Computer simulation is increasingly used in physics and engineering to predict the probable outcome of experiments and to aid in their interpretation. The methods of simulation are based on a range of numerical techniques for treating ordinary and partial differential equations. Since much of physics can be represented by a relatively small set of fundamental equations, there is a set of very general methods that can be applied widely.

    This text introduces these simulation methods, at a level suitable for undergraduates and for postgraduates meeting the subject for the first time, uniquely covering a wide range of material at a basic level. The methods are illustrated with problems and simple, clearly coded programs, available for downloading from the Internet.


   

1. Models and simulation
2. Finite-difference methods
3. Simulation with particles
4. The Monte Carlo method
5. The wave equation
6. The finite-element method
7. Computational fluid dynamics
Problems-solutions and comments