The main theme is the integration of the theory of linear PDE and the
theory of finite difference and finite element methods. For each type of
PDE, elliptic, parabolic, and hyperbolic, the text contains one chapter
on the mathematical theory of the differential equation, followed by one
chapter on finite difference methods and one on finite element methods.
The chapters on elliptic equations are preceded by a chapter on the
two-point boundary value problem for ordinary differential equations.
Similarly, the chapters on time-dependent problems are preceded by a
chapter on the initial-value problem for ordinary differential
equations. There is also one chapter on the elliptic eigenvalue problem
and eigenfunction expansion. The presentation does not presume a deep
knowledge of mathematical and functional analysis. The required
background on linear functional analysis and Sobolev spaces is reviewed
in an appendix. The book is suitable for advanced undergraduate and
beginning graduate students of applied mathematics and engineering.