Physics is expressed in the language of mathematics; it is deeply ingrained in how physics is taught and how it's practiced. A study of the mathematics used in science is thus asound intellectual investment for training as scientists and engineers. This first volume of two is centered on methods of solving partial differential equations (PDEs) and the special functions introduced. Solving PDEs can't be done, however, outside of the context in which they apply to physical systems. The solutions to PDEs must conform to boundary conditions, a set of additional constraints in space or time to be satisfied at the boundaries of the system, that small part of the universe under study. The first volume is devoted to homogeneous boundary-value problems (BVPs), homogeneous implying a system lacking a forcing function, or source function. The second volume takes up (in addition to other topics) inhomogeneous problems where, in addition to the intrinsic PDE governing a physical field, source functions are an essential part of the system. This text is based on a course offered at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) and while produced for NPS needs, it will serve other universities well. It is based on the assumption that it follows a math review course, and was designed to coincide with the second quarter of student study, which is dominated by BVPs but also requires an understanding of special functions and Fourier analysis.

Radar-based imaging of aircraft targets is a topic that continues to attract a lot of attention, particularly since these imaging methods have been recognized to be the foundation of any successful all-weather non-cooperative target identification technique. Traditional books in this area look at the topic from a radar engineering point of view. Consequently, the basic issues associated with model error and image interpretation are usually not addressed in any substantive fashion. Moreover, applied mathematicians frequently find it difficult to read the radar engineering literature because it is jargon-laden and device specific, meaning that the skills most applicable to the problem's solution are rarely applied. Enabling an understanding of the subject and its current mathematical research issues, Radar Imaging of Airborne Targets: A Primer for Applied Mathematicians and Physicists presents the issues and techniques associated with radar imaging from a mathematical point of view rather than from an instrumentation perspective. The book concentrates on scattering issues, the inverse scattering problem, and the approximations that are usually made by practical algorithm developers. The author also explains the consequences of these approximations to the resultant radar image and its interpretation, and examines methods for reducing model-based error.

Radar-based imaging of aircraft targets is a topic that continues to attract a lot of attention, particularly since these imaging methods have been recognized to be the foundation of any successful all-weather non-cooperative target identification technique. Traditional books in this area look at the topic from a radar engineering point of view. Consequently, the basic issues associated with model error and image interpretation are usually not addressed in any substantive fashion. Moreover, applied mathematicians frequently find it difficult to read the radar engineering literature because it is jargon-laden and device specific, meaning that the skills most applicable to the problem's solution are rarely applied. Enabling an understanding of the subject and its current mathematical research issues, Radar Imaging of Airborne Targets: A Primer for Applied Mathematicians and Physicists presents the issues and techniques associated with radar imaging from a mathematical point of view rather than from an instrumentation perspective. The book concentrates on scattering issues, the inverse scattering problem, and the approximations that are usually made by practical algorithm developers. The author also explains the consequences of these approximations to the resultant radar image and its interpretation, and examines methods for reducing model-based error.

Physics is expressed in the language of mathematics; it is deeply ingrained in how physics is taught and how it's practiced. A study of the mathematics used in science is thus asound intellectual investment for training as scientists and engineers. This first volume of two is centered on methods of solving partial differential equations (PDEs) and the special functions introduced. Solving PDEs can't be done, however, outside of the context in which they apply to physical systems. The solutions to PDEs must conform to boundary conditions, a set of additional constraints in space or time to be satisfied at the boundaries of the system, that small part of the universe under study. The first volume is devoted to homogeneous boundary-value problems (BVPs), homogeneous implying a system lacking a forcing function, or source function. The second volume takes up (in addition to other topics) inhomogeneous problems where, in addition to the intrinsic PDE governing a physical field, source functions are an essential part of the system. This text is based on a course offered at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) and while produced for NPS needs, it will serve other universities well. It is based on the assumption that it follows a math review course, and was designed to coincide with the second quarter of student study, which is dominated by BVPs but also requires an understanding of special functions and Fourier analysis.