The Mathematics Companion: Mathematical Methods for Physicists and Engineers

By Anthony Craig Fischer-Cripps and Anthony C. Fischer-Cripps

Following the style of The Physics Companion and The Electronics Companion, this book is a revision aid and study guide for undergraduate students in physics and engineering. It consists of a series of one-page-per-topic descriptions of the key concepts covered in a typical first-year "mathematics for physics" course. The emphasis is placed on relating the mathematical principles being introduced to real-life physical problems. In common with the other companions, there is strong use of figures throughout to help in understanding of the concepts under consideration. The book will be an essential reference and revision guide, particularly for those students who do not have a strong background in mathematics when beginning their degree.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0750310200
• ISBN13: 9780750310208
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: CRC Press
• Length: 210 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.5" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Very useful resource, but beware of the typos

This book provides a clear and concise summary of key mathematical concepts and formulas of the sort normally used by scientists and engineers. There are some derivations, explanations, and examples scattered throughout the book, but this is mainly a reference book. The aim is therefore to provide a resource for looking things up which you may have forgotten, not to teach you the material from scratch. The one negative with the book is that there are several typos, which is especially a problem with a reference book like this, and this is even more unfortunate because the typos could have been easily caught and corrected with proper editing. These typos are the only reason my rating is 4 stars instead of a solid 5 stars. The bottom line is that I can still recommend this book, but beware of the typos.

Uniquely formatted, and reasonably successful summary of key mathematical concepts, diminished by ed

This is an mathematical reference book in a somewhat novel format. It provides concise coverage of important undergraduate-level mathematical techniques needed for science and engineering. The book is divided into two sections. As of the posting of this review, "Search inside this book" did not provide a table of contents, so the topics covered in each section are listed below: -- Part 1. Mathematics Essentials: Numbers, Trigonometry, Geometry; Limits and Functions; Differentiation; Integration; Exponential and Logarithmic Functions; Trigonometric and Hyperbolic Functions; Methods of Integration; Infinite Series; Probability; Matrices. -- Part 2. Advanced Mathematics: Ordinary Differential Equations; Laplace Transforms; Vector Analysis; Partial Derivatives; Multiple Integrals; Fourier Series; Partial Differential Equations; Complex Functions; Numerical Methods. What makes this work unique is that each specific topic is usually presented in only one or two pages. Thus, e.g., 'Complex Numbers' are presented on two pages and 'Vector Differentiation' on one. This design allows readers to quickly cover a variety of topics where they may only need a short review. The book can also be thought of as a source of core templates from which to grow your own summary notes, augmenting those in the book with items and topics as needed. The book's major deficiency is its editing. For example, in the summary section on "Differentiation" a number of differentiation formulas are presented. Although all results are present, for some of these formulas the actual functions to be differentiated are missing. The book's size is similar to modern Dover mathematical reprints. However, it is printed on acid-free paper, and it feels more substantial than the typical paperback. Conclusion: This work provides key mathematical concepts for science and engineering in a unique summary format. In spite of some editing errors, it can be helpful for review, or for providing concise topic templates to which additional material can be added as needed.

Small but full of the right info.

I purchased the book, because it was required for a class (among other books) that I am attending in the graduate school (a refreshment course for people that has been away from college for a while). The definitions are short and to the point; clear and precise. So far I have found two typos, but I guess that means that the refreshment is working. In sumary, It is a great book, highly recommended.