Developing an approach to the question of existence, uniqueness and stability of solutions, this work presents a systematic elaboration of the theory of inverse problems for all principal types of partial differential equations. It covers up-to-date methods of linear and nonlinear analysis, the theory of differential equations in Banach spaces, applications of functional analysis, and semigroup theory.

The main classes of inverse problems for equations of mathematical physics and their numerical solution methods are considered in this book which is intended for graduate students and experts in applied mathematics, computational mathematics, and mathematical modelling.

This book is a compilation of different methods of formulating and solving inverse problems in physics from classical mechanics to the potentials and nucleus-nucleus scattering. Mathematical proofs are omitted since excellent monographs already exist dealing with these aspects of the inverse problems.The emphasis here is on finding numerical solutions to complicated equations. A detailed discussion is presented on the use of continued fractional expansion, its power and its limitation as applied to various physical problems. In particular, the inverse problem for discrete form of the wave equation is given a detailed exposition and applied to atomic and nuclear scattering, in the latter for elastic as well as inelastic collision. This technique is also used for inverse problem of geomagnetic induction and one-dimensional electrical conductivity. Among other topics covered are the inverse problem of torsional vibration, and also a chapter on the determination of the motion of a body with reflecting surface from its reflection coefficient.

The overall goal of the book is to provide access to the regularized solution of inverse problems relevant in geophysics without requiring more mathematical knowledge than is taught in undergraduate math courses for scientists and engineers. From abstract analysis only the concept of functions as vectors is needed. Function spaces are introduced informally in the course of the text, when needed. Additionally, a more detailed, but still condensed introduction is given in Appendix B. A second goal is to elaborate the single steps to be taken when solving an inverse problem: discretization, regularization and practical solution of the regularized optimization problem. These steps are shown in detail for model problems from the fields of inverse gravimetry and seismic tomography. The intended audience is mathematicians, physicists and engineers having a good working knowledge of linear algebra and analysis at the upper undergraduate level.

This book gives an introduction to the practical treatment of inverse problems by means of numerical methods, with a focus on basic mathematical and computational aspects. To solve inverse problems, we demonstrate that insight about them goes hand in hand with algorithms.

Inverse problems are immensely important in modern science and technology. However, the broad mathematical issues raised by inverse problems receive scant attention in the university curriculum. This book aims to remedy this state of affairs by supplying an accessible introduction, at a modest mathematical level, to the alluring field of inverse problems. Many models of inverse problems from science and engineering are dealt with and nearly a hundred exercises, of varying difficulty, involving mathematical analysis, numerical treatment, or modelling of inverse problems, are provided. The main themes of the book are: causation problem modeled as integral equations; model identification problems, posed as coefficient determination problems in differential equations; the functional analytic framework for inverse problems; and a survey of the principal numerical methods for inverse problems. An extensive annotated bibliography furnishes leads on the history of inverse problems and a guide to the frontiers of current research.

Inverse Problems is a monograph which contains a self-contained presentation of the theory of several major inverse problems and the closely related results from the theory of ill-posed problems. The book is aimed at a large audience which include graduate students and researchers in mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences and in the area of numerical analysis.