Mathematical Methods for the Physical Sciences: An Informal Treatment for Students of Physics and Engineering

Many students of physical and applied science and of engineering find difficulty in copying with the mathematics necessary for the quantitative manipulation of the physical concepts they are atudying in their main course. This book is designed to help first and second year under-graduates at universities and polytechnics, as well as technical college students, to find their feet in the important mathematical methods they will need. Throughout the text the physical relevance of the mathematics is constantly stressed and, where it is helpful, use has been made of pictorial mathematics and qualitative verbal descriptions instead of over-compact mathematical symbolism. Topics are presented in three stages: a qualitative introduction, a more formal presentation and an explicit check or worked example. There are many exercises included in the text which are aimed at testing a student's understanding and building his confidence progressively throughout each piece of work.