Abstract

Written in a clear and simple style, this textbook on fluid mechanics gives equal emphasis to both geophysical and engineering fluid mechanics. For physicists, it contains chapters on geophysical fluid mechanics and gravity waves; for engineers, it has chapters on aerodynamics and compressible flow. Of common interest are chapters on governing equations, laminar flows, boundary layers, instability, and turbulence. This book also presents topics of recent interest, such as deterministic chaos, and double-diffusive instability.
n Gives equal treatment to topics in both engineering and geophysical fluid dynamics
n Suitable as an intermediate or graduate course textbook for students in their senior year or above
n Treats topics of recent interest such as deterministic chaos, double diffusive instability and soliton
n Extensively illustrated
n Contains fully worked examples in each chapter as well as end-of-chapter problems
n An instructor's manual is available
"As reluctant as I am to change books for my graduate fluid mechanics courses...I have done it for only the third time in 25 years....Your book...is closer to the way I teach than any other text on the market."
--Ira M. Cohen, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
"This, indeed, is a very fine textbook...This is a no-nonsense book, concisely written, well balanced in its subjects of emphasis, covering a lot of territory while avoiding excess baggage. Each chapter is richly illustrated, mostly with schematic drawings, which help greatly in elucidating difficult concepts. At its very affordable price it can be highly recommended for classroom use in meteorological and engineering courses, but also as a quick refresher reference for the research meteorologist whose knowledge of fluid mechanics and dynamics has become somewhat jaded."
--METEOROLOGY & ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICS
"The book is scientifically of good quality; that is to say, the choice of subjects is appropriate, the reasoning and the mathematics are correct, the explainations are clear....I don't know of any fluid mechanics text other that Kundu's with a geophysical point of view, which is yet catholic enough to include aerodynamics and compressible flow, and none with a specifically oceanographic point of view. In addition, Kundu's text has a sound physical point of view, yet is carefully presented so as not to be too difficult mathematically. I feel very positively about this text."
--John L. Lumley, CORNELL UNIVERSITY
"An excellent introduction to fluid mechanics for students and researchers seeking a broad background on the subject. It is well written with clear and concise descriptions and derivations. The author has opted to use simplified physical explanations, rather than long involved mathematical treatments, for many complex topics and this is certainly a welcome sight....The main advantage of this book over other books on fluid mechanics is that it is very readable and easy to follow. I would strongly recommend this book for any introductory courses on fluid mechanics."
--Dr. Rabindra D. Mehta, STANFORD UNIVERSITY/NASA Ames Research Center
"Fluid Mechanics offers relief from the usual academic rigor in the form of an easy to read, enlightening and informative text. It covers much of the classical research while venturing in a logical way into the expanding field of geophysical fluid dynamics. The blend of theory, laboratory results and geophysical examples makes the book a welcome addition to the literature....Kundu's book finds niche between the advanced rigorous mathematical treatment in Pedlosky's geophysical fluid dynamical book and Batchelor's advanced more classical treatment of fluid mechanics."
--Richard Thomson, OceanPhysics Division, INSTITUTE OF OCEAN SCIENCES