Numerical integration, often referred to as quadrature, is a computational technique used to approximate the value of integrals when they cannot be solved analytically or when an exact solution is impractical. It involves evaluating the integral of a function using discrete points, rather than calculating the area under the curve in a continuous manner. ### Key Concepts: 1. **Integration Basics**: - The integral of a function represents the area under its curve over a specified interval.
Structural analysis is a branch of civil engineering and structural engineering that focuses on the study of structures and their ability to withstand loads and forces. It involves evaluating the effects of various loads (such as gravity, wind, seismic activity, and other environmental factors) on a structure's components, including beams, columns, walls, and foundations. The goal of structural analysis is to ensure that a structure is safe, stable, and capable of performing its intended function without failure.
The Galerkin method is a numerical technique for solving differential equations, particularly those arising in boundary value problems. It belongs to a family of methods known as weighted residual methods, which are used to approximate solutions to various mathematical problems, including partial differential equations (PDEs) and ordinary differential equations (ODEs). ### Key Concepts: 1. **Weak Formulation**: The Galerkin method begins by reformulating a differential equation into its weak (or variational) form.
Cell-based models, also known as individual-based models or agent-based models, are computational simulations used to represent the interactions and behaviors of cells (or agents) within a defined environment. These models focus on the dynamics of individual cells rather than treating the system as a continuous medium. They are particularly useful in fields like biology, ecology, and social sciences.
De Casteljau's algorithm is a numerical method for evaluating Bézier curves, which are widely used in computer graphics, animation, and geometric modeling. The algorithm provides a way to compute points on a Bézier curve for given parameter values, typically between 0 and 1.
Exponential integrators are a class of numerical methods used to solve ordinary differential equations (ODEs) and partial differential equations (PDEs) that have a specific structure, particularly those for which the system can be described by linear equations combined with nonlinear components. They are particularly effective for stiff problems or equations where the linear part dominates the behavior of the solution. The core idea behind exponential integrators is to exploit the properties of the matrix exponential in the context of linear systems.
A **guard digit** is a concept used in numerical computation and arithmetic to improve the accuracy of calculations, particularly in floating-point arithmetic. It refers to an extra digit that is added to the significant part (or mantissa) of a number during calculations to help minimize errors that can arise from rounding. When performing arithmetic operations, such as addition or multiplication, intermediate results can lose precision due to the limited number of digits that can be represented (the precision limit of the floating-point representation).
Minimum polynomial extrapolation is a technique used in numerical analysis and signal processing to estimate values beyond a given set of data points. It involves finding the polynomial of the lowest degree that can accurately interpolate the provided data points, and then using this polynomial to make predictions or extrapolate values outside the range of the known data.
A Lie group integrator is a numerical method used to solve differential equations that arise from systems described by Lie groups. These integrators take advantage of the geometric structure of the problem, particularly the properties of the underlying Lie group, to provide accurate and efficient solutions. ### Key Concepts: 1. **Lie Groups**: A Lie group is a group that is also a smooth manifold, meaning that it has a continuous and differentiable structure.
Numerical methods are mathematical techniques used for solving quantitative problems through numerical approximations rather than exact analytical solutions. These methods are particularly useful for tackling complex problems that cannot be solved easily with traditional analytical methods. Numerical methods are widely employed in various fields, including engineering, physics, finance, and computer science. Key features of numerical methods include: 1. **Approximation**: They provide approximate solutions to problems that may not have a closed-form analytical solution.
The Peter Henrici Prize is an award given to recognize outstanding contributions in the field of applied mathematics. Named after Peter Henrici, a prominent mathematician known for his work in numerical analysis and computational mathematics, the prize aims to honor individuals whose research has significantly advanced the discipline. The prize is typically awarded by the Swiss Society for Applied Mathematics and Mechanics (SAMM) and is intended to encourage and promote excellence in applied mathematics research and its applications.
The Multilevel Monte Carlo (MLMC) method is a computational technique used to efficiently estimate the expected value of a function that depends on random inputs, particularly in contexts where traditional Monte Carlo methods would be computationally expensive. It is especially useful in problems involving stochastic processes, finance, and engineering. ### Key Concepts of MLMC: 1. **Hierarchical Approaches**: The MLMC method operates on a hierarchy of increasingly accurate approximations of a stochastic quantity.
The Natural Element Method (NEM) is a numerical technique used for solving partial differential equations (PDEs) that arise in various fields such as engineering, physics, and applied mathematics. This method is particularly notable for its ability to handle complex geometries and moving boundaries without the need for a fixed element mesh, which is often required by traditional finite element methods (FEM).
The Newton-Krylov method is an iterative approach used to solve nonlinear equations, particularly in large-scale systems where traditional methods may be inefficient or impractical. It combines the Newton's method, which is effective for finding roots of nonlinear equations, with Krylov subspace methods, which are used for solving large linear systems.
A nonstandard finite difference scheme is a numerical method used for approximating solutions to partial differential equations (PDEs), particularly those arising in the context of time-dependent problems. It extends traditional finite difference methods by employing non-standard discretization techniques that allow for greater flexibility and improved stability and accuracy in certain contexts.
The Nyström method is a numerical technique used to approximate solutions to integral equations, particularly useful when dealing with Fredholm integral equations of the second kind. It leverages the properties of kernel functions and the discretization of continuous functions to enable the numerical approximation of equations that might otherwise be difficult or impossible to solve analytically.
The order of approximation refers to how closely a mathematical approximation approaches the actual value of a function or model as the input changes, particularly in the context of numerical methods, series expansions, or iterative algorithms. It provides a quantitative measure of the accuracy of an approximation in relation to the true value. ### Key Concepts Related to Order of Approximation: 1. **Taylor Series Expansion**: In calculus, the order of approximation can be analyzed using Taylor series.
The Overlap-Save method is a technique used in digital signal processing for efficient linear convolution of long signals. It is particularly useful when you want to convolve a long input signal with a finite impulse response (FIR) filter without directly using the computationally expensive method of time-domain convolution.
Propagation of uncertainty, also known as uncertainty propagation or error propagation, refers to the process of assessing how uncertainties in measurements or input variables affect the uncertainty of a derived quantity. When calculating a result based on multiple measured or estimated quantities, each of these inputs may have a certain degree of uncertainty. Understanding how these uncertainties combine is crucial in fields such as experimental physics, engineering, and statistics. ### Key Concepts 1.
Pythagorean addition refers to a mathematical concept that arises from the Pythagorean theorem, which states that in a right triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides.

Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project

Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
We have two killer features:
  1. topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculus
    Articles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
    • a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
    • a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
    This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.
    Figure 1.
    Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page
    . View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivative
  2. local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:
    This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
    Figure 2.
    You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either https://OurBigBook.com or as a static website
    .
    Figure 3.
    Visual Studio Code extension installation
    .
    Figure 4.
    Visual Studio Code extension tree navigation
    .
    Figure 5.
    Web editor
    . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally.
    Video 3.
    Edit locally and publish demo
    . Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension.
    Video 4.
    OurBigBook Visual Studio Code extension editing and navigation demo
    . Source.
  3. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook-media/master/feature/x/hilbert-space-arrow.png
  4. Infinitely deep tables of contents:
    Figure 6.
    Dynamic article tree with infinitely deep table of contents
    .
    Descendant pages can also show up as toplevel e.g.: ourbigbook.com/cirosantilli/chordate-subclade
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact