Numerical Methods with Python: For the Sciences

Description

Introduces students to appropriate use of computer programming within the scientific disciplines using Python. Discusses several common applications of programming and implementation using real world examples and hands on programming exercises. Students learn how to model situations such as image recognition, medical diagnosis, spread of disease, and others. In order to present the techniques and methodologies, we use the Python programming language. Thus, in addition to learning the numerical methods, students will also learn how to program using Python. It is a powerful language that is available to everyone at no cost (since it is open-sourced). The text begins by discussing some of the fundamental tasks that we must be able to accomplish using the programming language. Such tasks include: – arithmetic with Python; – defining and graphing a function; – manipulating matrices. Once these fairly basic ideas are discussed in the context of the Python language (Chapters 2, 3, and 4), we then move on to discuss more advanced numerical methods and apply them in scientific settings. Acknowledgment Contents 1 Introduction 2 The basic operations in Python 3 Functions 4 Matrices, vectors, and linear systems 5 Iteration 6 Statistics 7 Regression A Python code B Solutions