Basic Mathematical Insights into Astrophysics

Joel L. Schiff has a PhD in Mathematics from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). He has spent his career at the University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand and written eight books on mathematical and scientific subjects including astronomy. With colleague Wayne Walker, he helped developed the Arithmetic Fourier Transform used in signal processing. The author was also the founder publisher of the international journal Meteorite, and in 1999, he and his wife discovered a new asteroid from their backyard observatory. They named it after notable New Zealand meteorite scientist, Brian Mason. As well, the author has for years done astrometrical observations of Near-Earth Asteroids that are sent to the database maintained by the Center for Astrophysics/Harvard & Smithsonian.