This book is a concise presentation of the basic concepts used in evolving numerical methods with special emphasis on developing computational algorithms for solving problems in algebra and calculus on a computer.

It is written for undergraduate science and engineering students who have taken a first course in differential and integral calculus. The approach is to ensure conceptual understanding of the numerical methods by relying on students geometric intuition.

The book provides coverage of iterative methods for solving algebraic and transcendental equations, direct and iterative methods of solving simultaneous algebraic equations, numerical methods for differen-tiation and integration, and solution of ordinary differential equations with initial conditions.

The formulation of algorithms is illustrated with a number of solved examples and an algorithmic language based on English (and similar to PASCAL) is used to express the logic of the numerical procedures. This approach is thus different from that used in most books which either use a programming language like FORTRAN or use flow charts to express algorithms.

The solutions to selected problems have been provided at the end of the book.About the Author

V. RAJARAMAN, Ph.D. (Wisconsin), is Honorary Professor in the Super-computer Education and Research Centre, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Earlier, Prof. Rajaraman was Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at IIT Kanpur (1963–1982), Professor of Computer Science, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (1982–1994) and IBM Professor of Information Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (1994–2001).

A pioneer in computer science education and research in India, Prof. Rajaraman was awarded the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in 1976. He is also the recipient of Homi Bhabha Prize by U.G.C., Om Prakash Basin award, ISTE award for excellence in teaching computer engineering, Rustom Choksi award, Zaheer Medal by the Indian National Science Academy and Padma Bhushan by the President of India in 1998. An author of several well established and highly successful computer books,
Prof. Rajaraman has also published many research papers in national and international journals.