Mathematical Modeling

Rating:
Summary: If you teach, or learn modeling on your own, try this one
Review: In this book you'll find, fully explained, subjects that are only mentioned briefly in other texts on modeling. I liked the chapter (chapter five) on Eigenvalue Methods for the analysis of dynamic models. I wished I had it four years ago when I was taking a course on modeling at the University of Washington. It really shows you how to do it. The same can be said about chapters 2 and 3 on optimization and chapters 7 and 8 on probability models (I liked specially the one on Markov Chains). I'm using it for teaching those techniques. The pseuodocode it includes is particularly helpful when you take the methods presented in the book to the computer. However, I would not recomend it to be used on its own as the only text in a course. It is a nice complement to texts like Gurney and Nisbet's Ecological Dynamics that presents many particular models in detail, while Meerschaert makes enphasis on general techniques. It's also a step up the ladder from "abc-of-modeling-techniques" texts like Vandermeer's Elementary Mathemathical Ecology. With 20/20 hindsight, if I had to learn modeling from the begining (or, if I had to teach it as I'm doing now) I would choose these titles as a step-by-step system, coupled with some Math packages like MathCad or Matlab.