Essential Math for Physics Undergraduates: Practical Examples with Python Tools

by David D. DePaola

Overview

Essential Math for Physics Undergraduates: Practical Examples with Python Tools covers basic applied Math and entry-level programming. A gap often exists in the Physics student’s Math curriculum, between the Math taught by the Math departments and the Math taught either in a “Math Methods” or advanced Physics courses, such as introduction to quantum mechanics, classical mechanics, thermal and statistical physics, and electromagnetic theory. This text plugs that gap and provides the new Physics student with the necessary tools to succeed in their Physics curriculum. The book helps instructors to fill in the gap between what new Physics students learn in high school and introductory college math courses, providing them with what they need to know as they progress through their Physics curriculum.

Key Features:

• Covers Math that is essential in Physics curricula.
• Offers a more accessible introduction to Math than can be found in typical “Math Methods for Physicists” texts.
• Introduces Python and shows the reader how to use it for basic math problems.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032970981
Publisher:	CRC Press
Publication date:	10/13/2025
Pages:	112
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Brett D. DePaola is a professor of Physics at Kansas State University. He is an experimentalist in the field of atomic, molecular, and optical physics. Born in Ohio, he received his BS in Physics at Miami University, and his MS in Physics at Miami University, for research done at The University of Paris in Orsay, France. He then received his PhD in Physics from The University of Texas, Dallas. For many years DePaola has taught courses designed to help first-year Physics students prepare themselves for their undergraduate Physics curriculum.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 A Python Primer.  Chapter 2 Introduction to Complex Algebra.  Chapter 3 Matrices.  Chapter 4 Fourier Series.  Chapter 5 Fourier Transforms.  Chapter 6 Special Functions and Other Math Tricks.