Special functions arise in many problems of pure and applied mathematics, mathematical statistics, physics, and engineering. This book provides an up-to-date overview of numerical methods for computing special functions and discusses when to use these methods depending on the function and the range of parameters. Not only are standard and simple parameter domains considered, but methods valid for large and complex parameters are described as well. The first part of the book (basic methods) covers convergent and divergent series, Chebyshev expansions, numerical quadrature, and recurrence relations. Its focus is on the computation of special functions; however, it is suitable for general numerical courses. Pseudoalgorithms are given to help students write their own algorithms. In addition to these basic tools, the authors discuss other useful and efficient methods, such as methods for computing zeros of special functions, uniform asymptotic expansions, Padé approximations, and sequence transformations. The book also provides specific algorithms for computing several special functions (like Airy functions and parabolic cylinder functions, among others).

An overview that advises when to use specific methods depending upon the function and range.

Physics, chemistry, and engineering undergraduates will benefit from this straightforward guide to special functions. Its topics possess wide applications in quantum mechanics, electrical engineering, and many other fields. 1968 edition. Includes 25 figures.

With students of Physics chiefly in mind, we have collected the material on special functions that is most important in mathematical physics and quan tum mechanics. We have not attempted to provide the most extensive collec tion possible of information about special functions, but have set ourselves the task of finding an exposition which, based on a unified approach, ensures the possibility of applying the theory in other natural sciences, since it pro vides a simple and effective method for the independent solution of problems that arise in practice in physics, engineering and mathematics. For the American edition we have been able to improve a number of proofs; in particular, we have given a new proof of the basic theorem (§3). This is the fundamental theorem of the book; it has now been extended to cover difference equations of hypergeometric type (§§12, 13). Several sections have been simplified and contain new material. We believe that this is the first time that the theory of classical or thogonal polynomials of a discrete variable on both uniform and nonuniform lattices has been given such a coherent presentation, together with its various applications in physics.

Computation of Special Functions is a valuable book/software package containing more than 100 original computer programs for the computation of most special functions currently in use. These include many functions commonly omitted from available software packages, such as the Bessel and modified Bessel functions, the Mathieu and modified Mathieu functions, parabolic cylinder functions, and various prolate and oblate spheroidal wave functions. Also, unlike most software packages, this book/disk set gives readers the latitude to modify programs according to the special demands of the sophisticated problems they are working on. The authors provide detailed descriptions of the program's algorithms as well as specific information about each program's internal structure.

Riemann?Hilbert problems are fundamental objects of study within complex analysis. Many problems in differential equations and integrable systems, probability and random matrix theory, and asymptotic analysis can be solved by reformulation as a Riemann?Hilbert problem.This book, the most comprehensive one to date on the applied and computational theory of Riemann?Hilbert problems, includes an introduction to computational complex analysis, an introduction to the applied theory of Riemann?Hilbert problems from an analytical and numerical perspective, and a discussion of applications to integrable systems, differential equations, and special function theory. It also includes six fundamental examples and five more sophisticated examples of the analytical and numerical Riemann?Hilbert method, each of mathematical or physical significance or both.

This Special Issue focuses mainly on techniques and the relative formalism typical of numerical methods and therefore of numerical analysis, more generally. These fields of study of mathematics represent an important field of investigation both in the field of applied mathematics and even more exquisitely in the pure research of the theory of approximation and the study of polynomial relations as well as in the analysis of the solutions of the differential equations both ordinary and partial derivatives. Therefore, a substantial part of research on the topic of numerical analysis cannot exclude the fundamental role played by approximation theory and some of the tools used to develop this research. In this Special Issue, we want to draw attention to the mathematical methods used in numerical analysis, such as special functions, orthogonal polynomials, and their theoretical tools, such as Lie algebra, to study the concepts and properties of some special and advanced methods, which are useful in the description of solutions of linear and nonlinear differential equations. A further field of investigation is dedicated to the theory and related properties of fractional calculus with its adequate application to numerical methods.