Computer Algebra Recipes for Mathematical Physics

Over two hundred novel and innovative computer algebra worksheets or "recipes" will enable readers in engineering, physics, and mathematics to easily and rapidly solve and explore most problems they encounter in their mathematical physics studies. While the aim of this text is to illustrate applications, a brief synopsis of the fundamentals for each topic is presented, the topics being organized to correlate with those found in traditional mathematical physics texts. The recipes are presented in the form of stories and anecdotes, a pedagogical approach that makes a mathematically challenging subject easier and more fun to learn. This is a self-contained and standalone text using MAPLE that may be used in the classroom, for self-study, as a reference, or as a text for an online course.

"This textbook shows in an easy-to-read way how a computer algebra system, in this case Maple, can be used to solve problems from physics. It is suitable for undergraduate students and requires no previous knowledge of Maple.… It is a nice complement to a traditional mathematical methods in physics course, with plenty of problems for the teacher to choose from." —Monatshefte für Mathematik

"This book is a self-contained guide to the Maple computer algebra system which draws its examples from mathematical physics. The format of the book is very pleasant for the reader. The book consists of short examples, each about 1-3 pages, which describe the problem studied and then provide a recipe to solve it. Each example begins with a humorous or witty citation from the writers of the past -- a good method to stimulate the reader. The recipes cover a great number of topics…and each topic is subdivided into numerous examples. This book is best suited for physicists but also mathematicians would find this text very useful." —Zentralblatt Math

"Over two hundred novel and innovative computer algebra worksheets of "recipes" will enable readers in engineering, physics, and mathematics to easily and rapidly solve and explore most problems they encounter in their mathematical physics studies. …The recipes are presented in the form of stories and anecdotes, a pedagogical approach that makes a mathematically challenging subject easier and more fun to learn.… This is a self-contained and standalone text using MAPLE that may be used in the classroom, for self-study, as a reference, or as a text for an online course." —Bulletin Bibliographique