Mathematicsisplayinganevermoreimportantroleinthephysicalandbiol- ical sciences, provoking a blurring of boundaries between scienti?c disciplines and a resurgence of interest in the modern as well as the classical techniques of applied mathematics. This renewal of interest, both in research and tea- ing, has led to the establishment of the series Texts in Applied Mathematics (TAM). The development of new courses is a natural consequence of a high level of excitement on the research frontier as newer techniques, such as numerical and symbolic computer systems, dynamical systems, and chaos, mix with and reinforce the traditional methods of applied mathematics. Thus, the purpose ofthistextbookseriesistomeetthecurrentandfutureneedsoftheseadvances and to encourage the teaching of new courses. TAM will publish textbooks suitable for use in advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate courses, and will complement the Applied Mat- matical Sciences (AMS) series, which will focus on advanced textbooks and research-level monographs. Pasadena, California J.E. Marsden Providence, Rhode Island L. Sirovich College Park, Maryland S.S. Antman Preface The algorithms, methods, and Matlab implementations described in this text have been developed during almost a decade of collaboration. During this time we have worked to simplify the basic methods and make the ideas more accessible to a broad audience. Many people, both students and colleagues, have helped during the development of this project and we are grateful for all their suggestions and input.