;This book is intended to be a text for either a first or a second course in numerical methods for students in all engineering disciplines. Difficult concepts which usually pose problems to students are explained in detail and illustrated with solved examples. Enough elementary material that could be covered in the first-level course is included such as methods for solving linear and nonlinear algebraic equations, interpolation, differentiation, integration, and simple techniques for integrating ODEs and PDEs (ordinary and partial differential equations). Advanced techniques and concepts that could form part of a second-level course include Gear's method for solving ODE-IVPs (initial value problems), stiffness of ODE-IVPs, multiplicity of solutions, convergence characteristics, the orthogonal collocation method for solving ODEBVPs (boundary value problems) and finite element techniques. An extensive set of graded problems, often with hints, has been included. Some involve simple applications of the concepts and can be solved using a calculator, while several are from real-life situations and require writing computer programs or use of library subroutines. Practice on these is expected to build up the reader's confidence in developing large computer codes.

This text, written as an introduction to fluid mechanics for students of all engineering disciplines, emphasizes fluid flow phenomena and their modelling. The level of mathematics is kept at the minimum so that a student can pay full attention to the complexities of the fundamental physical concepts and develop a physical feel of the subject. Common misapplications, misunderstandings and over-generalizations made by students are anticipated and cautioned against. Relatively newer and simpler treatments have been used in several topics such as Euler acceleration formula, Reynolds transport theorem and Bernoulli equation, and a new unified treatment of modelling, similitude and the basis of approximations has been presented. A preview of fluid flow phenomena in Chapter 1 and an overview in the epilogue are included. A whole array of applications from diverse engineering disciplines has been introduced through numerous solved examples and over five hundred carefully graded problems. In this new edition, Chapter 9 on Similitude and Modelling has been re-written so as to make it easier to understand, and suggestions of several users have been incorporated.

The literature in polymerization reaction engineering has bloomed sufficiently in the last several years to justify our attempt in putting together this book. Rather than offer a comprehensive treatment of the entire field, thereby duplicating earlier texts as well as some ongoing bookwriting efforts, we decided to narrow down our aim to step growth polymerization systems. This not only provides us the lUxury of a more elaborate presentation within the constraints of production costs, but also enables us to remain on somewhat familiar terrain. The style and format we have selected are those of a textbook. The first six chapters present the principles of step growth polymerization. These are quite general, and can easily be applied in such diverse and emerging fields as polymerization applications in photolithography and microelec tronics. A detailed discussion of several important step growth polymeriz ations follows in the next five chapters. One could cover the first six chapters of this book in about six to eight weeks of a three-credit graduate course on polymerization reactors, with the other chapters assigned for reading. This could be followed by a discussion of chain-growth and other polymeriz ations, with which our material blends well. Alternately, the entire contents of this book could be covered in a course on step growth systems alone."