Molecular simulation is a widely used tool in biology, chemistry, physics and engineering. This book contains a collection of articles by leading researchers who are developing new methods for molecular modelling and simulation. Topics addressed here include: multiscale formulations for biomolecular modelling, such as quantum-classical methods and advanced solvation techniques; protein folding methods and schemes for sampling complex landscapes; membrane simulations; free energy calculation; and techniques for improving ergodicity. The book is meant to be useful for practitioners in the simulation community and for those new to molecular simulation who require a broad introduction to the state of the art.

On May 21-24, 1997 the Second International Symposium on Algorithms for Macromolecular Modelling was held at the Konrad Zuse Zentrum in Berlin. The event brought together computational scientists in fields like biochemistry, biophysics, physical chemistry, or statistical physics and numerical analysts as well as computer scientists working on the advancement of algorithms, for a total of over 120 participants from 19 countries. In the course of the symposium, the speakers agreed to produce a representative volume that combines survey articles and original papers (all refereed) to give an impression of the present state of the art of Molecular Dynamics.The 29 articles of the book reflect the main topics of the Berlin meeting which were i) Conformational Dynamics, ii) Thermodynamic Modelling, iii) Advanced Time-Stepping Algorithms, iv) Quantum-Classical Simulations and Fast Force Field and v) Fast Force Field Evaluation.

Geometric integrators are time-stepping methods, designed such that they exactly satisfy conservation laws, symmetries or symplectic properties of a system of differential equations. In this book the authors outline the principles of geometric integration and demonstrate how they can be applied to provide efficient numerical methods for simulating conservative models. Beginning from basic principles and continuing with discussions regarding the advantageous properties of such schemes, the book introduces methods for the N-body problem, systems with holonomic constraints, and rigid bodies. More advanced topics treated include high-order and variable stepsize methods, schemes for treating problems involving multiple time-scales, and applications to molecular dynamics and partial differential equations. The emphasis is on providing a unified theoretical framework as well as a practical guide for users. The inclusion of examples, background material and exercises enhance the usefulness of the book for self-instruction or as a text for a graduate course on the subject.