The theory of complex Ginzburg-Landau type phase transition and its applica tions to superconductivity and superfluidity has been a topic of great interest to theoretical physicists and has been continuously and persistently studied since the 1950s. Today, there is an abundance of mathematical results spread over numer ous scientific journals. However, before 1992, most of the studies concentrated on formal asymptotics or linear analysis. Only isolated results by Berger, Jaffe and Taubes and some of their colleagues touched the nonlinear aspects in great detail. In 1991, a physics seminar given by Ed Copeland at Sussex University inspired Q. Tang, the co-author of this monograph, to study the subject. Independently in Munich, K.-H. Hoffmann and his collaborators Z. Chen and J. Liang started to work on the topic at the same time. Soon it became clear that at that time, groups of mathematicians at Oxford and Virginia Tech had already studied the subject for a couple of years. They inspired experts in interface phase transition problems and their combined effort established a rigorous mathematical framework for the Ginzburg-Landau system. At the beginning Q. Tang collaborated with C.M. Elliott and H. Matano."

In recent years statistical physics has made significant progress as a result of advances in numerical techniques. While good textbooks exist on the general aspects of statistical physics, the numerical methods and the new developments based on large-scale computing are not usually adequately presented. In this book 16 experts describe the application of methods of statistical physics to various areas in physics such as disordered materials, quasicrystals, semiconductors, and also to other areas beyond physics, such as financial markets, game theory, evolution, and traffic planning, in which statistical physics has recently become significant. In this way the universality of the underlying concepts and methods such as fractals, random matrix theory, time series, neural networks, evolutionary algorithms, becomes clear. The topics are covered by introductory, tutorial presentations.

This volume contains the contributions of participants of the conference "Optimal Control of Partial Differential Equations" which, under the chairmanship of the editors, took place at the Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach from May 18 to May 24, 1986. The great variety of topics covered by the contributions strongly indicates that also in the future it will be impossible to develop a unifying control theory of partial differential equations. On the other hand, there is a strong tendency to treat prob lems which are directly connected to practical applications. So this volume contains real-world applications like optimal cooling laws for the production of rolled steel or concrete solutions for the problem of optimal shape design in mechanics and hydrody namics. Another main topic is the construction of numerical methods. This includes applications of the finite element method as well as of Quasi-Newton-methods to con strained and unconstrained control problems. Also, very complex problems arising in the theory of free boundary value problems are treated. ] inally, some contribu tions show how practical problems stimulate the further development of the theory; in particular, this is the case for fields like suboptimal control, necessary optimality conditions and sensitivity analysis. As usual, the lectures and stimulating discussions took place in the pleasant at mosphere of the Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach. Special thanks of the participants are returned to the Director as well as to the staff of the institute."

Whilst improperly posed problems appear in several branches of applied and pure mathematics, this conference concentrated mainly on the practical treatment of ill- posedness. The participants came from 12 countries. The interchange of ideas reflected the spectrum of questions arising in connection with the subject of the conference, where currently progresses in research are made. This volume contains 17 papers presented at the con- ference. Focal points in the programme were: Problems of regularisation, parameter identification, free boundary and inverse problems in differential equations and inte- gral equations of the first kind. Problems, which appear in science, in technical fields and in medicine are dis- cussed as well as general operator equations. In a jOint discussion, several open problems have been worked out which are collected at the end of the volume. The editor's thanks go to all contributors and parti- cipants who made the conference a success; to the manage- ment of the institute with its unique atmosphere; to the Birkhauser Verlag for the possibility to publish the vo- lume in the well-known ISNM series; to Dr. P. Jochum (Mlin- chen) for assistance in organization and to Mrs. Chr. Rogg (Augsburg) for her excellent typing of several manuscripts.

Progress in different fields of mechanics, such as filtra- tion theory, elastic-plastic problems, crystallization pro- cesses, internal and surface waves, etc., is governed to a great extent by the advances in the study of free boundary problems for nonlinear partial differential equations. Free boundary problems form a scientific area which attracts attention of many specialists in mathematics and mechanics. Increasing interest in the field has given rise to the "International Conferences on Free Boundary Problems and Their Applications" which have convened, since the 1980s, in such countries as England, the United states, Italy, France and Germany. This book comprises the papers presented at the Interna- tional Conference "Free Boundary Problems in Continuum Mechanics", organized by the Lavrentyev Institute of Hydrodynamics, Russian Academy of Sciences, July 15-19, 1991, Novosibirsk, Russia. The scientific committee consisted of: Co-chairmen: K.-H. Hoffmann, L.V. Ovsiannikov S. Antontsev (Russia) J. Ockendon (UK) M. Fremond (France) L. Ovsiannikov (Russia) A. Friedman (USA) S. Pokhozhaev (Russia) K.-H. Hoffmann (Germany) M. Primicerio (Italy) A. Khludnev (Russia) V. Pukhnachov (Russia) V. Monakhov (Russia) Yu. Shokin (Russia) V. Teshukov (Russia) Our thanks are due to the members of the Scientific Com- mittee, all authors, and participants for contributing to the success of the Conference. We would like to express special appreciation to N. Makarenko, J. Mal'tseva and T. Savelieva, Lavrentyev Institute of Hydrodynamics, for their help in preparing this book for publication.

Interest in the area of control of systems defined by partial differential Equations has increased strongly in recent years. A major reason has been the requirement of these systems for sensible continuum mechanical modelling and optimization or control techniques which account for typical physical phenomena. Particular examples of problems on which substantial progress has been made are the control and stabilization of mechatronic structures, the control of growth of thin films and crystals, the control of Laser and semi-conductor devices, and shape optimization problems for turbomachine blades, shells, smart materials and microdiffractive optics. This volume contains original articles by world reknowned experts in the fields of optimal control of partial differential equations, shape optimization, numerical methods for partial differential equations and fluid dynamics, all of whom have contributed to the analysis and solution of many of the problems discussed. The collection provides a state-of-the-art overview of the most challenging and exciting recent developments in the field. It is geared towards postgraduate students and researchers dealing with the theoretical and practical aspects of a wide variety of high technology problems in applied mathematics, fluid control, optimal design, and computer modelling.

This monograph compiles, rearranges, and refines recent research results in the complex G-L theory with or without immediate applications to the theory of superconductivity. An authoritative reference for applied mathematicians, theoretical physicists and engineers interested in the quantitative description of superconductivity using Ginzburg-Landau theory.

O I 1 -1 durch die GauB-Quadraturformel Q I n n L w 0 f (x 0) * i=1 1 1 Sei Rn : = I - Q das Fehlerfunktional. n Izl1, Fur eine im Kreis Kr I Kr : = {z E a: holomorphe Funktion f, f(z) = L i=O sei f i i * = x . ( 1. 1) : = sup{ I a 0 I r i E:JN und R (qo) * O}, qo (x) o 1 n 1 1 In Xr := {f: f holomorph in Kr und Iflr < oo} ist I . I eine Seminorm. Das Fehlerfunktional Rn ist in r (X I* I r) stetig I und fUr II Rn II I r, gilt die Identitat 00 (1 . 2) L i=O Dieser Zugang zu ableitungsfreien Abschatzungen des Fehlerterms (1 * 3) geht auf Hammerlin [4] zurUck. 15 Erftillt die Gewichtsfunktion w eine der Bedingungen w (t ) w(t ) 1 2;;; (1. 4. a) w (-t ) w (-t ) 1 2 beziehungsweise w (t ) w(t ) 1 2 (1. 4. b) ~ w (-t ) w (-t ) 1 2 so gilt mit P (x) (X-X ) *. * (X-X ) ftir die Fehlernorm 1 n n r 1 Pn(x) (1. 5. a) --,-. . - J w (x) dx Pn(r) -1 r-x beziehungsweise r 1 P (x) (1. 5. b) ( ) J w(x) ~ dx .

This volume contains a collection of 23 papers presented at the 4th French-German Conference on Optimization, hold at Irsee, April 21 - 26, 1986. The conference was aUended by ninety scientists: about one third from France, from Germany and from third countries each. They all contributed to a highly interesting and stimulating meeting. The scientifique program consisted of four survey lectures of a more tutorical character and of 61 contributed papers covering almost all areas of optimization. In addition two informal evening sessions and a plenary discussion on further developments of optimization theory were organized. One of the main aims of the organizers was to indicate and to stress the increasing importance of optimization methods for almost all areas of science and for a fast growing number of industry branches. We hope that the conference approached this goal in a certain degree and managed to continue fruitful discussions between -theory and -applications-. Equally important to the official contributions and lectures is the -nonmeasurable part of activities inherent in such a scientific meeting. Here the charming and inspiring atmosphere of a place like Irsee helped to establish numerous new contacts between the participants and to deepen already existing ones. The conference was sponsored by the Bayerische Kultusministerium, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Universities of Augsburg and Bayreuth. Their interest in the meeting and their assistance is gratefully acknowledged. We would like to thank the authors for their contributions and the referees for their helpful comments."

In recent years statistical physics has made significant progress as a result of advances in numerical techniques. While good textbooks exist on the general aspects of statistical physics, the numerical methods and the new developments based on large-scale computing are not usually adequately presented. In this book 16 experts describe the application of methods of statistical physics to various areas in physics such as disordered materials, quasicrystals, semiconductors, and also to other areas beyond physics, such as financial markets, game theory, evolution, and traffic planning, in which statistical physics has recently become significant. In this way the universality of the underlying concepts and methods such as fractals, random matrix theory, time series, neural networks, evolutionary algorithms, becomes clear. The topics are covered by introductory, tutorial presentations.

Der vorliegende Band vermittelt einen aktuellen Einblick in funfzig Verbundprojekte zwischen Hochschulinstituten und Industrieunternehmen, die gefordert werden durch das Bundesministrium fur Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie. Die vorliegenden Artikel entstanden auf der Grundlage von Vortragen, die anlasslich des BMBF-Statusseminars im Oktober 1995 in Munchen gehalten wurden. Sie beschreiben sowohl die grundlegenden mathematischen Fortschritte, als auch die Ansatze zur Losung konkreter Anwenderprobleme. Deren Spektrum reicht von der Bildverarbeitung uber chemische Reaktionen, Computertomographie, Fahrzeugdynamik, Muster- und Strukturerkennung, Prozesssteuerung und Roboter in der industriellen Praxis bis hin zu Stromungsvorgangen und Verkehrsfuhrungssystemen."