Chapter 1
The Nature of Computational Physics
Computational physics uses computational methods to investigate physical problems. This chapter introduces its role alongside theory and experiment, traces the development of scientific computation, and surveys applications in modern physics. It discusses how analytical reasoning and numerical methods work together, how programming languages express physical ideas, and how visualization helps reveal patterns and interpret results. The chapter closes with the aims and practical approach of the book.
In this chapter
- 1.1 What is computational physics? A misleading name?
- 1.2 Historical approach: from pen-and-paper to computational power
- 1.3 The rise of computational physics
- 1.4 From analytical methods to numerical methods
- 1.5 Computer languages: communicating with machines
- 1.6 Seeing the physics: visualization in computational physics
- 1.7 About this book