Mathematical Methods in Physics and Engineering

by John W. Dettman

Intended for college-level physics, engineering, or mathematics students, this volume offers an algebraically based approach to various topics in applied math. It is accessible to undergraduates with a good course in calculus which includes infinite series and uniform convergence. Exercises follow each chapter to test the student's grasp of the material; however, the author has also included exercises that extend the results to new situations and lay the groundwork for new concepts to be introduced later. A list of references for further reading will be found at the end of each chapter. For this second revised edition, Professor Dettman included a new section on generalized functions to help explain the use of the Dirac delta function in connection with Green's functions. In addition, a new approach to series solutions of ordinary differential equations has made the treatment independent of complex variable theory. This means that the first six chapters can be grasped without prior knowledge of complex variables. However, since Chapter 8 depends heavily on analytic functions of a complex variable, a new Chapter 7 on analytic function theory has been written.

Genres: Mathematics, Physics, Engineering

863 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 1988

Reviews

[William Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a clear and concise treatment of math. It covers mathematics I didn't take in a class setting, so the challenge is real. John W. Dettman wrote the book in 1962. I have a reprint of the second edition.

Dettman gets down to business immediately, opening with linear algebra. He explains the terms and uses for each letter, making the book simple to understand. On the other hand, I don't have a strong basis in Calculus, so perhaps I should start there to learn more mathematics. Without a foundation to build on, my efforts are futile.

On the book's cover is an image of a linked pendulum. Dettman applies a Lagrangian to solve it.

I intended to finish the book earlier, but life reared its head.

I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.