Mary L. Boas (1917–2010)
Author of Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences
About the Author
Works by Mary L. Boas
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Boas, Mary Layne
- Birthdate
- 1917-03-10
- Date of death
- 2010-02-17
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Washington - Occupations
- academic
mathematician
physics professor
textbook writer - Organizations
- DePaul University
- Relationships
- Boas Jr., Ralph P. (husband)
Boas, Harold P. (son) - Short biography
- Mary Layne Boas was born in Prosser, Washington, and grew up on her parents' poultry and fruit farm near Monroe. She earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Washington, after which she went to Duke University in North Carolina to do further graduate work and serve as an instructor in the Department of Mathematics. There she met her future husband, Ralph P. Boas, Jr., a fellow mathematician; they were married in 1941 and had three children. Prof. Boas received a doctoral degree in physics in 1948 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She taught physics at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois for 30 years, retiring in 1987 as professor emerita. After her retirement, she and her husband moved to the Seattle area. She is best known as the author of Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences (1966), an undergraduate textbook that is still used today. In 2005, at the age of 88, Prof. Boas published the third edition of her famous textbook. She established the Mary L. Boas Endowed Scholarship at the University of Washington in 2008 to recognize outstanding academic achievements by female students in physics.
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Prosser, Washington, USA
- Places of residence
- Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Place of death
- Seattle, Washington, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- Washington, USA
Members
Reviews
This is a really solid review/overview of math for sciences, particularly physics (or engineering.) Basically, if you are a sophomore or junior undergraduate, this is all the math you have probably already (supposedly) learned, in a somewhat condensed form. If you have never done e.g. multiple integrals, Fourier series or transforms, or differential equations, this is probably not the book for you. I think it would be really hard to learn all those things, from the ground up, from this book. show more If, however, you have been through a set of calculus courses up through mutlivariable and differential eqs, then this is a great book precisely because it gives only quick quick coverage to theory and to basic breadth, and instead focuses on applying all that math you have been learning to prepare you to move through e.g. junior and senior level physics courses.
I give four stars because there are places where I did feel additional explanation -or additional worked examples- would be helpful. Like many books, it includes harder problems towards the end of each section: a few more worked examples of this relative complexity would make this a five star book. My two cents, anyway. show less
I give four stars because there are places where I did feel additional explanation -or additional worked examples- would be helpful. Like many books, it includes harder problems towards the end of each section: a few more worked examples of this relative complexity would make this a five star book. My two cents, anyway. show less
Still my favorite math text ever. I've stop consulting this book only because I know all the material at this point. Boas has a talent for explaining math simply that I've rarely found anywhere else. If you're an undergrad learning physics or calculus for the first time, use this text instead of whatever they've assigned you.
This was the recommended text for maths for my physics first Degree, as, it transpires, it is for many, many physics undergrads.
I didn't use it enough then but when I did I found it difficult. It felt like it didn't explain enough - which looking back means didn't have enough worked examples. It also covers an enormous amount of terrain for a single volume.
Now, I find it more useful - as a reference work. It probably isn't the best book for introducing the more advanced topics - they need show more whole books each - but for reminding oneself of forgotten but once understood topics? It can do that job. show less
I didn't use it enough then but when I did I found it difficult. It felt like it didn't explain enough - which looking back means didn't have enough worked examples. It also covers an enormous amount of terrain for a single volume.
Now, I find it more useful - as a reference work. It probably isn't the best book for introducing the more advanced topics - they need show more whole books each - but for reminding oneself of forgotten but once understood topics? It can do that job. show less
This text (and the help of as awesome physics professor) enabled my to understand, not just perform, the mathematics of classical physics. I give this book and A+ (the grade it enabled me to achieve in my Mathematical Physics course.
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- 2
- Members
- 496
- Popularity
- #49,830
- Rating
- 4.1
- Reviews
- 4
- ISBNs
- 9
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