NUMERICAL DIFFERENTIATION & INTEGRATION / Numerical Differentiation

NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
Numerical methods are techniques by which mathematical problems are formulated so that they can be solved with arithmetic operations. Although there are many kinds of numerical methods, they have one common characteristic: they invariably involve large numbers of tedious arithmetic calculations. It is little wonder that with the development of fast, efficient digital computers, the role of numerical methods in engineering problem solving has increased dramatically in recent years.
There are several additional reasons why you should study numerical methods:
1. Numerical methods are an efficient vehicle for learning to use computers. It is well known that an effective way to learn programming is to actually write computer programs. Because numerical methods are for the most part designed for implementation on computers, they are ideal for this purpose. Further, they are especially well-suited to illustrate the power and the limitations of computers. When you successfully implement numerical methods on a computer and then apply them to solve otherwise intractable problems, you will be provided with a dramatic demonstration of how computers can serve your professional development. At the same time, you will also learn to acknowledge and control the errors of approximation that are part and parcel of large scale numerical calculations.
2. Numerical methods provide a vehicle for you to reinforce your understanding of mathematics. Because one function of numerical methods is to reduce higher mathematics to basic arithmetic operations, they get at the “nuts and bolts” of some otherwise obscure topics. Enhanced understanding and insight can result from this alternative perspective.