unbounded. It needs to be there on every engineers desk, regardless of his discipline. ... Read more

Product Description
This book introduces new research topics in earthquake engineering through the application of computational mechanics and computer science. The topics covered discuss the evaluation of earthquake hazards such as strong ground motion and faulting through applying advanced numerical analysis methods, useful for estimating earthquake disasters.These methods, based on recent progress in solid continuum mechanics and computational mechanics, are summarized comprehensively for graduate students and researchers in earthquake engineering. The coverage includes stochastic modeling as well as several advanced computational earthquake engineering topics. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is about computing eigenvalues, eigenvectors and invariant subspaces of matrices. The treatment includes generalized and structured eigenvalue problems, such as Hamiltonian or product eigenvalue problems. All vital aspects of eigenvalue computations are covered: theory, perturbation analysis, algorithms, high performance methodologies and software. The reader will learn about recently developed techniques which substantially improve the performance of some of the most widely numerical methods, the QR and the QZ algorithm as well as Krylov subspace methods. A unique feature of this book is the detailed treatment of structured eigenvalue problems, providing insight on accuracy and efficiency gains to be expected from algorithms that take the structure of a matrix into account.

Product Description
...a timely contribution to a field of growing importance. This carefully edited book presents a rich collection of chapters ranging from mathematical methodology to emerging applications. I recommend it to students as a rigorous and comprehensive presentation of simulation-based optimization and to researchers as an overview of recent advances and challenges in the field. Jorge Nocedal, Professor, Northwestern University.Many engineering and scientific problems in design, control, and parameter estimation can be formulated as optimization problems that are governed by partial differential equations (PDEs). The complexities of the PDEs and the requirement for rapid solution pose significant difficulties. A particularly challenging class of PDE-constrained optimization problems is characterized by the need for real-time solution, i.e., in time scales that are sufficiently rapid to support simulation-based decision making. Real-Time PDE-Constrained Optimization, the first book devoted to real-time optimization for systems governed by PDEs, focuses on new formulations, methods, and algorithms needed to facilitate real-time, PDE-constrained optimization. In addition to presenting state-of-the-art algorithms and formulations, the text illustrates these algorithms with a diverse set of applications that includes problems in the areas of aerodynamics, biology, fluid dynamics, medicine, chemical processes, homeland security, and structural dynamics. Despite difficulties, there is a pressing need to capitalize on continuing advances in computing power to develop optimization methods that will replace simple rule-based decision making with optimized decisions based on complex PDE simulations. AudienceThe book is aimed at readers who have expertise in simulation and are interested in incorporating optimization into their simulations, who have expertise in numerical optimization and are interested in adapting optimization methods to the class of infinite-dimensional ... Read more

Book Description
The Second Sino-US Symposium Workshop on Recent Advancement of Computational Mechanics in Structural Engineering was held between May 25-28, 1998, in Dalian, China.
The objectives were: to share the insights and experiences gained from recent developments in theory and practice; to assess the current state of knowledge in various topic areas of mechanics and computational methods and to identify joint research opportunities; to stimulate future cooperative research and to develop joint efforts in subjects of common needs and interests; to build and to strengthen the long-term bilateral scientific relationship between academic and professional practicing communities.

Topics discussed covered the entire field of computational structural mechanics. These topics have advanced broad applications in the engineering practice of modern structural analysis, design and construction of buildings and other structures, and in natural hazard mitigation. ... Read more

Book Description

The Computational Methods in Transport: Granlibakken 2004 book is based on a series of lectures given in Lake Tahoe California in September of 2004. The Granlibakken workshop was devoted to providing a forum where computational transport researchers in a variety of disciplines could communicate across disciplinary boundaries their methods and their methods successes and failures. This book captures both the breadth and depth of computational transport in mathematics, astrophysics, high energy density physics, atmospheric physics, oceanography, plant canopies, and nuclear reactors.

Book Description

This book reports on progress in numerical methods for Lattice QCD with chiral fermions. It contains a set of pedagogical introductory articles written by experts from both the Applied Mathematics and Lattice Field Theory communities, together with detailed accounts of leading-edge algorithms for the simulation of overlap chiral fermions. Topics covered include: QCD simulations in the chiral regime; Evaluation and approximation of matrix functions; Krylov subspace methods for the iterative solution of linear systems; Eigenvalue solvers. These are complemented by a set of articles on closely related numerical and technical problems in Lattice field Theory.

Book Description

The book by Professors Avramenko and Kraslawski is unique in several important ways. First, it is an impressive and in-depth treatment of the essence of the casebased reasoning strategy and case-based design dwelling upon the algorithmic facet of the paradigm. Second, the authors provided an excellent applied research framework by showing how this development can be effectively utilized in real word complicated environment of process engineering- a pursuit that is rarely reported in the literature in such a comprehensive manner as done in this book. In a highly authoritative and systematic manner, the authors guide the reader through the essential features of the CBR machinery.

Book Description
The numerical approximation of Maxwell's equations, Computational Electromagnetics (CEM), has emerged as a crucial enabling technology for radio-frequency, microwave and wireless engineering. The three most popular 'full-wave' methods - the Finite Difference Time Domain Method, the Method of Moments, and the Finite Element Method - are introduced in this book by way of one or two-dimensional problems. Commercial or public domain codes implementing these methods are then applied to complex, real-world engineering problems, and a careful analysis of the reliability of the results obtained is performed, along with a discussion of the many pitfalls which can result in inaccurate and misleading solutions. The book will empower readers to become discerning users of CEM software, with an understanding of the underlying methods and confidence in the results obtained. It also introduces readers to the art of code development. This book is aimed at senior undergraduate/graduate students taking CEM courses and practising engineers in the industry. ... Read more

Book Description
Computational engineering is the treatment of engineering tasks with computers. It is based on computational mathematics, which is presented here in a comprehensive handbook. Engineers and scientists who deal with engineering tasks have to handle large amounts of information, which must be created and structured in a systematic manner. This demands a high level of abstraction and therefore knowledge of the mathematical foundations. From the existing rich repertoire of mathematical theories and methods, the fundamentals of engineering computation are selected and presented in a coherent fashion. They are brought into a suitable order for specific engineering purposes, and their significance for typical applications is shown. The relevant definitions, notations and theories are presented in a durable form which is independent of the fast development of information and communication technology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

a mystery
This book remains a mystery: How did the authors manage to create such a volume without a single reference to the literature? None are given! Other than that, the book is not very readable, but rather a very formal handbook listing definition after definition. The discussions of individual topics are not in-depth enough in order to provide true understanding. Definitely not a must-read. ... Read more