A brief description of the text   

This book emphasizes the derivation of a variety of numerical methods and their application to the  solution of engineering problems, with special attention to problems in the chemical engineering field. These algorithms encompass linear and nonlinear algebraic equations, eigenvalue problems, finite difference methods, interpolation, differentiation and integration, ordinary differential equations, boundary value problems, partial differential equations, and linear and nonlinear regression analysis. 

MATLAB is adopted as the calculation environment throughout the book. MATLAB is a high-performance language for technical computing. It integrates computation, visualization, and programming in an easy-to-use environment. MATLAB is distinguished by its ability to perform all the calculations in matrix form, its large library of built-in functions, its strong structural language, and its rich graphical visualization tools. In addition, MATLAB is available on all three operating platforms: WINDOWS, Macintosh, and UNIX. The reader is expected to have a basic knowledge of using MATLAB.  However, for those who are not familiar with MATLAB, we have provided a short introduction to MATLAB in the appendix of the book (Appendix A: Introduction to MATLAB). 

Several worked examples are given in each chapter to demonstrate the numerical techniques. Most of these examples require computer programs for their solution. These programs were written in the MATLAB language and are compatible with MATLAB 5.0 or higher. In all the examples, we tried to present a general MATLAB function that implements the method and that may be applied to the solution of other problems that fall in the same category of application as the worked example. The general algorithm for these programs is illustrated in the section entitled, "General Algorithm for the Software Developed in this Book." All the programs that appear in the text are included on the CD-ROM that accompanies this book. There are three versions of these programs on the CD-ROM, one for each of the major operating systems in which MATLAB exists: WINDOWS, Macintosh, and UNIX. Installation procedures, a complete list, and brief descriptions of all the programs are given in the section entitled "Programs on the CD-ROM" that immediately follows this Preface. In addition, the programs are described in detail in the text in order to provide the reader with a thorough background and understanding of how MATLAB is used to implement the numerical methods.

It is important to mention that the main purpose of this book is to teach the student numerical methods and problem solving, rather than to be a MATLAB manual. In order to assure that the student develops a thorough understanding of the numerical methods and their implementation, new MATLAB functions have been written to demonstrate each of the numerical methods covered in this text. Admittedly, MATLAB already has its own built-in functions for some of the methods introduced in this book. We mention and discuss the built-in functions, whenever they exist.

The material in this book has been used in undergraduate and graduate courses in the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at Rutgers University. Basic and advanced numerical methods are covered in each chapter. Whenever feasible, the more advanced techniques are covered in the last few sections of each chapter. A one-semester graduate level course in applied numerical methods would cover all the material in this book. An undergraduate course (junior or senior level) would cover the more basic methods in each chapter.