HP 25 and SR-56 book alert

[Dave Britten]

I bought a copy of "Applied Mathematical Physics with Programmable Pocket Calculators" by Robert M. Eisberg (1976) on ebay without knowing much about it apart from the title, and it turns out it's written specifically for the HP 25 and TI SR-56 calculators.

While the main topic of the book is the use of new-fangled programmable calculators to apply purely numerical methods in solving elementary differential equations without the need of a full-blown computer, it starts out with two brief chapters on numerical differentiation and integration as a warm-up round. It then moves on to topics such as free fall, fall with friction, oscillators, central-force motion (planetary orbits and such), random processes (since I know Namir will ask, they just use a simple Frac(Pi + x)^5 generator), and ends with Schroedinger's equation.

Each section presents an introduction of the problem with the basic mathematics behind it, a very well documented program for both the HP 25 (with stack diagrams!) and SR-56, and some additional exercises should you wish to explore further on your own. The programs are very straight-forward in their designs, and would be very easy to convert to nearly any other keystroke-programmable calculator, often with nothing more than the addition of some labels, or replacing the HP 25's x>=y test. The HP 10C and 12C would probably prove the most challenging because of their limited test operations.

It's a pretty thin book at only 176 pages, and it's written for students with only a basic understanding of elementary calculus and physics. Definitely worth owning a copy if you find the subject matter interesting and count either of these two calculators among your favorites.