LEADER 04412nam 2200661 a 450 001 9910456600503321 005 20200520144314.0 010 $a1-283-15252-5 010 $a9786613152527 010 $a1-4008-3958-0 024 7 $a10.1515/9781400839582 035 $a(CKB)2550000000039788 035 $a(EBL)726056 035 $a(OCoLC)742516968 035 $a(SSID)ssj0000524528 035 $a(PQKBManifestationID)11360356 035 $a(PQKBTitleCode)TC0000524528 035 $a(PQKBWorkID)10546900 035 $a(PQKB)11139152 035 $a(MiAaPQ)EBC726056 035 $a(WaSeSS)Ind00024391 035 $a(DE-B1597)453779 035 $a(OCoLC)979905269 035 $a(DE-B1597)9781400839582 035 $a(PPN)170234487 035 $a(Au-PeEL)EBL726056 035 $a(CaPaEBR)ebr10480689 035 $a(CaONFJC)MIL315252 035 $a(EXLCZ)992550000000039788 100 $a20101222d2011 uy 0 101 0 $aeng 135 $aur|n|---||||| 181 $ctxt 182 $cc 183 $acr 200 10$aNumber-crunching$b[electronic resource] $etaming unruly computational problems from mathematical physics to science fiction /$fPaul J. Nahin 205 $aCourse Book 210 $aPrinceton $cPrinceton University Press$dc2011 215 $a1 online resource (406 p.) 300 $a"A collection of challenging problems in mathematical physics that roar like lions when attacked analytically, but which purr like kittens when confronted by a high-speed electronic computer and its powerful scientific software (plus some speculations for the future from science fiction)." 311 $a0-691-14425-7 320 $aIncludes bibliographical references and index. 327 $tFrontmatter -- $tContents -- $tIntroduction -- $t1. Feynman Meets Fermat -- $t2. Just for Fun: Two Quick Number-Crunching Problems -- $t3. Computers and Mathematical Physics -- $t4. The Astonishing Problem of the Hanging Masses -- $t5. The Three-Body Problem and Computers -- $t6. Electrical Circuit Analysis and Computers -- $t7. The Leapfrog Problem -- $t8. Science Fiction: When Computers Become Like Us -- $t9. A Cautionary Epilogue -- $tAppendix -- $tSolutions to the Challenge Problems -- $tAcknowledgments -- $tIndex -- $tAlso By Paul J. Nahin 330 $aHow do technicians repair broken communications cables at the bottom of the ocean without actually seeing them? What's the likelihood of plucking a needle out of a haystack the size of the Earth? And is it possible to use computers to create a universal library of everything ever written or every photo ever taken? These are just some of the intriguing questions that best-selling popular math writer Paul Nahin tackles in Number-Crunching. Through brilliant math ideas and entertaining stories, Nahin demonstrates how odd and unusual math problems can be solved by bringing together basic physics ideas and today's powerful computers. Some of the outcomes discussed are so counterintuitive they will leave readers astonished. Nahin looks at how the art of number-crunching has changed since the advent of computers, and how high-speed technology helps to solve fascinating conundrums such as the three-body, Monte Carlo, leapfrog, and gambler's ruin problems. Along the way, Nahin traverses topics that include algebra, trigonometry, geometry, calculus, number theory, differential equations, Fourier series, electronics, and computers in science fiction. He gives historical background for the problems presented, offers many examples and numerous challenges, supplies MATLAB codes for all the theories discussed, and includes detailed and complete solutions. Exploring the intimate relationship between mathematics, physics, and the tremendous power of modern computers, Number-Crunching will appeal to anyone interested in understanding how these three important fields join forces to solve today's thorniest puzzles. 606 $aMathematical physics$xData processing 606 $aMathematical physics$vProblems, exercises, etc 608 $aElectronic books. 615 0$aMathematical physics$xData processing. 615 0$aMathematical physics 676 $a530.150285 700 $aNahin$b Paul J$048655 801 0$bMiAaPQ 801 1$bMiAaPQ 801 2$bMiAaPQ 906 $aBOOK 912 $a9910456600503321 996 $aNumber-crunching$92444420 997 $aUNINA