Page 12 - Appplied Mathematics for the Petroleum and Other Industries, 5th Edition

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Foreword

Employees, students, and others who are involved in the petroleum and other
industries are discovering that operation of their facilities includes equipment,
products, and systems requiring knowledge of mathematics. From the simplest
valve to the automated operation of sophisticated production systems, math-
ematics is an integral part of understanding how they function. To quote Lord
Kelvin from an earlier era,
When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in
numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure
it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a
meagre and unsatisfactory kind; it may be the beginning of knowledge,
but you have scarcely, in your thoughts, advanced to the stage of science,
whatever the matter may be.

The original intent of this work was to provide a basic reference for field
employees in the oil and gas industry who had little or no mathematical back-
ground. It has now grown to the point that personnel in many industries require
knowledge of math as a means of understanding system operation as well as
designing, maintaining, and troubleshooting equipment.
This new edition is designed to provide both a text and reference source in
one book that covers basic mathematics as well as advanced technology. Handheld
calculators are available with basic mathematic functions as well as specialized
functions (such as exponents, logic functions, trigonometric functions, etc.), and
use of these is suggested as the book is studied.
When used as a refresher course in elementary mathematics, it is assumed
that the user will refer to those chapters where review is needed. Practice prob-
lems and self-tests are provided to assist the learners in testing their skills in the
appropriate areas.
When used as a technical reference, the book gives basic guidelines and
examples in a number of mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical areas that are
commonly found in the field.
PETEX encourages those studying this book to communicate to us any
suggestions or improvements you may find for consideration to be included in
future revisions.

Will L. McNair, P. E.

Petroleum Extension-The University of Texas at Austin

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