This book provides a comprehensive and systematic approach to the study of the qualitative theory of boundedness, periodicity, and stability of Volterra difference equations. The book bridges together the theoretical aspects of Volterra difference equations with its applications to population dynamics. Applications to real-world problems and open-ended problems are included throughout. This book will be of use as a primary reference to researchers and graduate students who are interested in the study of boundedness of solutions, the stability of the zero solution, or in the existence of periodic solutions using Lyapunov functionals and the notion of fixed point theory.

Inverse Problems are found in many areas of engineering mechanics and there are many successful applications e.g. in non-destructive testing and characterization of material properties by ultrasonic or X-ray techniques, thermography, etc. Generally speaking, inverse problems are concerned with the determination of the input and the characteristics of a system, given certain aspects of its output. Mathematically, such problems are ill-posed and have to be overcome through development of new computational schemes, regularization techniques, objective functionals, and experimental procedures.
This volume contains a selection of peer-reviewed papers presented at the International Symposium on Inverse Problems in Engineering Mechanics (ISIP2001), held in February of 2001 in Nagano, Japan, where recent development in inverse problems in engineering mechanics and related topics were discussed.
The following general areas in inverse problems in engineering mechanics were the subjects of the ISIP2001: mathematical and computational aspects of inverse problems, parameter or system identification, shape determination, sensitivity analysis, optimization, material property characterization, ultrasonic non-destructive testing, elastodynamic inverse problems, thermal inverse problems, and other engineering applications. These papers can provide a state-of-the-art review of the research on inverse problems in engineering mechanics.

This monograph provides a concise overview of the main theoretical and numerical tools to solve homogenization problems in solids with finite elements. Starting from simple cases (linear thermal case) the problems are progressively complexified to finish with nonlinear problems. The book is not an overview of current research in that field, but a course book, and summarizes established knowledge in this area such that students or researchers who would like to start working on this subject will acquire the basics without any preliminary knowledge about homogenization. More specifically, the book is written with the objective of practical implementation of the methodologies in simple programs such as Matlab. The presentation is kept at a level where no deep mathematics are required.

This book is a self-contained account of the method based on Carleman estimates for inverse problems of determining spatially varying functions of differential equations of the hyperbolic type by non-overdetermining data of solutions. The formulation is different from that of Dirichlet-to-Neumann maps and can often prove the global uniqueness and Lipschitz stability even with a single measurement. These types of inverse problems include coefficient inverse problems of determining physical parameters in inhomogeneous media that appear in many applications related to electromagnetism, elasticity, and related phenomena. Although the methodology was created in 1981 by Bukhgeim and Klibanov, its comprehensive development has been accomplished only recently. In spite of the wide applicability of the method, there are few monographs focusing on combined accounts of Carleman estimates and applications to inverse problems. The aim in this book is to fill that gap. The basic tool is Carleman estimates, the theory of which has been established within a very general framework, so that the method using Carleman estimates for inverse problems is misunderstood as being very difficult. The main purpose of the book is to provide an accessible approach to the methodology. To accomplish that goal, the authors include a direct derivation of Carleman estimates, the derivation being based essentially on elementary calculus working flexibly for various equations. Because the inverse problem depends heavily on respective equations, too general and abstract an approach may not be balanced. Thus a direct and concrete means was chosen not only because it is friendly to readers but also is much more relevant. By practical necessity, there is surely a wide range of inverse problems and the method delineated here can solve them. The intention is for readers to learn that method and then apply it to solving new inverse problems.

'This book offers one of the few places where a collection of results from the literature can be found ... The book has an extensive bibliography ... It is very nice to have the compendium of results that is presented here.'zbMATHA mathematical billiard is a mechanical system consisting of a billiard ball on a table of any form (which can be planar or even a multidimensional domain) but without billiard pockets. The ball moves and its trajectory is defined by the ball's initial position and its initial speed vector. The ball's reflections from the boundary of the table are assumed to have the property that the reflection and incidence angles are the same. This book comprehensively presents known results on the behavior of a trajectory of a billiard ball on a planar table (having one of the following forms: circle, ellipse, triangle, rectangle, polygon and some general convex domains). It provides a systematic review of the theory of dynamical systems, with a concise presentation of billiards in elementary mathematics and simple billiards related to geometry and physics.The description of these trajectories leads to the solution of various questions in mathematics and mechanics: problems related to liquid transfusion, lighting of mirror rooms, crushing of stones in a kidney, collisions of gas particles, etc. The analysis of billiard trajectories can involve methods of geometry, dynamical systems, and ergodic theory, as well as methods of theoretical physics and mechanics, which has applications in the fields of biology, mathematics, medicine, and physics.

This book provides a comprehensive review of complex networks from three different domains, presents novel methods for analyzing them, and highlights applications with accompanying case studies. Special emphasis is placed on three specific kinds of complex networks of high technological and scientific importance: software networks extracted from the source code of computer programs, ontology networks describing semantic web ontologies, and co-authorship networks reflecting collaboration in science. The book is primarily intended for researchers, teachers and students interested in complex networks and network data analysis. However, it will also be valuable for researchers dealing with software engineering, ontology engineering and scientometrics, as it demonstrates how complex network analysis can be used to address important research issues in these three disciplines.

This book collects recent advances in the field of nonlinear dynamics in biological systems. Focusing on medical applications as well as more fundamental questions in biochemistry, it presents recent findings in areas such as control in chemically driven reaction-diffusion systems, electrical wave propagation through heart tissue, neural network growth, chiral symmetry breaking in polymers and mechanochemical pattern formation in the cytoplasm, particularly in the context of cardiac cells. It is a compilation of works, including contributions from international scientists who attended the "2nd BCAM Workshop on Nonlinear Dynamics in Biological Systems," held at the Basque Center for Applied Mathematics, Bilbao in September 2016. Embracing diverse disciplines and using multidisciplinary approaches - including theoretical concepts, simulations and experiments - these contributions highlight the nonlinear nature of biological systems in order to be able to reproduce their complex behavior. Edited by the conference organizers and featuring results that represent recent findings and not necessarily those presented at the conference, the book appeals to applied mathematicians, biophysicists and computational biologists.

This book provides a tutorial in the use of Altair Compose and Altair Activate, software packages that provide system modeling and simulation facilities. Advanced system modeling software provide multiple ways of creating models: models can be programmed in specialized languages, graphically constructed as block-diagrams and state machines, or expressed mathematically in equation-based languages. Compose and Activate are introduced in this text in two parts. The first part introduces the multi-language environment of Compose and its use for modeling, simulation and optimization. The second describes the graphical system modeling and optimization with Activate, an open-system environment providing signal-based modeling as well as physical system component-based modeling. Throughout both parts are applied examples from mechanical, biological, and electrical systems, as well as control and signal processing systems. This book will be an invaluable addition with many examples both for those just interested in OML and those doing industrial scale modeling, simulation, and design. All examples are worked using the free basic editions of Activate and Compose that are available.

This book presents, in a uniform way, several problems in applied mechanics, which are analysed using the matrix theory and the properties of eigenvalues and eigenvectors. It reveals that various problems and studies in mechanical engineering produce certain patterns that can be treated in a similar way. Accordingly, the same mathematical apparatus allows us to study not only mathematical structures such as quadratic forms, but also mechanics problems such as multibody rigid mechanics, continuum mechanics, vibrations, elastic and dynamic stability, and dynamic systems. In addition, the book explores a wealth of engineering applications.

Hardbound. J. Neyman, one of the pioneers in laying the foundations of modern statistical theory, stressed the importance of stochastic processes in a paper written in 1960 in the following terms: Currently in the period of dynamic indeterminism in science, there is hardly a serious piece of research, if treated realistically, does not involve operations on stochastic processes. Arising from the need to solve practical problems, several major advances have taken place in the theory of stochastic processes and their applications. Books by Doob (1953; J. Wiley and Sons), Feller (1957, 1966; J. Wiley and Sons) and Loeve (1960; D. van Nostrand and Col., Inc.) among others, have created growing awareness and interest in the use of stochastic processes in scientific and technological studies.The literature on stochastic processes is very extensive and is distributed in several books and journals. There is a need to review the different lines of

This book demonstrates Microsoft EXCEL(R)-based Fourier transform of selected physics examples, as well as describing spectral density of the auto-regression process in relation to Fourier transform. Rather than offering rigorous mathematics, the book provides readers with an opportunity to gain an understanding of Fourier transform through the examples. They will acquire and analyze their own data following the step-by-step procedure outlined, and a hands-on acoustic spectral analysis is suggested as the ideal long-term student project.

A Deep Dive into NoSQL Databases: The Use Cases and Applications, Volume 109, the latest release in the Advances in Computers series first published in 1960, presents detailed coverage of innovations in computer hardware, software, theory, design and applications. In addition, it provides contributors with a medium in which they can explore their subjects in greater depth and breadth. This update includes sections on NoSQL and NewSQL databases for big data analytics and distributed computing, NewSQL databases and scalable in-memory analytics, NoSQL web crawler application, NoSQL Security, a Comparative Study of different In-Memory (No/New)SQL Databases, NoSQL Hands On-4 NoSQLs, the Hadoop Ecosystem, and more.

A partnership between SIAM and COMAP, Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Mathematical Modeling Education (GAIMME) enables the modeling process to be understood as part of STEM studies and research, and taught as a basic tool for problem solving and logical thinking. GAIMME helps define core competencies to include in student experiences, and provides direction to enhance math modeling education at all levels. A mix of professionals wrote and reviewed to present various levels and perspectives. The GAIMME report is a freely downloadable report from both SIAM and COMAP's websites.

Numerical and computational methods play a major role in modelling compressible flow and are important tools in solving fluid dynamical problems faced in many areas of science and technology. This book thoroughly surveys and analyzes up-to-date methods, while reviewing the basic theoretical mathematical analysis.

Domain theory is a subject that emerged as a response to natural concerns in the semantics of computation, and it involves the study of ordered sets that possess an unusual amount of mathematical structure. Disorder in Domain Theory explores the connection between domain theory and quantum information science and the concept that relates them: disorder.

This book investigates a wide range of phase equilibrium modelling and calculation problems for compositional thermal simulation. Further, it provides an effective solution for multiphase isenthalpic flash under the classical framework, and it also presents a new flash calculation framework for multiphase systems, which can handle phase equilibrium and chemical reaction equilibrium simultaneously. The framework is particularly suitable for systems with many phases and reactions. In this book, the author shows how the new framework can be generalised for different flash specifications and different independent variables. Since the flash calculation is at the heart of various types of compositional simulation, the findings presented here will promote the combination of phase equilibrium and chemical equilibrium calculations in future simulators, aiming at improving their robustness and efficiency.

This book includes a collection of articles that present recent developments in the fields of optimization and dynamic game theory, economic dynamics, dynamic theory of the firm, and population dynamics and non standard applications of optimal control theory. The authors of the articles are well respected authorities in their fields and are known for their high quality research in the fields of optimization and economic dynamics.

This book presents the state-of-the-art in supercomputer simulation. It includes the latest findings from leading researchers using systems from the High Performance Computing Center Stuttgart (HLRS) in 2017. The reports cover all fields of computational science and engineering ranging from CFD to computational physics and from chemistry to computer science with a special emphasis on industrially relevant applications. Presenting findings of one of Europe's leading systems, this volume covers a wide variety of applications that deliver a high level of sustained performance.The book covers the main methods in high-performance computing. Its outstanding results in achieving the best performance for production codes are of particular interest for both scientists and engineers. The book comes with a wealth of color illustrations and tables of results.

"Difference Equations, Second Edition," presents a practical introduction to this important field of solutions for engineering and the physical sciences. Topic coverage includes numerical analysis, numerical methods, differential equations, combinatorics and discrete modeling. A hallmark of this revision is the diverse application to many subfields of mathematics.

* Phase plane analysis for systems of two linear equations
* Use of equations of variation to approximate solutions
* Fundamental matrices and Floquet theory for periodic systems
* LaSalle invariance theorem
* Additional applications: secant line method, Bison problem, juvenile-adult population model, probability theory
* Appendix on the use of "Mathematica" for analyzing difference equaitons
* Exponential generating functions
* Many new examples and exercises

This thesis describes the structures of six-dimensional (6d) superconformal field theories and its torus compactifications. The first half summarizes various aspects of 6d field theories, while the latter half investigates torus compactifications of these theories, and relates them to four-dimensional superconformal field theories in the class, called class S. It is known that compactifications of 6d conformal field theories with maximal supersymmetries provide numerous insights into four-dimensional superconformal field theories. This thesis generalizes the story to the theories with smaller supersymmetry, constructing those six-dimensional theories as brane configurations in the M-theory, and highlighting the importance of fractionalization of M5-branes. This result establishes new dualities between the theories with eight supercharges.

This book encompasses a wide range of mathematical concepts relating to regularly repeating surface decoration from basic principles of symmetry to more complex issues of graph theory, group theory and topology. It presents a comprehensive means of classifying and constructing patterns and tilings. The classification of designs is investigated and discussed forming a broad basis upon which designers may build their own ideas. A wide range of original illustrative material is included.
In a complex area previously best understood by mathematicians and crystallographers, the author develops and applies mathematical thinking to the context of regularly repeating surface-pattern design in a manner accessible to artists and designers. Design construction is covered from first principles through to methods appropriate for adaptation to large-scale screen-printing production. The book extends mathematical thinking beyond symmetry group classification. New ideas are developed involving motif orientation and positioning, including reference to a crystal structure, leading on to the classification and construction of discrete patterns and isohedral tilings.
Designed to broaden the scope of surface-pattern designers by increasing their knowledge in otherwise impenetrable theory of geometry this 'designer friendly' book serves as a manual for all types of surface design including textiles, wallpapers and wrapping paper. It is also of value to crystallographers, mathematicians and architects.

This book describes in detail the various theories on the shape of the Earth from classical antiquity to the present day and examines how measurements of its form and dimensions have evolved throughout this period. The origins of the notion of the sphericity of the Earth are explained, dating back to Eratosthenes and beyond, and detailed attention is paid to the struggle to establish key discoveries as part of the cultural heritage of humanity. In this context, the roles played by the Catholic Church and the philosophers of the Middle Ages are scrutinized. Later contributions by such luminaries as Richer, Newton, Clairaut, Maupertuis, and Delambre are thoroughly reviewed, with exploration of the importance of mathematics in their geodetic enterprises. The culmination of progress in scientific research is the recognition that the reference figure is not a sphere but rather a geoid and that the earth's shape is oblate. Today, satellite geodesy permits the solution of geodetic problems by means of precise measurements. Narrating this fascinating story from the very beginning not only casts light on our emerging understanding of the figure of the Earth but also offers profound insights into the broader evolution of human thought.

This book contains the proceedings of the Seventh National Conference of the Italian Systems Society. The title, Systemics of Incompleteness and Quasi-Systems, aims to underline the need for Systemics and Systems Science to deal with the concepts of incompleteness and quasiness. Classical models of Systemics are intended to represent comprehensive aspects of phenomena and processes. They consider the phenomena in their temporal and spatial completeness. In these cases, possible incompleteness in the modelling is assumed to have a provisional or practical nature, which is still under study, and because there is no theoretical reason why the modelling cannot be complete. In principle, this is a matter of non-complex phenomena, to be considered using the concepts of the First Systemics. When dealing with emergence, there are phenomena which must be modelled by systems having multiple models, depending on the aspects being taken into consideration. Here, incompleteness in the modelling is intrinsic, theoretically relating changes in properties, structures, and status of system. Rather than consider the same system parametrically changing over time, we consider sequences of systems coherently. We consider contexts and processes for which modelling is incomplete, being related to only some properties, as well as those for which such modelling is theoretically incomplete-as in the case of processes of emergence and for approaches considered by the Second Systemics. In this regard, we consider here the generic concept of quasi explicating such incompleteness. The concept of quasi is used in various disciplines including quasi-crystals, quasi-particles, quasi-electric fields, and quasi-periodicity. In general, the concept of quasiness for systems concerns their continuous structural changes which are always meta-stable, waiting for events to collapse over other configurations and possible forms of stability; whose equivalence depends on the type of phenomenon under study. Interest in the concept of quasiness is not related to its meaning of rough approximation, but because it indicates an incompleteness which is structurally sufficient to accommodate processes of emergence and sustain coherence or generate new, equivalent or non-equivalent, levels. The conference was devoted to identifying, discussing and understanding possible interrelationships of theoretical disciplinary improvements, recognised as having prospective fundamental roles for a new Quasi-Systemics. The latter should be able to deal with problems related to complexity in more general and realistic ways, when a system is not always a system and not always the same system. In this context, the inter-disciplinarity should consist, for instance, of a constructionist, incomplete, non-ideological, multiple, contradiction-tolerant, Systemics, always in progress, and in its turn, emergent.