This is an advanced textbook based on lectures given at the Moscow Physico-Technical Institute. The lectures are characterized by brevity, logical organization, and occasionally a lighthearted approach. It aims to involve the reader by asking questions, hinting, giving recommendations, comparing different methods, and discussing "optomistic" and "pessemistic" approaches to numerical analysis. Since matrix analysis underlies numerical analysis, this text emphasizes methods and algorithms of matrix analysis. Function approximations, methods of solving nonlinear equations, and minimization methods are also considered. As well as considering classical methods, new methods and approaches are discussed - such as spectral distribution theory and what it offers for design and proof of modern preconditioning strategies for large-scale linear algebra problems.

Probably I ought to explain why one more book on numerical methods can be useful. Without any doubt, there are many quite good and excellent books on the subject. But I know definitely that I did not realize this when I was a student. In this book, my first desire was to present those lectures that I wished I would have heard when I was a student. Besides, in spite of the profusion of textbooks, introductory courses, and monographs on numerical methods, some of them are too elementary, some are too difficult, some are far too overwhelmedwith applications, and most of them are too lengthy for those who want to see the whole picture in a short time. I hope that the brevity of the course left me no chance to obscure the beauty and depth of mathematical ideas behind the theory and methods of numerical analysis. I am convincedthat such a book should be very conciseindeed. It should be thoroughly structured, giving information in short sections which, ideally, are a half-page in length. Equally important, the book should not give an impression that nothing is left to work on in this field. Any time it becomes possible to say something about modern development and recent results, I do try to find time and place for this.

Probably I ought to explain why one more book on numerical methods can be useful. Without any doubt, there are many quite good and excellent books on the subject. But I know definitely that I did not realize this when I was a student. In this book, my first desire was to present those lectures that I wished I would have heard when I was a student. Besides, in spite of the profusion of textbooks, introductory courses, and monographs on numerical methods, some of them are too elementary, some are too difficult, some are far too overwhelmedwith applications, and most of them are too lengthy for those who want to see the whole picture in a short time. I hope that the brevity of the course left me no chance to obscure the beauty and depth of mathematical ideas behind the theory and methods of numerical analysis. I am convincedthat such a book should be very conciseindeed. It should be thoroughly structured, giving information in short sections which, ideally, are a half-page in length. Equally important, the book should not give an impression that nothing is left to work on in this field. Any time it becomes possible to say something about modern development and recent results, I do try to find time and place for this.

This is an advanced textbook based on lectures given at the Moscow Physico-Technical Institute. The lectures are characterized by brevity, logical organization, and occasionally a lighthearted approach. It aims to involve the reader by asking questions, hinting, giving recommendations, comparing different methods, and discussing "optomistic" and "pessemistic" approaches to numerical analysis. Since matrix analysis underlies numerical analysis, this text emphasizes methods and algorithms of matrix analysis. Function approximations, methods of solving nonlinear equations, and minimization methods are also considered. As well as considering classical methods, new methods and approaches are discussed - such as spectral distribution theory and what it offers for design and proof of modern preconditioning strategies for large-scale linear algebra problems.

Probably I ought to explain why one more book on numerical methods can be useful. Without any doubt, there are many quite good and excellent books on the subject. But I know definitely that I did not realize this when I was a student. In this book, my first desire was to present those lectures that I wished I would have heard when I was a student. Besides, in spite of the profusion of textbooks, introductory courses, and monographs on numerical methods, some of them are too elementary, some are too difficult, some are far too overwhelmedwith applications, and most of them are too lengthy for those who want to see the whole picture in a short time. I hope that the brevity of the course left me no chance to obscure the beauty and depth of mathematical ideas behind the theory and methods of numerical analysis. I am convincedthat such a book should be very conciseindeed. It should be thoroughly structured, giving information in short sections which, ideally, are a half-page in length. Equally important, the book should not give an impression that nothing is left to work on in this field. Any time it becomes possible to say something about modern development and recent results, I do try to find time and place for this.

Probably I ought to explain why one more book on numerical methods can be useful. Without any doubt, there are many quite good and excellent books on the subject. But I know definitely that I did not realize this when I was a student. In this book, my first desire was to present those lectures that I wished I would have heard when I was a student. Besides, in spite of the profusion of textbooks, introductory courses, and monographs on numerical methods, some of them are too elementary, some are too difficult, some are far too overwhelmedwith applications, and most of them are too lengthy for those who want to see the whole picture in a short time. I hope that the brevity of the course left me no chance to obscure the beauty and depth of mathematical ideas behind the theory and methods of numerical analysis. I am convincedthat such a book should be very conciseindeed. It should be thoroughly structured, giving information in short sections which, ideally, are a half-page in length. Equally important, the book should not give an impression that nothing is left to work on in this field. Any time it becomes possible to say something about modern development and recent results, I do try to find time and place for this.