Introduction to Multidisciplinary Model-building

Model-building has not, in general, been taught in universities and it is therefore often hard for inexperienced graduates to build a reliable model for a newly specified system. In addition, engineers from different disciplines are often isolated and may not know that colleagues from other specialties have to solve related problems with the same or similar tools, and that they may have different experiences or even more successful algorithms.

Designed for use by scientists and practitioners in various disciplines such as economics, social sciences, politics and engineering, this title highlights the advantages of model-building based on systems theory. It includes hints, methods and tools for obtaining reliable mathematical models and avoiding pitfalls.

"This is a comprehensive book on mathematical model building... I have particularly enjoyed the author's statement that the model should be as simple as possible and as complicated as necessary. I think that his treatment of the subject of model building in this book is close to that ideal." MATHEMATICAL REVIEWS

Â...a comprehensive book on mathematical model building. --Mathematical Reviews

A reader with a good mathematical background and no overt expectations in terms of cross-disciplinary analysis will find it a very useful and eminently practical compendium of systems theory for model building, whose multi-disciplinary focus does provide illuminating cross-comparisons and has clear potential of deepening one's understanding. --Ecological Economics, Vol 53, Issue 3, May 2005

An excellent text in modelling as a tool applicable to many problems, where complex systems are involved. The book is well-written and particularly the first four chapters contain important informaton about how to go modelling. --Ecological Modeling, Vol 181, Issue 1, January 2005

...a comprehensive book on mathematical model building. --Mathematical Reviews

An excellent text in modelling as a tool applicable to many problems, where complex systems are involved. The book is well-written and particularly the first four chapters contain important informaton about how to go modelling. --Ecological Modeling, Vol 181, Issue 1, January 2005

A reader with a good mathematical background and no overt expectations in terms of cross-disciplinary analysis will find it a very useful and eminently practical compendium of systems theory for model building, whose multi-disciplinary focus does provide illuminating cross-comparisons and has clear potential of deepening one's understanding. --Ecological Economics, Vol 53, Issue 3, May 2005

An excellent text in modelling as a tool applicable to many problems, where complex systems are involved. The book is well-written and particularly the first four chapters contain important informaton about how to go modelling. --Ecological Modeling, Vol 181, Issue 1, January 2005

A reader with a good mathematical background and no overt expectations in terms of cross-disciplinary analysis will find it a very useful and eminently practical compendium of systems theory for model building, whose multi-disciplinary focus does provide illuminating cross-comparisons and has clear potential of deepening one's understanding. --Ecological Economics, Vol 53, Issue 3, May 2005