Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #163527 in Books
• Published on: 1993-12-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 414 pages

Customer Reviews

An Excellent Practical Introduction to PDEs
Most other books on PDEs begin with a theoretical discussion of classification/existence and uiqueness of solutions, etc. Not to say that this is an incorrect approach to take, but if you are a scientist or an engineer, who wishes to get to the solution of a problem, rather than the theory behind the problem, you might feel a bit lost with those other books.
Not so with this book - divided into 47 semi independent chapters, it looks at each of the three classes of PDEs - parabolic, hyperbolic and elliptic, discusses where they arise, and how each of these can be solved. The emphasis is more on intuition than on theory - which suits engineers and scientists pretty well. If you are interested in more advanced topics, each chapter contains pointers to more advanced books on the topic.
There is also a section (11 chapters) on numerical techniques and approximate solutions, which assume importance when seen in light of the computing power that we have these days.
Finally, there is even a PDE crossword, for those who are interested...

Practic
As an engineer I want to solve problems which eventually means to solve the mathematical equations, (PDE's in this case), which explain the physical models behind the real-world problems, and I think, this book is the fastest and easiest way to learn how to solve those PDE's.

No interminable intensive mathematical demonstrations and proofs of "2+2=4", just the way I must follow to solve PDE's, all methods based in a very intuitive, yet not rigorous, approaching.

I suppose a mathematician will not like this book because of the too frivolous treatment of the subject, but for me is PERFECT!

I usually solve PDE's with MATLAB and to be honest I don't have any idea about the way the program does it, so why should I be worried about the "recipes" Mr. Farlow gives me to do the same, I trust him, and I always can get a more advance text the day I want to go more deeply into the subject.

The introduction to "Monte Carlo", "Perturbation" and "Variations" methods in the final chapters are genial.