Approximation theory and approximation practice

In a book that will appeal to beginners and experts alike, Oxford University's Nick Trefethen presents approximation theory using a fresh approach for this established field. Approximation Theory and Approximation Practice is a textbook on classical polynomial and rational approximation theory for the twenty-first century.

It uses MATLAB? to teach the field's most important ideas and results and differs fundamentally from other works on approximation theory in a number of ways: its emphasis is on topics close to numerical algorithms; concepts are illustrated with Chebfun; and each chapter is a PUBLISHable Matlab M-file, available online. In addition, the book centers on theorems and methods for analytic functions, which appear so often in applications, rather than on functions at the edge of discontinuity with their seductive theoretical challenges. Original sources are cited rather than textbooks, and each item in the bibliography is accompanied by an editorial comment. Each chapter has a collection of exercises, which span a wide range from mathematical theory to Chebfun-based numerical experimentation.