Emphasizes the basic ideas of numerical techniques and the uses of modern mathematical software (Mathcad) rather than relying only on complex mathematical derivations. 

 Illustrates simple practical examples from computational science (optics, environmental science, chemistry, biology, tomography, economics, etc.). 

 Includes “live graphs” and figures rendered by Mathcad calculations. 

 Accompanied by a CD-ROM with calculations, figures, and source code. 

 Fulfills the requirements of a course in computational science taking into account recent algorithms and technology.