This is a monograph that describes current research efforts in the application of symbolic computation to several areas, including dynamical systems, differential geometry, Lie algebras, numerical analysis, fluid dynamics, perturbation theory, control theory, and mechanics. The chapters, which illustrate how symbolic computations can be used to study various mathematical structures, are outgrowths of the invited talks that were presented at the NASA-Ames Workshop on The Use of Symbolic Methods to Solve Algebraic and Geometric Problems Arising in Engineering. More than 100 people participated in the two-day conference, which took place in January 1987 at the NASA-Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California. The field of symbolic computation is becoming increasingly important in science, engineering, and mathematics. The availability of powerful computer algebra systems on workstations has made symbolic computation an important tool for many researchers.
This volume presents the proceedings from the research conference, ''Symbolic Computation: Solving Equations in Algebra, Analysis, and Engineering,'' held at Mount Holyoke College (MA). It provides an overview of current research in symbolic computation as it applies to the solution of polynomial systems. The conference brought together pure and applied mathematicians, computer scientists, and engineers, who use symbolic computation to solve systems of equations or who develop thetheoretical background and tools needed for this purpose. Within this general framework, the conference focused on several themes: systems of polynomials, systems of differential equations, noncommutative systems, and applications.