Methods

Based on the author's graduate course taught over many years in several physics departments, this 2006 book takes a 'reductionist' view of statistical mechanics, while describing the main ideas and methods underlying its applications. It implicitly assumes that the physics of complex systems as observed is connected to fundamental physical laws represented at the molecular level by Newtonian mechanics or quantum mechanics. Organised into three parts, the first section describes the fundamental principles of equilibrium statistical mechanics. The next section describes applications to phases of increasing density and order: gases, liquids and solids; it also treats phase transitions. The final section deals with dynamics, including a careful account of hydrodynamic theories and linear response theory. This textbook is suitable for a one year graduate course in statistical mechanics for physicists, chemists and chemical engineers. Problems are included following each chapter, with soluti

Advanced Dynamics is a broad and detailed description of the analytical tools of dynamics as used in mechanical and aerospace engineering. The strengths and weaknesses of various approaches are discussed, and particular emphasis is placed on learning through problem solving. The book begins with a thorough review of vectorial dynamics and goes on to cover Lagrange's and Hamilton's equations as well as less familiar topics such as impulse response, and differential forms and integrability. Techniques are described that provide a considerable improvement in computational efficiency over the standard classical methods, especially when applied to complex dynamical systems. The treatment of numerical analysis includes discussions of numerical stability and constraint stabilization. Many worked examples and homework problems are provided. The book is intended for use on graduate courses on dynamics, and will also appeal to researchers in mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Shakespeare and Social Dialogue deals with Shakespeare's language and the rhetoric of Elizabethan letters. Moving beyond claims about the language of individual Shakespearean characters, Magnusson analyses dialogue, conversation, sonnets and particularly letters of the period, which are normally read as historical documents, as the verbal negotiation of specific social and power relations. Thus, the rhetoric of service or friendship is explored in texts as diverse as Sidney family letters, Shakespearean sonnets and Burghley's state letters. The book draws on ideas from discourse analysis and linguistic pragmatics, especially 'politeness theory', relating these to key ideas in epistolary handbooks of the period, including those by Erasmus and Angel Day and demonstrates that Shakespeare's language is rooted in the everyday language of Elizabethan culture. Magnusson creates a way of reading both literary texts and historical documents which bridges the gap between the methods of new histo

Technological advances have made it possible to perform experiments, once considered to be purely gedanken, which test the counterintuitive and bizarre consequences of quantum theory. This book provides simple accounts of these experiments and an understanding of what they aim to prove and why this is important. After introducing the main theoretical concepts and problems with the foundations of quantum mechanics, early chapters discuss experiments in the areas of wave-particle duality, cavity quantum electrodynamics and quantum non-demolition measurement. The text then examines investigation of certain predictions including the Aharanov-Bohm effect, before tackling the problem of macroscopic quantum coherence. Later chapters consider methods of testing the quantum Zeno paradox, collapse, macroscopic quantum jumps, tunnelling times and Einstein-Bell non-locality. Introductions to the theory behind types of measuring devices such as micromasers and those based on the concept of quantum

This book presents a full spectrum of views on current approaches to modeling cell mechanics. The authors come from the biophysics, bioengineering and physical chemistry communities and each joins the discussion with a unique perspective on biological systems. Consequently, the approaches range from finite element methods commonly used in continuum mechanics to models of the cytoskeleton as a cross-linked polymer network to models of glassy materials and gels. Studies reflect both the static, instantaneous nature of the structure, as well as its dynamic nature due to polymerization and the full array of biological processes. While it is unlikely that a single unifying approach will evolve from this diversity, it is the hope that a better appreciation of the various perspectives will lead to a highly coordinated approach to exploring the essential problems and better discussions among investigators with differing views.

The long-awaited second edition of this well-received textbook gives a thorough introduction to observational astronomy. Starting with the basics of positional astronomy and systems of time, it continues with charts and catalogs covering both historically important publications and modern electronic databases. The book builds on a fundamental discussion of the basics of light and the effects of the atmosphere on astronomical observations. Chapters include discussions of optical telescopes, detectors, photometry, variable stars, astrometry, spectroscopy, and solar observations. This edition contains new discussions of measurements with CCDs and appendices give basic statistical methods, useful astronomical software and websites, and sources of accurate time-calibration signals. Observational Astronomy is the perfect textbook for upper level undergraduate or beginning graduate courses on astronomy. Examples based on real astronomical data are placed throughout the text. Each of the well-

The problems of making inferences about the natural world from noisy observations and imperfect theories occur in almost all scientific disciplines. This 2006 book addresses these problems using examples taken from geophysical fluid dynamics. It focuses on discrete formulations, both static and time-varying, known variously as inverse, state estimation or data assimilation problems. Starting with fundamental algebraic and statistical ideas, the book guides the reader through a range of inference tools including the singular value decomposition, Gauss-Markov and minimum variance estimates, Kalman filters and related smoothers, and adjoint (Lagrange multiplier) methods. The final chapters discuss a variety of practical applications to geophysical flow problems. Discrete Inverse and State Estimation Problems is an ideal introduction to the topic for graduate students and researchers in oceanography, meteorology, climate dynamics, and geophysical fluid dynamics. It is also accessible to a

Some studies of ancient Roman masculinities have concentrated on the private aspects of the subject, particularly sexuality, and have drawn conclusions from a narrow field of reference, usually rhetorical practice. In contrast, this 2006 book examines the public and the most important aspect of Roman masculinity: manliness as represented by the concept of virtus. Using traditional historical, philological, and archaeological analyses, together with the methods of socio-linguistics and gender studies, it presents a comprehensive picture of how Roman manliness developed from the middle to the late Republic. Arguing that virtus was not, in essence, a moral concept, Myles McDonnell shows how the semantic range of the word, together with the manly ideal that it embodied, were altered by Greek cultural ideas; and how Roman manliness was contested in the religion, culture, and politics of the late Republic.

Solitons are waves with exceptional stability properties which appear in many areas of physics. The basic properties of solitons are introduced here using examples from macroscopic physics (e.g. blood pressure pulses and fibre optical communications). The book then presents the main theoretical methods before discussing applications from solid state or atomic physics such as dislocations, excitations in spin chains, conducting polymers, ferroelectrics and Bose–Einstein condensates. Examples are also taken from biological physics and include energy transfer in proteins and DNA fluctuations. Throughout the book the authors emphasise a fresh approach to modelling nonlinearities in physics. Instead of a perturbative approach, nonlinearities are treated intrinsically and the analysis based on the soliton equations introduced in this book. Based on the authors' graduate course, this textbook gives an instructive view of the physics of solitons for students with a basic knowledge of general p

The traditional demographic regime of ancient Greece and Rome is almost entirely unknown; but our best chance for understanding its characteristics is provided by the three hundred census returns that survive on papyri from Roman Egypt. These returns, which date from the first three centuries AD, list the members of ordinary households living in the Nile valley: not only family members, but lodgers and slaves. The Demography of Roman Egypt has a complete and accurate catalogue of all demographically relevant information contained in the returns. On the basis of this catalogue, the authors use modern demographic methods and models to reconstruct the patterns of mortality, marriage, fertility and migration that are likely to have prevailed in Roman Egypt. They recreate a more or less typical Mediterranean population as it survived and prospered nearly two millennia ago.

This new edition includes an update on HIV disease/AIDS, recently developed HIV rapid tests to diagnose HIV infection and screen donor blood, and current information on antiretroviral drugs and the laboratory monitoring of antiretroviral therapy. Information on the epidemiology and laboratory investigation of other pathogens has also been brought up to date. Several new, rapid, simple to perform immunochromatographic tests to assist in the diagnosis of infectious diseases are described, including those for brucellosis, cholera, dengue, leptospirosis, syphilis and hepatitis. Recently developed lgM antibody tests to investigate typhoid fever are also described. The new classification of salmonellae has been introduced. Details of manufacturers and suppliers now include website information and e-mail addresses. The haematology and blood transfusion chapters have been updated, including a review of haemoglobin measurement methods in consideration of the high prevalence of anaemia in develo

This work is a compilation of fundamental solutions (or Green's functions) for classical or canonical problems in elastodynamics presented with a common format and notation. These formulas describe the displacements and stresses elicited by dynamic sources in solid elastic media like full spaces, half-spaces, strata and plates in both two and three dimensions, using the three major coordinate systems (Cartesian, cylindrical and spherical), and also for transient and harmonic motions. Such formulas are useful for numerical methods and practical application to problems of wave propagation in elasticity, soil dynamics, earthquake engineering, mechanical vibration, or geophysics. These formulas were heretofore only found scattered throughout the literature. The solutions are tabulated without proof, but giving reference to appropriate modern papers and books containing full derivations. Most formulas in the book have been programmed and tested within the MATLAB environment. The program lis

The authoritative reference on NEURON, the simulation environment for modeling biological neurons and neural networks that enjoys wide use in the experimental and computational neuroscience communities. This book shows how to use NEURON to construct and apply empirically based models. Written primarily for neuroscience investigators, teachers, and students, it assumes no previous knowledge of computer programming or numerical methods. Readers with a background in the physical sciences or mathematics, who have some knowledge about brain cells and circuits and are interested in computational modeling, will also find it helpful. The NEURON Book covers material that ranges from the inner workings of this program, to practical considerations involved in specifying the anatomical and biophysical properties that are to be represented in models. It uses a problem-solving approach, with many working examples that readers can try for themselves.

This graduate/research level text introduces the theory of multi-electron transitions in atomic, molecular and optical physics, emphasising the emerging topic of dynamic electron correlation. The book begins with an overview of simple binomial probabilities, classical scattering theory, quantum scattering and correlation, followed by the theory of single electron transition probabilities. Multiple electron transition probabilities are then treated in detail. Various approaches to multiple electron transitions are covered including the independent electron approximation, useful statistical methods and perturbation expansions treating correlation in both weak and strong limits. The important topic of the dynamics of electron correlation is a central theme in this book. The text contains a comprehensive summary of data for few and many-electron transitions in atoms and molecules, including transitions on different atomic centres, fast ion-atom and electron-atom interactions, and recent ob

This book focuses on the 'after-life' of historical texts in the period between the arrival of printing in England and the early eighteenth century. Whereas previous studies of historical writing during this period have focused on their authors and on their style or methodology, this work examines the history book from a number of other perspectives. The intent is to situate the study of history books within the current literature on the history of the book and the history of print culture. After discussing the process whereby the inheritance of the medieval chronicle was broken down into a variety of different historical genres during the sixteenth century, the author turns to the questions of how and why history books were read, who owned them, the borrowing and lending of them, their production and printing, and methods for marketing and distributing them.

Although the German Empire of 1871–1918 was basically an authoritarian regime, its national elections were held under a democratic franchise and characterized by vigorous election campaigning and high levels of voter turnout. In The Kaiser's Voters, Jonathan Sperber uses advanced mathematical methods to analyze the thirteen general elections held in pre-1914 Germany. These results are, however, presented in understandable, non-technical language making it suitable for those with no technical background. Refuting a number of long-held propositions about the nature of the electorate in Imperial Germany, he presents a new interpretation of voting behaviour in the formative years of the modern German political system, considers its consequences for German electoral politics in the twentieth century, and compares electoral trends in Germany with those in other European and North American countries in the age of universal suffrage.

Before matter as we know it emerged, the universe was filled with the primordial state of hadronic matter called quark–gluon plasma. This hot soup of quarks and gluons is effectively an inescapable consequence of our current knowledge about the fundamental hadronic interactions: quantum chromodynamics. This book covers the ongoing search to verify the prediction experimentally and discusses the physical properties of this novel form of matter. It begins with an overview of the subject, followed by discussion of experimental methods and results. The second half of the book covers hadronic matter in confined and deconfined form, and strangeness as a signature of the quark–gluon phase. Covering the basics as well as more advanced material, it is ideal as an introduction for graduate students, as well as providing a valuable reference for researchers already working in this and related fields.

The field of theoretical ecology has expanded dramatically in the last few years. This volume gives detailed coverage of the main developing areas in spatial ecological theory, and is written by world experts in the field. Integrating the perspective from field ecology with novel methods for simplifying spatial complexity, it offers a didactical treatment with a gradual increase in mathematical sophistication from beginning to end. In addition, the volume features introductions to those fundamental phenomena in spatial ecology where emerging spatial patterns influence ecological outcomes quantitatively. An appreciation of the consequences of this is required if ecological theory is to move on in the 21st century. Written for reseachers and graduate students in theoretical, evolutionary and spatial ecology, applied mathematics and spatial statistics, it will be seen as a ground breaking treatment of modern spatial ecological theory.

This introduction to the field of many-body atomic physics is suitable for researchers and graduate students. Drawing from three major subject areas, atomic structure, atomic photoionization, and electron-atom collisions, this book begins with an introduction to many-body diagrams, and continues with several chapters devoted to each subject area written by leading theorists in that field. Topics in atomic structure include the relativistic theory for highly charged atomic ions and calculations of parity nonconservation. Topics in atomic photoionization include single and double photoionization processes, and photoelectron angular distributions. Topics in electron-atom collisions include the theory of electron impact ionization, perturbation series methods, target dependence of the triply differential cross section, Thomas processes, R-matrix theory, close coupling, and distorted-wave theory. This coherent and carefully edited volume has been prepared by leading atomic physicists as a t

Measurement in Fluid Mechanics is an introductory general reference in experimental fluid mechanics, describing both classical and more modern methods for flow visualization and for measuring flow rate, pressure, velocity, temperature, concentration, and wall shear stress. Particularly suitable as a textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses, Measurement in Fluid Mechanics is also a valuable tool for practising engineers and applied scientists. This book is written by a single author, in a consistent and straightforward style, with plenty of clear illustrations, an extensive bibliography, and over 100 suggested exercises. Measurement in Fluid Mechanics also features extensive background materials in system response, measurement uncertainty, signal analysis, optics, fluid mechanical apparatus, and laboratory practices, which shield the reader from having to consult with a large number of primary references. Whether for instructional or reference purposes, this book is a va

This 1997 book is an introduction to the application of computer simulation and theory in the study of the interaction of energetic particles (

Backscattered Scanning Electron Microscopy (BSE) reveals the minerals, textures, and fabrics of sediments and rocks in much greater detail than is possible with conventional optical microscopy. Backscattered Scanning Electron Microscopy provides a concise summary of the BSE technique. This comprehensive guide uses abundant images to illustrate the type of information BSE yields and the application of the technique to the study of sediments and sedimentary rocks. The authors review the use of this petrographic technique on all the major sedimentary rock types, including sediment grains, sandstones, shales, carbonate rocks, rock varnish, and glauconite. They also describe image analysis techniques that allow quantification of backscattered scanning electron microscope images and illustrate the potential applications of these methods. Heavily illustrated and lucidly written, this book will provide researchers and graduate students with the most current research on this important geologica

Measuring Computer Performance sets out the fundamental techniques used in analyzing and understanding the performance of computer systems. Throughout the book, the emphasis is on practical methods of measurement, simulation, and analytical modeling. The author discusses performance metrics and provides detailed coverage of the strategies used in benchmark programmes. He gives intuitive explanations of the key statistical tools needed to interpret measured performance data. He also describes the general 'design of experiments' technique, and shows how the maximum amount of information can be obtained for the minimum effort. The book closes with a chapter on the technique of queueing analysis. Appendices listing common probability distributions and statistical tables are included, along with a glossary of important technical terms. This practically-oriented book will be of great interest to anyone who wants a detailed, yet intuitive, understanding of computer systems performance analysi

Plasticity theory is widely used to describe the behaviour of soil and rock in many engineering situations. Plasticity and Geomechanics presents a concise introduction to the general subject of plasticity with a particular emphasis on applications in geomechanics. Derived from the authors' own lecture notes, this book is written with students firmly in mind. Excessive use of mathematical methods is avoided in the main body of the text and, where possible, physical interpretations are given for important concepts. In this way the authors present a clear introduction to the complex ideas and concepts of plasticity as well as demonstrating how this developing subject is of critical importance to geomechanics and geotechnical engineering. This book therefore complements Elasticity and Geomechanics by the same authors and will appeal to graduate students and researchers in the fields of soil mechanics, foundation engineering, and geomechanics.

This book is an introduction to the physics of highly excited, easily perturbed or interacting atoms. The book begins with a brief introduction to the traditional view of electron shells and their properties, and then goes on to discuss Rydberg states, quantum defect theory, atomic f-values, centrifugal barrier effects, autoionisation, inner shell and double excitation spectra, K-matrix theory, atoms in high laser fields, statistical methods, quantum chaos, and atomic effects in solids. The emphasis is throughout on radial properties, orbital collapse, many body effects, the breakdown of the independent particle approach, the emergence of chaos, and the behaviour of atoms inside clusters and solids. A very full account of autoionisation includes not only the standard treatment for isolated resonances, but also several alternative approaches. The book discusses many experimental examples and has many diagrams and a comprehensive reference list.

The state of ecosystems, biological communities and species are continuously changing as a result of both natural processes and the activities of humans. In order to detect and understand these changes, effective ecological monitoring programmes are required. This book offers an introduction to the topic and provides both a rationale for monitoring and a practical guide to the techniques available. Written in a nontechnical style, the book covers the relevance and growth of ecological monitoring, the organizations and programmes involved, the science of ecological monitoring and an assessment of methods in practice, including many examples from monitoring programmes around the world. Building on the success of the first edition, this edition has been fully revised and updated with two additional chapters covering the relevance of monitoring to the reporting of the state of the environment, and the growth of community based ecological monitoring.

The state of ecosystems, biological communities and species are continuously changing as a result of both natural processes and the activities of humans. In order to detect and understand these changes, effective ecological monitoring programmes are required. This book offers an introduction to the topic and provides both a rationale for monitoring and a practical guide to the techniques available. Written in a nontechnical style, the book covers the relevance and growth of ecological monitoring, the organizations and programmes involved, the science of ecological monitoring and an assessment of methods in practice, including many examples from monitoring programmes around the world. Building on the success of the first edition, this edition has been fully revised and updated with two additional chapters covering the relevance of monitoring to the reporting of the state of the environment, and the growth of community based ecological monitoring.

Biodiversity is recognised to be of global importance, yet species and habitats continue to be under increasing pressure from human-induced influences. Environmental concerns are high on the political agenda, driving increased legislation to protect the natural environment. The starting point for much of this legislation is the requirement for a comprehensive biodiversity audit. For those needing to undertake such audits, this Handbook, first published in 2005, provides standard procedures which will enable practitioners to better monitor the condition of the biodiversity resource, resulting in improved data upon which to base future policy decisions and actions. Organised in three parts, the Handbook first addresses planning, covering method selection, experimental design, sampling strategy, and data analysis and evaluation. The second part describes survey, evaluation and monitoring methods for a broad range of habitats. Part three considers species and provides information on genera

Nuclear Superfluidity is an advanced text devoted exclusively to pair correlations in nuclei. It begins by exploring pair correlations in a variety of systems including superconductivity in metals at low temperatures and superfluidity in liquid 3He and in neutron stars. The book goes on to introduce basic theoretical methods, symmetry breaking and symmetry restoration in finite many-body systems. The last four chapters are devoted to introducing results on the role of induced interactions in the structure of both normal and exotic nuclei. The most important of these is the renormalization of the pairing interaction due to the coupling of pairs of nucleons to low energy nuclear collective excitations. This book will be essential reading for researchers and students in both experimental and theoretical nuclear physics, and related research fields such as metal clusters, fullerenes and quantum dots.

Aimed at advanced undergraduate and graduate students in mathematics and related disciplines, this book presents the concepts and results underlying the Bayesian, frequentist and Fisherian approaches, with particular emphasis on the contrasts between them. Computational ideas are explained, as well as basic mathematical theory. Written in a lucid and informal style, this concise text provides both basic material on the main approaches to inference, as well as more advanced material on developments in statistical theory, including: material on Bayesian computation, such as MCMC, higher-order likelihood theory, predictive inference, bootstrap methods and conditional inference. It contains numerous extended examples of the application of formal inference techniques to real data, as well as historical commentary on the development of the subject. Throughout, the text concentrates on concepts, rather than mathematical detail, while maintaining appropriate levels of formality. Each chapter

This book provides a thorough introduction to one of the most efficient approximation methods for the analysis and solution of problems in theoretical physics and applied mathematics. It is written with practical needs in mind and contains a discussion of 50 problems with solutions, of varying degrees of difficulty. The problems are taken from quantum mechanics, but the method has important applications in any field of science involving second order ordinary differential equations. The power of the asymptotic solution of second order differential equations is demonstrated, and in each case the authors clearly indicate which concepts and results of the general theory are needed to solve a particular problem. This book will be ideal as a manual for users of the phase-integral method, as well as a valuable reference text for experienced research workers and graduate students.

Microscopic organic-walled fossils are found in most sedimentary rocks. The organic particles - spores, pollens and other land and marine derived microfossils, representing animals, plants, fungi and protists - can be extracted and used to date the rock, reveal details of the original sedimentary environment and provide information on the climate of the time. The mix within a sediment of whole organic particles - palynomorphs - and organic fragments - palynodebris - form palynofacies. This book presents research work on the sedimentation of components of palynofacies and details their importance for sequence stratigraphy and the interpretation of ancient biologic and geologic environments. A comprehensive introduction to the subject is presented in the first chapter. Palynosedimentation in modern environments, the reconstruction of terrestrial vegetation and the application of the data to sequence stratigraphy are then considered. Later chapters detail various quantitative methods and

This text provides a comprehensive introduction to the physical principles and design of particle detectors, covering all major detector types in use today. The book begins with a reprise of the size and energy scales involved in different physical processes. It then considers non-destructive methods, including the photoelectric effect, photomultipliers, scintillators, Cerenkov and transition radiation, scattering and ionisation and the use of magnetic fields in drift and wire chambers. A complete chapter is devoted to silicon detectors. In the final part of the book, the author discusses destructive measurement techniques including Thompson and Compton scattering, Bremsstrahlung and calorimetry. Throughout the book, emphasis is placed on explaining the physical principles on which detection is based, and showing, by considering appropriate examples, how those principles are best utilised in real detectors. This approach also reveals the limitations that are intrinsic to different devi

This monograph describes the theory and practice of electron spectrometry using synchrotron radiation. The book is in three parts. After a short review of background theory, neon is used to elucidate the principles of the photoelectron and Auger spectra. The second part of the book looks at experimental aspects, including characteristic features of electrostatic analysers, detectors, lenses, disturbances, and optimisation, and then illustrates theory and experiment with details of recent experiments. The third part provides useful reference data, including wavefunctions, special theory, polarisation and special aspects of instrumentation. A detailed reference list completes the volume. The study of electron spectrometry using synchrotron radiation is a growing field of research driven by the increasing availability of advanced synchrotron radiation light sources and improved theoretical methods for solving the many-electron problem in atoms. This balanced account will be of value to bo

This case-based approach to geriatric medicine is suitable for all health professionals and trainees who provide care for the elderly, including interns, residents, geriatric fellows, physicians in practice, and nurse practitioners. Illustrated with more than 40 cases based on the authors' experience in clinical practice, the examples range from the healthy elderly to those with advanced cognitive or physical impairments. Discussions are evidence based with extensive references, emphasizing differential diagnosis, atypical presentations in late life, age-appropriate medical management, interdisciplinary methods, and care in the context of different health care settings. The authors have distilled a wealth of practical and clinical experience in this area to produce a user-friendly guide to geriatric medicine. This is the ideal study guide for certifying examinations and highly suitable as a textbook for courses in geriatric medicine and gerontology.

Schenker's Interpretive Practice is the first comprehensive study of this century's most influential music theorist, Heinrich Schenker. Since the 1960s, American theorists and musicologists have focused almost exclusively on analytical methods distilled from Schenker's writings. Breaking from that tradition, Robert Snarrenberg returns to Schenker's texts and to the humanist roots of his approach, situating Schenker's work in the broader context of his desire to portray the richness and particularity of musical experience. Snarrenberg concentrates on four aims that Schenker hoped to achieve: to present a theoretical account of musical effects encountered in European music of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, to represent the mindset shared among composers of that music, to convey the expressive interaction of musical effects in individual artwork, and to promote continued creative and re-creative participation in the musical tradition. Author recipient of the 1998 Young Scholar A

This book provides a self-contained introduction to cellular automata and lattice Boltzmann techniques. Beginning with a chapter introducing the basic concepts of this developing field, a second chapter describes methods used in cellular automata modeling. Following chapters discuss the statistical mechanics of lattice gases, diffusion phenomena, reaction-diffusion processes and non-equilibrium phase transitions. A final chapter looks at other models and applications, such as wave propagation and multiparticle fluids. With a pedagogic approach, the volume focuses on the use of cellular automata in the framework of equilibrium and non-equilibrium statistical physics. It also emphasises application-oriented problems such as fluid dynamics and pattern formation. The book contains many examples and problems. A glossary and a detailed bibliography are also included. This will be a valuable book for graduate students and researchers working in statistical physics, solid state physics, chemic

Drawing from a wide variety of mathematical subjects, this book aims to show how mathematics is realised in practice in the everyday world. Dozens of applications are used to show that applied mathematics is much more than a series of academic calculations. Mathematical topics covered include distributions, ordinary and partial differential equations, and asymptotic methods as well as basics of modelling. The range of applications is similarly varied, from the modelling of hair to piano tuning, egg incubation and traffic flow. The style is informal but not superficial. In addition, the text is supplemented by a large number of exercises and sideline discussions, assisting the reader's grasp of the material. Used either in the classroom by upper-undergraduate students, or as extra reading for any applied mathematician, this book illustrates how the reader's knowledge can be used to describe the world around them.

The Victorian polymath William Stanley Jevons (1835–82) is generally and rightly venerated as one of the great innovators of economic theory and method in what came to be known as the 'marginalist revolution'. This book is an investigation into the cultural and intellectual resources that Jevons drew upon to revolutionize research methods in economics. Jevons's uniform approach to the sciences was based on a firm belief in the mechanical constitution of the universe and a firm conviction that all scientific knowledge was limited and therefore hypothetical in character. Jevons's mechanical beliefs found their way into his early meteorological studies, his formal logic, and his economic pursuits. By using mechanical analogies as instruments of discovery, Jevons was able to bridge the divide between theory and statistics that had become more or less institutionalized in mid nineteenth-century Britain.

This monograph presents a comprehensive description of the theoretical foundations and experimental applications of spectroscopic methods in plasma physics research. The first three chapters introduce the classical and quantum theory of radiation, with detailed descriptions of line strengths and high density effects. The next chapter describes theoretical and experimental aspects of spectral line broadening. The following five chapters are concerned with continuous spectra, level kinetics and cross sections, thermodynamic equilibrium relations, radiative energy transfer, and radiative energy losses. The book concludes with three chapters covering the basics of various applications of plasma spectroscopy to density and temperature measurements and to the determination of some other plasma properties. Over one thousand references not only guide the reader to original research covered in the chapters, but also to experimental details and instrumentation. This will be an important text and