Title:
Mathematica in action : problem solving through visualization and computation / Stan Wagon.
Author:
Wagon, S.
Publication Information:
New York : Springer, ©2010.
Call Number:
QA76.95 .W34 2010
Abstract:
In this third edition of Mathematica® in Action, award-winning author Stan Wagon guides beginner and veteran users alike through Mathematica's powerful tools for mathematical exploration. The transition to Mathematica 7 is made smooth with plenty of examples and case studies that utilize Mathematica® newest tools, such as dynamic manipulations and adaptive three-dimensional plotting. Mathematica® in Action also emphasizes the breadth of Mathematica and the impressive results of combining techniques from different areas. This material enables the reader to use Mathematica to solve a variety of complex problems.
Case studies ranging from elementary to sophisticated are provided throughout. Whenever possible, the book shows how Mathematica can be used to discover new things. Striking examples include the design of a road on which a square wheel bike can ride, the design of a drill that can drill square holes, an illustration of the Banach-Tarski Paradox via hyperbolic geometry, new and surprising formulas for & pi;, the discovery of shadow orbits for chaotic systems, and the use of powerful new capabilities for three-dimensional graphics. Visualization is emphasized throughout, with finely crafted graphics in each chapter. All Mathematica code is included on a CD, allowing the reader to easily use the code in further experiments or other applications.
Wagon is the author of eleven books on mathematics, including A Course in Computational Number Theory, named one of the ten best math books of 2000 by the American Library Association. He has written extensively on the educational applications of Mathematica, including the books VisualDSolve: Visualizing Differential Equations with Mathematica, and Animating Calculus: Mathematica Notebooks for the Laboratory.
Edition:
3rd ed.
ISBN:
9780387753669
Physical Description:
xi, 578 pages : illustrations (some color), maps (some color) ; 28 cm + 1 computer optical disc (4 3/4 in.)
Subject Term:
Contents:
Preface--A brief introduction--Plotting--Prime numbers--Rolling circles--Three-dimensional graphs--Dynamic manipulations--The Cantor set, real and complex--The quadratic map--The recursive turtle--Parametric plotting of surfaces--Penrose tiles--Complex dynamics: Julia sets and the Mandelbrot set (by Mark McClure)--Solving equations--Optimization--Differential equations--Computational geometry--Check digits and the pentagon--Coloring planar maps--New directions for pi--The Banach-Tarski paradox--The Riemann Zeta function--Miscellany.
Personal Author:
