The new edition of this highly acclaimed textbook contains several major additions, including more than four hundred new exercises (with hints and answers). To match the mathematical preparation of current senior college and university entrants, the authors have included a preliminary chapter covering areas such as polynomial equations, trigonometric identities, coordinate geometry, partial fractions, binomial expansions, induction, and the proof of necessary and sufficient conditions. Elsewhere, matrix decompositions, nearly-singular matrices and non-square sets of linear equations are treated in detail. The presentation of probability has been reorganised and greatly extended, and includes all physically important distributions. New topics covered in a separate statistics chapter include estimator efficiency, distributions of samples, t- and F-tests for comparing means and variances, applications of the chi-squared distribution, and maximum likelihood and least-squares fitting. In other chapters the following topics have been added: linear recurrence relations, curvature, envelopes, curve-sketching, and more refined numerical methods.

From reviews of the first edition:‘… the book provides scientists who need to use the tool of mathematics for practical purposes with a single, comprehensive book. I recommend this book not only to students in physics and engineering sciences, but also to students in other fields of natural sciences.’

P. Steward Source: Optik

From reviews of the first edition:‘… suitable as a textbook for undergraduate use … this is a book that in view of its content and its modest softcover price, will find its way on to many bookshelves.’

Nigel Steele Source: The Times Higher Education Supplement

‘Riley et al. has clear, thorough and straightforward explanations of the subjects treated. It rigorously adopts a three-stage approach throughout the book: first a heuristic, intuitive introduction, then a formal treatment, and finally one or two examples. This consistent presentation, the layout, and the print quality make the book most attractive … clearness of presentation, comprehensiveness and value for money. It contains a thousand pages, there are plenty of exercises with each chapter, and … the layout and print quality are very good.

J. M. Thijssen Source: European Journal of Physics

This is a valuable book with great potential use in present-day university physics courses. Furthermore, the book will be useful for graduate too, and researchers will find it useful for looking up material which they have forgotten since their undergraduate days.’

J. M. Thijssen Source: European Journal of Physics