Introduction to Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations

"This book is well conceived and well written. The author has succeeded in producing a text on nonlinear PDEs that is not only quite readable but also accessible to students from diverse backgrounds."
—SIAM Review

A practical introduction to nonlinear PDEs and their real-world applications

Now in a Second Edition, this popular book on nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) contains expanded coverage on the central topics of applied mathematics in an elementary, highly readable format and is accessible to students and researchers in the field of pure and applied mathematics. This book provides a new focus on the increasing use of mathematical applications in the life sciences, while also addressing key topics such as linear PDEs, first-order nonlinear PDEs, classical and weak solutions, shocks, hyperbolic systems, nonlinear diffusion, and elliptic equations. Unlike comparable books that typically only use formal proofs and theory to demonstrate results, An Introduction to Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations, Second Edition takes a more practical approach to nonlinear PDEs by emphasizing how the results are used, why they are important, and how they are applied to real problems.

The intertwining relationship between mathematics and physical phenomena is discovered using detailed examples of applications across various areas such as biology, combustion, traffic flow, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, quantum mechanics, and the chemical reactor theory. New features of the Second Edition also include:

• Additional intermediate-level exercises that facilitate the development of advanced problem-solving skills

• New applications in the biological sciences, including age-structure, pattern formation, and the propagation of diseases

• An expanded bibliography that facilitates further investigation into specialized topics

With individual, self-contained chapters and a broad scope of coverage that offers instructors the flexibility to design courses to meet specific objectives, An Introduction to Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations, Second Edition is an ideal text for applied mathematics courses at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It also serves as a valuable resource for researchers and professionals in the fields of mathematics, biology, engineering, and physics who would like to further their knowledge of PDEs.

J. David Logan, PhD, is Willa Cather Professor of Mathematics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He has authored several texts on elementary differential equations and beginning partial differential equations, including Applied Mathematics, Third Edition, also published by Wiley. Dr. Logan's research interests include mathematical physics, combustion and detonation, hydrogeology, and mathematical biology.