By the time students have done some programming in one or two languages
and have learnt the common ways of representing information in a
computer, they will want to embark upon further study of theoretical or
applied topics in computer science. Most will encounter problems that
require for their solution one or more of the techniques described in
this book: for example problems depending upon the formation and
solution of different equations; the task of making lists of possible
alternatives and of answering questions about them; or the search for
discrete optima. Written by the same authors as the highly successful
Information Representation and Manipulation in a Computer, this book
describes algorithms of mathematical methods and illustrates their
application with examples. The mathematical background needed is
elementary algebra and calculus. Numerous exercises are provided, with
hints to their solutions.