This well-respected book introduces readers to the theory and application of modern numerical approximation techniques. Providing an accessible treatment that only requires a calculus prerequisite, the authors explain how, why, and when approximation techniques can be expected to work - and why, in some situations, they fail. A wealth of examples and exercises develop readers' intuition, and demonstrate the subject's practical applications to important everyday problems in math, computing, engineering, and physical science disciplines. Three decades after it was first published, Burden, Faires, and Burden's Numerical Analyses remains the definitive introduction to a vital and practical subject.