An Introduction to Differential Equations
- Oder and Chaos -
by Florin Diacu
University of Victoria, British Columbia
W.H. Freeman and Company, New York, 2000ISBN
0-7167-3296-3
Price of the hardcover edition (October 2000): US$88.05; Can$123.75
Cover image: The command module of Apollo 11, seconds
before splashing into the Pacific Ocean. On pages 47-48, the phase
line estimates explain why it strongly decelerates when entering the
atmosphere.
About the book:
In the past ten years, the teaching of caclulus - and consequently
that of differential equation - has seen a split between the
traditional approach and a more intuitive one, commonly known as "reform."
An Introduction to Differential Equations---Order and Chaos
reconciles these two
directions. It keeps what is good and efficient from the classical
style while eliminating the nonessential and heavy-going.And it includes
the newer, more qualitative methods involving modeling and computers, but
without overemphasizing technology.
By combining the most valuable aspects of the two approaches, An
Introduction to Differential Equations---Order and Chaos provides
a global and
realistic view of the methods used today in differential equations.