SIAM Math Modeling Guidebooks

Math Modeling: Getting Started and Getting Solutions

Math Modeling: Computing and Communicating

Karen M. Bliss, Kathleen R. Kavanagh, Benjamin J. Galluzzo, Rachel Levy

Digital versions PDF
Latex source No
Exercises No
Solutions No
License Copyright by the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM)
  • Guidebooks originally for the high school contest MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge (originally called Moody’s Mega Math Challenge)
  • Appropriate for high school or college students and faculty with little experience in math modeling or computing
  • Print copies available from SIAM for $15
  • For more information and to download

The first book “Getting Started and Getting Solutions” was published in 2014 and the companion book “Computing and Communicating” was published in 2018. Each is about 70 pages in length and can be freely downloaded from SIAM. Although they were first intended for students and teachers preparing for the math modeling contest, they are useful as supplements in lower division general education math courses that do some modeling or at the very beginning of a higher level course for more advanced math students.

Table of Contents

Getting Started and Getting Solutions

  1. Introduction
  2. Defining the Problem Statement
  3. Making Assumptions
  4. Defining Variables
  5. Building Solutions
  6. Analysis and Model Assessment
  7. Putting it All Together

Computing and Communication

  1. Introduction
  2. Statistics
  3. Visualization
  4. Computations
  5. Programming and Simulation
  6. Resources: Choosing Your Tech Tool