Programming for Computations – Python: A Gentle Introduction to Numerical Simulations with Python

This book presents computer programming as a key method for solving mathematical problems. There are two versions of the book, one for MATLAB and one for Python. The book was inspired by the Springer book TCSE 6: A Primer on Scientific Programming with Python (by Langtangen), but the style is more accessible and concise, in keeping with the needs of engineering students.

The book outlines the shortest possible path from no previous experience with programming to a set of skills that allows the students to write simple programs for solving common mathematical problems with numerical methods in engineering and science courses. The emphasis is on generic algorithms, clean design of programs, use of functions, and automatic tests for verification.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 The First Few Steps
Chapter 2 Basic Constructions
Chapter 3 Computing Integrals
Chapter 4 Solving Ordinary Differential Equations
Chapter 5 Solving Partial Differential Equations
Chapter 6 Solving Nonlinear Algebraic Equations
Appendix A Getting Access to Python