scientific article; zbMATH DE number 193316

Publication date 5 June 1993

Approximation finite difference methods finite-element methods heat flow in the human body Interpolation introduction to the NAG Library modelling of biomedical systems multi-step methods neurophysiological and genetic applications Newton- Raphson techniques stability

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Introductory exposition (textbooks, tutorial papers, etc.) pertaining to numerical analysis (65-01) Numerical approximation and computational geometry (primarily algorithms) (65Dxx) Numerical linear algebra (65Fxx) Nonlinear algebraic or transcendental equations (65Hxx) Numerical methods for ordinary differential equations (65Lxx) Numerical methods for partial differential equations, initial value and time-dependent initial-boundary value problems (65Mxx) Numerical methods for partial differential equations, boundary value problems (65Nxx) Medical applications (general) (92C50)

Review text

This book attempts to cater for the rapidly expanding area of inter- disciplinary research of mathematical and computational modelling of biomedical systems. An introductory chapter on background mathematics covers the standard matrix algebra which is required throughout the rest of the book. Chapter 2 is called ``Interpolation and Approximation and covers a good deal of \({\mathcal L}_ p\) approximation but is rather deficient in that the name of Chebyshev is conspicuous by its absence. In addition there is no mention of either minimax of rational approximation. Chapter 3 covers the solution of non-linear algebraic systems with heavy emphasis on Newton- Raphson techniques. Numerical differentiation and integration are considered very briefly in chapter 4 in a very standard way. Chapter 5 covers the solution of ordinary differential equations and contains a variety of application in the biological sciences. Single and multi-step methods are discussed together with an introduction to the stability of such methods but little is said about the problem of step size selection or even variable step algorithms. Chapter 6 discusses the solution of second order ordinary differential equations of both initial and boundary value type. An introduction to both finite difference and finite-element methods (variational techniques) is given together with a variety of examples. Chapters 7-9 cover partial differential equations of hyperbolic, parabolic and elliptic type. For hyperbolic equations the role of characteristics is briefly mentioned before considering a standard finite difference approach. In Chapter 8, on parabolic partial differential equations, after a standard approach to finite difference methods there are some very nice examples related to neurophysiological and genetic applications and the chapter is concluded by an investigation of heat flow in the human body. The final chapter considers both finite difference and finite element solutions of elliptic partial differential equations. It is suggested that computer programs can be written from the algorithms as presented in the text but this would surely produce very inefficient programs. However, the author has included an introduction to the NAG Library which indicates where various programs can be found. In conclusion the author has produced a text which may be useful to advanced students/research workers in the biomedical sciences. The techniques introduced are standard but there is a sufficiently wide variety of applications to interest the increasing number of non- specialists who are involved in the numerical modelling of natural phenomenon.

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