Scientific Computation: Python Hacking for Math Junkies (Paperback)

Computers are wonderful things. They improve our lives and produce works of art. Information and communication are free and available in ways that were undreamed of by many a generation ago.

And yet computers inspire fear when they are used improperly or misunderstood.

Everyone uses computers today. The typical student uses at least three: a portable notebook computer, a tablet, and a cell phone. None of these even existed before this year's college graduating class was born. So a reasonable amount of computer literacy is expected of everyone these days.

Though inspired by mathematics, much of the mathematical beauty of computation is largely ignored by both elementary computer science and introductory programming books.

This book is designed to help math junkies - anyone who likes math, studies math, or uses math in their daily life - learn about computation. The emphasis is on algorithms. It is appropriate for students with no prior programming experience as well as professional scientists.

Contents: Python expressions, statements, types, lists, arrays, functions, classes, plotting list comprehension and recursion are coverd in detail. Applicatications include linear systems, computatational geometry, root finding, interpolation, polynomial least squares, discrete systems, differential equations, pricipal component analysis, fractals and chaos.

Target audience: undergraduate math and science students entering their upper level curriculum. Calculus and some linear algebra background is helpful; a review of linear algebra is included as an appendix. No prior programming experience is expected.

電腦是美妙的東西。它們改善了我們的生活並創造了藝術作品。資訊和通訊以前所未有的方式自由且可用。然而，當電腦被不當使用或誤解時，它們也會引發恐懼。

如今，每個人都在使用電腦。典型的學生至少使用三種：便攜筆記型電腦、平板電腦和手機。在這些設備出現之前，這些東西甚至都不存在。因此，現在對每個人都期望有一定的電腦素養。

儘管受到數學的啟發，但基礎計算機科學和入門程式設計書籍往往忽略了計算的數學美感。

這本書旨在幫助數學愛好者 - 任何喜歡數學、學習數學或在日常生活中使用數學的人 - 了解計算。重點在於算法。這本書適合沒有編程經驗的學生以及專業科學家。

內容包括Python表達式、語句、類型、列表、數組、函數、類、繪圖列表理解和遞歸等詳細介紹。應用包括線性系統、計算幾何、根尋找、插值、多項式最小二乘法、離散系統、微分方程、主成分分析、分形和混沌。

目標讀者：進入高年級課程的大學數學和科學學生。具備微積分和一些線性代數背景會有幫助；線性代數的複習包含在附錄中。不需要有先前的編程經驗。