A First Course in Mathematical Modeling

Now with discrete mathematics, this edition makes it possible to organize an entire course without the use of calculus. However, if you wish to cover the chapters requiring calculus, the book's unique organization permits use to concurrently teach the introductory calculus course -- as early as the first semester of the freshman year. Plus, the book's rich choice of topics provide an introduction to the operations research and quantitative management science courses. This text gives students an opportunity to cover all phases of the mathematical modeling process, including creative and empirical model construction, model analysis, and model research using clearly defined techniques, such as modeling using graphs, modeling using proportionality, and modeling fitting.

Ph.D., Carnegie-Mellon

William P. Fox is a professor in the Department of Defense Analysis at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. Previously; he was an instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and professor of operations research while serving in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the United States Military Academy (USMA) for more than 12 years. He also served as the Chair of Mathematics at Francis Marion University for eight years before coming to the Naval Postgraduate School. Dr. Fox has taught a variety of mathematics courses in his career, and his areas of interest include mathematical modeling, optimization, statistics, and simulations. He holds his undergraduate degree from USMA, a master's degree from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a Ph.D. from Clemson University.