This 1961 book provides information on the methods of treating series of observations; the field covered embraces portions of both statistics and numerical analysis.

Address vector and matrix methods necessary in numerical methods and optimization of linear systems in engineering with this unified text. Treats the mathematical models that describe and predict the evolution of our processes and systems, and the numerical methods required to obtain approximate solutions. Explores the dynamical systems theory used to describe and characterize system behaviour, alongside the techniques used to optimize their performance. Integrates and unifies matrix and eigenfunction methods with their applications in numerical and optimization methods. Consolidating, generalizing, and unifying these topics into a single coherent subject, this practical resource is suitable for advanced undergraduate students and graduate students in engineering, physical sciences, and applied mathematics.

The fitting of a curve or surface through a set of observational data is a very frequent problem in different disciplines (mathematics, engineering, medicine, ...) with many interesting applications. This book describes the algorithms and mathematical fundamentals of a widely used software package for data fitting with (tensor product) splines. As such it gives a survey of possibilities and benefits but also of the problems to cope with when approximating with this popular type of function. In particular it is demonstrated in detail how the properties of B-splines can be fully exploited for improving the computational efficiency and for incorporating different boundary or shape preserving constraints. Special attention is also paid to strategies for an automatic and adaptive knot selection with intent to obtain serious data reductions. The practical use of the smoothing software is illustrated with many examples, academic as well as taken from real life.

This guide focuses on how to make graphs and abstract physical information from data using a personal computer. This tutorial program/book package covers the elements of curve fitting and statistical treatment of data and numerical analysis. Taking a step-by-step approach, the book, the program, and the accompanying data files are designed to demonstrate common errors and pitfalls. It contains examples from analytical chemistry, chemical engineering and biochemistry. For those engineers and/or scientists who want to easily make graphs and plot physical information from data with a microcomputer.

Practical Handbook of Curve Fitting is a reference work assembled by Arlinghaus and a set of editors with well over a century of combined experience in various disciplines and activities related to curve fitting. The book demonstrates how to analyze World data bases and graph and map the results. Default settings in software packages can produce attractive graphs of data imported into the software. Often, however, the default graph has no equation associated with it and cannot therefore be used as a tool for further analysis or projection of the data. The same software can often be used to generate curves from equations. The reader is shown directly, and in a series of steps, how to fit curves to data using Lotus 1-2-3. There are traditional unbounded curve fitting techniques-lines of least squares, exponentials, logistic curves, and Gompertz curves. There is the bounded curve fitting technique of cubic spline interpolation. Beyond these, there is a detailed application of Feigenbaum's graphical analysis from chaos theory, and there is a hint as to how fractal geometry might come into play. Curve fitting algorithms take on new life when they are actually used on real-world data. They are used in numerous worked examples drawn from electronic data bases of public domain information from the Stars data base of The World Bank and from the WRD data base of the World Resources Institute. The applications are current and reflect a state-of-the-art interest in the human dimensions of global change.

Most biologists use nonlinear regression more than any other statistical technique, but there are very few places to learn about curve-fitting. This book, by the author of the very successful Intuitive Biostatistics, addresses this relatively focused need of an extraordinarily broad range of scientists.