Mathematical modelling courses for engineering education

the long version

There is a gap between the mathematics taught to engineering students and the mathematics that engineers use in practice. The mathematics presented to undergraduates is often already in modelled form, there is always enough data, the solution is known, there is a preferred technique, and the students are expected to work by themselves. In practice the engineer will work on an ill-formulated problem and be expected to produce the model, will never have enough data, will never be perfectly sure if the solution is correct, and will be part of a team. Written by internationally renowned engineering scientists and researchers, this volume in the NATO Special Programme on Advanced Educational Technology addresses this gap by discussing the design of modelling courses. Fluid flow and heat transfer serve as examples.