Foundation Mathematics for the Physical Sciences

This tutorial-style textbook develops the basic mathematical tools needed by undergraduates to solve problems in the physical sciences.

K. F. Riley (Author), M. P. Hobson (Author)

9780521192736, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 31 March 2011

736 pages, 119 b/w illus. 744 exercises
25.4 x 19.5 x 3.5 cm, 1.72 kg

This tutorial-style textbook develops the basic mathematical tools needed by first and second year undergraduates to solve problems in the physical sciences. Students gain hands-on experience through hundreds of worked examples, self-test questions and homework problems. Each chapter includes a summary of the main results, definitions and formulae. Over 270 worked examples show how to put the tools into practice. Around 170 self-test questions in the footnotes and 300 end-of-section exercises give students an instant check of their understanding. More than 450 end-of-chapter problems allow students to put what they have just learned into practice. Hints and outline answers to the odd-numbered problems are given at the end of each chapter. Complete solutions to these problems can be found in the accompanying Student Solutions Manual. Fully-worked solutions to all problems, password-protected for instructors, are available at www.cambridge.org/foundation.

1. Arithmetic and geometry
2. Preliminary algebra
3. Differential calculus
4. Integral calculus
5. Complex numbers and hyperbolic functions
6. Series and limits
7. Partial differentiation
8. Multiple integrals
9. Vector algebra
10. Matrices and vector spaces
11. Vector calculus
12. Line, surface and volume integrals
13. Laplace transforms
14. Ordinary differential equations
15. Elementary probability
Appendices
Index.

Subject Areas: Computer programming / software development [UM], Mathematical physics [PHU], Mathematical foundations [PBC]