In this textbook a combination of standard mathematics and modern
numerical methods is used to describe a wide range of natural wave
phenomena, such as sound, light and water waves, particularly in
specific popular contexts, e.g. colors or the acoustics of musical
instruments. It introduces the reader to the basic physical principles
that allow the description of the oscillatory motion of matter and
classical fields, as well as resulting concepts including interference,
diffraction, and coherence. Numerical methods offer new scientific
insights and make it possible to handle interesting cases that can't
readily be addressed using analytical mathematics; this holds true not
only for problem solving but also for the description of phenomena.
Essential physical parameters are brought more into focus, rather than
concentrating on the details of which mathematical trick should be used
to obtain a certain solution. Readers will learn how time-resolved
frequency analysis offers a deeper understanding of the interplay
between frequency and time, which is relevant to many phenomena
involving oscillations and waves. Attention is also drawn to common
misconceptions resulting from uncritical use of the Fourier transform.
The book offers an ideal guide for upper-level undergraduate physics
students and will also benefit physics instructors. Program codes in
Matlab and Python, together with interesting files for use in the
problems, are provided as free supplementary material.
