An Introduction to Scientific Computing: Twelve Computational Projects

In this review of An Introduction to Scientific Computing: Twelve Computational Projects Solved with MATLAB, the bottom line is simple: this book is a hands-on bridge from theory to working code for readers who want practical computational experience. It is best for graduate students, instructors and practitioners who need step-by-step project work that covers model formulation, numerical methods and scripting in MATLAB. The single biggest reason to buy is the project-based approach that walks through physical description, numerical formulation and critical discussion of results for multiple engineering and science domains.

Key Features

• Twelve computational projects: Each project provides a complete worked example from physics to MATLAB scripts so readers see the full workflow.
• Cross-disciplinary coverage: Projects span Fluid Mechanics, Thermal Science, CAD and Signal Processing, helping readers apply methods across fields.
• Numerical verification: The text teaches practical checks such as numerical accuracy and comparison to exact solutions to build trustworthy code.
• Boundary and solver guidance: Readers learn how to choose boundary conditions and effective methods for solving linear systems in real problems.
• Exercises with solutions: Every project ends with proposed exercises and full solutions to reinforce learning and extend projects.
• MATLAB scripts online: Available scripts accompany the book and guide coding practice and reproducibility.

Who It's For

The book is ideal for advanced undergraduates, graduate students and engineers who already know basic calculus and programming and want concrete examples of scientific computing applied to realistic projects. It suits instructors seeking project material to assign in courses that combine modeling and numerical implementation.

It is less suitable for complete beginners with no MATLAB experience or for readers looking for a broad theoretical numerical analysis textbook; the emphasis here is on applied projects and practical implementation rather than exhaustive proofs.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Project-focused presentation makes it easy to follow the entire modeling-to-code process.
• Includes practical techniques such as numerical checking and solver selection that are often missing from basic texts.
• Cross-discipline examples broaden applicability to multiple engineering and science problems.

Cons

• Not a beginner's how-to for MATLAB basics, so new programmers will need introductory material first.

Specifications

Our Verdict

This book is a strong practical resource for students and practitioners who want to learn scientific computing by doing. Its project-based format, emphasis on numerical verification and accompanying MATLAB scripts make it good value for those teaching or learning applied numerical methods, though absolute beginners in programming should supplement with an introductory MATLAB text.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the book include code examples?
Yes, MATLAB scripts referenced in the projects are available online and the text guides their use.

Are exercises solved?
Each project ends with proposed exercises and the final section of each project contains the solutions.

Is this suitable for a first course in numerical methods?
It works best as a companion with some prior calculus and programming knowledge; beginners should pair it with an introductory MATLAB or numerical methods text.