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Computer simulation has become, alongside experimentation and abstractreasoning, a third major tool of science. The student in thecomputational sciences needs a background in numerical analysis, andit is one of the objectives of this text to provide that backgroundmaterial.This book covers many of the traditional areas of numerical analysisas well as topics in software development and methods of Monte Carlosimulations. It is designed to serve both as a textbook for a coursein numerical methods for students in natural sciences and as areference for scientists whose research involves numericalcomputations and simulations.Exercises comprise an important part of the text. The mathematicalprerequisites include real analysis and linear algebra, and the textdoes assume some familiarity with computer programming.

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