The present book is based on a course developed as partofthe large
NSF-funded
GatewayCoalitionInitiativeinEngineeringEducationwhichincludedCaseWest-
ern Reserve University, Columbia University, Cooper Union, Drexel
University, Florida International University, New Jersey Institute
ofTechnology, Ohio State University, University ofPennsylvania,
Polytechnic University, and Universityof South Carolina. The Coalition
aimed to restructure the engineering curriculum by incorporating the
latest technological innovations and tried to attract more and
betterstudents to engineering and science. Draftsofthis textbookhave
been used since 1992instatisticscoursestaughtatCWRU, IndianaUniversity,
Bloomington, and at the universities in Gottingen, Germany, and
Grenoble, France. Another purpose of this project was to develop a
courseware that would take advantage ofthe Electronic Learning
Environment created by CWRUnet-the all fiber-optic Case Western Reserve
University computer network, and its ability to let students run
Mathematica experiments and projects in their dormitory rooms, and
interactpaperlessly with the instructor. Theoretically, onecould try
togothroughthisbook withoutdoing Mathematica experimentsonthecomputer,
butitwouldbelikeplayingChopin's Piano Concerto in E-minor, or Pink
Floyd's The Wall, on an accordion. One would get an idea ofwhatthe tune
was without everexperiencing the full richness andpowerofthe entire
composition, and the whole ambience would be miscued.