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Books > Science & Mathematics > Mathematics > Mathematical foundations
The capabilities of modern technology are rapidly increasing, spurred on to a large extent by the tremendous advances in communications and computing. Automated vehicles and global wireless connections are some examples of these advances. In order to take advantage of such enhanced capabilities, our need to model and manipulate our knowledge of the geophysical world, using compatible representations, is also rapidly increasing. In response to this one fundamental issue of great concern in modern geographical research is how to most effectively capture the physical world around us in systems like geographical information systems (GIS). Making this task even more challenging is the fact that uncertainty plays a pervasive role in the representation, analysis and use of geospatial information. The types of uncertainty that appear in geospatial information systems are not the just simple randomness of observation, as in weather data, but are manifested in many other forms including imprecision, incompleteness and granularization. Describing the uncertainty of the boundaries of deserts and mountains clearly require different tools than those provided by probability theory. The multiplicity of modalities of uncertainty appearing in GIS requires a variety of formalisms to model these uncertainties. In light of this it is natural that fuzzy set theory has become a topic of intensive interest in many areas of geographical research and applications This volume, Fuzzy Modeling with Spatial Information for Geographic Problems, provides many stimulating examples of advances in geographical research based on approaches using fuzzy sets and related technologies.
British-Israeli recreational mathematician, communicator and educator, Yossi Elran explores in-depth six of the most ingenious math puzzles, exposing their long 'tails': the stories, trivia, quirks and oddities of their history and, of course, the math and mathematicians behind them. In his unique 'talmudic', associative way, Elran shows the hidden connections between Lewis Carroll's 'Cats and Rats' puzzle and the math of taxi driving, a number pyramid magic trick and Hollywood movie fractals, and even how packing puzzles are related to COVID-19!Elran has a great talent for explaining difficult topics - including quantum mechanics, a topic he relates to some original 'operator' puzzles - making the book very accessible for all audiences.With over 40 additional, original puzzles, and touching on dozens of hot math topics, this is a perfect book for math lovers, educators, kids and adults, and anyone who loves a great read.Yossi Elran is co-author of our bestselling The Paper Puzzle Book, and heads the Innovation Center at the Davidson Institute of Science Education, the educational arm of the world-renowned Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.
Many experiments have shown the human brain generally has very serious problems dealing with probability and chance. A greater understanding of probability can help develop the intuition necessary to approach risk with the ability to make more informed (and better) decisions. The first four chapters offer the standard content for an introductory probability course, albeit presented in a much different way and order. The chapters afterward include some discussion of different games, different "ideas" that relate to the law of large numbers, and many more mathematical topics not typically seen in such a book. The use of games is meant to make the book (and course) feel like fun! Since many of the early games discussed are casino games, the study of those games, along with an understanding of the material in later chapters, should remind you that gambling is a bad idea; you should think of placing bets in a casino as paying for entertainment. Winning can, obviously, be a fun reward, but should not ever be expected. Changes for the Second Edition: New chapter on Game Theory New chapter on Sports Mathematics The chapter on Blackjack, which was Chapter 4 in the first edition, appears later in the book. Reorganization has been done to improve the flow of topics and learning. New sections on Arkham Horror, Uno, and Scrabble have been added. Even more exercises were added! The goal for this textbook is to complement the inquiry-based learning movement. In my mind, concepts and ideas will stick with the reader more when they are motivated in an interesting way. Here, we use questions about various games (not just casino games) to motivate the mathematics, and I would say that the writing emphasizes a "just-in-time" mathematics approach. Topics are presented mathematically as questions about the games themselves are posed. Table of Contents Preface 1. Mathematics and Probability 2. Roulette and Craps: Expected Value 3. Counting: Poker Hands 4. More Dice: Counting and Combinations, and Statistics 5. Game Theory: Poker Bluffing and Other Games 6. Probability/Stochastic Matrices: Board Game Movement 7. Sports Mathematics: Probability Meets Athletics 8. Blackjack: Previous Methods Revisited 9. A Mix of Other Games 10. Betting Systems: Can You Beat the System? 11. Potpourri: Assorted Adventures in Probability Appendices Tables Answers and Selected Solutions Bibliography Biography Dr. David G. Taylor is a professor of mathematics and an associate dean for academic affairs at Roanoke College in southwest Virginia. He attended Lebanon Valley College for his B.S. in computer science and mathematics and went to the University of Virginia for his Ph.D. While his graduate school focus was on studying infinite dimensional Lie algebras, he started studying the mathematics of various games in order to have a more undergraduate-friendly research agenda. Work done with two Roanoke College students, Heather Cook and Jonathan Marino, appears in this book! Currently he owns over 100 different board games and enjoys using probability in his decision-making while playing most of those games. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, cooking, coding, playing his board games, and spending time with his six-year-old dog Lilly.
How to draw plausible conclusions from uncertain and conflicting sources of evidence is one of the major intellectual challenges of Artificial Intelligence. It is a prerequisite of the smart technology needed to help humans cope with the information explosion of the modern world. In addition, computational modelling of uncertain reasoning is a key to understanding human rationality. Previous computational accounts of uncertain reasoning have fallen into two camps: purely symbolic and numeric. This book represents a major advance by presenting a unifying framework which unites these opposing camps. The Incidence Calculus can be viewed as both a symbolic and a numeric mechanism. Numeric values are assigned indirectly to evidence via the possible worlds in which that evidence is true. This facilitates purely symbolic reasoning using the possible worlds and numeric reasoning via the probabilities of those possible worlds. Moreover, the indirect assignment solves some difficult technical problems, like the combinat ion of dependent sources of evidcence, which had defeated earlier mechanisms. Weiru Liu generalises the Incidence Calculus and then compares it to a succes sion of earlier computational mechanisms for uncertain reasoning: Dempster-Shafer Theory, Assumption-Based Truth Maintenance, Probabilis tic Logic, Rough Sets, etc. She shows how each of them is represented and interpreted in Incidence Calculus. The consequence is a unified mechanism which includes both symbolic and numeric mechanisms as special cases. It provides a bridge between symbolic and numeric approaches, retaining the advantages of both and overcoming some of their disadvantages."
This innovative monograph explores a new mathematical formalism in higher-order temporal logic for proving properties about the behavior of systems. Developed by the authors, the goal of this novel approach is to explain what occurs when multiple, distinct system components interact by using a category-theoretic description of behavior types based on sheaves. The authors demonstrate how to analyze the behaviors of elements in continuous and discrete dynamical systems so that each can be translated and compared to one another. Their temporal logic is also flexible enough that it can serve as a framework for other logics that work with similar models. The book begins with a discussion of behavior types, interval domains, and translation invariance, which serves as the groundwork for temporal type theory. From there, the authors lay out the logical preliminaries they need for their temporal modalities and explain the soundness of those logical semantics. These results are then applied to hybrid dynamical systems, differential equations, and labeled transition systems. A case study involving aircraft separation within the National Airspace System is provided to illustrate temporal type theory in action. Researchers in computer science, logic, and mathematics interested in topos-theoretic and category-theory-friendly approaches to system behavior will find this monograph to be an important resource. It can also serve as a supplemental text for a specialized graduate topics course.
This volume deals with problems of modern effective algorithms for the numerical solution of the most frequently occurring elliptic partial differential equations. From the point of view of implementation, attention is paid to algorithms for both classical sequential and parallel computer systems. The first two chapters are devoted to fast algorithms for solving the Poisson and biharmonic equation. In the third chapter, parallel algorithms for model parallel computer systems of the SIMD and MIMD types are described. The implementation aspects of parallel algorithms for solving model elliptic boundary value problems are outlined for systems with matrix, pipeline and multiprocessor parallel computer architectures. A modern and popular multigrid computational principle which offers a good opportunity for a parallel realization is described in the next chapter. More parallel variants based in this idea are presented, whereby methods and assignments strategies for hypercube systems are treated in more detail. The last chapter presents VLSI designs for solving special tridiagonal linear systems of equations arising from finite-difference approximations of elliptic problems. For researchers interested in the development and application of fast algorithms for solving elliptic partial differential equations using advanced computer systems.
This text explores the many transformations that the mathematical proof has undergone from its inception to its versatile, present-day use, considering the advent of high-speed computing machines. Though there are many truths to be discovered in this book, by the end it is clear that there is no formalized approach or standard method of discovery to date. Most of the proofs are discussed in detail with figures and equations accompanying them, allowing both the professional mathematician and those less familiar with mathematics to derive the same joy from reading this book.
The Italian mathematician Mario Pieri (1860-1913) played an integral part in the research groups of Corrado Segre and Giuseppe Peano, and thus had a significant, yet somewhat underappreciated impact on several branches of mathematics, particularly on the development of algebraic geometry and the foundations of mathematics in the years around the turn of the 20th century. This book is the first in a series of three volumes that are dedicated to countering that neglect and comprehensively examining Pieria (TM)s life, mathematical work and influence in such diverse fields as mathematical logic, algebraic geometry, number theory, inversive geometry, vector analysis, and differential geometry. The Legacy of Mario Pieri in Geometry and Arithmetic introduces readers to Pieria (TM)s career and his studies in foundations, from both historical and modern viewpoints, placing his life and research in context and tracing his influence on his contemporaries as well as more recent mathematicians. The text also provides a glimpse of the Italian academic world of Pieri's time, and its relationship with the developing international mathematics community. Included in this volume are the first English translations, along with analyses, of two of his most important axiomatizationsa "his postulates for arithmetic, which Peano judged superior to his own; and his foundation of elementary geometry on the basis of point and sphere, which Alfred Tarski used as a basis for his own system. Combining an engaging exposition, little-known historical information, exhaustive references and an excellent index, this text will be of interest to graduate students, researchers and historians with a general knowledgeof logic and advanced mathematics, and it requires no specialized experience in mathematical logic or the foundations of geometry.
This book explores and highlights the fertile interaction between logic and operator algebras, which in recent years has led to the resolution of several long-standing open problems on C*-algebras. The interplay between logic and operator algebras (C*-algebras, in particular) is relatively young and the author is at the forefront of this interaction. The deep level of scholarship contained in these pages is evident and opens doors to operator algebraists interested in learning about the set-theoretic methods relevant to their field, as well as to set-theorists interested in expanding their view to the non-commutative realm of operator algebras. Enough background is included from both subjects to make the book a convenient, self-contained source for students. A fair number of the exercises form an integral part of the text. They are chosen to widen and deepen the material from the corresponding chapters. Some other exercises serve as a warmup for the latter chapters.
The contributions gathered here demonstrate how categorical ontology can provide a basis for linking three important basic sciences: mathematics, physics, and philosophy. Category theory is a new formal ontology that shifts the main focus from objects to processes. The book approaches formal ontology in the original sense put forward by the philosopher Edmund Husserl, namely as a science that deals with entities that can be exemplified in all spheres and domains of reality. It is a dynamic, processual, and non-substantial ontology in which all entities can be treated as transformations, and in which objects are merely the sources and aims of these transformations. Thus, in a rather surprising way, when employed as a formal ontology, category theory can unite seemingly disparate disciplines in contemporary science and the humanities, such as physics, mathematics and philosophy, but also computer and complex systems science.
We see numbers on automobile license plates, addresses, weather reports, and, of course, on our smartphones. Yet we look at these numbers for their role as descriptors, not as an entity in and unto themselves. Each number has its own history of meaning, usage, and connotation in the larger world. The Secret Lives of Numbers takes readers on a journey through integers, considering their numerological assignments as well as their significance beyond mathematics and in the realm of popular culture. Of course we all know that the number 13 carries a certain value of unluckiness with it. The phobia of the number is called Triskaidekaphobia; Franklin Delano Roosevelt was known to invite and disinvite guests to parties to avoid having 13 people in attendance; high-rise buildings often skip the 13th floor out of superstition. There are many explanations as to how the number 13 received this negative honor, but from a mathematical point of view, the number 13 is also the smallest prime number that when its digits are reversed is also a prime number. It is honored with a place among the Fibonacci numbers and integral Pythagorean triples, as well as many other interesting and lesser-known occurrences. In The Secret Lives of Numbers, popular mathematician Alfred S. Posamentier provides short and engaging mini-biographies of more than 100 numbers, starting with 1 and featuring some especially interesting numbers -like 6,174, a number with most unusual properties -to provide readers with a more comprehensive picture of the lives of numbers both mathematically and socially.
This book demonstrates how to formally model various mathematical domains (including algorithms operating in these domains) in a way that makes them amenable to a fully automatic analysis by computer software.The presented domains are typically investigated in discrete mathematics, logic, algebra, and computer science; they are modeled in a formal language based on first-order logic which is sufficiently rich to express the core entities in whose correctness we are interested: mathematical theorems and algorithmic specifications. This formal language is the language of RISCAL, a “mathematical model checker” by which the validity of all formulas and the correctness of all algorithms can be automatically decided. The RISCAL software is freely available; all formal contents presented in the book are given in the form of specification files by which the reader may interact with the software while studying the corresponding book material.
This book is dedicated to V.A. Yankov's seminal contributions to the theory of propositional logics. His papers, published in the 1960s, are highly cited even today. The Yankov characteristic formulas have become a very useful tool in propositional, modal and algebraic logic. The papers contributed to this book provide the new results on different generalizations and applications of characteristic formulas in propositional, modal and algebraic logics. In particular, an exposition of Yankov's results and their applications in algebraic logic, the theory of admissible rules and refutation systems is included in the book. In addition, the reader can find the studies on splitting and join-splitting in intermediate propositional logics that are based on Yankov-type formulas which are closely related to canonical formulas, and the study of properties of predicate extensions of non-classical propositional logics. The book also contains an exposition of Yankov's revolutionary approach to constructive proof theory. The editors also include Yankov's contributions to history and philosophy of mathematics and foundations of mathematics, as well as an examination of his original interpretation of history of Greek philosophy and mathematics.
During the last few decades the ideas, methods, and results of the theory of Boolean algebras have played an increasing role in various branches of mathematics and cybernetics. This monograph is devoted to the fundamentals of the theory of Boolean constructions in universal algebra. Also considered are the problems of presenting different varieties of universal algebra with these constructions, and applications for investigating the spectra and skeletons of varieties of universal algebras. For researchers whose work involves universal algebra and logic.
This book presents an English translation of a classic Russian text on duality theory for Heyting algebras. Written by Georgian mathematician Leo Esakia, the text proved popular among Russian-speaking logicians. This translation helps make the ideas accessible to a wider audience and pays tribute to an influential mind in mathematical logic. The book discusses the theory of Heyting algebras and closure algebras, as well as the corresponding intuitionistic and modal logics. The author introduces the key notion of a hybrid that "crossbreeds" topology (Stone spaces) and order (Kripke frames), resulting in the structures now known as Esakia spaces. The main theorems include a duality between the categories of closure algebras and of hybrids, and a duality between the categories of Heyting algebras and of so-called strict hybrids. Esakia's book was originally published in 1985. It was the first of a planned two-volume monograph on Heyting algebras. But after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the publishing house closed and the project died with it. Fortunately, this important work now lives on in this accessible translation. The Appendix of the book discusses the planned contents of the lost second volume.
Problems in Set Theory, Mathematical Logic and the Theory of Algorithms by I. Lavrov & L. Maksimova is an English translation of the fourth edition of the most popular student problem book in mathematical logic in Russian. It covers major classical topics in proof theory and the semantics of propositional and predicate logic as well as set theory and computation theory. Each chapter begins with 1-2 pages of terminology and definitions that make the book self-contained. Solutions are provided. The book is likely to become an essential part of curricula in logic.
The aim of this volume is to reinforce the interaction between the three main branches (abstract, convex and computational) of the theory of polytopes. The articles include contributions from many of the leading experts in the field, and their topics of concern are expositions of recent results and in-depth analyses of the development (past and future) of the subject. The subject matter of the book ranges from algorithms for assignment and transportation problems to the introduction of a geometric theory of polyhedra which need not be convex. With polytopes as the main topic of interest, there are articles on realizations, classifications, Eulerian posets, polyhedral subdivisions, generalized stress, the Brunn--Minkowski theory, asymptotic approximations and the computation of volumes and mixed volumes. For researchers in applied and computational convexity, convex geometry and discrete geometry at the graduate and postgraduate levels.
This volume is based on the papers that were presented at the International Conference Model-Based Reasoning: Scientific Discovery, Technological Innovation, Values' (MBR'01), held at the Collegio Ghislieri, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy, in May 2001. The previous volume Model-Based Reasoning in Scientific Discovery, edited by L. Magnani, N.J. Nersessian, and P. Thagard (Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York, 1999; Chinese edition, China Science and Technology Press, Beijing, 2000), was based on the papers presented at the first model-based reasoning' international conference, held at the same venue in December 1998. The presentations given at the Conference explore how scientific thinking uses models and exploratory reasoning to produce creative changes in theories and concepts. Some address the problem of model-based reasoning in ethics, especially pertaining to science and technology, and stress some aspects of model-based reasoning in technological innovation. The study of diagnostic, visual, spatial, analogical, and temporal reasoning has demonstrated that there are many ways of performing intelligent and creative reasoning that cannot be described with the help only of traditional notions of reasoning such as classical logic. Understanding the contribution of modeling practices to discovery and conceptual change in science requires expanding scientific reasoning to include complex forms of creative reasoning that are not always successful and can lead to incorrect solutions. The study of these heuristic ways of reasoning is situated at the crossroads of philosophy, artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology, and logic; that is, at the heart of cognitivescience. There are several key ingredients common to the various forms of model-based reasoning. The term model' comprises both internal and external representations. The models are intended as interpretations of target physical systems, processes, phenomena, or situations. The models are retrieved or constructed on the basis of potentially satisfying salient constraints of the target domain. Moreover, in the modeling process, various forms of abstraction are used. Evaluation and adaptation take place in light of structural, causal, and/or functional constraints. Model simulation can be used to produce new states and enable evaluation of behaviors and other factors. The various contributions of the book are written by interdisciplinary researchers who are active in the area of creative reasoning in science and technology, and are logically and computationally oriented: the most recent results and achievements about the topics above are illustrated in detail in the papers.
This book presents the first algebraic treatment of quasi-truth fuzzy logic and covers the algebraic foundations of many-valued logic. It offers a comprehensive account of basic techniques and reports on important results showing the pivotal role played by perfect many-valued algebras (MV-algebras). It is well known that the first-order predicate Lukasiewicz logic is not complete with respect to the canonical set of truth values. However, it is complete with respect to all linearly ordered MV -algebras. As there are no simple linearly ordered MV-algebras in this case, infinitesimal elements of an MV-algebra are allowed to be truth values. The book presents perfect algebras as an interesting subclass of local MV-algebras and provides readers with the necessary knowledge and tools for formalizing the fuzzy concept of quasi true and quasi false. All basic concepts are introduced in detail to promote a better understanding of the more complex ones. It is an advanced and inspiring reference-guide for graduate students and researchers in the field of non-classical many-valued logics.
This undergraduate textbook promotes an active transition to higher mathematics. Problem solving is the heart and soul of this book: each problem is carefully chosen to demonstrate, elucidate, or extend a concept. More than 300 exercises engage the reader in extensive arguments and creative approaches, while exploring connections between fundamental mathematical topics. Divided into four parts, this book begins with a playful exploration of the building blocks of mathematics, such as definitions, axioms, and proofs. A study of the fundamental concepts of logic, sets, and functions follows, before focus turns to methods of proof. Having covered the core of a transition course, the author goes on to present a selection of advanced topics that offer opportunities for extension or further study. Throughout, appendices touch on historical perspectives, current trends, and open questions, showing mathematics as a vibrant and dynamic human enterprise. This second edition has been reorganized to better reflect the layout and curriculum of standard transition courses. It also features recent developments and improved appendices. An Invitation to Abstract Mathematics is ideal for those seeking a challenging and engaging transition to advanced mathematics, and will appeal to both undergraduates majoring in mathematics, as well as non-math majors interested in exploring higher-level concepts. From reviews of the first edition: Bajnok's new book truly invites students to enjoy the beauty, power, and challenge of abstract mathematics. ... The book can be used as a text for traditional transition or structure courses ... but since Bajnok invites all students, not just mathematics majors, to enjoy the subject, he assumes very little background knowledge. Jill Dietz, MAA ReviewsThe style of writing is careful, but joyously enthusiastic.... The author's clear attitude is that mathematics consists of problem solving, and that writing a proof falls into this category. Students of mathematics are, therefore, engaged in problem solving, and should be given problems to solve, rather than problems to imitate. The author attributes this approach to his Hungarian background ... and encourages students to embrace the challenge in the same way an athlete engages in vigorous practice. John Perry, zbMATH
An introductory textbook, Logic for Justice covers, in full detail, the language and semantics of both propositional logic and first-order logic. It motivates the study of those logical systems by drawing on social and political issues. Basically, Logic for Justice frames propositional logic and first-order logic as two theories of the distinction between good arguments and bad arguments. And the book explains why, for the purposes of social justice and political reform, we need theories of that distinction. In addition, Logic for Justice is extremely lucid, thorough, and clear. It explains, and motivates, many different features of the formalism of propositional logic and first-order logic, always connecting those features back to real-world issues. Key Features Connects the study of logic to real-world social and political issues, drawing in students who might not otherwise be attracted to the subject. Offers extremely clear and thorough presentations of technical material, allowing students to learn directly from the book without having to rely on instructor explanations. Carefully explains the value of arguing well throughout one’s life, with several discussions about how to argue and how arguments – when done with care – can be helpful personally. Includes examples that appear throughout the entire book, allowing students to see how the ideas presented in the book build on each other. Provides a large and diverse set of problems for each chapter. Teaches logic by connecting formal languages to natural languages with which students are already familiar, making it much easier for students to learn how logic works.
An introductory textbook, Logic for Justice covers, in full detail, the language and semantics of both propositional logic and first-order logic. It motivates the study of those logical systems by drawing on social and political issues. Basically, Logic for Justice frames propositional logic and first-order logic as two theories of the distinction between good arguments and bad arguments. And the book explains why, for the purposes of social justice and political reform, we need theories of that distinction. In addition, Logic for Justice is extremely lucid, thorough, and clear. It explains, and motivates, many different features of the formalism of propositional logic and first-order logic, always connecting those features back to real-world issues. Key Features Connects the study of logic to real-world social and political issues, drawing in students who might not otherwise be attracted to the subject. Offers extremely clear and thorough presentations of technical material, allowing students to learn directly from the book without having to rely on instructor explanations. Carefully explains the value of arguing well throughout one’s life, with several discussions about how to argue and how arguments – when done with care – can be helpful personally. Includes examples that appear throughout the entire book, allowing students to see how the ideas presented in the book build on each other. Provides a large and diverse set of problems for each chapter. Teaches logic by connecting formal languages to natural languages with which students are already familiar, making it much easier for students to learn how logic works.
How does Russell's realist conception of the proposition and its
constituents inform the techniques for analysis which he adopted in
mathematics? Jolen Galaugher's book sheds light on this perplexing
issue. In this book, Galaugher provides a detailed treatment of
Russell's early conception of analysis in the light of the
philosophical doctrines to which it answered, and the demands
imposed by existing mathematics on his early logicist program. She
ties together the philosophical commitments which occasioned
Russell's break with idealism and the problems which guided his
selection of technical apparatus in his embrace of logicism. The
result is a detailed synthesis of the primary materials from the
emergence of Russell's realism in 1898 to his landmark theory of
descriptions in 1905. Galaugher's broad thesis is that although
Russell adopted increasingly refined techniques by which to carry
out his logical analyses and avoid the Contradiction, the most
crucial aspects of his philosophical conception of logical analysis
were retained. |
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