Based on a unified approach combining modeling, mathematical methods, and scientific computation, each chapter begins with several examples and problems solved by computational methods; full details of the solution techniques used are given. The last section of each chapter provides problems and exercises giving readers the opportunity to practice using the mathematical tools already presented. Rounding out the work is an appendix consisting of scientific programs in which readers may find practical guidelines for the efficient application of the collocation methods used in the book. Although the authors make use of Mathematica , readers may use other packages such as MATLAB or MapleTM depending on their specific needs and software preferences.