Pattern Classification Using Ensemble Methods

In Methods for Luke, four leading scholars demonstrate how different interpretive methods provide insight into the Gospel of Luke. Introducing contemporary perspectives on historical criticism, feminist criticism, narrative criticism, and Latino interpretation, they illustrate these approaches to New Testament study by examining either the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) or Jesus' warning regarding the scribes and the story of the women with two small coins (Luke 20:45-21:4). The use of two 'set texts' enables readers to understand how method makes a difference in the reading of the same text.

First published in 1976, Professor Corner's study is a major work of botanical scholarship and reference. The most unsatisfactory part of the classification of dicotyledons is the arrangement of their families into orders. In these volumes the author shows how important the seed is in classification. Systems of ordinal classification based on the flower are potentially misleading in as much as floral similarity is often the effect of polyphyletic convergence. A different system of classification based on the seed is outlined. The work is the result of more than thirty years' collection and study of seeds, particularly in the tropics. The account is published in two volumes. The text in the first volume has five introductory chapters leading up to the nature of the primitive arillate seed. There then follows in alphabetical order concise descriptions of the seed in families and certain of their genera. This second volume contains more than 600 original illustrations made by the author.

First published in 1976, Professor Corner's study is a major work of botanical scholarship and reference. The most unsatisfactory part of the classification of dicotyledons is the arrangement of their families into orders. In these volumes the author shows how important the seed is in classification. Systems of ordinal classification based on the flower are potentially misleading in as much as floral similarity is often the effect of polyphyletic convergence. A different system of classification based on the seed is outlined. The work is the result of more than thirty years' collection and study of seeds, particularly in the tropics. The account is published in two volumes. The text in this first volume has five introductory chapters leading up to the nature of the primitive arillate seed. There then follows in alphabetical order concise descriptions of the seed in families and certain of their genera. The second volume contains more than 600 original illustrations made by the author.

The theory of empirical processes provides valuable tools for the development of asymptotic theory in (nonparametric) statistical models, and makes possible the unified treatment of a number of them. This book reveals the relation between the asymptotic behaviour of M-estimators and the complexity of parameter space. Virtually all results are proved using only elementary ideas developed within the book; there is minimal recourse to abstract theoretical results. To make the results concrete, a detailed treatment is presented for two important examples of M-estimation, namely maximum likelihood and least squares. The theory also covers estimation methods using penalties and sieves. Many illustrative examples are given, including the Grenander estimator, estimation of functions of bounded variation, smoothing splines, partially linear models, mixture models and image analysis. Graduate students and professionals in statistics as well as those with an interest in applications, to such area

This combination of text and lab book presents an entirely different approach to structural geology. Designed for undergraduate laboratory classes, it provides a step-by-step guide for solving geometric problems arising from structural field observations. The book discusses both traditional methods and cutting-edge approaches, with emphasis given to graphical methods and visualization techniques that support students in tackling challenging two- and three-dimensional problems. Numerous exercises encourage practice in using the techniques, and demonstrate how field observations can be converted into useful information about geological structures and the processes responsible for creating them. This updated fourth edition incorporates new material on stress, deformation, strain and flow, and the underlying mathematics of the subject. With stereonet plots and solutions to the exercises available online at www.cambridge.org/ragan, this book is a key resource for undergraduates, advanced st

Exact statistical inference may be employed in diverse fields of science and technology. As problems become more complex and sample sizes become larger, mathematical and computational difficulties can arise that require the use of approximate statistical methods. Such methods are justified by asymptotic arguments but are still based on the concepts and principles that underlie exact statistical inference. With this in perspective, this book presents a broad view of exact statistical inference and the development of asymptotic statistical inference, providing a justification for the use of asymptotic methods for large samples. Methodological results are developed on a concrete and yet rigorous mathematical level and are applied to a variety of problems that include categorical data, regression, and survival analyses. This book is designed as a textbook for advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate students in statistics, biostatistics, or applied statistics but may also be used as a

Using classical and quantum methods with a strong emphasis on symmetry principles, this book, a reissue of the 2004 second edition, develops the theory of a variety of optical activity and related phenomena from the perspective of molecular scattering of polarised light. In addition to the traditional topic of optical rotation and circular dichroism in the visible and near-ultraviolet associated with electronic transitions, the newer topic of optical activity associated with vibrational transitions, which may be studied using both infrared and Raman techniques, is also treated. Ranging from the physics of elementary particles to the structure of viruses, the subject matter of the book reflects the importance of optical activity and chirality in much of modern science and will be of interest to a wide range of physical and life scientists.

Just as each person develops from infancy to adulthood, all interpersonal relationships have a life history that encompasses the changes in how people communicate with each other. This book is about how a relationship transforms itself from one pattern of communication to another. The authors present a unique research method called 'relational-historical research', based on advances in dynamic systems theory in developmental psychology, and qualitative methods in life history research. It rests on three premises: that the developing relationship (not the individual) is the unit of analysis; that change emerges from, but is not entirely constrained by, the patterns of the past; and that the developmental process is best revealed by making frequent observations within a particular case before, during, and after a key developmental transition. Looking specifically at the mother–infant relationship, this is a compelling piece of research that will appeal to an international audience of int

A complex reflection is a linear transformation which fixes each point in a hyperplane. Intuitively, it resembles the transformation an image undergoes when it is viewed through a kaleidoscope, or arrangement of mirrors. This book gives a complete classification of all groups of transformations of n-dimensional complex space which are generated by complex reflections, using the method of line systems. In particular: irreducible groups are studied in detail, and are identified with finite linear groups; reflection subgroups of reflection groups are completely classified; the theory of eigenspaces of elements of reflection groups is discussed fully; an appendix outlines links to representation theory, topology and mathematical physics. Containing over 100 exercises ranging in difficulty from elementary to research level, this book is ideal for honours and graduate students, or for researchers in algebra, topology and mathematical physics.

Reinforced rubber allows the production of passenger car tires with improved rolling resistance and wet grip. This book provides in-depth coverage of the physics behind elastomer reinforcement, with a particular focus on the modification of polymer properties using active fillers such as carbon black and silica. The authors build a firm theoretical base through a detailed discussion of the physics of polymer chains and matrices before moving on to describe reinforcing fillers and their applications in the improvement of the mechanical properties of high-performance rubber materials. Reinforcement is explored on all relevant length scales, from molecular to macroscopic, using a variety of methods ranging from statistical physics and computer simulations to experimental techniques. Presenting numerous technological applications of reinforcement in rubber such as tire tread compounds, this book is ideal for academic researchers and professionals working in polymer science.

Translational motion in solution, either diffusion or fluid flow, is at the heart of chemical and biochemical reactivity. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) provides a powerful non-invasive technique for studying the phenomena using magnetic field gradient methods. Describing the physical basis of measurement techniques, with particular emphasis on diffusion, balancing theory with experimental observations and assuming little mathematical knowledge, this is a strong, yet accessible, introduction to the field. A detailed discussion of magnetic field gradient methods applied to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is included, alongside extensive referencing throughout, providing a timely, definitive book to the subject, ideal for researchers in the fields of physics, chemistry and biology.

Sure to be influential, this book lays the foundations for the use of algebraic geometry in statistical learning theory. Many widely used statistical models and learning machines applied to information science have a parameter space that is singular: mixture models, neural networks, HMMs, Bayesian networks, and stochastic context-free grammars are major examples. Algebraic geometry and singularity theory provide the necessary tools for studying such non-smooth models. Four main formulas are established: 1. the log likelihood function can be given a common standard form using resolution of singularities, even applied to more complex models; 2. the asymptotic behaviour of the marginal likelihood or 'the evidence' is derived based on zeta function theory; 3. new methods are derived to estimate the generalization errors in Bayes and Gibbs estimations from training errors; 4. the generalization errors of maximum likelihood and a posteriori methods are clarified by empirical process theory o

Computer vision aims to detect and reconstruct features of surfaces from the images produced by cameras, in some way mimicking the way in which humans reconstruct features of the world around them by using their eyes. In this book the authors describe research in computer vision aimed at recovering the 3D shape of surfaces from image sequences of their 'outlines'. They provide all the necessary background in differential geometry (assuming knowledge of elementary algebra and calculus) and in the analysis of visual motion, emphasising intuitive visual understanding of the geometric techniques with computer-generated illustrations. They also give a thorough introduction to the mathematical techniques and the details of the implementations and apply the methods to data from real images using the most current techniques.

In an IT world in which there are differently sized projects, with different applications, differently skilled practitioners, and on-site, off-site, and off-shored development teams, it is impossible for there to be a one-size-fits-all agile development and testing approach. This book provides practical guidance for professionals, practitioners, and researchers faced with creating and rolling out their own agile testing processes. In addition to descriptions of the prominent agile methods, the book provides twenty real-world case studies of practitioners using agile methods and draws upon their experiences to propose your own agile method; whether yours is a small, medium, large, off-site, or even off-shore project, this book provides personalized guidance on the agile best practices from which to choose to create your own effective and efficient agile method.

In an IT world in which there are differently sized projects, with different applications, differently skilled practitioners, and on-site, off-site, and off-shored development teams, it is impossible for there to be a one-size-fits-all agile development and testing approach. This book provides practical guidance for professionals, practitioners, and researchers faced with creating and rolling out their own agile testing processes. In addition to descriptions of the prominent agile methods, the book provides twenty real-world case studies of practitioners using agile methods and draws upon their experiences to propose your own agile method; whether yours is a small, medium, large, off-site, or even off-shore project, this book provides personalized guidance on the agile best practices from which to choose to create your own effective and efficient agile method.

First published in 1990, this book discusses the application of formal methods to the human-computer interface. Formal methods - the attempt to provide methods that rigourously and unambiguously describe the behaviour of a computer program or system - is receiving a great deal of attention in human-computer interaction (HCI). Topics such as the specification of a system, the construction of a system from its specification and the abstraction of a specification from an existing system, are clearly of great theoretical and practical interest. The contributors to the work are well-known in the field of HCI and their articles cover much of the work in the area. The book is a series of papers specially commissioned by the editors for the book; it is thus a coherent and important contribution to the area.

First published in 1977, this is an authoritative work by one of the world's leading ecologists. Aleksandrova's account is a very full one with much detail. The methods of classification are as interesting as the results. A wide variety of floristic, vegetational, structural, faunistic and ecological data, both qualitative and quantitative, are used to diagnose and characterise vegetation units. The vegetation of the Arctic and Antarctic is classified according to diagnostic and characteristic features. The Arctic is divided into two provinces, tundra and polar desert and the Antarctic into subantarctic herbaceous cushion vegetation and antarctic polar desert. The arctic tundra is further subdivided into subarctic with shrubby Betula (Birch) or true arctic tundra without Betula. The end result is an analysis of plant communities in the polar regions that enables ecologists to generalise and, perhaps more important, to limit correctly the scope of that generalisation when it is drawn fr

Professionals such as medical doctors, aeroplane pilots, lawyers, and technical specialists find that some of their peers have reached high levels of achievement that are difficult to measure objectively. In order to understand to what extent it is possible to learn from these expert performers for the purpose of helping others improve their performance, we first need to reproduce and measure this performance. This book is designed to provide the first comprehensive overview of research on the acquisition and training of professional performance as measured by objective methods rather than by subjective ratings by supervisors. In this collection of articles, the world's foremost experts discuss methods for assessing the experts' knowledge and review our knowledge on how we can measure professional performance and design training environments that permit beginning and experienced professionals to develop and maintain their high levels of performance, using examples from a wide range of

Professionals such as medical doctors, aeroplane pilots, lawyers, and technical specialists find that some of their peers have reached high levels of achievement that are difficult to measure objectively. In order to understand to what extent it is possible to learn from these expert performers for the purpose of helping others improve their performance, we first need to reproduce and measure this performance. This book is designed to provide the first comprehensive overview of research on the acquisition and training of professional performance as measured by objective methods rather than by subjective ratings by supervisors. In this collection of articles, the world's foremost experts discuss methods for assessing the experts' knowledge and review our knowledge on how we can measure professional performance and design training environments that permit beginning and experienced professionals to develop and maintain their high levels of performance, using examples from a wide range of

Ab initio molecular dynamics revolutionized the field of realistic computer simulation of complex molecular systems and processes, including chemical reactions, by unifying molecular dynamics and electronic structure theory. This book provides the first coherent presentation of this rapidly growing field, covering a vast range of methods and their applications, from basic theory to advanced methods. This fascinating text for graduate students and researchers contains systematic derivations of various ab initio molecular dynamics techniques to enable readers to understand and assess the merits and drawbacks of commonly used methods. It also discusses the special features of the widely used Car–Parrinello approach, correcting various misconceptions currently found in research literature. The book contains pseudo-code and program layout for typical plane wave electronic structure codes, allowing newcomers to the field to understand commonly used program packages and enabling developers to

Physical and biological systems driven out of equilibrium may spontaneously evolve to form spatial structures. In some systems molecular constituents may self-assemble to produce complex ordered structures. This book describes how such pattern formation processes occur and how they can be modeled. Experimental observations are used to introduce the diverse systems and phenomena leading to pattern formation. The physical origins of various spatial structures are discussed, and models for their formation are constructed. In contrast to many treatments, pattern-forming processes in nonequilibrium systems are treated in a coherent fashion. The book shows how near-equilibrium and far-from-equilibrium modeling concepts are often combined to describe physical systems. This inter-disciplinary book can form the basis of graduate courses in pattern formation and self-assembly. It is a useful reference for graduate students and researchers in a number of disciplines, including condensed matter sc

The River Scene is a uniquely stimulating guide to the appreciation and preservation of rivers. In this highly illustrated account, Sylvia Haslam presents a new scheme for the evaluation of river quality which can be used by a wide range of users, from amateur conservationists to water-management professionals. The book presents an overview of river ecology, looking first at the natural environment - river structure, classification and pollution. This is followed by a discussion of the cultural environment, the importance of which is often overlooked: the history, archaeology, and social and legal contexts of rivers. Dr Haslam is a leading international authority on rivers and their vegetation. By understanding the natural and cultural environments of rivers and applying the methods she describes, our awareness and appreciation of these beautiful resources can be greatly enhanced, and their conservation for the future aided.

This book presents an introduction to singular-perturbation problems, problems which depend on a parameter in such a way that solutions behave non-uniformly as the parameter tends toward some limiting value of interest. The author considers and solves a variety of problems, mostly for ordinary differential equations. He constructs (approximate) solutions for oscillation problems, using the methods of averaging and of multiple scales. For problems of the nonoscillatory type, where solutions exhibit 'fast dynamics' in a thin initial layer, he derives solutions using the O'Malley/Hoppensteadt method and the method of matched expansions. He obtains solutions for boundary-value problems, where solutions exhibit rapid variation in thin layers, using a multivariable method. After a suitable approximate solution is constructed, the author linearizes the problem about the proposed approximate solution, and, emphasizing the use of the Banach/Picard fixed-point theorem, presents a study of the li

This study discovers a pattern to Diderot's thinking, a fundamental dualism attributable largely to the attitudes and assumptions of the time and giving a common structure to his ideas and writing. Geoffrey Bremner draws widely on Diderot's works in studying his ideas on perception and action, aesthetics, ethics and politics, as well as his plays and fiction. The subtlety of the textual analysis and the analogies Dr Bremner draws provide a convincing and illuminating argument for his interpretation. He supports this but emphasising the intellectual circumstances in which Diderot wrote and demonstrating his links to other eighteenth- and seventeenth-century writers. His study will therefore make a valuable contribution to the reassessment of the period that is currently underway, as well as to the central, elusive problem presented by Diderot's thought itself.

Since economies are dynamic processes driven by creativity, social norms, and emotions as well as rational calculation, why do economists largely study them using static equilibrium models and narrow rationalistic assumptions? Economic activity is as much a function of imagination and social sentiments as of the rational optimisation of given preferences and goods. In this book, Richard Bronk argues that economists can best model and explain these creative and social aspects of markets by using new structuring assumptions and metaphors derived from the poetry and philosophy of the Romantics. By bridging the divide between literature and science, and between Romanticism and narrow forms of Rationalism, economists can access grounding assumptions, models, and research methods suitable for comprehending the creativity and social dimensions of economic activity. This is a guide to how economists and other social scientists can broaden their analytical repertoire to encompass the vital role

Since economies are dynamic processes driven by creativity, social norms, and emotions as well as rational calculation, why do economists largely study them using static equilibrium models and narrow rationalistic assumptions? Economic activity is as much a function of imagination and social sentiments as of the rational optimisation of given preferences and goods. In this book, Richard Bronk argues that economists can best model and explain these creative and social aspects of markets by using new structuring assumptions and metaphors derived from the poetry and philosophy of the Romantics. By bridging the divide between literature and science, and between Romanticism and narrow forms of Rationalism, economists can access grounding assumptions, models, and research methods suitable for comprehending the creativity and social dimensions of economic activity. This is a guide to how economists and other social scientists can broaden their analytical repertoire to encompass the vital role

The goal of this book is to provide a comprehensive and systematic introduction to the important and highly applicable method of data refinement and the simulation methods used for proving its correctness. The authors concentrate in the first part on the general principles needed to prove data refinement correct. They begin with an explanation of the fundamental notions, showing that data refinement proofs reduce to proving simulation. The book's second part contains a detailed survey of important methods in this field, which are carefully analysed, and shown to be either incomplete, with counterexamples to their application, or to be always applicable whenever data refinement holds. This is shown by proving, for the first time, that all these methods can be described and analysed in terms of two simple notions: forward and backward simulation. The book is self-contained, going from advanced undergraduate level and taking the reader to the state of the art in methods for proving simula

Vibration problems arise in the design of almost all engineering machinery and structures. Many of these problems are extremely complex but their solution is essential if a safe and satisfactory design is to be achieved. The equations of motion are often insoluble by the classical methods of the calculus and so it is necessary to approximate on order to reduce them to a set of linear equations. The use of matrices simplifies the solution of sets of linear equations. This book describes the matrix formulation of the equations of motion and techniques for the solution of matrix equations. The book describes some typical computer methods and also includes a large number of problems (with solutions) which may conveniently be solved by using a desk calculating machine.

Many research problems in cryospheric science, such as global warming-induced permafrost degradation, require information about the subsurface, which can be imaged using geophysical methods. This book is a practical guide to the application of geophysical techniques in mountainous and polar terrain, where the harsh environment and nature of the subsurface pose particular challenges. It starts with an introduction to the main geophysical methods and then demonstrates their application in periglacial environments through various case studies - written by a team of international experts. The final part of the book presents a series of reference tables with typical values of geophysical parameters for periglacial environments. This handbook is a valuable resource for glaciologists, geomorphologists and geologists requiring an introduction to geophysical techniques, as well as for geophysicists lacking experience of planning and conducting field surveys in cold regions.

Late Nineteenth-Century American Development is an economist's attempt to interpret a critical period of US history, from Civil War to World War I. The questions raised have always been at the heart of American historiography. What accounts for the retardation up to the turn of the century? How did capital markets operate and what was their influence on the pace and pattern of our growth? What determined farm performance and what impact did that performance have on the economy as a whole? Yet while the questions raised in this book are familiar, the methods are not. This book blends traditional historical analysis with general equilibrium theory, modern macroeconomics and simulation analysis. The result is a provocative book of remarkable scope which offers a fresh interpretation of late nineteenth-century American growth.

There have been substantial developments in the methodologies available for the non-destructive and non-invasive measurement of body composition in animals. By bringing together in a single volume a mix of traditional and well-established analytical methods with more modern techniques, Body Composition Analysis: A Handbook of Non-destructive Methods provides a theoretical overview of different methodologies combined with practical advice on the use of these techniques. Methods covered include the use of destructive methods of analysis, body condition indices, isotope and gas dilution methods, total body electrical conductivity, bio-impedance analysis, ultrasound scanning and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Aimed at active research workers from advanced undergraduate level upwards, this book will be of particular interest to those working in the fields of animal ecology, conservation biology, animal nutrition and physiology.

Human-Computer Interaction draws on the fields of computer science, psychology, cognitive science, and organisational and social sciences in order to understand how people use and experience interactive technology. Until now, researchers have been forced to return to the individual subjects to learn about research methods and how to adapt them to the particular challenges of HCI. This book provides a single resource through which a range of commonly used research methods in HCI are introduced. Chapters are authored by internationally leading HCI researchers who use examples from their own work to illustrate how the methods apply in an HCI context. Each chapter also contains key references to help researchers find out more about each method as it has been used in HCI. Topics covered include experimental design, use of eyetracking, qualitative research methods, cognitive modelling, how to develop new methodologies and writing up your research.

The calculus of variations has been an active area of mathematics for over 300 years. Its main use is to find stable critical points of functions for the solution of problems. To find unstable values, new approaches (Morse theory and min-max methods) were developed, and these are still being refined to overcome difficulties when applied to the theory of partial differential equations. Here, Professor Ghoussoub describes a point of view that may help when dealing with such problems. Building upon min-max methods, he systematically develops a general theory that can be applied in a variety of situations. In so doing he also presents a whole array of duality and perturbation methods. The prerequisites for following this book are relatively few; an appendix sketching certain methods in analysis makes the book reasonably self-contained. Consequently, it should be accessible to all mathematicians, pure or applied, economists and engineers working in nonlinear analysis or optimization.

Space-time coding is a technique that promises greatly improved performance in wireless networks by using multiple antennas at the transmitter and receiver. Space-Time Block Coding for Wireless Communications, first published in 2003, is an introduction to the theory of this technology. The authors develop the topic using a unified framework and cover a variety of topics ranging from information theory to performance analysis and space-time coding methods for both flat and frequency-selective fading multiple-antenna channels. The authors concentrate on key principles rather than specific practical applications, and present the material in a concise and accessible manner. Their treatment reviews the fundamental aspects of multiple-input, multiple-output communication theory, and guides the reader through a number of topics at the forefront of research and development. The book includes homework exercises and is aimed at graduate students and researchers working on wireless communication

Numerical Methods in Finance has emerged as a discipline at the intersection of probability theory, finance and numerical analysis. This book, based on lectures given at the Newton Institute as part of a broader programme, describes a wide variety of numerical methods used in financial analysis: computation of option prices, especially of American option prices, by finite difference and other methods; numerical solution of portfolio management strategies; statistical procedures; identification of models; Monte Carlo methods; and numerical implications of stochastic volatilities. Articles have been written in a pedagogic style and made reasonably self-contained, covering both mathematical matters and practical issues in numerical problems. Thus the book has something to offer economists, probabilists and applied mathematicians working in finance.

Having trouble deciding which coding scheme to employ, how to design a new scheme, or how to improve an existing system? This summary of the state-of-the-art in iterative coding makes this decision more straightforward. With emphasis on the underlying theory, techniques to analyse and design practical iterative coding systems are presented. Using Gallager's original ensemble of LDPC codes, the basic concepts are extended for several general codes, including the practically important class of turbo codes. The simplicity of the binary erasure channel is exploited to develop analytical techniques and intuition, which are then applied to general channel models. A chapter on factor graphs helps to unify the important topics of information theory, coding and communication theory. Covering the most recent advances, this text is ideal for graduate students in electrical engineering and computer science, and practitioners. Additional resources, including instructor's solutions and figures, avai

This book shows that Holocene human ecosystems are complex adaptive systems in which humans interacted with their environment in a nested series of spatial and temporal scales. Using panarchy theory, it integrates paleoecological and archaeological research from the Eastern Woodlands of North America providing a paradigm to help resolve long-standing disagreements between ecologists and archaeologists about the importance of prehistoric Native Americans as agents for ecological change. The authors present the concept of a panarchy of complex adaptive cycles as applied to the development of increasingly complex human ecosystems through time. They explore examples of ecological interactions at the level of gene, population, community, landscape and regional hierarchical scales, emphasizing the ecological pattern and process involving the development of human ecosystems. Finally, they offer a perspective on the implications of the legacy of Native Americans as agents of change for conserv

Molecular biology techniques have considerably increased our understanding of mechanisms underlying the control of flower initiation, development, function and senescence, processes which can be critically important in managing the yield of agricultural crops. The book covers the molecular and genetic control of flower morphogenesis in particular species and discusses the role and regulation of gene expression in the development, together with action of the male and female gametes in plant reproduction. The considerable variation in longevity of flowers and pattern of senescence are reviewed. The importance of ethylene in the control mechanism is discussed using examples of both ethylene-sensitive and insensitive species. The book will be vital to those researching floral physiology, and a useful reference for undergraduates studying relevant botanical courses.

This book gives a general outlook on homotopy theory; fundamental concepts, such as homotopy groups and spectral sequences, are developed from a few axioms and are thus available in a broad variety of contexts. Many examples and applications in topology and algebra are discussed, including an introduction to rational homotopy theory in terms of both differential Lie algebras and De Rham algebras. The author describes powerful tools for homotopy classification problems, particularly for the classification of homotopy types and for the computation of the group homotopy equivalences. Applications and examples of such computations are given, including when the fundamental group is non-trivial. Moreover, the deep connection between the homotopy classification problems and the cohomology theory of small categories is demonstrated. The prerequisites of the book are few: elementary topology and algebra. Consequently, this account will be valuable for non-specialists and experts alike. It is an

A study of the system of political stratification and the pattern of political alliances in rural Western Maharashtra. Based on fieldwork in a large village, a nearby market town and taluka headquarters, and political institutions in the surrounding countryside, the first half of the book is a full examination of the phenomenon of regional dominance originally described by Adrian Mayer. The second part is a detailed study of the pattern of political alliances from village to district level. Dr Carter's central concern is with the manner in which the pattern of political alliances is shaped by political stratification. Tracing the relationships between these alliances and such factors as political stratification, political arenas, caste, class, and kinship, Dr Carter demonstrates that much Indian political behaviour which has been regarded as irrational or as a sign of an immature, tradition-bound and unstable system may be understood more usefully as a rational response to the conditio