Schäfer M. Computational Engineering - Introduction to Numerical Methods

Schafer M. Computational Engineering – Introduction to Numerical Methods. - Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, 2006. – 345 p.Due to the enormous progress in computer technology and numerical methods that have been achieved in recent years, the use of numerical simulation methods in industry gains more and more importance. In particular, this applies to all engineering disciplines. Numerical computations in many cases offer a cost effective and, therefore, very attractive possibility for the investigation and optimization of products and processes.
Besides the need for developers of corresponding software, there is a strong – and still rapidly growing – demand for qualified specialists who are able to efficiently apply numerical simulation tools to complex industrial problems.
The successful and efficient application of such tools requires certain basic knowledge about the underlying numerical methodologies and their possibilities with respect to specific applications. The major concern of this book is the impartation of this knowledge in a comprehensive way.
The text gives a practice oriented introduction in modern numerical methods as they typically are applied in engineering disciplines like mechanical, chemical, or civil engineering. In corresponding applications the by far most frequent tasks are related to problems from heat transfer, structural mechanics, and fluid mechanics, which, therefore, constitute a thematical focus of the text.
The topic must be seen as a strongly interdisciplinary field in which aspects of numerical mathematics, natural sciences, computer science, and the corresponding engineering area are simultaneously important. As a consequence, usually the necessary information is distributed in different textbooks from the individual disciplines. In the present text the subject matter is presented in a comprehensive multidisciplinary way, where aspects from the different fields are treated insofar as it is necessary for general understanding.