One of the driving forces behind much of modern science and technology is the desire to foresee and thereby control the future. In recent years, however, it has become clear that, even in a deterministic world, there is alimit to the accuracy with which we can predict the future. This book details, in a largely nontechnical style, the extent to which we can predict the future development of various physical, biological and socio-economic processes.

This book was originally conceived as a continuation in theme of the collec- tive monograph Limits of Predictability (Yu. A. Kravtsov, Ed. , Springer Series in Synergetics, Vol. 60, Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, 1993). The main thrust of that book was to examine the various effects and factors (system non- stationarity, measurement noise, predictive model accuracy, and so on) that may limit, in a fundamental fashion, our ability to mathematically predict physical and man-made phenomena and events. Particularly interesting was the diversity of fields from which the papers and examples were drawn, in- cluding climatology, physics, biophysics, cybernetics, synergetics, sociology, and ethnogenesis. Twelve prominant Russian scientists, and one American (Prof. A. J. Lichtman) discussed their philosophical and scientific standpoints on the problem of the limits of predictability in their various fields. During the preparation of that book, the editor (Yu. A. K) had the great pleasure of interacting with world-renowned Russian scientists such as oceanologist A. S. Monin, geophysicist V. I. Keilis-Borok, sociologist I. V. Bestuzhev-Lada, histo- rian L. N. Gumilev, to name a few. Dr. Angela M. Lahee, managing editor of the Synergetics Series at Springer, was enormously helpful in the publishing of that book. In 1992, Prof. H. Haken along with Dr. Lahee kindly supported the idea of publishing a second volume on the theme of nonlinear system predictability, this time with a more international flavor.

"Principles of Statistical Radiophysics" is a four-volume series that introduces the newcomer to the theory of random functions. It aims at providing the background necessary to understand papers and monographs on the subject and to carry out independent research in the fields where fluctuations are of importance, e.g. radiophysics, optics, astronomy, and acoustics. Volume 3, "Elements of Random Fields," gives the basic mathematical definitions, general properties and specific forms of random fields, the generalization from correlation theory to random fields. It deals with stochastic partial differential equations, wave scattering at a chaotic screen, single scattering in random media and thermal fluctuations and radiation of electromagnetic fields.

Principles of Statistical Radiophysics is concerned with the theory of random func tions (processes and fields) treated in close association with a number of applications in physics. Primarily, the book deals with radiophysics in its broadest sense, i.e., l viewed as a general theory of oscillations and waves of any physical nature * This translation is based on the second (two-volume) Russian edition. It appears in four volumes: 1. Elements of Random Process Theory 2. Correlation Theory of Random Processes 3. Elements of Random Fields 4. Wave Propagation Through Random Media. The four volumes are, naturally, to a large extent conceptually interconnected (being linked, for instance, by cross-references); yet for the advanced reader each of them might be of interest on its own. This motivated the division of the Principles into four separate volumes. The text is designed for graduate and postgraduate students majoring in radio physics, radio engineering, or other branches of physics and technology dealing with oscillations and waves (e.g., acoustics and optics). As a rule, early in their career these students face problems involving the use of random functions. The book pro vides a sound basis from which to understand and solve problems at this level. In addition, it paves the way for a more profound study of the mathematical theory, should it be necessary2. The reader is assumed to be familiar with probability theory.

Principles of Statistical Radiophysics is concerned with the theory of random functions (processes and fields) treated in close association with a number of ap plications in physics. Primarily, the book deals with radiophysics in its broadest sense, i.e., viewed as a general theory of oscillations and waves of any physical l nature . This translation is based on the second (two-volume) Russian edition. It appears in four volumes: 1. Elements of Random Process Theory 2. Correlation Theory of Random Processes 3. Elements of Random Fields 4. Wave Propagation Through Random Media. The four volumes are, naturally, to a large extent conceptually interconnected (being linked, for instance, by cross-references); yet for the advanced reader each of them might be of interest on its own. This motivated the division of the Principles into four separate volumes. The text is designed for graduate and postgraduate students majoring in radiophysics, radio engineering, or other branches of physics and technology dealing with oscillations and waves (e.g., acoustics and optics). As a rule, early in their career these students face problems involving the use of random func tions. The book provides a sound basis from which to understand and solve problems at this level. In addition, it paves the way for a more profound study of the mathematical theory, should it be necessary2. The reader is assumed to be familiar with probability theory."

"Principles of Statistical Radiophysics" is a four-volume series that introduces the newcomer to the theory of random functions. It aims at providing the background necessary to understand papers and monographs on the subject and to carry out independant research in fields where fluctuations are of importance, e.g. radiophysics, optics, astronomy, and acoustics. Volume 2, "Correlation Theory of Random Processes," presents the correlation theory of nonstationary processes paying particular attention to periodically nonstationary processes. Physical phenomena like interference, coherence and polarisation of random oscillations, thermal noise in discrete dynamical systems, and the spectral representations of random actions on discrete systems are dealt with.