Our understanding of the fundamental processes of the natural world is based to a large extent on partial differential equations (PDEs). The second edition of Partial Differential Equations provides an introduction to the basic properties of PDEs and the ideas and techniques that have proven useful in analyzing them. It provides the student a broad perspective on the subject, illustrates the incredibly rich variety of phenomena encompassed by it, and imparts a working knowledge of the most important techniques of analysis of the solutions of the equations. In this book mathematical jargon is minimized. Our focus is on the three most classical PDEs: the wave, heat and Laplace equations. Advanced concepts are introduced frequently but with the least possible technicalities. The book is flexibly designed for juniors, seniors or beginning graduate students in science, engineering or mathematics.

List of participants; Elliptic equations; Parabolic equations; Hyperbolic equations.

Targeted at students and researchers in computational sciences who need to develop computer codes for solving PDEs, the exposition here is focused on numerics and software related to mathematical models in solid and fluid mechanics. The book teaches finite element methods, and basic finite difference methods from a computational point of view, with the main emphasis on developing flexible computer programs, using the numerical library Diffpack. Diffpack is explained in detail for problems including model equations in applied mathematics, heat transfer, elasticity, and viscous fluid flow. All the program examples, as well as Diffpack for use with this book, are available on the Internet. XXXXXXX NEUER TEXT This book is for researchers who need to develop computer code for solving PDEs. Numerical methods and the application of Diffpack are explained in detail. Diffpack is a modern C++ development environment that is widely used by industrial scientists and engineers working in areas such as oil exploration, groundwater modeling, and materials testing. All the program examples, as well as a test version of Diffpack, are available for free over the Internet.

The numerical treatment of partial differential equations with particle methods and meshfree discretization techniques is a active research field both in the mathematics and engineering community. This volume of LNCSE is a collection of the proceedings papers of the Fourth International Workshop on Meshfree Methods held in September 2007 in Bonn.