Computational mathematics involves mathematical

Mathematics

Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...

 research in areas of science where computing

Computation

Computation is defined as any type of calculation. Also defined as use of computer technology in Information processing.Computation is a process following a well-defined model understood and expressed in an algorithm, protocol, network topology, etc...

 plays a central and essential role, emphasizing algorithms, numerical methods, and symbolic methods. Computation in the research is prominent. Computational mathematics emerged as a distinct part of applied mathematics by the early 1950s. Currently, computational mathematics can refer to or include:

• computational science
  Computational science
  Computational science is the field of study concerned with constructing mathematical models and quantitative analysis techniques and using computers to analyze and solve scientific problems...
  
  , also known as scientific computation or computational engineering
  Computational engineering
  Computational science and engineering is a relatively new discipline of engineering. It is typically offered as a masters or doctorate program at several institutions...
  
  
• solving mathematical problems by computer simulation
  Computer simulation
  A computer simulation, a computer model, or a computational model is a computer program, or network of computers, that attempts to simulate an abstract model of a particular system...
  
   as opposed to analytic methods of applied mathematics
  Applied mathematics
  Applied mathematics is a branch of mathematics that concerns itself with mathematical methods that are typically used in science, engineering, business, and industry. Thus, "applied mathematics" is a mathematical science with specialized knowledge...
  
  
• numerical methods used in scientific computation, for example numerical linear algebra
  Numerical linear algebra
  Numerical linear algebra is the study of algorithms for performing linear algebra computations, most notably matrix operations, on computers. It is often a fundamental part of engineering and computational science problems, such as image and signal processing, Telecommunication, computational...
  
   and numerical solution of partial differential equations
• stochastic
  Probability
  Probability is ordinarily used to describe an attitude of mind towards some proposition of whose truth we arenot certain. The proposition of interest is usually of the form "Will a specific event occur?" The attitude of mind is of the form "How certain are we that the event will occur?" The...
  
   methods, such as Monte Carlo methods and other representations of uncertainty
  Uncertainty
  Uncertainty is a term used in subtly different ways in a number of fields, including physics, philosophy, statistics, economics, finance, insurance, psychology, sociology, engineering, and information science...
  
   in scientific computation, for example stochastic finite elements
• the mathematics of scientific computation (the theoretical side involving mathematical proof
  Mathematical proof
  In mathematics, a proof is a convincing demonstration that some mathematical statement is necessarily true. Proofs are obtained from deductive reasoning, rather than from inductive or empirical arguments. That is, a proof must demonstrate that a statement is true in all cases, without a single...
  
  s), in particular numerical analysis
  Numerical analysis
  Numerical analysis is the study of algorithms that use numerical approximation for the problems of mathematical analysis ....
  
  , the theory of numerical methods (but theory of computation
  Theory of computation
  In theoretical computer science, the theory of computation is the branch that deals with whether and how efficiently problems can be solved on a model of computation, using an algorithm...
  
   and complexity of algorithms
  Computational complexity theory
  Computational complexity theory is a branch of the theory of computation in theoretical computer science and mathematics that focuses on classifying computational problems according to their inherent difficulty, and relating those classes to each other...
  
   belong to theoretical computer science
  Theoretical computer science
  Theoretical computer science is a division or subset of general computer science and mathematics which focuses on more abstract or mathematical aspects of computing....
  
  )
• symbolic computation
  Symbolic computation
  Symbolic computation or algebraic computation, relates to the use of machines, such as computers, to manipulate mathematical equations and expressions in symbolic form, as opposed to manipulating the approximations of specific numerical quantities represented by those symbols...
  
   and computer algebra systems
• computer-assisted research in various areas of mathematics, such as logic
  Mathematical logic
  Mathematical logic is a subfield of mathematics with close connections to foundations of mathematics, theoretical computer science and philosophical logic. The field includes both the mathematical study of logic and the applications of formal logic to other areas of mathematics...
  
   (automated theorem proving
  Automated theorem proving
  Automated theorem proving or automated deduction, currently the most well-developed subfield of automated reasoning , is the proving of mathematical theorems by a computer program.- Decidability of the problem :...
  
  ), discrete mathematics
  Discrete mathematics
  Discrete mathematics is the study of mathematical structures that are fundamentally discrete rather than continuous. In contrast to real numbers that have the property of varying "smoothly", the objects studied in discrete mathematics – such as integers, graphs, and statements in logic – do not...
  
   (search for mathematical structures such as groups
  Group (mathematics)
  In mathematics, a group is an algebraic structure consisting of a set together with an operation that combines any two of its elements to form a third element. To qualify as a group, the set and the operation must satisfy a few conditions called group axioms, namely closure, associativity, identity...
  
  ), number theory
  Number theory
  Number theory is a branch of pure mathematics devoted primarily to the study of the integers. Number theorists study prime numbers as well...
  
   (primality testing and factorization
  Factorization
  In mathematics, factorization or factoring is the decomposition of an object into a product of other objects, or factors, which when multiplied together give the original...
  
  ), cryptography
  Cryptography
  Cryptography is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties...
  
  , and computational algebraic topology
  Algebraic topology
  Algebraic topology is a branch of mathematics which uses tools from abstract algebra to study topological spaces. The basic goal is to find algebraic invariants that classify topological spaces up to homeomorphism, though usually most classify up to homotopy equivalence.Although algebraic topology...
  
  
• computational linguistics
  Computational linguistics
  Computational linguistics is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the statistical or rule-based modeling of natural language from a computational perspective....
  
  , the use of mathematical and computer techniques in natural language
  Natural language
  In the philosophy of language, a natural language is any language which arises in an unpremeditated fashion as the result of the innate facility for language possessed by the human intellect. A natural language is typically used for communication, and may be spoken, signed, or written...
  
  s
• Computational geometry
  Computational geometry
  Computational geometry is a branch of computer science devoted to the study of algorithms which can be stated in terms of geometry. Some purely geometrical problems arise out of the study of computational geometric algorithms, and such problems are also considered to be part of computational...
  
  
• Computational topology
• Computational number theory
  Computational number theory
  In mathematics, computational number theory, also known as algorithmic number theory, is the study of algorithms for performing number theoretic computations...
  
  
• Algorithmic information theory
  Algorithmic information theory
  Algorithmic information theory is a subfield of information theory and computer science that concerns itself with the relationship between computation and information...
  
  
• Algorithmic game theory
  Algorithmic game theory
  Algorithmic game theory is an area in the intersection of game theory and algorithm design, whose objective is to design algorithms in strategic environments. Typically, in Algorithmic Game Theory problems, the input to a given algorithm is distributed among many players who have a personal...
  
  

Books

• Cucker F., 2003. Foundations of Computational Mathematics: Special Volume (Handbook of Numerical Analysis), North-Holland Publishing, ISBN 978-0444512475
• Harris J. W. and Stocker H., 1998. Handbook of Mathematics and Computational Science, Springer-Verlag, ISBN 978-0387947464
• Yang X. S., 2008. Introduction to Computational Mathematics, World Scientific Publishing, ISBN 978-9812818171
• Nonweiler T. R., 1986. Computational Mathematics: An Introduction to Numerical Approximation, John Wiley and Sons, ISBN 978-0470202609
• Gentle J. E., 2007. Foundations of Computational Science, Springer-Verlag, ISBN 978-0387004501

External links

• Foundations of Computational Mathematics: a non-profit organization