Wavelets are spatially localized functions whose amplitude drops off exponentially outside a small "window." They are used to magnify experimental or numerical data and have become powerful tools in signal processing and other computational sciences. This book gives scientists and engineers a practical understanding of wavelets--their origins, their purpose, their use, and their prospects. It covers the applications of wavelets as a diagnostic tool and the use of wavelet basis functions to solve differential equations. Each chapter was written by one of five lecturers of a course sponsored by...