Distributed-Order Dynamic Systems

Distributed-order differential equations, a generalization of fractional calculus, are of increasing importance in many fields of science and engineering from the behaviour of complex dielectric media

?In order to precisely model real-life systems or man-made devices, both nonlinear and dynamic properties need to be taken into account. The generic, black-box model based on Volterra and Wiener serie

Originally published in 2002, this book presents techniques in the application of formal methods to object-based distributed systems. A major theme of the book is how to formally handle the requirements arising from OO distributed systems, such as dynamic reconfiguration, encapsulation, subtyping, inheritance, and real-time aspects. These may be supported either by enhancing existing notations, such as UML, LOTOS, SDL and Z, or by defining fresh notations, such as Actors, Pi-calculus and Ambients. The major specification notations and modelling techniques are introduced and compared by leading researchers. The book also includes a description of approaches to the specification of non-functional requirements, and a discussion of security issues. Researchers and practitioners in software design, object-oriented computing, distributed systems, and telecommunications systems will gain an appreciation of the relationships between the major areas of concerns and learn how the use of object-o

This 2006 book presents a systematic introduction to the theory of parametric stability of structures under both deterministic and stochastic loadings. A comprehensive range of theories are presented and various application problems are formulated and solved, often using more than one approach. Investigation of an elastic system's dynamic stability frequently leads to the study of dynamic behaviour of the solutions of parametrically excited systems. Parametric instability or resonance is more dangerous than ordinary resonance as it is characterised by exponential growth of the response amplitudes even in the presence of damping. The emphasis in this book is on the applications and various analytical and numerical methods for solving engineering problems. The materials presented are as self-contained as possible, with all of the important steps of analysis provided in order to make the book suitable as a graduate-level textbook and especially for self-study.

Engineers and scientists need powerful formalisms to make conceptual models of systems in order to analyse and design them. These models can be used to verify the behaviour of the systems, or as an executable specification of them. In this textbook, Professor van Hee concentrates on discrete dynamic systems, e.g. computer hardware, and information and logistical systems. He develops an integrated formalism which can be used as a prototyping language. It has three components: Petri nets, extended with time, token values and hierarchy; a specification language that is a subset of Z; and a binary data model, extended with complex objects. Much attention is paid to methods for constructing models of systems and analysing their behaviour, i.e. putting the theory into practice. The text is designed for use by advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students, in computer science, electrical and industrial engineering, or applied mathematics; indeed, it is based on courses taught by the

The world is increasingly populated with interactive agents distributed in space, real or abstract. These agents can be artificial, as in computing systems that manage and monitor traffic or health; or they can be natural, e.g. communicating humans, or biological cells. It is important to be able to model networks of agents in order to understand and optimise their behaviour. Robin Milner describes in this book just such a model, by presenting a unified and rigorous structural theory, based on bigraphs, for systems of interacting agents. This theory is a bridge between the existing theories of concurrent processes and the aspirations for ubiquitous systems, whose enormous size challenges our understanding. The book is reasonably self-contained mathematically, and is designed to be learned from: examples and exercises abound, solutions for the latter are provided. Like Milner's other work, this is destined to have far-reaching and profound significance.

Distributed parameter systems encompass a broad range of engineering applications from stereo speakers to space structures. The dynamic behaviour of these systems is usually governed by one or more partial differential equations, which may accurately represent the physical system but are often difficult to solve exactly. Research in the dynamics and control of distributed parameter structural systems has grown dramatically in recent years, owing in part to the increasing complexity of these systems. Emerging technologies such as smart materials and mechatronics have contributed to growth in interest. The purpose of this book is to document progress in both theory and practical applications. Chapters discuss simulation, modelling, and analysis techniques used to investigate a variety of elastic, electromechanical and acoustic systems. With contributions by leading authorities, this book will serve as a resource for researchers and graduate students and also as a useful reference for pra

Semantic Leaps explores how people combine knowledge from different domains in order to understand and express new ideas. Concentrating on dynamic aspects of on-line meaning construction, Coulson identifies two related sets of processes: frame-shifting and conceptual blending. Frame-shifting is semantic reanalysis in which existing elements in the contextual representation are reorganized into a new frame. Conceptual blending is a set of cognitive operations for combining partial cognitive models. By addressing linguistic phenomena often ignored in traditional meaning research, Coulson explains how processes of cross-domain mapping, frame-shifting and conceptual blending enhance the explanatory adequacy of traditional frame-based systems for natural language processing. The focus is on how the constructive processes speakers use to assemble, link and adapt simple cognitive models underlie a broad range of productive language behaviour.

Heterogeneous catalysis is widely used in chemical, refinery, and pollution-control processes. For this reason, achieving optimal performance of catalysts is a significant issue for chemical engineers and chemists. This book addresses the question of how catalytic material should be distributed inside a porous support in order to obtain optimal performance. It treats single and multiple reaction systems, isothermal and nonisothermal conditions, pellets, monoliths, fixed-bed reactors, and membrane reactors. The effects of physicochemical and operating parameters are analyzed to gain insight into the underlying phenomena governing the performance of optimally designed catalysts. Throughout, the authors offer a balanced treatment of theory and experiment. Particular attention is given to problems of commercial importance. With its thorough treatment of the design, preparation, and utilization of supported catalysts, this book will be an ideal resource for graduate students, researchers, a

Dynamics of the Atmosphere consists of two parts: the first presenting the mathematical tools needed for a thorough understanding of the topics covered in the second part of the book. The second part begins with the derivation of the equation describing the atmospheric motion on the rotating earth. Subjects tackled in subsequent chapters include kinematics of the atmosphere (including vorticity and circulation theorems), wave motion in the atmosphere, inertial and dynamic stability, and turbulent systems in the atmosphere. Finally, newer methods of weather prediction, such as the spectral technique and the stochastic dynamic method, are introduced in order to demonstrate their potential for extending the forecasting range. Complete with numerous exercise sets and solutions, this textbook has been written for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of meteorology and other related sciences. It may also be used as a reference source by professional meteorologists and researchers in

In the last twenty to thirty years, a new way to understand complex systems has emerged in the natural sciences - an approach often called non-linear dynamics, dynamical systems theory, or chaos theory. This perspective has allowed scientists to trace the emergence of order from disorder and complex, higher-order forms from interactions among lower-order constituents. This is called self-organization, and is thought to be responsible for change and continuity in physical, biological, and social systems. Recently, principles of self-organizing dynamic systems have been imported into psychology, especially developmental psychology, where they have helped us reconceptualize basic processes in motor and cognitive development. Emotion, Development, and Self-Organization is the first book to apply these principles to emotional development. The contributors address fundamental issues such as the biological bases of emotion and development, relations between cognition and emotion in real time

Polarization in Western democracies and the collapse of centrally planned economies have led to calls for a redefinition of the state's core functions. This volume explores shifting conceptions of constitutional political economy anchoring the state from the viewpoints of theory, systems, and applications. It suggests why changes may be desirable and how these might be implemented. Part I addresses the writing of constitutions, the dynamic between constitutional order and civil society, the struggle between competitive and protectionist interests, the conflict between protecting expectations and moral evolution, and the role of cultural explanations of constitutional development patterns. Part II explores the interplay between electoral systems and constitutional engineering, the internal costs of political coalitions, and campaigns in pluralistic elections. Part III investigates the quest for stable, dynamic federal states with particular attention to opportunities and pitfalls in Eur

Although the complexity and capability of flight simulators have matched the growth of aerospace technology, there has until now been no textbook dealing specifically with the design and construction of flight simulators. This is a primary purpose of Flight Simulation. Written in collaboration with a number of internationally known specialists, the book considers the subject in three sections. Firstly it introduces the concept of simulation in order to identify the essential elements which make up the modern flight simulator. The development of these elements is also traced through the historical evolution of flight simulation. The main section of the book commences with an exposition of the mathematical models into dynamic physical devices capable of representing the response of a specific aircraft and its systems. The simulation of the flight environment is also covered in relation to cockpit motion systems and methods of representing the external visual scene. Another important aspe

This classic offers detailed, thorough discussions of linear systems, nonlinear conservative systems, dynamic systems with a first-order differential equation, dynamic systems of the second order, fun

The question why certain kinds of legal institutions are found in certain kinds of societies has been little explored by anthropologists. In this book Katherine Newman examines a sample of some sixty different preindustrial societies, distributed across the world, in an attempt to explain why their legal systems vary. The key to understanding this variation, Professor Newman argues, is to be found in economic organization. Adopting a Marxian, or materialist, approach, she draws on original ethnographic sources for each culture in order to investigate how legal processes and institutions regulate basic aspects of economic life in societies with differing types of economic organization. She also examines the commonalities of law within various preindustrial 'modes of production' and shows that the patterning of legal institutions arises from underlying tensions in production systems. In offering an explanation of the distribution of legal institutions across preindustrial societies, as w

Table of Contents:I. Single Degree of Freedom Systems1. Equations of Motion, Problem Statement, and Solution Methods2. Free Vibration3. Response to Harmonic and Periodic Excitations4. Response to Arbitrary, Step, and Pulse Excitations5. Numerical Evaluation of Dynamic Response6. Earthquake Response of Linear Systems7. Earthquake Response of Inelastic Systems8. Generalized Single-Degree-of-Freedom SystemsII. Multi Degree of Freedom Systems9. Equations of Motion, Problem Statement, and Solution Methods10. Free Vibration11. Damping in Structures12. Dynamic Analysis and Response of Linear Systems13. Earthquake Analysis of Linear Systems14. Analysis of Nonclassically Damped Linear Systems15. Reduction of Degrees of Freedom16. Numerical Evaluation of Dynamic Response17. Systems with Distributed Mass and Elasticity18. Introduction to the Finite Element Method III. Earthquake Response, Design, and Evaluation of Multistory Buildings19. Earthquake Response of Linearly Elastic Buildings20. E