We start with a fun puzzle in mathematics and mathematical methods. How many corners does a four-dimensional cube have? Does such a thing exist, you ask? You may be a geoscientist or a philosopher. If your answer is: there are surely more than the eight corners there are for a three-dimensional cube, you are an engineer. If you know without hesitation that there are exactly sixteen corners and you can prove why, you are a mathematician. To explain the goal of this book, I refer to Hersh (1997): The United States suffers from "innumeracy" in its general population, "math avoidance" amonghigh-schoolstudents,and50percentfailureamongcollegecalculusstudents.Causes include starvation budgets in the school, mental attrition by television, parents who don't like math. There's another, unrecognized cause of failure: misconception of the nature of mathematics. I think the speci c reference to the United States may be omitted. It is really a worldwide problem. Moreover, there is one more consequence of "math avoidance" and "misconception": good mathematical approaches are sometimes applied inc- rectly. Particularly, the methods of statistics are often misused for different goals. Applying mathematical methods is similar to using nuclear power: the nal results depend on the competence of the user. I try to convince my readers to apply the "energy" of mathematics with consideration.

About the Author

In 1970 Olga Waelder was born in Moscow. She began her studies at the Technical University for Electronics and Mathematics in Moscow in 1987 from whence she received her degree in applied mathematics in 1993. From 1996 until 1999 she furthered her studies at the Technical University Mining Academy in Freiberg (Germany) from whence she received a degree in mathematics. Between 2001 and 2004 she was a research assistant at the Institute for Cartography, Dresden Technical University. In 2003 she began lecturing mathematical cartography. She continued her post doctorate studies there in 2004 and since 2005 has been a lecturer for adjustment theory.

Reviews

From the reviews:

"It introduces into mathematical modelling and 'can assist in the education of engineers and geoscientists by helping them to understand the usefulness of diverse mathematical approaches.' ... The book is carefully written and can be recommended for those readers who have to use some mathematics for their problems and ... who also would like to understand the process of mathematical modelling." (Wolfgang Nather, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1137 (15), 2008)

"In this small volume, Wilder ... presents some modern mathematical techniques to solve problems arising in engineering and geosciences in a lucid, easy-to-understand style. ... Contains a useful subject index and a bibliography with list of books and research papers for additional reading. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upperdivision undergraduates through professional engineers and geoscientists." (D. V. Chopra, Choice, Vol. 46 (3), November, 2008)

"This is a short and concise account of geo-statistical techniques and is aimed at students of engineering and the geosciences. ... provide a simple and relatively complete description of commonly used geostatistical (and engineering) models in a way that is nonthreatening to math avoiders and useful for non-specialists." (Neville Fowkes, Siam Review, Vol. 51 (1), 2009)

"Mathematical Methods for Engineers and Geoscientists aims at providing useful mathematical tools to students and practitioners in the earth sciences, with an emphasis on problem solving." (Bernard Giroux, Mathematical Geosciences, Vol. 41, 2009)

Book Information
ISBN 9783642094569
Author Olga Waelder
Format Paperback
Page Count 176
Imprint Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. K
Publisher Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. KG