TABLE OF CONTENTS We first make some general remarks on the general and important issue of software. Then we comment on the supplied Mfiles for this book and finally list the specific files developed for this chapter.
? Sources of software and development issues. Producing reliable, accurate and fast numerical software for solving applied mathematical problems from any scientific computing discipline is the main aim of computational mathematics. However all three aspects must go through the usual process of research and development.
The software issue can be a big problem for many readers. Although there are many good examples and practices of published software, there exist two extreme practices that are not helpful to the general community and readers at large.
On one hand, many high level, fast and general purpose (some commercial) codes can solve various practical problems. Quite often, the exact descriptions of the mathematics and algorithms used are not always complete. So it can be difficult to generalize, adapt or enhance these codes. Besides, some commercial codes may not have the latest methods available.
On the other hand, increasingly, more and more new research methods and techniques come to the scene with the claim that they can achieve many wonderful aims. But, often, an average reader has no way of figuring out how the methods work exactly as a pseudo-code may not be given or a method may not be reproduced easily.
Therefore, the first and...
