Essential Mathematical Methods for the Physical Sciences

This is the good book with an affordable price. The content is very knowledgable which can help me understand more about Math at graduate level. Highly recommend for graduate students expertised in Machanical engineering!

The book was in very very good conditions, nice price just what I need

This book is singularly unhelpful. I purchased it because it is required for a class I am taking, but have it found it utterly useless for understanding any of the material it purports to cover. I have had to consult multiple outside sources - other books, websites, programs, people, and even notes from other classes - for every single topic this book is supposed to cover - just to understand what the problems at the end of the chapter are even asking the reader to attempt to do.There are two purposes of a textbook: 1) to aid the reader in understanding the material's use, significance, and background and 2) to supply sample problems for the reader to practice and test their understanding of that first objective.In the first objective this textbook has failed utterly in every way. There is virtually no explanation of the usage of any of the material being covered except in off-handed comments such as "this is important in the physical sciences." There is no explanation or proof of most of the theorems, formulae, and other concepts. Lastly, it is simply void of practical, actionable examples clearly showing how to use the material and situations in which to apply it. Instead it regularly skips over most steps of the examples, with implications that certain things are possible to do and yet never giving an explanation as to how to do them.As a result, while the book supplies an ample number of problems at the end of each chapter, they are utterly incomprehensible to anyone who has been using only this textbook, making them completely unusable without consultation of outside sources.If a textbook cannot stand on its own, and if it cannot enhance the reader's understanding of the material, it has failed.If you are a hobbyist or independent learner, do not buy this book; it will not help you.If you are a Professor or other Instructor, I implore you not to use this book for your classes; it will not help your students.If you are, like me, a graduate student who is stuck using this book, I recommend for your own sake that you try to convince your Instructor to use a different one. Otherwise, I am sorry that you have to share my fate.

First, the book arrived quickly, in good condition and I was very appreciative of the low price. (I had to buy this textbook for a class I'm taking and always appreciate when the required textbook doesn't break the bank.)Unfortunately that's about the best it gets. I have found the actual book relatively useless and have been using YouTube and other math books to help teach me. The examples aren't written out all the way and it makes a lot of assumptions about things that it thinks you should know already. Even if I've learned it before, it's nice to have a refresher sometimes.Also, the plastic covering to the book has started to peel off. Might be me? I do take it in and out of a backpack everyday.

The book is ridden with the two phases that title this review. The book isn't awful, I've seen worse. It is, by no means, the best though. I used other books and online resources as much as possible for my mathematical methods class.To elaborate, the book shows you the first steps of a proof or solution: A ~~~ B ~~~ C ... "now it is obvious that" C ~~~~~ Z. What the heck!? Where are steps D through Y!?!? That might be obvious for a mathematician but this college engineering major is super lost!Such was my relationship with this book. Use at your own risk!

Bought it as a required text for class. Not only is it unhelpful, it is demeaning. Never before have I had a textbook say "From this, clearly..." Imagine if a professor said that to their students, "Clearly...anything..." No teaching tool should ever suggest that something is obvious; it's like telling the learner that they are dumb if they don't just get it.As noted by others, examples skip steps. Show me the steps that get to the solution so I can understand; don't draw abstract conclusions from the problem without any explanation.Furthermore, the chapter questions are not slanted for learning and applying new skills. They are abstract, and I frequently find myself devoting a significant amount of time to figuring out what a question is asking before I am able to approach solving it.If any professors read this review while on the market for a textbook for their upcoming class and need an example of what not to choose, look no further.

I would not recommend this book, but unfortunately I don't have any alternative suggestions.Notations change throughout the book and it is written by non-Americans (not a problem in itself, but some in some instances it makes interpreting statements and following arguments very difficult if you are an American or use American English)If you need it for a course (as a math major) you'll fair much better if you have a good physics background. If you're in your 2nd or 3rd year of a physics program you'll be fine.

A book aimed at people who already know its content. Uses operators and functions without introducing them, and is poorly organized. Would not recommend.