Numerical Methods for Engineers

The fifth edition of Numerical Methods for Engineers continues its tradition of excellence. Instructors love this text because it is a comprehensive text that is easy to teach from. Students love it because it is written for them--with great pedagogy and clear explanations and examples throughout. The text features a broad array of applications, including all engineering disciplines.

The revision retains the successful pedagogy of the prior editions. Chapra and Canale's unique approach opens each part of the text with sections called Motivation, Mathematical Background, and Orientation, preparing the student for what is to come in a motivating and engaging manner. Each part closes with an Epilogue containing sections called Trade-Offs, Important Relationships and Formulas, and Advanced Methods and Additional References. Much more than a summary, the Epilogue deepens understanding of what has been learned and provides a peek into more advanced methods. Users will find use of software packages, specifically MATLAB and Excel with VBA. This includes material on developing MATLAB m-files and VBA macros.

Approximately 80% of the problems are new or revised for this edition. The expanded breadth of engineering disciplines covered is especially evident in the problems, which now cover such areas as biotechnology and biomedical engineering.

Customer Reviews:

I recommend "Numerical Methods for Engineers" as textbook

By Sergio Escobedo Bocardo - December 18, 2001

I teach Numerical Methods at undergraduate level in Mexico, and I have used "Numerical Methods for Engineers" during several years.I like this book because of its approach to learning: each part contains Motivation, Mathematical Background and Orientation, then the numerical methods and finally an Epilogue.Also, the number and variety of the problems presented contribute to accomplish our educational objectives, and the emphasis made on the growing use of software packages (MATLAB, Excel, Mathcad and IMSL) makes this book more useful for students and instructors.This is an extensive book (more than 900 pages) and perhaps some parts of it must be omitted during a normal course (4 months, 4 hours per week in our case).I think that the book price of the English edition (Hardcover) is high. Fortunately for our students, there is a cheaper Spanish version, although the translation is not very good (not in the technical sense but in writing and style).In conclusion, I... read more

Numerical Methods made easy

By Andreas O. Schwarzinger "Andy" - February 10, 2006

I bought this book a little while ago to get more familiar with interpolation which I need to use in some of the signal analysis software that I write. As I was reading through the book I suddenly realized the overall usefulness of numerical methods in general. It has helped me code up routines for solving matrices and interpolation algorithms. After reading this book I really can not understand how courses in linear algebra and differential equations can be taught without extensive use of numerical methods.

This book has really opened my eyes to a whole new way of solving engineering problems.

Andy (andys@d2d.com)