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CB904-FM CB904/Kiusalaas 0 521 85287 0 May 23, 2005 19:15
Numerical Methods in Engineering with Python
Numerical Methods in Engineering with Python is a text for engineer-
ing students and a reference for practicing engineers, especially those
who wish to explore the power and efficiency of Python. The choice of
numerical methods was based on their relevance to engineering prob-
lems. Every method is discussed thoroughly and illustrated with prob-
lems involving both hand computation and programming. Computer
code accompanies each method and is available on the book web site.
This code is made simple and easy to understand by avoiding complex
book-keeping schemes, while maintaining the essential features of the
method Python was chosen as the example language because it is ele-
gant, easy to learn and debug, and its facilities for handling arrays are
unsurpassed. Moreover, it is an open-source software package that can
be downloaded freely on the web. Python is a great language for teaching
scientific computation.
Jaan Kiusalaas is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Engineer-
ing Science and Mechanics at the Pennsylvania State University. He has
taught computer methods, including finite element and boundary ele-
ment methods, for over 30 years. He is also the co-author of four other
books—EngineeringMechanics:Statics, EngineeringMechanics:Dynam-
ics, Mechanics of Materials, and an alternate version of this work with
MATLAB
®
code.
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