The goal of this book is to present basic optimization theory and modern computational algorithms in a concise manner. The book is suitable for un dergraduate and graduate students in all branches of engineering, operations research, and management information systems. The book should also be use ful for practitioners who are interested in learning optimization and using these techniques on their own. Most available books in the field tend to be either too theoretical or present computational algorithms in a cookbook style. An approach that falls some where in between these two extremes is...

Starting from governing differential equations, a unique and consistently weighted residual approach is used to present advanced topics in finite element analysis of structures, such as mixed and hybrid formulations, material and geometric nonlinearities, and contact problems. This book features a hands-on approach to understanding advanced concepts of the finite element method (FEM) through integrated Mathematica and MATLAB(R) exercises.

This introductory textbook adopts a practical and intuitive approach, rather than emphasizing mathematical rigor. Computationally oriented books in this area generally present algorithms alone, and expect readers to perform computations by hand, and are often written in traditional computer languages, such as Basic, Fortran or Pascal. This book, on the other hand, is the first text to use Mathematica to develop a thorough understanding of optimization algorithms, fully exploiting Mathematica's symbolic, numerical and graphic capabilities.