Including contributions from leading experts in the field, this book covers applications and developments of heuristic search methods for solving complex optimization problems. The book covers various local search strategies including genetic algorithms, simulated annealing, tabu search and hybrids thereof. These methods have proved extraordinarily successful by solving some of the most difficult, real-world problems. At the interface between Artificial Intelligence and Operational Research, research in this exciting area is progressing apace spurred on by the needs of industry and commerce. The introductory chapter provides a clear overview of the basic techniques and useful pointers to further reading and to current research. The second section of the book covers some of the most recent and exciting developments of the basic techniques, with suggestions not only for extending and improving these but also for hybridizing and incorporating automatic adaption. The third section contains a number of case studies, surveys and comparative studies which span a wide range of application areas ranging from the classic Steiner tree problem to more practical problems arising in telecommunications and data analysis. The coverage of the latest research and the illustrative case studies will ensure that the book is invaluable for researchers and professionals with an interest in heuristic search methods.

This thesis describes the stand-alone discovery and measurement of the Higgs boson in its decays to two W bosons using the Run-I ATLAS dataset. This is the most precise measurement of gluon-fusion Higgs boson production and is among the most significant results attained at the LHC. The thesis provides an exceptionally clear exposition on a complicated analysis performed by a large team of researchers. Aspects of the analysis performed by the author are explained in detail; these include new methods for evaluating uncertainties on the jet binning used in the analysis and for estimating the background due to associated production of a W boson and an off-shell photon. The thesis also describes a measurement of the WW cross section, an essential background to Higgs boson production. The primary motivation of the LHC was to prove or disprove the existence of the Higgs boson. In 2012, CERN announced this discovery and the resultant ATLAS publication contained three decay channels: gg, ZZ, and WW.

This book contains the elaborated and updated versions of the 24 lectures given at the 43rd Saas-Fee Advanced Course. Written by four eminent scientists in the field, the book reviews the physical processes related to star formation, starting from cosmological down to galactic scales. It presents a detailed description of the interstellar medium and its link with the star formation. And it describes the main numerical computational techniques designed to solve the equations governing self-gravitating fluids used for modelling of galactic and extra-galactic systems. This book provides a unique framework which is needed to develop and improve the simulation techniques designed for understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies. Presented in an accessible manner it contains the present day state of knowledge of the field. It serves as an entry point and key reference to students and researchers in astronomy, cosmology, and physics.

This thesis develops a nested sampling algorithm into a black box tool for directly calculating the partition function, and thus the complete phase diagram of a material, from the interatomic potential energy function. It represents a significant step forward in our ability to accurately describe the finite temperature properties of materials. In principle, the macroscopic phases of matter are related to the microscopic interactions of atoms by statistical mechanics and the partition function. In practice, direct calculation of the partition function has proved infeasible for realistic models of atomic interactions, even with modern atomistic simulation methods. The thesis also shows how the output of nested sampling calculations can be processed to calculate the complete PVT (pressure-volume-temperature) equation of state for a material, and applies the nested sampling algorithm to calculate the pressure-temperature phase diagrams of aluminium and a model binary alloy.

This book fills an important gap in studies on D. D. Kosambi. For the first time, the mathematical work of Kosambi is described, collected and presented in a manner that is accessible to non-mathematicians as well. A number of his papers that are difficult to obtain in these areas are made available here. In addition, there are essays by Kosambi that have not been published earlier as well as some of his lesser known works. Each of the twenty four papers is prefaced by a commentary on the significance of the work, and where possible, extracts from technical reviews by other mathematicians.

Quantum Field Theory has become the universal language of most modern theoretical physics. This introductory textbook shows how this beautiful theory offers the correct mathematical framework to describe and understand the fundamental interactions of elementary particles. The book begins with a brief reminder of basic classical field theories, electrodynamics and general relativity, as well as their symmetry properties, and proceeds with the principles of quantisation following Feynman's path integral approach. Special care is used at every step to illustrate the correct mathematical formulation of the underlying assumptions. Gauge theories and the problems encountered in their quantisation are discussed in detail. The last chapters contain a full description of the Standard Model of particle physics and the attempts to go beyond it, such as grand unified theories and supersymmetry. Written for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in physics and mathematics, the book could also serve as a reference for active researchers in the field.

This unique collection of research papers offers a comprehensive and up-to-date guide to algebraic approaches to rough sets and reasoning with vagueness. It bridges important gaps, outlines intriguing future research directions, and connects algebraic approaches to rough sets with those for other forms of approximate reasoning. In addition, the book reworks algebraic approaches to axiomatic granularity. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable resource for researchers and teachers in the areas of rough sets and algebras of rough sets, algebraic logic, non classical logic, fuzzy sets, possibility theory, formal concept analysis, computational learning theory, category theory, and other formal approaches to vagueness and approximate reasoning. Consultants in AI and allied fields will also find the book to be of great practical value.

This thesis discusses the random Euclidean bipartite matching problem, i.e., the matching problem between two different sets of points randomly generated on the Euclidean domain. The presence of both randomness and Euclidean constraints makes the study of the average properties of the solution highly relevant. The thesis reviews a number of known results about both matching problems and Euclidean matching problems. It then goes on to provide a complete and general solution for the one dimensional problem in the case of convex cost functionals and, moreover, discusses a potential approach to the average optimal matching cost and its finite size corrections in the quadratic case. The correlation functions of the optimal matching map in the thermodynamical limit are also analyzed. Lastly, using a functional approach, the thesis puts forward a general recipe for the computation of the correlation function of the optimal matching in any dimension and in a generic domain.

Many open questions in Theoretical Physics pertain to strongly interacting quantum systems such as the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) produced in heavy-ion collisions or the strange-metal phase observed in many high-temperature superconductors. These systems are notoriously difficult to study using traditional methods such as perturbation theory, but the gauge/gravity duality offers a successful alternative approach, which maps strongly interacting quantum gauge theories to computationally tractable, classical gravity theories. This book begins with a pedagogical introduction to how the duality can be used to extract transport properties of quantum systems from their gravity dual. It then presents new results on hydrodynamic transport in strongly interacting quantum fluids, providing strong evidence that the Haack-Yarom identity between second-order transport coefficients holds for all fluids with a classical gravity dual and may be a universal feature of all strongly coupled quantum fluids such as the QGP. Newly derived Kubo formulae, expressing transport coefficients in terms of quantum correlators, hold independently of the duality. Lastly, the book discusses new results on magnetic impurities in strongly correlated metals, including the first dual gravity description of an inter-impurity coupling, crucial for the quantum criticality underlying the strange-metal phase.

This book presents and discusses the state of the art and future perspectives in mathematical modeling and homogenization techniques with the focus on addressing key physiological issues in the context of multiphase healthy and malignant biological materials. The highly interdisciplinary content brings together contributions from scientists with complementary areas of expertise, such as pure and applied mathematicians, engineers, and biophysicists. The book also features the lecture notes from a half-day introductory course on asymptotic homogenization. These notes are suitable for undergraduate mathematics or physics students, while the other chapters are aimed at graduate students and researchers.

This book uses art photography as a point of departure for learning about physics, while also using physics as a point of departure for asking fundamental questions about the nature of photography as an art. Although not a how-to manual, the topics center around hands-on applications, most-often illustrated by photographic processes that are inexpensive and easily accessible to students (including a versatile new process developed by the author, and herein first described in print). A central theme is the connection between the physical interaction of light and matter on the one hand, and the artistry of the photographic processes and their results on the other. Geometry and the Nature of Light focuses on the physics of light and the optics of lenses, but also includes extended discussions of topics less commonly covered in a beginning text, including symmetry in art and physics, different physical processes of the scattering of light, photograms (photographic shadow prints) and the nature of shadows, elements of 2-dimensional design, pinhole photography and the view camera. Although written at a beginning undergraduate level, the topics are chosen for their role in a more general discussion of the relation between science and art that is of interest to readers of all backgrounds and levels of expertise.

This two-volume work introduces the theory and applications of Schur-convex functions. The second volume mainly focuses on the application of Schur-convex functions in sequences inequalities, integral inequalities, mean value inequalities for two variables, mean value inequalities for multi-variables, and in geometric inequalities.

This book focuses on the synthesis of lower-mobility parallel manipulators, presenting a group-theory-based method that has the advantage of being geometrically intrinsic. Rotations and translations of a rigid body as well as a combination of the two can be expressed and handled elegantly using the group algebraic structure of the set of rigid-body displacements. The book gathers the authors' research results, which were previously scattered in various journals and conference proceedings, presenting them in a unified form. Using the presented method, it reveals numerous novel architectures of lower-mobility parallel manipulators, which are of interest to those in the robotics community. More importantly, readers can use the method and tool to develop new types of lower-mobility parallel manipulators independently.

The book deals with applications of the AdS/CFT correspondence to strongly coupled condensed matter systems. In particular, it concerns with the study of thermo-electric transport properties of holographic models exhibiting momentum dissipation and their possible applications to the transport properties of strange metals. The present volume constitutes one of the few examples in the literature in which the topic is carefully reviewed both from the experimental and theoretical point of view, including not only holographic results but also standard condensed matter achievements developed in the past decades. This work might be extremely useful both for scientific and pedagogical purposes.

This book addresses flow separation within the context of fluid-structure interaction phenomena. Here, new findings from two research communities focusing on fluids and structures are brought together, emphasizing the importance of a unified multidisciplinary approach. The book covers the theory, experimental findings, numerical simulations, and modeling in fluid dynamics and structural mechanics for both incompressible and compressible separated unsteady flows. There is a focus on the morphing of lifting structures in order to increase their aerodynamic and/or hydrodynamic performances, to control separation and to reduce noise, as well as to inspire the design of novel structures. The different chapters are based on contributions presented at the ERCOFTAC Symposium on Unsteady Separation in Fluid-Structure Interaction held in Mykonos, Greece, 17-21 June, 2013 and include extended discussions and new highlights. The book is intended for students, researchers and practitioners in the broad field of computational fluid dynamics and computational structural mechanics. It aims at supporting them while dealing with practical issues, such as developing control strategies for unsteady separation and applying smart materials and biomimetic approaches for design and control.

The book is primarily intended as a textbook on modern algebra for undergraduate mathematics students. It is also useful for those who are interested in supplementary reading at a higher level. The text is designed in such a way that it encourages independent thinking and motivates students towards further study. The book covers all major topics in group, ring, vector space and module theory that are usually contained in a standard modern algebra text.

In addition, it studies semigroup, group action, Hopf's group, topological groups and Lie groups with their actions, applications of ring theory to algebraic geometry, and defines Zariski topology, as well as applications of module theory to structure theory of rings and homological algebra. Algebraic aspects of classical number theory and algebraic number theory are also discussed with an eye to developing modern cryptography. Topics on applications to algebraic topology, category theory, algebraic geometry, algebraic number theory, cryptography and theoretical computer science interlink the subject with different areas. Each chapter discusses individual topics, starting from the basics, with the help of illustrative examples. This comprehensive text with a broad variety of concepts, applications, examples, exercises and historical notes represents a valuable and unique resource.

The second edition of this highly praised textbook provides an introduction to tensors, group theory, and their applications in classical and quantum physics. Both intuitive and rigorous, it aims to demystify tensors by giving the slightly more abstract but conceptually much clearer definition found in the math literature, and then connects this formulation to the component formalism of physics calculations. New pedagogical features, such as new illustrations, tables, and boxed sections, as well as additional "invitation" sections that provide accessible introductions to new material, offer increased visual engagement, clarity, and motivation for students. Part I begins with linear algebraic foundations, follows with the modern component-free definition of tensors, and concludes with applications to physics through the use of tensor products. Part II introduces group theory, including abstract groups and Lie groups and their associated Lie algebras, then intertwines this material with that of Part I by introducing representation theory. Examples and exercises are provided in each chapter for good practice in applying the presented material and techniques. Prerequisites for this text include the standard lower-division mathematics and physics courses, though extensive references are provided for the motivated student who has not yet had these. Advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in physics and applied mathematics will find this textbook to be a clear, concise, and engaging introduction to tensors and groups. Reviews of the First Edition "[P]hysicist Nadir Jeevanjee has produced a masterly book that will help other physicists understand those subjects [tensors and groups] as mathematicians understand them... From the first pages, Jeevanjee shows amazing skill in finding fresh, compelling words to bring forward the insight that animates the modern mathematical view...[W]ith compelling force and clarity, he provides many carefully worked-out examples and well-chosen specific problems... Jeevanjee's clear and forceful writing presents familiar cases with a freshness that will draw in and reassure even a fearful student. [This] is a masterpiece of exposition and explanation that would win credit for even a seasoned author." -Physics Today "Jeevanjee's [text] is a valuable piece of work on several counts, including its express pedagogical service rendered to fledgling physicists and the fact that it does indeed give pure mathematicians a way to come to terms with what physicists are saying with the same words we use, but with an ostensibly different meaning. The book is very easy to read, very user-friendly, full of examples...and exercises, and will do the job the author wants it to do with style." -MAA Reviews

This work focuses on new electromagnetic decay mode in nuclear physics. The first part of the thesis presents the observation of the two-photon decay for a transition where the one-photon decay is allowed. In the second part, so called quadrupole mixed-symmetry is investigated in inelastic proton scattering experiments. In 1930 Nobel-prize winner M. Goeppert-Mayer was the first to discuss the two-photon decay of an exited state in her doctoral thesis. This process has been observed many times in atomic physics. However in nuclear physics data is sparse. Here this decay mode has only been observed for the special case of a transition between nuclear states with spin and parity quantum number 0+. For such a transition, the one-photon decay - the main experimental obstacle to observe the two-photon decay - is forbidden. Furthermore, the energy sharing and angular distributions were measured, allowing conclusions to be drawn about the multipoles contributing to the two-photon transition. Quadrupole mixed-symmetry states are an excitation mode in spherical nuclei which are sensitive to the strength of the quadrupole residual interaction. A new signature for these interesting states is presented which allows identification of mixed-symmetry states independently of electromagnetic transition strengths. Furthermore this signature represents a valuable additional observable to test model predictions for mixed-symmetry states.

Many diverse materials, from man-made plastics to slurry, behave in ways that cannot be predicted using straightforward 'classical' equations. This book provides a guide, with examples, for those who wish to make predictions about the mechanical and thermal behaviour of non-Newtonian materials in engineering and processing technology. There is an emphasis on the practical solution of problems using computer methods, and on the correlation between theory and experimental work.

This textbook provides a detailed introduction to the use of software in combination with simple and economical hardware (a sound level meter with calibrated AC output and a digital recording system) to obtain sophisticated measurements usually requiring expensive equipment. It emphasizes the use of free, open source, and multiplatform software. Many commercial acoustical measurement systems use software algorithms as an integral component; however the methods are not disclosed. This book enables the reader to develop useful algorithms and provides insight into the use of digital audio editing tools to document features in the signal. Topics covered include acoustical measurement principles, in-depth critical study of uncertainty applied to acoustical measurements, digital signal processing from the basics, and metrologically-oriented spectral and statistical analysis of signals. The student will gain a deep understanding of the use of software for measurement purposes; the ability to implement software-based measurement systems; familiarity with the hardware necessary to acquire and store signals; an appreciation for the key issue of long-term preservation of signals; and a full grasp of the often neglected issue of uncertainty in acoustical measurements. Pedagogical features include in-text worked-out examples, end-of-chapter problems, a glossary of metrology terms, and extensive appendices covering statistics, proofs, additional examples, file formats, and underlying theory.

The present book includes a set of selected papers from the tenth "International Conference on Informatics in Control Automation and Robotics" (ICINCO 2013), held in Reykjavik, Iceland, from 29 to 31 July 2013. The conference was organized in four simultaneous tracks: "Intelligent Control Systems and Optimization", "Robotics and Automation", "Signal Processing, Sensors, Systems Modeling and Control" and "Industrial Engineering, Production and Management". The book is based on the same structure. ICINCO 2013 received 255 paper submissions from 50 countries, in all continents. After a double blind paper review performed by the Program Committee only 30% were published and presented orally. A further refinement was made after the conference, based also on the assessment of presentation quality, so that this book includes the extended and revised versions of the very best papers of ICINCO 2013.

This monograph presents the latest findings from a long-term research project intended to identify the physics behind Quantum Mechanics. A fundamental theory for quantum mechanics is constructed from first physical principles, revealing quantization as an emergent phenomenon arising from a deeper stochastic process. As such, it offers the vibrant community working on the foundations of quantum mechanics an alternative contribution open to discussion. The book starts with a critical summary of the main conceptual problems that still beset quantum mechanics. The basic consideration is then introduced that any material system is an open system in permanent contact with the random zero-point radiation field, with which it may reach a state of equilibrium. Working from this basis, a comprehensive and self-consistent theoretical framework is then developed. The pillars of the quantum-mechanical formalism are derived, as well as the radiative corrections of nonrelativistic QED, while revealing the underlying physical mechanisms. The genesis of some of the central features of quantum theory is elucidated, such as atomic stability, the spin of the electron, quantum fluctuations, quantum nonlocality and entanglement. The theory developed here reaffirms fundamental scientific principles such as realism, causality, locality and objectivity.

Decision-aid Philippe Vincke Universite Libre de Bruxelles Over the past decade the discipline of multicriteria decision-aid has been extensively developed in the world of mathematics. As its name indicates, multicriteria decision-aid aims to give decision-makers a tool which should enable them to advance in solving decision problems where several points of view must be taken into account. Written by one of the leading authorities in the field, this book provides a unique introduction to the foundations, models and methods of multicriteria decision-aid. Challenging the monocriteria decision-aid approach to problem solving, Vincke presents us with a unique book which deals with preference modelling, the multiple attribute utility theory, the outranking approach and interactive decision-making methods in the same text. Multicriteria Decision-aid is directed at graduates and postgraduates studying in the fields of management, operations research, decision analysis and all those who, in business and administration, wish to take part in decision-making through scientific reasoning.

This book is primarily intended as a research monograph that could also be used in graduate courses for the design of parallel algorithms in matrix computations. It assumes general but not extensive knowledge of numerical linear algebra, parallel architectures, and parallel programming paradigms. The book consists of four parts: (I) Basics; (II) Dense and Special Matrix Computations; (III) Sparse Matrix Computations; and (IV) Matrix functions and characteristics. Part I deals with parallel programming paradigms and fundamental kernels, including reordering schemes for sparse matrices. Part II is devoted to dense matrix computations such as parallel algorithms for solving linear systems, linear least squares, the symmetric algebraic eigenvalue problem, and the singular-value decomposition. It also deals with the development of parallel algorithms for special linear systems such as banded ,Vandermonde ,Toeplitz ,and block Toeplitz systems. Part III addresses sparse matrix computations: (a) the development of parallel iterative linear system solvers with emphasis on scalable preconditioners, (b) parallel schemes for obtaining a few of the extreme eigenpairs or those contained in a given interval in the spectrum of a standard or generalized symmetric eigenvalue problem, and (c) parallel methods for computing a few of the extreme singular triplets. Part IV focuses on the development of parallel algorithms for matrix functions and special characteristics such as the matrix pseudospectrum and the determinant. The book also reviews the theoretical and practical background necessary when designing these algorithms and includes an extensive bibliography that will be useful to researchers and students alike. The book brings together many existing algorithms for the fundamental matrix computations that have a proven track record of efficient implementation in terms of data locality and data transfer on state-of-the-art systems, as well as several algorithms that are presented for the first time, focusing on the opportunities for parallelism and algorithm robustness.