* Phase plane analysis for systems of two linear equations * Use of equations of variation to approximate solutions * Fundamental matrices and Floquet theory for periodic systems * LaSalle invariance theorem * Additional applications: secant line method, Bison problem, juvenile-adult population model, probability theory * Appendix on the use of Mathematica for analyzing difference equaitons * Exponential generating functions * Many new examples and exercises

Difference Equations, Second Edition, presents a practical introduction to this important field of solutions for engineering and the physical sciences. Topic coverage includes numerical analysis, numerical methods, differential equations, combinatorics and discrete modeling. A hallmark of this revision is the diverse application to many subfields of mathematics.