Elementary Functions Dennis T Christy

This textbook focuses on the study of different kinds of elementary functions ubiquitous both in high school Algebra and Calculus. To analyze the functions ranging from polynomial to trigonometric ones, it uses rudimentary techniques available to high school students, and at the same time follows the mathematical rigor appropriate for university level courses.

"An important topic, which is on the boundary between numerical analysis and computer science…. I found the book well written and containing much interesting material, most of the time disseminated in specialized papers published in specialized journals difficult to find. Moreover, there are very few books on these topics and they are not recent."
–Numerical Algorithms (review of the first edition)

Functions in R and C, including the theory of Fourier series, Fourier integrals and part of that of holomorphic functions, form the focal topic of these two volumes. Based on a course given by the author to large audiences at Paris VII University for many years, the exposition proceeds somewhat nonlinearly, blending rigorous mathematics skilfully with didactical and historical considerations. It sets out to illustrate the variety of possible approaches to the main results, in order to initiate the reader to methods, the underlying reasoning, and fundamental ideas. It is suitable for both teaching and self-study. In his familiar, personal style, the author emphasizes ideas over calculations and, avoiding the condensed style frequently found in textbooks, explains these ideas without parsimony of words. The French edition in four volumes, published from 1998, has met with resounding success: the first two volumes are now available in English.

This textbook presents the concepts and tools necessary to understand, build, and implement algorithms for computing elementary functions (e.g., logarithms, exponentials, and the trigonometric functions). Both hardware- and software-oriented algorithms are included, along with issues related to accurate floating-point implementation.