Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences

Now in its third edition, Mathematical Concepts in the Physical Sciences, 3rd Edition provides a comprehensive introduction to the areas of mathematical physics. It combines all the essential math concepts into one compact, clearly written reference.

This book is intended for students who have had a two-semester or three-semester introductory calculus course. Its purpose is to help students develop, in a short time, a basic competence in each of the many areas of mathematics needed in advanced courses in physics, chemistry, and engineering. Students are given sufficient depth to gain a solid foundation (this is not a recipe book). At the same time, they are not overwhelmed with detailed proofs that are more appropriate for students of mathematics. The emphasis is on mathematical methods rather than applications, but students are given some idea of how the methods will be used along with some simple applications.

Table of Contents

1 INFINITE SERIES, POWER SERIES

2 COMPLEX NUMBERS

3 LINEAR ALGEBRA

4 PARTIAL DIFFERENTIATION

5 MULTIPLE INTEGRALS; APPLICATIONS OF INTEGRATION

6 VECTOR ANALYSIS

7 FOURIER SERIES AND TRANSFORMS

8 ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

9 CALCULUS OF VARIATIONS

10 TENSOR ANALYSIS

11 SPECIAL FUNCTIONS

12 SERIES SOLUTIONS OF DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS; LEGENDRE, BESSEL, HERMITE, AND LAGUERRE FUNCTIONS

13 PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

14 FUNCTIONS OF A COMPLEX VARIABLE

15 PROBABI LITY AND STATISTICS

REFERENCES

ANSWERS TO SELECTED PROBLEMS

Review

“Bottom line: a good choice for a first methods course for physics majors. Serious students will want to follow this with specialized math courses in some of these topics.” (MAA Reviews, 13 November 2015)

About the Author

Mary L. Boas is currently professor emeritus in the physics department at DePaul University.