Concise Guide to Computing Foundations - Core Concepts and Select Scientific Applications

This book will help future scientists to become more intelligent users of computing technology in their practice of science. The content is suitable for introductory courses on the foundations of computing and the specific application of computers in different areas of science. The text presents a set of modules for use in existing science courses in order to integrate individual aspects of computational thinking, as well as a set of modules introducing the computer science concepts needed to understand the computing involved. These modules guide science students in their independent learning. The book covers computing applications in such diverse areas as bioinformatics, chemical kinetics, hydrogeological modeling, and mechanics of materials, geographic information systems, flow analysis, the solving of equations, curve fitting, optimization, and scientific data acquisition. The computing topics covered include simulations, errors, data representation, algorithms, XMS, compression, databases, performance, and complexity.

List of contents

Introduction to Computational Science.- Types of Visualization and Modeling.- Data Types: Representation, Abstraction, Limitations.- Scientific Data Acquisition.- Procedures: Algorithms and Abstraction.- Solving Equations.- Iterative Solutions.- Solving Sets of Equations.- Procedures: Performance and Complexity.- Self-Defining Data: Compression, XML and Databases.- Searching.- Curve Fitting.- Optimization.- Data Organization and Analysis.- Appendix A: NetLogo.- Appendix B: LabQuest.- Appendix C: GIS.

About the author

Dr. Kevin Brewer is Co-Chair and Professor in the Department of Engineering in the Walker School of Engineering at Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais, IL, USA.
Dr. Cathy Bareiss is a Professor of Computer Science at the same institution.

Product details

• Authors: Cathy Bareiss, Kevin Brewer
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 12.10.2016
• EAN: 9783319299525
• ISBN: 978-3-31-929952-5
• No. of pages: 191
• Dimensions: 160 mm x 243 mm x 14 mm
• Weight: 426 g
• Illustrations: XV, 191 p. 76 illus., 41 illus. in color.
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > IT, data processing > IT; B, computer science, bioinformatics, chemistry, Biology, life sciences, Computational Mathematics and Numerical Analysis, Geographical information systems & remote sensing, Geographical Information Systems/Cartography, Geographical Information System, Geographical information systems, Computers, Computer mathematics, Numerical analysis, Information technology: general issues, Computational and Systems Biology, Chemoinformatics, Computational Chemistry, Computer Applications in Chemistry, Computational biology, Computer Appl. in Life Sciences, Models and Principles, Models of Computation