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Integral Methods in Science and Engineering : Theoretical and Practical Aspects
The quantitative and qualitative study of the physical world makes use of many mathematical models governed by a great diversity of ordinary, partial differential, integral, and integro-differential equations. An essential step in such investigations is the solution of these types of equations, which sometimes can be performed analytically, while at other times only numerically. This edited, self-contained volume presents a series of state-of-the-art analytic and numerical methods of solution constructed for important problems arising in science and engineering, all based on the powerful operation of (exact or approximate) integration.It covers a wide variety of topics, from the theoretical development of boundary integral methods to the application of integration-based analytic and numerical techniques that include integral equations, finite and boundary elements, conservation laws, hybrid approaches, and other procedures.
Integral Methods in Science and Engineering : Techniques and Applications
The physical world is studied by means of mathematical models, which consist of differential, integral, and integro-differential equations accompanied by a large assortment of initial and boundary conditions. In certain circumstances, such models yield exact analytic solutions. When they do not, they are solved numerically by means of various approximation schemes. Whether analytic or numerical, these solutions share a common feature: they are constructed by means of the powerful tool of integration—the focus of this self-contained book. This work illustrates the application of integral methods to diverse problems in mathematics, physics, biology, and engineering. The thirty two chapters of the book, written by scientists with established credentials in their fields, contain state-of-the-art information on current research in a variety of important practical disciplines.
Integral closure : Rees algebras, multiplicities, algorithms
Integral Closure gives an account of theoretical and algorithmic developments on the integral closure of algebraic structures. These are shared concerns in commutative algebra, algebraic geometry, number theory and the computational aspects of these fields. The overall goal is to determine and analyze the equations of the assemblages of the set of solutions that arise under various processes and algorithms. It gives a comprehensive treatment of Rees algebras and multiplicity theory - while pointing to applications in many other problem areas. Its main goal is to provide complexity estimates by tracking numerically invariants of the structures that may occur.
Integral bridges : a fundamental approach to the time–temperature loading problem
In recent years, integral bridges have become increasingly popular in the UK. The Highways Agency standard now requires, where possible, that all new bridges with a length of less than sixty metres should be of integral form. In addition, it has been found that, due especially to the problems and costs associated with failed expansion joints, integral bridges are not only cost effective but also have a longer lifespan. Integral Bridges was commissioned by the Highways Agency to produce guidance for bridge designers by addressing the thermally induced soil/structure interaction problem created by environmental changes of temperature and the associated cyclical displacements imposed on the granular backfill to the bridge abutments. It develops a better theoretical understanding of the cyclic performance, in particular the strain racheting in the backfill soil when in contact with a stiff structure. It also identifies the governing soil parameters and examines their influence in the interaction problem, develops numerical modelling procedures to predict interactive soil behaviour, and identifies and quantifies the controlling features of bridge structures relevant to the interaction problem.
Integrable Hamiltonian Hierarchies : Spectral and Geometric Methods
This book presents a detailed derivation of the spectral properties of the Recursion Operators allowing one to derive all the fundamental properties of the soliton equations and to study their Hamiltonian hierarchies. Thus it is demonstrated that the inverse scattering method for solving soliton equations is a nonlinear generalization of the Fourier transform. The book brings together the spectral and the geometric approaches and as such will be useful to a wide readership: from researchers in the field of nonlinear completely integrable evolution equations to graduate and post-graduate students.
Integer Programming and Combinatorial Optimization ; 11th International IPCO Conference, Berlin, Germany, June 8-10, 2005, Proceedings
Since its start in 1990, the IPCO conference series (held under the auspices of theMathematicalProgrammingSociety)hasbecomeanimportantforumforthe presentation of recent results in Integer Programming and Combinatorial Op- mization. This volume compiles the papers presented at IPCO XI, the eleventh conference in this series, held June 8–10, 2005, at the Technische Universit¨ at Berlin. The high interest in this conference series is evident in the large number of submissions. For IPCO XI, 119 extended abstracts of up to 10 pages were submitted. During its meeting on January 29–30, 2005, the Program Committee carefully selected 34 contributions for presentation in non-parallel sessions at the conference. The ?nal choices were not easy at all, since, due to the limited number of time slots, many very good papers could not be accepted. During the selection process the contributions were refereed according to the standards of refereed conferences. As a result of this procedure, you have in your hands a volume that contains papers describing high-quality research e?orts. The page limit for contributions to this proceedings volume was set to 15. You may ?nd full versions of the papers in scienti?c journals in the near future. We thank all the authors who submitted papers. Furthermore, the Program Committee is indebted to the many reviewers who, with their speci?c expertise, helped a lot in making the decisions.
Insurance intermediation : An economic analysis of the information services market
Insurance intermediaries can help consumers to economize on information and transaction costs in insurance markets. However, competing intermediaries provide heterogeneous information services, which are difficult to assess by incompletely informed consumers. Conduct and performance in the market for insurance information services are analyzed by applying search theoretical and industrial organization approaches. Based on a sample of 927 insurance intermediaries, the factors that affect the quality of the information services provided by them are studied empirically. The results obtained support the main hypotheses derived from industrial organization theories as to the poor working of quality competition under incomplete and asymmetric information on the side of consumers.
Instructional Scaffolding in STEM Education : Strategies and Efficacy Evidence
This book uses meta-analysis to synthesize research on scaffolding and scaffolding-related interventions in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. Specifically, the volume examines the extent to which study quality, assessment type, and scaffolding characteristics (strategy, intended outcome, fading schedule, scaffolding intervention, and paired intervention) influence cognitive student outcomes. It includes detailed descriptions of the theoretical foundations of scaffolding, scaffolding strategies that have been proposed to meet different intended learning outcomes in STEM, and associated efficacy information. Furthermore, the book describes assessment strategies and study designs which can be used to evaluate the influence of scaffolding, and suggests new fields in which scaffolding strategies that have proven efficacious may be used.
Institutions, Sustainability, and Natural Resources : Institutions for Sustainable Forest Management
A new economic theory, rather than a new public policy based on old theory, is needed to guide humanity toward sustainability. Institutions are a critical dimension of sustainability and sustainable forest management, and economic analysis of institutional dimension requires an inclusionist rather than an exclusionist approach. This book provides a systematic critique of neoclassical economic approaches and their limitations with respect to sustainability. Leading institutional economists discuss theoretical perspectives about appropriate institutions for sustainable forest management, markets for environmental services, deforestation and specialization, and some country experiences about Kyoto Protocol, international trade, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable forest management in general. The book includes the ideas from old as well as new institutional economics and discusses the main features of Post-Newtonian economics.This book follows a companion book, Economics, Sustainability, and Natural Resources: Economics of Sustainable Forest Management, volume 1 of the series.
Institutions, Equilibria and Efficiency: Essays in Honor of Birgit Grodal
Competition and efficiency is at the core of economic theory. This volume collects papers of leading scholars, which extend the conventional general equilibrium model in important ways: Efficiency and price regulation are studied when markets are incomplete and existence of equilibria in such settings is proven under very general preference assumptions. The model is extended to include geographical location choice, a commodity space incorporating manufacturing imprecision and preferences for club-membership, schools and firms.
Institution-independent Model Theory
A model theory that is independent of any concrete logical system allows a general handling of a large variety of logics. This generality can be achieved by applying the theory of institutions that provides a precise mathematical formulation for the intuitive concept of a logical system. Especially in computer science, where the development of a huge number of specification logics is observable, institution-independent model theory simplifies and sometimes even enables a concise model-theoretic analysis of the system. Besides incorporating important methods and concepts from conventional model theory, the proposed top-down methodology allows for a structurally clean understanding of model-theoretic phenomena. As a consequence, results from conventional concrete model theory can be understood more easily, and sometimes even new results are obtained.
Insights into the pharmaceutical and clinical applications of nanoparticles in cancer therapy
Healthcare has long been on a quest for a ‘magic bullet’ to cure the dreaded disease cancer. As this book shows, nanoparticles perfectly fit the bill with their promising characteristics. Meticulously engineered nanostructures, with a useful drug or molecule, target a specific cancer in unique ways. However, as with many targeted systems, the effectiveness of the system needs to be weighed against the adverse effects. The toxicity of nanoparticles has been a worldwide concern, and evidence-based medicine analyses nanostructures for proof of safety and their efficacy in killing cancer cells. This book gives a fresh perspective on a wealth of diverse nanotechnological advances for various cancers.
Inside/outside Islamic art and architecture: a cartography of boundaries in and of the field
When we walk into a gallery, we have a fairly good idea where the building begins and ends; and inside, while observing a painting, we are equally confident in distinguishing between the painting-proper and its frame and borders. Yet, things are often more complicated. A building defines an exterior space just as much as an interior, and what we perceive to be ornamental and marginal to a given painting may in fact be central to what it represents. In this volume, a simple question is presented: instead of dichotomous separations between inside and outside, or exterior and interior, what other relationships can we think of? The first book of its kind to grapple with this question, Inside/Outside Islamic Art and Architecture focuses on a wide spectrum of mediums and topics, including painted manuscripts, objects, architectural decoration, architecture and urban planning, and photography. Bringing together scholars with diverse methodologies-who work on a geographical span stretching from India to Spain and Nigeria, and across a temporal spectrum from the thirteenth to the twenty-first century-this original book also poses engaging questions about the boundaries of the field.
Insects and Ecosystem Function
In the past two decades, an increasing number of ecologists have started to investigate the importance of biodiversity for ecological processes such as energy flow and nutrient cycling, often referred to as 'ecosystem functioning'. Insects are a dominant component of biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems and play a key role in mediating the relationship between plants and ecosystem processes. This volume is the first to summarize their effects on ecosystem functioning, focusing mainly, but not exclusively, on herbivorous insects. Renowned authors with extensive experience in the field of plant-insect interactions, contribute to the volume using examples from their own work. In addition to providing concise reviews of the field, this volume discusses in detail the advantages and disadvantages of various techniques of manipulating insect herbivory. Thus, the text provides both a theoretical basis as well as practical advice for future manipulative studies of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning.
Insecticides Design Using Advanced Technologies
Among the highlights of this book are the use of nanotechnology to increase potency of available insecticides, the use of genetic engineering techniques for controlling insect pests, the development of novel insecticides that bind to unique biochemical receptors, the exploration of natural products as a source for environmentally acceptable insecticides, and the use of insect genomics and cell lines for determining biological and biochemical modes of action of new insecticides.
Insect Conservation and Islands
A series of original papers and reviews dealing with the peculiarities of island insects and their conservation in many parts of the world. Contributions to this special issue of Journal of Insect Conservation range from biogeographical analyses andecological features of island insects and their evolution to the variety of concerns for their wellbeing, and practical conservation through a variety of, sometimes novel, approaches. They provide a valuable and up-to-date resource for entomologists and conservation practitioners.
Inorganic Polymeric Nanocomposites and Membranes
This series presents critical reviews of the present and future trends in polymer and biopolymer science including chemistry, physical chemistry, physics and materials science. It is addressed to all scientists at universities and in industry who wish to keep abreast of advances in the topics covered.This Book reviews different methods of synthesis of polysilalkylene or silarylene siloxanes that are sometimes called "hybrid" silicones. This special type of silicone has been developed to avoid the drawback of the depolymerization of classical polysiloxanes in certain conditions and to obtain elastomers with enhanced thermal and fuel resistance properties.
Innovative Internet Community Systems ; Vol. 3473 ; 4th International Workshop, IICS 2004, Guadalajara, Mexico, June 21-23, 2004. Revised Papers
This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed postproceedings of the 4th International Workshop on Innovative Internet Community Systems, IICS 2004, held in Guadalajara, Mexico, in June 2004. The 25 revised full papers presented together with 2 invited papers have been carefully reviewed. They focus mainly on system-oriented problems, text processing, and theoretical foundations of distributed and Internet systems. They also deal with speed and quality-of-service problems of Internet protocols, aspects of cooperation and collaboration in Internet systems, as well as agent and text-processing-based methods. In addition, 9 papers stem from two mini-workshops, one on computational epidemiology and the other on optimization of urban traffic systems.
Innovations in plastic and aesthetic surgery
The book is structured according to the major fields of plastic surgery, and the reader is thus offered insight into the most significant contributions to the international community, as well as into new developments, tricks, and refinements in the field.
Innovations in Machine Learning : Theory and Applications
Machine learning is currently one of the most rapidly growing areas of research in computer science. In compiling this volume we have brought together contributions from some of the most prestigious researchers in this field. This book covers the three main learning systems; symbolic learning, neural networks and genetic algorithms as well as providing a tutorial on learning casual influences. Each of the nine chapters is self-contained. Both theoreticians and application scientists/engineers in the broad area of artificial intelligence will find this volume valuable. It also provides a useful sourcebook for Postgraduate since it shows the direction of current research.
