Methods of Statistical Model Estimation examines the most important and popular methods used to estimate parameters for statistical models and provide informative model summary statistics. Designed for R users, the book is also ideal for anyone wanting to better understand the algorithms used for statistical model fitting.

The text presents algorithms for the estimation of a variety of regression procedures using maximum likelihood estimation, iteratively reweighted least squares regression, the EM algorithm, and MCMC sampling. Fully developed, working R code is constructed for each method. The book starts with OLS regression and generalized linear models, building to two-parameter maximum likelihood models for both pooled and panel models. It then covers a random effects model estimated using the EM algorithm and concludes with a Bayesian Poisson model using Metropolis-Hastings sampling.

The book's coverage is innovative in several ways. First, the authors use executable computer code to present and connect the theoretical content. Therefore, code is written for clarity of exposition rather than stability or speed of execution. Second, the book focuses on the performance of statistical estimation and downplays algebraic niceties. In both senses, this book is written for people who wish to fit statistical models and understand them.

See Professor Hilbe discuss the book.

PAMIR (Parameterized Adaptive Multidimensional Integration Routines) is a suite of Fortran programs for multidimensional numerical integration over hypercubes, simplexes, and hyper-rectangles in general dimension p, intended for use by physicists, applied mathematicians, computer scientists, and engineers. The programs, which are available on the internet at www.pamir-integrate.com and are free for non-profit research use, are capable of following localized peaks and valleys of the integrand. Each program comes with a Message-Passing Interface (MPI) parallel version for cluster use as well as serial versions.The first chapter presents introductory material, similar to that on the PAMIR website, and the next is a "manual" giving much more detail on the use of the programs than is on the website. They are followed by many examples of performance benchmarks and comparisons with other programs, and a discussion of the computational integration aspects of PAMIR, in comparison with other methods in the literature. The final chapter provides details of the construction of the algorithms, while the Appendices give technical details and certain mathematical derivations.

PAMIR (Parameterized Adaptive Multidimensional Integration Routines) is a suite of Fortran programs for multidimensional numerical integration over hypercubes, simplexes, and hyper-rectangles in general dimension p, intended for use by physicists, applied mathematicians, computer scientists, and engineers. The programs, which are available on the internet at www.pamir-integrate.com and are free for non-profit research use, are capable of following localized peaks and valleys of the integrand. Each program comes with a Message-Passing Interface (MPI) parallel version for cluster use as well as serial versions.The first chapter presents introductory material, similar to that on the PAMIR website, and the next is a "manual" giving much more detail on the use of the programs than is on the website. They are followed by many examples of performance benchmarks and comparisons with other programs, and a discussion of the computational integration aspects of PAMIR, in comparison with other methods in the literature. The final chapter provides details of the construction of the algorithms, while the Appendices give technical details and certain mathematical derivations.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Business Intelligence (BI) and Big Data analytics (BDA) are business related tasks and processes, which are supported by standardized software solutions. The book explains that this requires business-oriented thinking and acting from IT specialists and data scientists. It is a good idea to let students experience this directly from the business perspective, for example as executives of a virtual company in a role-playing game. The second edition of the book has been completely revised, restructured and supplemented with actual topics such as blockchains in supply chains and the correlation between Big Data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning. The structure of the book is based on the gradual implementation and integration of the respective information systems from the business and management perspectives. Part I contains chapters with detailed descriptions of the topics supplemented by online tests and exercises. Part II introduces role play and the online gaming and simulation environment. Supplementary teaching material, presentations, templates, and video clips are available online in the gaming area. The gaming and business simulation Kdibisglobal.com, newly created for this book, now includes a beer division, a bottled water division, a soft drink division and a manufacturing division for barcode cash register scanner with their specific business processes and supply chains.

Ever-changing business needs have prompted large companies to rethink their enterprise IT. Today, businesses must allow interaction with their customers, partners, and employees at more touch points and at a depth never thought previously. At the same time, rapid advances in information technologies, like business digitization, cloud computing, and Web 2.0, demand fundamental changes in the enterprises management practices. These changes have a drastic effect not only on IT and business, but also on policies, processes, and people. Many companies therefore embark on enterprise-wide transformation initiatives. The role of Enterprise Architecture (EA) is to architect and supervise this transformational journey. Unfortunately, today s EA is often a ponderous and detached exercise, with most of the EA initiatives failing to create visible impact. The enterprises need an EA that is agile and responsive to business dynamics. "Collaborative Enterprise Architecture" provides the innovative solutions today s enterprises require, informed by real-world experiences and experts insights. This book, in its first part, provides a systematic compendium of the current best practices in EA, analyzes current ways of doing EA, and identifies its constraints and shortcomings. In the second part, it leaves the beaten tracks of EA by introducing Lean, Agile, and Enterprise 2.0 concepts to the traditional EA methods. This blended approach to EA focuses on practical aspects, with recommendations derived from real-world experiences. A truly thought provoking and pragmatic guide to manage EA, "Collaborative Enterprise Architecture" effectively merges the long-term oriented top-down approach with pragmatic bottom-up thinking, and that way offers real solutions to businesses undergoing enterprise-wide change.
Covers the latest emerging technologies affecting business practice, including digitization, cloud computing, agile software development, and Web 2.0 Focuses on the practical implementation of EAM rather than theory, with recommendations based on real-world case studies Addresses changing business demands and practices, including Enterprise 2.0, open source, global sourcing, and more Takes an innovative approach to EAM, merging standard top-down and pragmatic, bottom-up strategies, offering real solutions to businesses undergoing enterprise-wide changes "

Incorporate the Benefits of Activity-Based Costing into the Efficiencies of Your SAP R/3 System

Given SAP’s dominance in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) market, many companies and their managers encounter SAP AG applications in some form or another. Many of these organizations have recognized the value of utilizing Activity-Based Costing/Management concepts to perform more accurate cost assignments or drive performance initiatives. Managers are then faced with trying to determine how Activity-Based Costing can be incorporated into the SAP environment. The 123s of ABC in SAP is the first book of its kind designed to help business managers understand the capabilities of the SAP R/3 business application to support Activity-Based Costing, Management, and Budgeting.

Divided into three parts–the conceptual foundation, the capabilities of SAP ABC, and integration with other tools–the book provides readers with the following:

• An explanation of how Activity-Based Costing can be used with SAP
• Helpful hints for implementing ABC into SAP
• Insights into the most common difficulties and potential solutions when implementing ABC into SAP
• Summary tables that highlight key decisions to be made, implementation hints, and organizational challenges
• Detailed descriptions of SAP software applications to support the Activity-Based Costing approach as well as the integration of SAP R/3 with Oros software
• Examples of the tandem usage of Resource Consumption Accounting with Activity-Based Costing

These lecture notes provide a rapid, accessible introduction to Bayesian statistical methods. The course covers the fundamental philosophy and principles of Bayesian inference, including the reasoning behind the prior/likelihood model construction synonymous with Bayesian methods, through to advanced topics such as nonparametrics, Gaussian processes and latent factor models. These advanced modelling techniques can easily be applied using computer code samples written in Python and Stan which are integrated into the main text. Importantly, the reader will learn methods for assessing model fit, and to choose between rival modelling approaches.

This work addresses the notion of compression ratios greater than what has been known for random sequential strings in binary and larger radix-based systems as applied to those traditionally found in Kolmogorov complexity. A culmination of the author's decade-long research that began with his discovery of a compressible random sequential string, the book maintains a theoretical-statistical level of introduction suitable for mathematical physicists. It discusses the application of ternary-, quaternary-, and quinary-based systems in statistical communication theory, computing, and physics.

Written with medical statisticians and medical researchers in mind, this intermediate-level reference explores the use of SAS for analyzing medical data. Applied Medical Statistics Using SAS covers the whole range of modern statistical methods used in the analysis of medical data, including regression, analysis of variance and covariance, longitudinal and survival data analysis, missing data, generalized additive models (GAMs), and Bayesian methods. The book focuses on performing these analyses using SAS, the software package of choice for those analysing medical data.

Features

• Covers the planning stage of medical studies in detail; several chapters contain details of sample size estimation
• Illustrates methods of randomisation that might be employed for clinical trials
• Covers topics that have become of great importance in the 21st century, including Bayesian methods and multiple imputation

Its breadth and depth, coupled with the inclusion of all the SAS code, make this book ideal for practitioners as well as for a graduate class in biostatistics or public health.

Complete data sets, all the SAS code, and complete outputs can be found on an associated website: http: //support.sas.com/amsus

Multilevel and Longitudinal Modeling with IBM SPSS, Third Edition, demonstrates how to use the multilevel and longitudinal modeling techniques available in IBM SPSS Versions 25-27. Annotated screenshots with all relevant output provide readers with a step-by-step understanding of each technique as they are shown how to navigate the program. Throughout, diagnostic tools, data management issues, and related graphics are introduced. SPSS commands show the flow of the menu structure and how to facilitate model building, while annotated syntax is also available for those who prefer this approach. Extended examples illustrating the logic of model development and evaluation are included throughout the book, demonstrating the context and rationale of the research questions and the steps around which the analyses are structured. The book opens with the conceptual and methodological issues associated with multilevel and longitudinal modeling, followed by a discussion of SPSS data management techniques that facilitate working with multilevel, longitudinal, or cross-classified data sets. The next few chapters introduce the basics of multilevel modeling, developing a multilevel model, extensions of the basic two-level model (e.g., three-level models, models for binary and ordinal outcomes), and troubleshooting techniques for everyday-use programming and modeling problems along with potential solutions. Models for investigating individual and organizational change are next developed, followed by models with multivariate outcomes and, finally, models with cross-classified and multiple membership data structures. The book concludes with thoughts about ways to expand on the various multilevel and longitudinal modeling techniques introduced and issues (e.g., missing data, sample weights) to keep in mind in conducting multilevel analyses. Key features of the third edition: Thoroughly updated throughout to reflect IBM SPSS Versions 26-27. Introduction to fixed-effects regression for examining change over time where random-effects modeling may not be an optimal choice. Additional treatment of key topics specifically aligned with multilevel modeling (e.g., models with binary and ordinal outcomes). Expanded coverage of models with cross-classified and multiple membership data structures. Added discussion on model checking for improvement (e.g., examining residuals, locating outliers). Further discussion of alternatives for dealing with missing data and the use of sample weights within multilevel data structures. Supported by online data sets, the book's practical approach makes it an essential text for graduate-level courses on multilevel, longitudinal, latent variable modeling, multivariate statistics, or advanced quantitative techniques taught in departments of business, education, health, psychology, and sociology. The book will also prove appealing to researchers in these fields. The book is designed to provide an excellent supplement to Heck and Thomas's An Introduction to Multilevel Modeling Techniques, Fourth Edition; however, it can also be used with any multilevel or longitudinal modeling book or as a stand-alone text.

Enterprise 2.0 (E 2.0) has caught the collective imagination of executives who are innovating to radically change the face of business. E 2.0 takes full benefit of social networking, including blogs, discussion boards, mashups, and all that is sharable and combinable.
Examining organizations and their social activities, Enterprise 2.0: Social Networking Tools to Transform Your Organization considers the complete spectrum of social media and social activities available to your business. It not only offers a hands-on, practical assessment of "what to do," but also "how to do it." Demonstrating how to utilize social networking within diverse functional areas, the book:

• Describes the functions of social networking in the context of today's enterprise
• Details how to make the best use of blogs, discussion boards, and workspaces in an organizational setting
• Supplies a complete discussion on how to prepare staff for social enterprising
• Explains how to measure and manage social networking

This book includes discussions of social networking in enterprise activities such as human resources, risk management, operations, and project management. It describes the utility and role of social networking on a department by department basis, explains how to integrate social enterprising with knowledge management, and supplies helpful insights into legal, performance, and measurement issues. Touching on key security and privacy issues, the book clearly illustrates how social networking and E 2.0 can help improve risk management in your organization.

Programming Graphical User Interfaces with R introduces each of the major R packages for GUI programming: RGtk2, qtbase, Tcl/Tk, and gWidgets. With examples woven through the text as well as stand-alone demonstrations of simple yet reasonably complete applications, the book features topics especially relevant to statisticians who aim to provide a practical interface to functionality implemented in R. The book offers: A how-to guide for developing GUIs within R The fundamentals for users with limited knowledge of programming within R and other languages GUI design for specific functions or as learning tools The accompanying package, ProgGUIinR, includes the complete code for all examples as well as functions for browsing the examples from the respective chapters. Accessible to seasoned, novice, and occasional R users, this book shows that for many purposes, adding a graphical interface to one's work is not terribly sophisticated or time consuming.

Everything You Need to Know and Do to Coach Your Agile Project Team to Success As an agile coach, you can help project teams become outstanding at agile development, creating products that make them proud and helping organizations reap the powerful benefits of teams that deliver both innovation and excellence. More and more frequently, ScrumMasters and project managers are being asked to coach agile teams. However, the role of coach is a challenging one that often doesn't exist in traditional application development. Migrating from command and control to agile coaching requires new skills and a whole new mindset. In Coaching Agile Teams, leading agile coach Lyssa Adkins helps you master both so you can guide your agile teams to extraordinary performance. This practical book is packed with ideas, best practices, and checklists you can start using immediately. All of it reflects Adkins's own hard-won experience transitioning to agile coaching from traditional, large-scale project management, including the remarkable lessons she's learned from the teams she's worked with.You'll gain deep insight into the role of the agile coach, discover what works and what doesn't, and learn how to adapt powerful skills from the fields of professional coaching and mentoring. Coverage includes *Understanding what it takes to be a great agile coach*Mastering all of the agile coach's roles: teacher, mentor, problem solver, conflict navigator, and performance coach*Moving from agile team member or project leader to coach*Creating an environment where self-organized, high-performance teams can emerge*Coordinating collaboration *Evolving your leadership style as your team grows and changes*Staying actively engaged without dominating your team and stunting its growth*Operating in failure, recovery, and success modes*Getting the most out of your own personal agile coaching journey Whether you're an agile coach, leader, trainer, mentor, facilitator, ScrumMaster, project manager, product owner, or team member, this book will help you become skilled at helping others become truly great. What could possibly be more rewarding?

For a variety of reasons, the MATLAB(r)-Java interface was never fully documented. This is really quite unfortunate: Java is one of the most widely used programming languages, having many times the number of programmers and programming resources as MATLAB. Also unfortunate is the popular claim that while MATLAB is a fine programming platform for prototyping, it is not suitable for real-world, modern-looking applications. Undocumented Secrets of MATLAB(r)-Java Programming aims to correct this misconception.

This book shows how using Java can significantly improve MATLAB program appearance and functionality, and that this can be done easily and even without any prior Java knowledge.

Readers are led step-by-step from simple to complex customizations. Code snippets, screenshots, and numerous online references are provided to enable the utilization of this book as both a sequential tutorial and as a random-access reference suited for immediate use. Java-savvy readers will find it easy to tailor code samples for their particular needs; for Java newcomers, an introduction to Java and numerous online references are provided.

This book demonstrates how

• The MATLAB programming environment relies on Java for numerous tasks, including networking, data-processing algorithms and graphical user-interface (GUI)
• We can use MATLAB for easy access to external Java functionality, either third-party or user-created
• Using Java, we can extensively customize the MATLAB environment and application GUI, enabling the creation of visually appealing and usable applications

With the advancement of statistical methodology inextricably linked to the use of computers, new methodological ideas must be translated into usable code and then numerically evaluated relative to competing procedures. In response to this, Statistical Computing in C++ and R concentrates on the writing of code rather than the development and study of numerical algorithms per se. The book discusses code development in C++ and R and the use of these symbiotic languages in unison. It emphasizes that each offers distinct features that, when used in tandem, can take code writing beyond what can be obtained from either language alone. The text begins with some basics of object-oriented languages, followed by a "boot-camp" on the use of C++ and R. The authors then discuss code development for the solution of specific computational problems that are relevant to statistics including optimization, numerical linear algebra, and random number generation. Later chapters introduce abstract data structures (ADTs) and parallel computing concepts. The appendices cover R and UNIX Shell programming. Features Includes numerous student exercises ranging from elementary to challenging Integrates both C++ and R for the solution of statistical computing problems Uses C++ code in R and R functions in C++ programs Provides downloadable programs, available from the authors' website The translation of a mathematical problem into its computational analog (or analogs) is a skill that must be learned, like any other, by actively solving relevant problems. The text reveals the basic principles of algorithmic thinking essential to the modern statistician as well as the fundamental skill of communicating with a computer through the use of the computer languages C++ and R. The book lays the foundation for original code development in a research environment.

There is a huge amount of literature on statistical models for the prediction of survival after diagnosis of a wide range of diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. Current practice is to use prediction models based on the Cox proportional hazards model and to present those as static models for remaining lifetime after diagnosis or treatment. In contrast, Dynamic Prediction in Clinical Survival Analysis focuses on dynamic models for the remaining lifetime at later points in time, for instance using landmark models. Designed to be useful to applied statisticians and clinical epidemiologists, each chapter in the book has a practical focus on the issues of working with real life data. Chapters conclude with additional material either on the interpretation of the models, alternative models, or theoretical background. The book consists of four parts: * Part I deals with prognostic models for survival data using (clinical) information available at baseline, based on the Cox model * Part II is about prognostic models for survival data using (clinical) information available at baseline, when the proportional hazards assumption of the Cox model is violated * Part III is dedicated to the use of time-dependent information in dynamic prediction * Part IV explores dynamic prediction models for survival data using genomic data Dynamic Prediction in Clinical Survival Analysis summarizes cutting-edge research on the dynamic use of predictive models with traditional and new approaches. Aimed at applied statisticians who actively analyze clinical data in collaboration with clinicians, the analyses of the different data sets throughout the book demonstrate how predictive models can be obtained from proper data sets.

This is the first book of its kind which teaches matrix algebra, allowing the student to learn the material by actually working with matrix objects in modern computer environment of R. Instead of a calculator, R is a vastly more powerful free software and graphics system.

The book provides a comprehensive overview of matrix theory without being bogged down in proofs or tedium. The reader can check each matrix result with numerical examples of exactly what they mean and understand their implications. The book does not shy away from advanced topics, especially the ones with practical applications.

This is the first book of its kind which teaches matrix algebra, allowing the student to learn the material by actually working with matrix objects in modern computer environment of R. Instead of a calculator, R is a vastly more powerful free software and graphics system.The book provides a comprehensive overview of matrix theory without being bogged down in proofs or tedium. The reader can check each matrix result with numerical examples of exactly what they mean and understand their implications. The book does not shy away from advanced topics, especially the ones with practical applications.

This book Algebraic Modeling Systems - Modeling and Solving Real World Optimization Problems - deals with the aspects of modeling and solving real-world optimization problems in a unique combination. It treats systematically the major algebraic modeling languages (AMLs) and modeling systems (AMLs) used to solve mathematical optimization problems. AMLs helped significantly to increase the usage of mathematical optimization in industry. Therefore it is logical consequence that the GOR (Gesellschaft fur Operations Research) Working Group Mathematical Optimization in Real Life had a second meeting devoted to AMLs, which, after 7 years, followed the original 71st Meeting of the GOR (Gesellschaft fur Operations Research) Working Group Mathematical Optimization in Real Life which was held under the title Modeling Languages in Mathematical Optimization during April 23-25, 2003 in the German Physics Society Conference Building in Bad Honnef, Germany. While the first meeting resulted in the book Modeling Languages in Mathematical Optimization, this book is an offspring of the 86th Meeting of the GOR working group which was again held in Bad Honnef under the title Modeling Languages in Mathematical Optimization.

In honor of professor and renowned statistician R. Dennis Cook, this festschrift explores his influential contributions to an array of statistical disciplines ranging from experimental design and population genetics, to statistical diagnostics and all areas of regression-related inference and analysis. Since the early 1990s, Prof. Cook has led the development of dimension reduction methodology in three distinct but related regression contexts: envelopes, sufficient dimension reduction (SDR), and regression graphics. In particular, he has made fundamental and pioneering contributions to SDR, inventing or co-inventing many popular dimension reduction methods, such as sliced average variance estimation, the minimum discrepancy approach, model-free variable selection, and sufficient dimension reduction subspaces. A prolific researcher and mentor, Prof. Cook is known for his ability to identify research problems in statistics that are both challenging and important, as well as his deep appreciation for the applied side of statistics. This collection of Prof. Cook's collaborators, colleagues, friends, and former students reflects the broad array of his contributions to the research and instructional arenas of statistics.

Data Analytics for the Social Sciences is an introductory, graduate-level treatment of data analytics for social science. It features applications in the R language, arguably the fastest growing and leading statistical tool for researchers. The book starts with an ethics chapter on the uses and potential abuses of data analytics. Chapters 2 and 3 show how to implement a broad range of statistical procedures in R. Chapters 4 and 5 deal with regression and classification trees and with random forests. Chapter 6 deals with machine learning models and the "caret" package, which makes available to the researcher hundreds of models. Chapter 7 deals with neural network analysis, and Chapter 8 deals with network analysis and visualization of network data. A final chapter treats text analysis, including web scraping, comparative word frequency tables, word clouds, word maps, sentiment analysis, topic analysis, and more. All empirical chapters have two "Quick Start" exercises designed to allow quick immersion in chapter topics, followed by "In Depth" coverage. Data are available for all examples and runnable R code is provided in a "Command Summary". An appendix provides an extended tutorial on R and RStudio. Almost 30 online supplements provide information for the complete book, "books within the book" on a variety of topics, such as agent-based modeling. Rather than focusing on equations, derivations, and proofs, this book emphasizes hands-on obtaining of output for various social science models and how to interpret the output. It is suitable for all advanced level undergraduate and graduate students learning statistical data analysis.

Universal access to information and communication technologies represents an indispensable prerequisite for people with impairments' equal participation in societal life. Despite legal regulations and economic advantages, accessible web sites are rarely implemented in private sector organizations. This book introduces a holistic, managerial approach to identify business impacts of web accessibility in three industry sectors. The findings of this case study research include organizations' experiences with web accessibility implementation and generate a sound basis for management decision recommendations. Moreover, a flexible business model for an Austrian web accessibility quality mark is introduced that facilitates and accelerates a national implementation.

Numerous studies indicate that learning is most effective in terms of persistency when it addresses the whole person rather than merely the intellect. A set of promotive activities that foster significant learning have been extensively researched in classroom settings. The major scientific goal of this work is to investigate whether and how promotive activities may be applied in technology-enhanced learning settings. Besides transferring existing activity patterns to the online context, this work presents new opportunities that could only emerge with technology enhancement. This work draws up general recommendations and provides practical examples. The main fields of interest are: motivational aspects, peer review, and "active listening" with written means of online communication.

Describing novel mathematical concepts for recommendation engines, Realtime Data Mining: Self-Learning Techniques for Recommendation Engines features a sound mathematical framework unifying approaches based on control and learning theories, tensor factorization, and hierarchical methods. Furthermore, it presents promising results of numerous experiments on real-world data. The area of realtime data mining is currently developing at an exceptionally dynamic pace, and realtime data mining systems are the counterpart of today's "classic" data mining systems. Whereas the latter learn from historical data and then use it to deduce necessary actions, realtime analytics systems learn and act continuously and autonomously. In the vanguard of these new analytics systems are recommendation engines. They are principally found on the Internet, where all information is available in realtime and an immediate feedback is guaranteed. This monograph appeals to computer scientists and specialists in machine learning, especially from the area of recommender systems, because it conveys a new way of realtime thinking by considering recommendation tasks as control-theoretic problems. Realtime Data Mining: Self-Learning Techniques for Recommendation Engines will also interest application-oriented mathematicians because it consistently combines some of the most promising mathematical areas, namely control theory, multilevel approximation, and tensor factorization.

Demonstrates the simplicity and effectiveness of Mathematica as the solution to practical problems in composite materials. Designed for those who need to learn how micromechanical approaches can help understand the behaviour of bodies with voids, inclusions, defects, this book is perfect for readers without a programming background. Thoroughly introducing the concept of micromechanics, it helps readers assess the deformation of solids at a localized level and analyse a body with microstructures. The author approaches this analysis using the computer algebra system Mathematica, which facilitates complex index manipulations and mathematical expressions accurately. The book begins by covering the general topics of continuum mechanics such as coordinate transformations, kinematics, stress, constitutive relationship and material symmetry. Mathematica programming is also introduced with accompanying examples. In the second half of the book, an analysis of heterogeneous materials with emphasis on composites is covered. Takes a practical approach by using Mathematica, one of the most popular programmes for symbolic computation * Introduces the concept of micromechanics with worked-out examples using Mathematica code for ease of understanding * Logically begins with the essentials of the topic, such as kinematics and stress, before moving to more advanced areas * Applications covered include the basics of continuum mechanics, Eshelby's method, analytical and semi-analytical approaches for materials with inclusions (composites) in both infinite and finite matrix media and thermal stresses for a medium with inclusions, all with Mathematica examples * Features a problem and solution section on the book s companion website, useful for students new to the programme