Advanced Problem Solving Using Maple

William P. Fox and William Bauldry

Publisher:

Chapman and Hall/CRC

Publication Date:

2020

Number of Pages:

404

Format:

Hardcover

Price:

99.95

ISBN:

9781138601871

Category:

Textbook

MAA Review
Table of Contents

[Reviewed by

BIll Satzer

, on

05/9/2022

]

Subtitled “Applied Mathematics, Operations Research, Business Analytics, and Decision Analysis”, this book is the second volume of two. (The first was reviewed here). The title of the current book only differs from the title of the prior book by replacing “With MAPLE” for the first volume by “Using MAPLE” for the second. It is confusing, but they really are two different books. The current book goes on to discuss a broader collection of modeling topics and some more sophisticated methods.

The authors begin by repeating the first chapter of the original book that describes modeling and the use of MAPLE. New material starts with a study of discrete dynamical systems, both linear and nonlinear. As with the first book, there is an abundance of good examples, case studies, and student projects.

The remainder of the book describes modeling techniques in a variety of contexts. These include both single and multivariable optimization, a more advanced treatment of regression than in the first volume, a bit of game theory, and analysis of multi-attribute decision making.

Some of the notable topics include techniques for unconstrained optimization using inequality constraints and Kuhn-Tucker conditions, nonlinear regression with logistic and Poisson models, and four methods of rank-ordering alternatives when making decisions based upon multiple criteria.

The authors’ choice of topics suggests that they are trying to expose students to a broad collection of modeling techniques of varying complexity. Their choices are interestingly different from most of the comparable books at this level.

The current book does not depend on the authors’ first volume. The two books might either be used consecutively, or the second volume would work by itself for a somewhat more advanced course. Both are roughly at the mid undergraduate level.

Bill Satzer (bsatzer@gmail.com), now retired from 3M Company, spent most of his career as a mathematician working in industry on a variety of applications. He did his PhD work in dynamical systems and celestial mechanics.

See the publisher's website.

Tags:

Mathematical Modeling