Modelling with Ordinary Differential Equations

Rating:
Summary: Use Your Computer
Review: If you compare this book with a common calculus text of thirty years ago, that covers the same topics, you will notice one striking difference. Now, the pervasive presence of computers has meant that students can tackle problems that were totally impractical then.

The book reflects this advance by offering algorithms and problems for students to crank up their computers on. No longer are they restricted to only the elegant problems, with analytic answers. Now, "grubby" numbers can be crunched to give insight into problems.

The book also aims at students in the biological and social sciences, who typically do not deal much in differential equations beyond a simple predator-prey problem.

The treatment should be straightforward to most students, who only need a prior course on introductory calculus.