Introductory Mathematics for Earth Scientists

Any quantitative work in earth sciences requires mathematical analysis to a certain degree and many mathematical methods are essential to the modelling and analysis of the geological, geophysical and environmental processes widely studied in earth sciences. In this book Dr Yang provides an introduction to the fundamental mathematics that all earth scientists need. The book is self-contained and provides an essential toolkit of basic mathematics for earth scientists assuming no more than a standard secondary school level maths as its starting point. The topics of earth sciences are vast and multidisciplinary, and consequently the mathematical tools required by its students are diverse and complex. Thus the author strikes a fine balance between coverage and detail. Topics have been selected to provide a concise but comprehensive introductory coverage of all the major and popular mathematical methods. The book offers a 'theorem-free' approach with an emphasis on practicality. With dozens of step-by-step worked examples, the book is especially suitable for non-mathematicians and geoscientists. The topics include binomial theorem, index notations, polynomials, sequences and series, trigonometry, spherical trigonometry, complex numbers, vectors and matrices, ordinary differential equations, partial differential equations, Fourier transforms, numerical methods, and geostatistics. Introductory Mathematics for Earth Scientists introduces a wide range of fundamental and yet widely-used mathematical methods. It is designed for use by undergraduate students, though postgraduate students will also find it a helpful reference and aide memoire.