Physics of Sound, The (3rd Edition)

Book Description

This book incorporates the developments in digital audio technology, including consumer products, into a firm foundation of the physics of sound. No knowledge of physics, mathematics, or music is required. Includes updated information on musical synthesizers. Provides recent information on the ear, including new advances in cochlear implant technology. Updates material for modern technology, particularly MP3. Features abundant examples, including discussion of demonstration experiments. Includes historical discussion of musical temperaments and instruments. Offers videotapes of musical demonstrations on topics discussed in the book, available from author. A useful reference for musicians or anyone interested in learning more about the physics of music.

Customer Reviews:

Class didnt reflect his own textbook........2007-03-29

Whats better than taking a course where the professor actually wrote the book. Well I did just that and was disappointed. The class had many visual demonstrations but the book had very few pictures which made me wonder why his teaching style did not reflect the textbook.

not helpful.......2006-05-17

Did they even have an editor for this book? I took a class with Dr.Berg and his class was interesting but the book was not helpful nor was it well organized.

Considerably out of date in some places.......2003-12-21

Acoustics is an interesting subject, at all levels, and very important of course due to the human love for music and the need for high fidelity sound reproduction. This book is written for a readership that does not have expertise in physics or mathematics beyond the high school level. The authors do an excellent job, and the book could be used in classes on music theory or a class in physics for the humanities. The audiophile reader will gain a greater appreciation of the physics behind quality sound reproduction. Heavy use is made of demonstrations to illustrate the properties of sound, and most of these are easily set up in the classroom. I have used most of these demonstrations in the classroom, and can highly recommend their use to reinforce the understanding of the physics of sound.

The book opens, appropriately, with a discussion of simple harmonic motion, with the properties of this type of motion related to sound waves. The nature of simple harmonic motion as periodic, in contrast with noise, which is nonperiodic, is pointed out very early on. To introduce the concept of resonance, in particular the concept of coupling resonance, the author use the coupled pendulum system. This demonstration is easily constructed for classroom use and very effective in illustrating coupled resonance. Lissajous figures, which arise in the study of the relationship between two waves, is discussed in some detail.

The difference between longitudinal waves, which sound waves are, and transverse waves (such as light), is illustrated in chapter 2. To reinforce the difference between sound and light, the authors use the "bell in vacuum" demonstration. A demonstration for measuring the speed of sound is also described. Ripple tanks are used to demonstrate Huygen's principle, interference, and parabolic reflectors. The origin of beats, so important in music theory, is discussed, along with a very detailed overview of the Doppler effect. Ultrasound, very important medically, is treated also. A very brief discussion of infrasonic waves is given. Infrasonic waves, which are outside the range of hearing since they are below 20 Hz, are only experienced as vibrations. They have recently been discussed in the popular press as being explanations behind "haunted" houses. The anxiety felt in some old houses is thought of as being due to infrasonic waves.

The origin of the overtone series, so very important in music theory, is discussed in chapter 3. The three laws of Mersenne, which govern the fundamental frequency of stretched wires, are also treated. The Kundt's tube demonstration is used to describe the properties of longitudinal standing waves, and the famous Chladni plates are used to demonstrate standing waves in two dimensions. All throughout the chapter the properties of standing waves are related to music and musical instruments.

Fourier analysis and synthesis, which is typically very formidable mathematically, is presented in chapter 4 in a manner that is very understandable to the targeted readership. The Fourier synthesis of triangular, square, and sawtooth waves, along with a pulse train, is discussed. After a treatment of Fourier spectrum of these waves, the authors discuss the factors contributing to tone quality.

In chapter 5, the authors turn to more practical considerations, wherein they discuss how to create electronic music. Analog synthesizers, although very antiquated by modern standards, are used to illustrate how to combine waves to obtain special sounds or effects. The authors then immediately turn to digital synthesizers and keyboards. They discuss the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI), but the equipment they illustrate in the chapter is considerably out of date.

The anatomy and physics of the human ear and voice tract are discussed in chapter 6. The diagrams they include are useful, and they discuss the "place theory of hearing" , which is based on the correlation of sound frequency with position of response along the basilar membrane. The critical band, just noticeable difference, and the limit of frequency discrimination are all discussed in the context of this theory, with several different experiments proposed to illustrate these concepts. Most interesting is the discussion on periodicity pitch, which musicians seem to have a knack for. Also interesting is the treatment of vocal formants, which are frequency regions in which harmonics have large amplitudes. Due to the element of subjectivity in hearing and listening, the connection of the material in this chapter to "psychophysics" and "psychoacoustics" is readily apparent.

Most of the next chapter is out-dated since the authors discuss sound reproduction using LPs and tape recorders. However, the authors do discuss how this is done using compact disks, which though are themselves on their way out, due to the rise of the Internet, MP3 formats, and digital music files. Chapter 8 is timeless though, as the authors discuss the acoustics of auditoriums and rooms, detailing the most important acoustical characteristics that contribute to a pleasant musical experience, and some of the problems that arise in acoustical design. The last section of the chapter gives a fairly good overview of what is involved in setting up a home listening room.

In chapter 9, the authors take the plunge into music theory, discussing temperament and musical pitch. The history behind these concepts is detailed, emphasizing in particular that an ideal temperament is not available, its choice being dictated by the musical requirements at hand. Arithmetic descriptions of the Pythagorean, just, mean-tone, Werckmeister, and equal temperaments are given.

The last five chapters are specialized to the principles behind woodwind, brass, string, and percussion instruments, and the piano. The discussion is purely descriptive, but some of the physical principles studied in the first chapters of the book are applied here to give an understanding of the acoustical and musical properties of these instruments.

counterbalance to the "bites my..." review.......2002-02-02

Haven't read the book, but Mr. "bites my wacker" shouldn't be allowed to lower the average score.

This is the Book if You want to Know the"Whats" of Sound!.......1999-04-09

The Physics of Sound is a great book for both musicians and nonmuscians alike. Its not a book for anyone who is afraid of a little mind work. I recommend Physics of Sound because immediately upon after reading it I gained a whole new perspective and deep appreciation for the fundamental elements,and principles that govern this wonderful phenomena we call "SOUND".

Ever wondered how fast sound travel? What about how various sound frequencies react to each other,and in rooms? What exactly is sound? All these questions and more,are answered here. Physics of sound even gives you basic formulas that allow you to manipulate sound in the real world.

Book Description

The Science of Sound is widely recognized as the leading textbook in the field. It provides an excellent introduction to acoustics for readers without college physics or a strong background in mathematics. In the Third Edition, Richard Moore and Paul Wheeler join Tom Rossing in updating The Science of Sound to include a wide range of important technological developments in the field of acoustics. New exercises and review questions have been added to the end of each chapter to help readers study the material.

Customer Reviews:

A real page-turner..........2006-12-09

An abundance of writing and grammatical errors do not make the already confusing explanations in this book any easier to grasp. I got bogged down in technical mistakes before I could begin to use the provided formulas. This is one of the worst textbooks I've ever read, and taking a supplemental course from one of the authors only added to one of the worst experiences of my college career.

Terrible.......2006-02-03

This book is terrible for beginners. It doesn't explain things well. The graphs and diagrams are hard to understand and it doesn't give enough examples to help you do the exercises at the end of the chapter. Also, there are a lot of typos and errors. For instance I tried to look up "attenuation of sound" in the index and the word was there with no page number. And I found a graph where the graph didn't match the descrpition. I have the advantage of having one of the authors of the book as my professor, and I still have a hard time understanding this book. It's horrible.

Lots of Problems.......2000-10-01

This book should have been a classic introduction to musical acoustics. Instead, it tries to hard, is convoluted, often in error, and confuses musicians.

When I taught from this book, I and the class found errors in equations, references to equations, and calculations. When undergraduates are struggling to learn, this is a very bad context.

The book is so concerned with a level of comprehensiveness, that measured clarity is left out. At the same time, for the expert, it is too little. Therefore, it appeals to neither the introductory level nor the more advanced level.

I gave up using this book.

A good elementary textbook.......2000-08-09

I have used this book as the primary textbook for an introductory course in the physics of music. It is at a somewhat higher level than some of its competitors (e.g. "The Acoustical Foundations of Music" by Backus) but still suitable for non-science majors with weak math backgrounds. It is the most thorough and informative book I have seen at this level. However, the students complained that it was somewhat dull. Also, the section on electronic reproduction of music is out of date--relatively little on CD's etc., and nothing on mp3 and related technologies. Still, I plan to use it again.

Toned down math, but still pure sound.......2000-06-13

I have taught a course entitled "Acoustics for Musicians and Recording Engineers" to Engineering, Music, and Film majors using Rossing's THE SCIENCE OF SOUND. He has toned down the equations enough that the students aren't groaning, yet he's remained true to the interdisciplinary nature of acoustics as a pursuit of physics, psychology, math, and engineering. The structure of the book provides a wonderful outline for the course and it has been an invaluable resource for both me and the students who have wished to continue with their study of acoustics.

Average customer rating:

The most comprehensive graduate level vibration's book
Probably the best vibration textbook ever written.

Principles and Techniques of Vibrations
Leonard Meirovitch
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Mechanical Vibrations (Dover Books on Engineering)
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ASIN: 0023801417

Book Description

Thisbook will be of interest to mechanical engineers, aerospace engineers, and engineering science and mechanics faculty. The main objective of the book is to present a mathematically rigorous approach to vibrations, one that not only permits efficient formulations and solutions to problems, but also enhances understanding of the physics of the problem. The book takes a very broad view approach to the subject so that the similarity of dynamic characteristics of vibrating systems will be understood.

Customer Reviews:

The most comprehensive graduate level vibration's book.......2001-01-22

starting with linear systems and dynamics, this book covers every single topic in the theory of vibrations. chapter 4 has a fantastic discussion of lyapunov stability.

Probably the best vibration textbook ever written........2000-04-06

Starting from SDOF discrete vibration analysis, MDOF, to distributed parameter system analysis, this book covers all important aspects in vibration analysis. In this book you can find most of the vibration analysis techniques necessary to understand the publications in this area.

Only problem is the treatment of Rayleigh quotient. This book shows the Rayleigh quotient and its properties only for discrete systems but not for continuous systems.

If this book reorganizes the topics in conservative systems versus nonconservative systems rather than discrete systems versus continuous systems, and this book is written in more general manner, it will be even more appreciated.

Vibrations and Waves (M.I.T. Introductory Physics Series)
Average customer rating:

Wonderfully lucid. I should have read this book long ago.

Misses a lot

As a Student

If only every textbook was this good...

Very nice book on the subject

Vibrations and Waves (M.I.T. Introductory Physics Series)
A. P. French
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0393099369

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully lucid. I should have read this book long ago........2007-08-01

Short Review:
The photos and plots in this book are exemplary. They complement the material perfectly, building up intuitional understanding of the phenomena at the same time the text allows you to handle the physics mathematically.
Each chapter follows logically. Everything builds up step by step from the most basic case of a simple harmonic oscillator, and the book has a feeling of progression that encouraged me to keep going. Every chapter brought new understanding to things I vaguely knew about, but was fuzzy on quite why it was that way.
Although the basic systems discussed are pendulums, masses-on-springs, and linear strings, the text also contains plenty of information on how the theory built by examining these simple systems can apply to many other places where the same differential equations apply - especially electric circuits, but also acoustics.
Vibrations and Waves does a superb job as a concise and clear introduction to how wave phenomena work.

Longer Review:
I recently read this book as review while preparing for a more advanced class on quantum mechanics (a theory about waves). I had previously taken a course on vibrations and waves using the (out of print) text by Crawford. Although Crawford's book is probably good, I never read the text carefully though because it was monstrously long.

French presented itself as friendly and readable, without bogging me down in unnecessary detail. It turned out to be exactly that. The chapters were short enough I could read them in one sitting. The problems varied from straightforward applications of what was already stated in the text to ones that made me think for a while, without being so overbearing as to waste my time or become unduly frustrating. There are also answers printed in the back of the book - in my opinion absolutely essential for any book to be used for self-study.

I actually enjoyed reading Vibrations and Waves, which is not the norm for reading physics texts, at least for me. The photos were gorgeous. They were black and white, and not fancy, but the experimental setup used to get the photos was often both clever and instructive. Just when it got difficult to understand just what the equations were saying, there was a picture to demonstrate the system's response. The Lissajous figures and pictures of nodal lines of 2-D surfaces were interesting enough to be worth looking at in their own right.

After reading this book, I feel like I have a much firmer understanding of coupled oscillators and coupled differential equations, the wave equation, refraction, diffraction, and other boundary effects, which were all things I knew enough about to be able to describe, roughly, but not enough about to claim a useful comprehension of the subject.
The introduction of complex numbers and the complex exponential is truly masterful.

I would like to have the time to read French's other introductory physics books, but even if I don't I'll remain glad to have read this one.

Misses a lot.......2007-05-23

The book gives a good introduction to the concept of waves, beginning with vibrational modes of coupled oscillators of springs and strings. However, it neglects analysis of Electromagnetic waves that I feel are not a far cry from the topics presented. I also think that more information could be given on dispersion, mediums, and boundary reflections and transmissions.

As a Student.......2007-01-05

I recently took a class on Vibrations and Waves and the professor ended up using this book mainly for the course. It was somewhat difficult to read through and the material in the book often has little to do with the actual practice problems. Also, there are no examples and many of the chapters refuse to go into important detail of some topics, assuming the reader to know a good deal.

If only every textbook was this good..........2006-12-03

I used this book instead of the originally assigned text (H.J. Pain's truly awful "Physics of Vibrations and Waves") in a class I took recently. It was a pleasure to read.

In spite of the fact that the book is quite short (and quite compact in your bag), it covers the material very thoroughly. The author writes clearly and with a lot of attention to the needs of the student. French's style is also very lively and makes you want to read on instead of feeling you are obligated to. The problems at the end of each chapter are excellent. It is also inexpensive.

All in all, quite a gem in this day of boring, incomprehensible, too-heavy-to-carry $120 textbooks that arrive in a "new" less readable edition every year. If only every textbook could be like this.

It isn't quite perfect -- every once in a while a derivation gets obscure and a few topics aren't covered -- but it is very, very good. I highly recommend it.

Very nice book on the subject.......2006-05-26

This is a terrific book. It would benefit slightly from incorporating matrices in one part of the text, but given the level of student it's geared toward, that's not a fatal omission. French's style is clear and thorough. I am a fan of all his books, and have no qualms recommending this one.

Average customer rating:

Not particularly good.
Modernized account of turbulence
best book for pdf.

Turbulent Flows
Stephen B. Pope
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Turbulent Flows is an up-to-date and comprehensive graduate text on this important topic in fluid dynamics. The book consists of two parts: Part I provides a general introduction to turbulent flows, how they behave, how they can be described quantitatively, and their fundamental physical processes. Part II is concerned with different approaches for modeling, or simulating, turbulent flows. Key appendices present the necessary mathematical techniques. While primarily intended for engineering graduate students, this book will also be valuable to students in applied mathematics, physics, oceanography and atmospheric sciences, as well as to researchers and practicing engineers.

Customer Reviews:

Not particularly good........2006-02-18

I bought this book since it was the required text in a Turbulence course. In general, the book is well written and the explanations are clear. The material is organized in two main parts: Fundamentals (7 chapters), and Modeling and Simulation (6 Chapters). Although this book covers a lot of topics, I found that many of them are treated in a somewhat superficial and desultory way, specially in the Fundamentals part. For example, the core of the statistical theory of turbulence, K41 and scaling, is treated rather briefly in Chapter 6 (compare for example with the deep and enlighting discussion given by Frisch's book). Intermittency and anomalous scaling is treated in just a couple of pages. Chapter 5, on free shear flows, and 7, on boundary layers, contains a lot of experimental observations and plots but without a thorough analysis. This is too much of a "textbook", just for students that want to do their homework, but not a good treatise on this rich, deep and fascinating subject. To get real physical insight you need to read books like Frisch, or Mathieu & Scott. Also, Tennekes and Lumley, in spite of have been published more than 30 years ago (in 1972), still contains more interesting discussion on the physics of turbulence, that you miss in Pope's book.
If you want a book to get just some general knowledge on Turbulence, this book can be helpful. If you really want to learn Turbulence to do research on this field I think it's better to start with that other introductory books (before reading the classical treatises [e.g. Monin & Yaglom] and papers). The book by Durbin and Peterson Reif is also better than this one. I have bought all of them, and the least used book in my shelf is Pope's.

Modernized account of turbulence.......2005-09-30

This is an excellent addition to the turbulence textbooks. The physical meanings of equations are well explained and cast in a way that helps the understanding of the subject tremendously. In contrast to earlier textbook by Lumley and Tenneky, this book is much cleaner in explaining the conncetions between the physical phenomenon and the mathematical treatment. However, it lacks the experimental side of the subject, which, however, can be found in other classic textbooks, such as Hinze's Turbulence. This book also has lots of updates on modern modeling techniques, including PDF, DNS and LES. The exercise problems are well organized and complement the context very well. Highly recommended.

best book for pdf........2001-11-14

well, Professor Pope is the best professor so far on pdf modeling of turbulent. Before the book was printed, he use it as a textbook on MAE732, Turbulent analysis, in Cornell univeristy. we are really impressed by pdf.

Average customer rating:

Great starting point for studying the intersection of science and sound
Fascinating

Musical Acoustics
Donald E. Hall
Manufacturer: Brooks Cole
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0534377289

Book Description

Musical acoustics presents a unique opportunity to see science and art working together. This book is a balanced presentation of all aspects of musical acoustics. It explains how our ears and brains interpret musical events, and connects traditional physical analyses to musical reality. The purpose of the book is two fold: (1) To help readers use simple physical concepts as tools for understanding how music works, and (2) To use readers' interest in music to motivate the study and appreciation of scientific methods. Any given chapter will challenge readers with several points that are not obvious on the first reading. Starred sections are optional and are not a prerequisite to later sections.

Customer Reviews:

Great starting point for studying the intersection of science and sound.......2006-12-09

This book is an excellent starting place for someone who wants a somewhat quantitative treatment of the science of sound as it relates to music, but does not have the advanced math background necessary to digest something like "The Physics of Musical Instruments". The chapters and sections in this third edition are the same as in the previous edition, however some changes have been made to the content. The book is updated with more current references to the end-of-chapter bibliographies, and there is some new material, especially in areas affected by the personal computer's role in the digital processing of sound.

The author provides an integrated understanding of three major areas: the production of sound by various sources, the propagation of sound from source to listener, and the perception of sound by the human brain.
For easier reading, each chapter starts with an introductory section that sets up the chapter. There are also summaries and lists of symbols, terms, and relations highlighting the most important terms and quantitative expressions in each chapter. There are realistic and interesting exercise sets containing both qualitative and quantitative questions for each chapter, with most chapters containing 20-25 exercises. There are also projects included that provide out-of-class assignments that generally require students to do research. There are approximately three of these in each chapter. Finally, several new photographs have been added to this third edition, particularly of the inner ear structure and of the vocal cords in motion.

Like the previous reviewer, I make a habit of purchasing and reading several textbooks a year, and sometimes I am very disappointed and sometimes I am not. This is one of those purchases that I found most worthwhile. If you are interested in the intersection of math, acoustics, perception, and musical instruments I highly recommend it. A math background up to the level of algebra and geometry should be sufficient to understand the quantitative portions of the book. The table of contents is as follows:

1. THE NATURE OF SOUND.
Acoustics and Music. Organizing Our Study of Sound. The Physical Nature of Sound. The Speed of Sound. Pressure and Sound Amplitude.
2. WAVES AND VIBRATIONS.
The Time Element in Sound. Waveforms. Functional Relations. Simple Harmonic Oscillation. Work, Energy, and Resonance.
3. SOURCES OF SOUND.
Classifying Sound Sources. Percussion Instruments. String Instruments. Wind Instruments. Source Size. Sound from the Natural Environment.
4. SOUND PROPAGATION.
Reflection and Refraction. Diffraction. Outdoor Music. The Doppler Effect. Interference and Beats.
5. SOUND INTENSITY AND ITS MEASUREMENT.
Amplitude, Energy, and Intensity. Sound Level and the Decibel Scale. The Inverse-Square Law. Environmental Noise. Combined Sound Levels and Interference.
6. THE HUMAN EAR AND ITS RESPONSE.
The Mechanism of the Human Ear. Limits of Audibility and Discrimination. Characteristics of Steady Single Tones. Loudness and Intensity. Pitch and Frequency. Pitch and Loudness Together. Timbre and Instrument Recognition.
7. ELEMENTAL INGREDIENTS OF MUSIC.
Organizing Musical Events in Time. Melody and Harmony. Scales and Intervals. The Harmonic Series.
8. SOUND SPECTRA AND ELECTRONIC SYNTHESIS.
Prototype Steady Tones. Periodic Waves and Fourier Spectra. Modulated Tones. Electronic and Computer Music.
9. PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS AND NATURAL MODES.
Searching for Simplicity. Coupled Pendulums. Natural Modes and Their Frequencies. Tuning Forks and Xylophone Bars. Drums, Cymbals, and Bells. Striking Points and Vibration Recipes. Damped Vibrations.
10. PIANO AND GUITAR STRINGS.
Natural Modes of a Thin String. Vibration Recipes for Plucked Strings. Vibration Recipes for the Piano. Piano Scaling and Tuning.
11. THE BOWED STRING.
Violin Construction. Bowing and String Vibrations. Resonance. Sound Radiation from String Instruments.
12. BLOWN PIPES AND FLUTES.
Air Column Vibrations. Fluid Jets and Edgetones. Organ Flue Pipes. Organ Registration and Design. Fingerholes and Recorders. The Transverse Flute.
13. BLOWN REED INSTRUMENTS.
Organ Reed Pipes. The Reed Woodwinds. The Brass Family. Playable Notes and Harmonic Spectra. Radiation.
14. THE HUMAN VOICE.
The Vocal Apparatus. Sound Production. Formants. Special Characteristics of the Singing Voice.
15. ROOM ACOUSTICS.
General Criteria for Room Acoustics. Reverberation Time. Reverberation Calculation. Reverberant Sound Levels. Sound Reinforcement. Spatial Perception.
16. SOUND REPRODUCTION.
Electric and Magnetic Concepts. Transducers. Microphones. Amplifiers. Recording. Loudspeakers. Multiphonic Sound Reproduction.
17. THE EAR REVISITED.
Types of Pitch Judgment. Pitch Perception Mechanisms. Modern Pitch Perception Theory. Critical Bands. Combination Tones. Loudness and Masking. Timbre.
18. HARMONIC INTERVALS AND TUNING.
Interval Perception. Intervals and the Harmonic Series. Musical Scales. The Impossibility of Perfect Tuning. Tuning and Temperament.
19. STRUCTURE IN MUSIC.
Melodies and Modes. Chords and Harmonic Progressions. Consonance and Dissonance. Musical Forms and Styles.
20. EPILOGUE: SCIENCE AND ESTHETICS.
APPENDIX A. WRITTEN MUSIC.
APPENDIX B. THE METRIC SYSTEM.
Units for Physical Measurements. Scientific Notation and Computation.
APPENDIX G. GLOSSARY.
APPENDIX H. HINTS AND ANSWERS TO SELECTED EXERCISES.
Index.
The Chromatic Scale; The Chromatic Series Slider.

Fascinating.......2003-04-25

This book is a thorough overview of physics behind music. In the first part of the book, Hall lays the foundation with an investigation into waves, sound propagation, sound measurement, and the human ear. The middle third of the book takes up families of instruments, and how they work to create musical sounds. The last part of the book investigates room acoustics, sound reproduction, and the perception of intervals, tunings, and musical structure. Each chapter includes references and suggestions for further reading, numerous mathematical exercises for practicing the concepts covered in the chapter, and a list of potential projects for further investigation. The book includes a glossary and answers to selected problems, as well as an index.

I read quite a few textbooks for work and occasionally just for interest's sake, but this one really stands out. After reading the first few chapters, I found myself wishing I could sit in on Hall's lectures. His style is intensely personal, and his explanations are incredibly clear. I'll admit that sometimes my eyes glossed over while slogging through some of the numbers and charts, but it was mainly my fault for not being a more active reader. In order to get the most from this book, you really need to read it with calculator in hand, or better yet, an Excel spreadsheet open, ready to try out the numbers and scenarios that Hall provides us with. Nevertheless, the math is kept quite simple- -no calculus; if you can do algebra, you should be able to get through the book.

Book Description

The book is aimed at graduate students, researchers, engineers and physicists involved in fluid computations. An up-to-date account is given of the present state of the art of numerical methods employed in computational fluid dynamics. The underlying numerical principles are treated with a fair amount of detail, using elementary methods. Attention is given to the difficulties arising from geometric complexity of the flow domain. Uniform accuracy for singular perturbation problems is studied, pointing the way to accurate computation of flows at high Reynolds number. Unified methods for compressible and incompressible flows are discussed. A treatment of the shallow-water equations is included. A basic introduction is given to efficient iterative solution methods. Many pointers are given to the current literature, facilitating further study.

Customer Reviews:

good for the experienced.......2002-09-18

hi all,
this book is not appropriate for the beginners to CFD so i don't recommend it for the instructors who are looking for a introduction book. The tensor notation is also not easy to grasp for the not experienced. Besides the language of the book is not clear and not enough to let the reader apply without referring to another book. This is probably because the book has covered a lot of CFD concepts so deep explanation on every item is not provided.
However I would recommend this book for experienced CFD'ers since it covers many concepts and it can be used as a good referring material.

Average customer rating:

Turbulent Flows: Models and Physics
Jean Piquet
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3540654119

Book Description

This book offers to students, engineers, CFD modelers, and scientists a detailed synthetic presentation of turbulence physics and modeling with the possibility to find a quick route through the jungle of publications and models. Chapters 1 to 4 show that turbulence models may be derived and analyzed in a physically sound manner with their potential merits and drawbacks. Chapters 5 and 6 review the physics of (inhomogenous) turbulent flows starting from the most simple flow cases and adding more and more complexity. The status and uncertainties of available experimental data and the practical performance of currently available turbulent models are discussed.

Turbulence Models and Their Application: Efficient Numerical Methods with Computer Programs

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Turbulence Models and Their Application: Efficient Numerical Methods with Computer Programs
Tuncer Cebeci
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3540402888

Book Description

In this book, after a brief review of the more popular turbulence models, we present and discuss accurate and efficient numerical methods for solving the boundary-layer equations with turbulence models based on algebraic formulas (mixing length, eddy viscosity) or partial-differential transport equations. A computer program employing the Cebeci-Smith model and the k-e model for obtaining the solution of two-dimensional incompressible turbulent flows without separation is discussed in detail and is presented in the accompanying CD.
The numerical solution of the boundary-layer equations with flow separation is also discussed and an interactive boundary-layer method developed by the author is described in detail. A computer program for obtaining solutions on airfoils and wakes for a wide range of angles of attack, including stall, is discussed and presented in the accompanying CD. In many respects, this book can be seen as complimentary and supplementary to the author's Analysis of Turbulent Flows.

Nonlinear Oscillations (Wiley Classics Library)

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Nonlinear Oscillations (Wiley Classics Library)
Ali H. Nayfeh , and Dean T. Mook
Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations: An Introduction to Dynamical Systems (Oxford Applied and Engineering Mathematics)
Applied Nonlinear Dynamics: Analytical, Computational, and Experimental Methods (Wiley Series in Nonlinear Science)
Nonlinear Interactions: Analytical, Computational, and Experimental Methods
Introduction to Perturbation Techniques
Nonlinear Oscillations, Dynamical Systems, and Bifurcations of Vector Fields (Applied Mathematical Sciences Vol. 42)

ASIN: 0471121428

Book Description

Nonlinear Oscillations is a self-contained and thorough treatment of the vigorous research that has occurred in nonlinear mechanics since 1970. The book begins with fundamental concepts and techniques of analysis and progresses through recent developments and provides an overview that abstracts and introduces main nonlinear phenomena. It treats systems having a single degree of freedom, introducing basic concepts and analytical methods, and extends concepts and methods to systems having degrees of freedom. Most of this material cannot be found in any other text. Nonlinear Oscillations uses simple physical examples to explain nonlinear dispersive and nondispersive waves. The notation is unified and the analysis modified to conform to discussions. Solutions are worked out in detail for numerous examples, results are plotted and explanations are couched in physical terms. The book contains an extensive bibliography.

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A perfect book.......2000-01-22

This is a very important book for my study. In my research field, everyone regard that this book must be read. Today, I have seen some books written by the same authors, but I can't have opportunity to read them. If possible I want to know the authors address. Thank you. sundajun Tianjin University,China

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