Provides an exploration of standard numerical analysis topics, as well as non-traditional ones, including mathematical modeling, Monte Carlo methods, Markov chains, and fractals. This textbook considers modern application areas, such as information retrieval and animation, and classical topics from physics and engineering. "[Numerical Methods] is a very pleasant book, where the concepts involved are clearly explained. All chapters begin with motivating examples that give a precise idea of the methods developed. In addition, every chapter ends with an extensive collection of exercises, useful to understand the importance of the results. These are complemented by a series of exercises, designed to be performed with Matlab, useful to appreciate the behavior of the methods studied."