The contributions included in the volume are drawn from presentations at ODS2019 - International Conference on Optimization and Decision Science, which was the 49th annual meeting of the Italian Operations Research Society (AIRO) held at Genoa, Italy, on 4-7 September 2019. This book presents very recent results in the field of Optimization and Decision Science. While the book is addressed primarily to the Operations Research (OR) community, the interdisciplinary contents ensure that it will also be of very high interest for scholars and researchers from many scientific disciplines, including computer sciences, economics, mathematics, and engineering. Operations Research is known as the discipline of optimization applied to real-world problems and to complex decision-making fields. The focus is on mathematical and quantitative methods aimed at determining optimal or near-optimal solutions in acceptable computation times. This volume not only presents theoretical results but also covers real industrial applications, making it interesting for practitioners facing decision problems in logistics, manufacturing production, and services. Readers will accordingly find innovative ideas from both a methodological and an applied perspective.

This reference text, now in its second edition, offers a modern unifying presentation of three basic areas of nonlinear analysis: convex analysis, monotone operator theory, and the fixed point theory of nonexpansive operators. Taking a unique comprehensive approach, the theory is developed from the ground up, with the rich connections and interactions between the areas as the central focus, and it is illustrated by a large number of examples. The Hilbert space setting of the material offers a wide range of applications while avoiding the technical difficulties of general Banach spaces. The authors have also drawn upon recent advances and modern tools to simplify the proofs of key results making the book more accessible to a broader range of scholars and users. Combining a strong emphasis on applications with exceptionally lucid writing and an abundance of exercises, this text is of great value to a large audience including pure and applied mathematicians as well as researchers in engineering, data science, machine learning, physics, decision sciences, economics, and inverse problems. The second edition of Convex Analysis and Monotone Operator Theory in Hilbert Spaces greatly expands on the first edition, containing over 140 pages of new material, over 270 new results, and more than 100 new exercises. It features a new chapter on proximity operators including two sections on proximity operators of matrix functions, in addition to several new sections distributed throughout the original chapters. Many existing results have been improved, and the list of references has been updated. Heinz H. Bauschke is a Full Professor of Mathematics at the Kelowna campus of the University of British Columbia, Canada. Patrick L. Combettes, IEEE Fellow, was on the faculty of the City University of New York and of Universite Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 before joining North Carolina State University as a Distinguished Professor of Mathematics in 2016.

This book includes 58 selected articles that highlight the major contributions of Professor Radha Charan Gupta-a doyen of history of mathematics-written on a variety of important topics pertaining to mathematics and astronomy in India. It is divided into ten parts. Part I presents three articles offering an overview of Professor Gupta's oeuvre. The four articles in Part II convey the importance of studies in the history of mathematics. Parts III-VII constituting 33 articles, feature a number of articles on a variety of topics, such as geometry, trigonometry, algebra, combinatorics and spherical trigonometry, which not only reveal the breadth and depth of Professor Gupta's work, but also highlight his deep commitment to the promotion of studies in the history of mathematics. The ten articles of part VIII, present interesting bibliographical sketches of a few veteran historians of mathematics and astronomy in India. Part IX examines the dissemination of mathematical knowledge across different civilisations. The last part presents an up-to-date bibliography of Gupta's work. It also includes a tribute to him in Sanskrit composed in eight verses.

This textbook explores probability and stochastic processes at a level that does not require any prior knowledge except basic calculus. It presents the fundamental concepts in a step-by-step manner, and offers remarks and warnings for deeper insights. The chapters include basic examples, which are revisited as the new concepts are introduced. To aid learning, figures and diagrams are used to help readers grasp the concepts, and the solutions to the exercises and problems. Further, a table format is also used where relevant for better comparison of the ideas and formulae. The first part of the book introduces readers to the essentials of probability, including combinatorial analysis, conditional probability, and discrete and continuous random variable. The second part then covers fundamental stochastic processes, including point, counting, renewal and regenerative processes, the Poisson process, Markov chains, queuing models and reliability theory. Primarily intended for undergraduate engineering students, it is also useful for graduate-level students wanting to refresh their knowledge of the basics of probability and stochastic processes.

This textbook provides an introduction to the combinatorial and statistical aspects of commutative algebra with an emphasis on binomial ideals. In addition to thorough coverage of the basic concepts and theory, it explores current trends, results, and applications of binomial ideals to other areas of mathematics. The book begins with a brief, self-contained overview of the modern theory of Groebner bases and the necessary algebraic and homological concepts from commutative algebra. Binomials and binomial ideals are then considered in detail, along with a short introduction to convex polytopes. Chapters in the remainder of the text can be read independently and explore specific aspects of the theory of binomial ideals, including edge rings and edge polytopes, join-meet ideals of finite lattices, binomial edge ideals, ideals generated by 2-minors, and binomial ideals arising from statistics. Each chapter concludes with a set of exercises and a list of related topics and results that will complement and offer a better understanding of the material presented. Binomial Ideals is suitable for graduate students in courses on commutative algebra, algebraic combinatorics, and statistics. Additionally, researchers interested in any of these areas but familiar with only the basic facts of commutative algebra will find it to be a valuable resource.

This volume contains eight survey articles based on the invited lectures given at the 27th British Combinatorial Conference, held at the University of Birmingham in July 2019. This biennial conference is a well-established international event, with speakers from around the world. The volume provides an up-to-date overview of current research in several areas of combinatorics, including graph theory, cryptography, matroids, incidence geometries and graph limits. Each article is clearly written and assumes little prior knowledge on the part of the reader. The authors are some of the world's foremost researchers in their fields, and here they summarise existing results and give a unique preview of cutting-edge developments. The book provides a valuable survey of the present state of knowledge in combinatorics, and will be useful to researchers and advanced graduate students, primarily in mathematics but also in computer science and statistics.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 19th International Workshop on Combinatorial Image Analysis, IWCIA 2018, held in Porto, Portugal, in November 2018. The 18 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 32 submissions. The papers are grouped into two sections. The first one includes nine papers devoted to theoretical foundations of combinatorial image analysis, including digital geometry and topology, array grammars, tilings and patterns, discrete geometry in non-rectangular grids, and other technical tools for image analysis. The second part includes nine papers presenting application-driven research on topics such as discrete tomography, image segmentation, texture analysis, and medical imaging.

Approximate groups have shot to prominence in recent years, driven both by rapid progress in the field itself and by a varied and expanding range of applications. This text collects, for the first time in book form, the main concepts and techniques into a single, self-contained introduction. The author presents a number of recent developments in the field, including an exposition of his recent result classifying nilpotent approximate groups. The book also features a considerable amount of previously unpublished material, as well as numerous exercises and motivating examples. It closes with a substantial chapter on applications, including an exposition of Breuillard, Green and Tao's celebrated approximate-group proof of Gromov's theorem on groups of polynomial growth. Written by an author who is at the forefront of both researching and teaching this topic, this text will be useful to advanced students and to researchers working in approximate groups and related areas.

Algorithmic Aspects of Graph Connectivity is the first comprehensive book on this central notion in graph and network theory, emphasizing its algorithmic aspects. Because of its wide applications in the fields of communication, transportation, and production, graph connectivity has made tremendous algorithmic progress under the influence of the theory of complexity and algorithms in modern computer science. The book contains various definitions of connectivity, including edge-connectivity and vertex-connectivity, and their ramifications, as well as related topics such as flows and cuts. The authors thoroughly discuss new concepts and algorithms that allow for quicker and more efficient computing, such as maximum adjacency ordering of vertices. Covering both basic definitions and advanced topics, this book can be used as a textbook in graduate courses in mathematical sciences, such as discrete mathematics, combinatorics, and operations research, and as a reference book for specialists in discrete mathematics and its applications.

Graduate students and researchers in applied mathematics, optimization, engineering, computer science, and management science will find this book a useful reference which provides an introduction to applications and fundamental theories in nonlinear combinatorial optimization. Nonlinear combinatorial optimization is a new research area within combinatorial optimization and includes numerous applications to technological developments, such as wireless communication, cloud computing, data science, and social networks. Theoretical developments including discrete Newton methods, primal-dual methods with convex relaxation, submodular optimization, discrete DC program, along with several applications are discussed and explored in this book through articles by leading experts.

This monograph is designed to be an in-depth introduction to domination in graphs. It focuses on three core concepts: domination, total domination, and independent domination. It contains major results on these foundational domination numbers, including a wide variety of in-depth proofs of selected results providing the reader with a toolbox of proof techniques used in domination theory. Additionally, the book is intended as an invaluable reference resource for a variety of readerships, namely, established researchers in the field of domination who want an updated, comprehensive coverage of domination theory; next, researchers in graph theory who wish to become acquainted with newer topics in domination, along with major developments in the field and some of the proof techniques used; and, graduate students with interests in graph theory, who might find the theory and many real-world applications of domination of interest for masters and doctoral thesis topics. The focused coverage also provides a good basis for seminars in domination theory or domination algorithms and complexity. The authors set out to provide the community with an updated and comprehensive treatment on the major topics in domination in graphs. And by Jove, they've done it! In recent years, the authors have curated and published two contributed volumes: Topics in Domination in Graphs, (c) 2020 and Structures of Domination in Graphs, (c) 2021. This book rounds out the coverage entirely. The reader is assumed to be acquainted with the basic concepts of graph theory and has had some exposure to graph theory at an introductory level. As graph theory terminology sometimes varies, a glossary of terms and notation is provided at the end of the book.

This book offers a detailed introduction to graph theoretic methods in profinite groups and applications to abstract groups. It is the first to provide a comprehensive treatment of the subject. The author begins by carefully developing relevant notions in topology, profinite groups and homology, including free products of profinite groups, cohomological methods in profinite groups, and fixed points of automorphisms of free pro-p groups. The final part of the book is dedicated to applications of the profinite theory to abstract groups, with sections on finitely generated subgroups of free groups, separability conditions in free and amalgamated products, and algorithms in free groups and finite monoids. Profinite Graphs and Groups will appeal to students and researchers interested in profinite groups, geometric group theory, graphs and connections with the theory of formal languages. A complete reference on the subject, the book includes historical and bibliographical notes as well as a discussion of open questions and suggestions for further reading.

This book surveys the state-of-the-art in the theory of combinatorial games, that is games not involving chance or hidden information. Enthusiasts will find a wide variety of exciting topics, from a trailblazing presentation of scoring to solutions of three piece ending positions of bidding chess. Theories and techniques in many subfields are covered, such as universality, Wythoff Nim variations, misere play, partizan bidding (a.k.a. Richman games), loopy games, and the algebra of placement games. Also included are an updated list of unsolved problems, extremely efficient algorithms for taking and breaking games, a historical exposition of binary numbers and games by David Singmaster, chromatic Nim variations, renormalization for combinatorial games, and a survey of temperature theory by Elwyn Berlekamp, one of the founders of the field. The volume was initiated at the Combinatorial Game Theory Workshop, January 2011, held at the Banff International Research Station.

This book highlights cutting-edge research in the field of network science, offering scientists, researchers, students, and practitioners a unique update on the latest advances in theory and a multitude of applications. It presents the peer-reviewed proceedings of the XI International Conference on Complex Networks and their Applications (COMPLEX NETWORKS 2022). The carefully selected papers cover a wide range of theoretical topics such as network models and measures; community structure, network dynamics; diffusion, epidemics, and spreading processes; resilience and control as well as all the main network applications, including social and political networks; networks in finance and economics; biological and neuroscience networks and technological networks.

This book provides the basis of a formal language and explores its possibilities in the characterization of multiplex networks. Armed with the formalism developed, the authors define structural metrics for multiplex networks. A methodology to generalize monoplex structural metrics to multiplex networks is also presented so that the reader will be able to generalize other metrics of interest in a systematic way. Therefore, this book will serve as a guide for the theoretical development of new multiplex metrics. Furthermore, this Brief describes the spectral properties of these networks in relation to concepts from algebraic graph theory and the theory of matrix polynomials. The text is rounded off by analyzing the different structural transitions present in multiplex systems as well as by a brief overview of some representative dynamical processes. Multiplex Networks will appeal to students, researchers, and professionals within the fields of network science, graph theory, and data science.

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-conference proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Combinatorial Optimization, ISCO 2018, held in Marrakesh, Marocco, in April 2018. The 35 revised full papers presented in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 75 submissions. The symposium aims to bring together researchers from all the communities related to combinatorial optimization, including algorithms and complexity, mathematical programming and operations research.

The most recent methods in various branches of lattice path and enumerative combinatorics along with relevant applications are nicely grouped together and represented in this research contributed volume. Contributions to this edited volume will be mainly research articles however it will also include several captivating, expository articles (along with pictures) on the life and mathematical work of leading researchers in lattice path combinatorics and beyond. There will be four or five expository articles in memory of Shreeram Shankar Abhyankar and Philippe Flajolet and honoring George Andrews and Lajos Takacs. There may be another brief article in memory of Professors Jagdish Narayan Srivastava and Joti Lal Jain. New research results include the kernel method developed by Flajolet and others for counting different classes of lattice paths continues to produce new results in counting lattice paths. The recent investigation of Fishburn numbers has led to interesting counting interpretations and a family of fascinating congruences. Formulas for new methods to obtain the number of Fq-rational points of Schubert varieties in Grassmannians continues to have research interest and will be presented here. Topics to be included are far reaching and will include lattice path enumeration, tilings, bijections between paths and other combinatoric structures, non-intersecting lattice paths, varieties, Young tableaux, partitions, enumerative combinatorics, discrete distributions, applications to queueing theory and other continuous time models, graph theory and applications. Many leading mathematicians who spoke at the conference from which this volume derives, are expected to send contributions including. This volume also presents the stimulating ideas of some exciting newcomers to the Lattice Path Combinatorics Conference series; "The 8th Conference on Lattice Path Combinatorics and Applications" provided opportunities for new collaborations; some of the products of these collaborations will also appear in this book. This book will have interest for researchers in lattice path combinatorics and enumerative combinatorics. This will include subsets of researchers in mathematics, statistics, operations research and computer science. The applications of the material covered in this edited volume extends beyond the primary audience to scholars interested queuing theory, graph theory, tiling, partitions, distributions, etc. An attractive bonus within our book is the collection of special articles describing the top recent researchers in this area of study and documenting the interesting history of who, when and how these beautiful combinatorial results were originally discovered.

This is the first in a series of volumes, which provide an extensive overview of conjectures and open problems in graph theory. The readership of each volume is geared toward graduate students who may be searching for research ideas. However, the well-established mathematician will find the overall exposition engaging and enlightening. Each chapter, presented in a story-telling style, includes more than a simple collection of results on a particular topic. Each contribution conveys the history, evolution, and techniques used to solve the authors' favorite conjectures and open problems, enhancing the reader's overall comprehension and enthusiasm. The editors were inspired to create these volumes by the popular and well attended special sessions, entitled "My Favorite Graph Theory Conjectures," which were held at the winter AMS/MAA Joint Meeting in Boston (January, 2012), the SIAM Conference on Discrete Mathematics in Halifax (June,2012) and the winter AMS/MAA Joint meeting in Baltimore(January, 2014). In an effort to aid in the creation and dissemination of open problems, which is crucial to the growth and development of a field, the editors requested the speakers, as well as notable experts in graph theory, to contribute to these volumes.

This book concentrates on the modern theory of dynamical systems and its interactions with number theory and combinatorics. The greater part begins with a course in analytic number theory and focuses on its links with ergodic theory, presenting an exhaustive account of recent research on Sarnak's conjecture on Moebius disjointness. Selected topics involving more traditional connections between number theory and dynamics are also presented, including equidistribution, homogenous dynamics, and Lagrange and Markov spectra. In addition, some dynamical and number theoretical aspects of aperiodic order, some algebraic systems, and a recent development concerning tame systems are described.

This book builds on two recently published books by the same authors on fuzzy graph theory. Continuing in their tradition, it provides readers with an extensive set of tools for applying fuzzy mathematics and graph theory to social problems such as human trafficking and illegal immigration. Further, it especially focuses on advanced concepts such as connectivity and Wiener indices in fuzzy graphs, distance, operations on fuzzy graphs involving t-norms, and the application of dialectic synthesis in fuzzy graph theory. Each chapter also discusses a number of key, representative applications. Given its approach, the book provides readers with an authoritative, self-contained guide to - and at the same time an inspiring read on - the theory and modern applications of fuzzy graphs. For newcomers, the book also includes a brief introduction to fuzzy sets, fuzzy relations and fuzzy graphs.

A series of important applications of combinatorics on words has emerged with the development of computerized text and string processing. The aim of this volume, the third in a trilogy, is to present a unified treatment of some of the major fields of applications. After an introduction that sets the scene and gathers together the basic facts, there follow chapters in which applications are considered in detail. The areas covered include core algorithms for text processing, natural language processing, speech processing, bioinformatics, and areas of applied mathematics such as combinatorial enumeration and fractal analysis. No special prerequisites are needed, and no familiarity with the application areas or with the material covered by the previous volumes is required. The breadth of application, combined with the inclusion of problems and algorithms and a complete bibliography will make this book ideal for graduate students and professionals in mathematics, computer science, biology and linguistics.

This text is intended for an honors calculus course or for an introduction to analysis. Involving rigorous analysis, computational dexterity, and a breadth of applications, it is ideal for undergraduate majors. This third edition includes corrections as well as some additional material. Some features of the text include: The text is completely self-contained and starts with the real number axioms; The integral is defined as the area under the graph, while the area is defined for every subset of the plane; There is a heavy emphasis on computational problems, from the high-school quadratic formula to the formula for the derivative of the zeta function at zero; There are applications from many parts of analysis, e.g., convexity, the Cantor set, continued fractions, the AGM, the theta and zeta functions, transcendental numbers, the Bessel and gamma functions, and many more; Traditionally transcendentally presented material, such as infinite products, the Bernoulli series, and the zeta functional equation, is developed over the reals; and There are 385 problems with all the solutions at the back of the text.

This volume contains nine survey articles based on plenary lectures given at the 28th British Combinatorial Conference, hosted online by Durham University in July 2021. This biennial conference is a well-established international event, attracting speakers from around the world. Written by some of the foremost researchers in the field, these surveys provide up-to-date overviews of several areas of contemporary interest in combinatorics. Topics discussed include maximal subgroups of finite simple groups, Hasse-Weil type theorems and relevant classes of polynomial functions, the partition complex, the graph isomorphism problem, and Borel combinatorics. Representing a snapshot of current developments in combinatorics, this book will be of interest to researchers and graduate students in mathematics and theoretical computer science.

Discrete mathematics has been rising in prominence in the past fifty years, both as a tool with practical applications and as a source of new and interesting mathematics. The topics in discrete mathematics have become so well developed that it is easy to forget that common threads connect the different areas, and it is through discovering and using these connections that progress is often made. For over fifty years, Ron Graham has been able to illuminate some of these connections and has helped to bring the field of discrete mathematics to where it is today. To celebrate his contribution, this volume brings together many of the best researchers working in discrete mathematics, including Fan Chung, Erik D. Demaine, Persi Diaconis, Peter Frankl, Alfred W. Hales, Jeffrey C. Lagarias, Allen Knutson, Janos Pach, Carl Pomerance, N. J. A. Sloane, and of course, Ron Graham himself.

This book is the second edition of the third and last volume of a treatise on projective spaces over a finite field, also known as Galois geometries. This volume completes the trilogy comprised of plane case (first volume) and three dimensions (second volume). This revised edition includes much updating and new material. It is a mostly self-contained study of classical varieties over a finite field, related incidence structures and particular point sets in finite n-dimensional projective spaces. General Galois Geometries is suitable for PhD students and researchers in combinatorics and geometry. The separate chapters can be used for courses at postgraduate level.