This book introduces acoustic wave theories using a reader-friendly matrix-based linear algebra approach. It will enable the reader to take advantage of software tools such as MATLAB (commercial codes) and OCTAVE (open-source codes) to gain better and deeper understanding of the underlying physics quickly. In this aspect, this text can be regarded as a practical introduction of the acoustic wave theories in an easy-to-follow linear algebra format using matrix manipulations instead of an abstract approach relying on tensor manipulations. The book also uses case studies to demonstrate how the fundamentals on acoustic waves discussed throughout the book are applied in device designs and analyses such that the connections and interdependences between the underlying sciences and the observed behavior and performances can be better appreciated by the reader. To achieve this, all problems for illustrations, examples, case studies, and device analyses are developed and solved based on the mathematical foundations laid out in the book.

Guigen Zhang is Professor, Halcomb Endowed Chair, and Chair of the F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D. Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Kentucky, USA. He is a fellow of Biomaterials Science and Engineering, fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and president (2021–2022) of the Society for Biomaterials. He holds a BS in applied mechanics, MS in mechanical engineering, and PhD in bioengineering. Prof. Zhang has pursued research to advance biomedical innovation through integrated experimentation and computation. He has published extensively in the areas of biosensors, biomechanics, biological materials, and composite biomaterials. His research has been funded by diverse funding sources ranging from the National Institutes for Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to venture groups, state-level funds, and industry. Prof. Zhang holds numerous patents and has authored and edited five books, including this one.