Barbeau, E. J., University of Toronto, ON, Canada

Pell's Equation

2003 Approx. 200 p. 9 illus. Hardcover
0-387-95529-1

Pell's equation is part of a central area of algebraic number theory that treats quadratic forms and the structure of the rings of integers in algebraic number fields. It is an ideal topic to lead college students, as well as some talented and motivated high school students, to a better appreciation of the power of mathematical technique. Even at the specific level of quadratic diophantine equations, there are unsolved problems, and the higher degree analogues of Pell's equation, particularly beyond the third, do not appear to have been well studied. In this focused exercise book, the topic is motivated and developed through sections of exercises which will allow the readers to recreate known theory and provide a focus for their algebraic practice. There are several explorations that encourage the reader to embark on their own research. A high school background in mathematics is all that is needed to get into this book, and teachers and others interested in mathematics who do not have (or have forgotten) a background in advanced mathematics may find that it is a suitable vehicle for keeping up an independent interest in the subject.

Contents: The square root of 2.- Problems leading to Pell's equation and preliminary investigations.- Quadratic surds.- The fundamental solution.- Tracking down the fundamental solution.- Pell's equation and pythagorean triples.- The cubic analogue of Pell's equation.- Analogues of the fourth and higher degrees.- A finite version of Pell's equation.- Answers and solutions.

Series: Problem Books in Mathematics.

Bonnans, J. F., INRIA Rocquencourt, Le Chesnay, France; Gilbert, J. C., INRIA Rocquencourt, Le Chesnay, France; Lemarechal, C., INRIA Rhone-Alpes, Montbonnot, France; Sagastizabal, C. A., IMPA, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Numerical Optimization
Theoretical and Practical Aspects

2003 XIV, S. 423 Softcover
3-540-00191-3

Numerical Optimization has numerous applications in engineering sciences, operations research, economics, finance, etc. Starting with illustrations of this ubiquitous character, this book is essentially devoted to numerical algorithms for optimization, which are exposed in a tutorial way. It covers fundamental algorithms as well as more specialized and advanced topics for unconstrained and constrained problems. The theoretical bases of the subject, such as optimality conditions, Lagrange multipliers or duality, although recalled, are assumed known. Most of the algorithms described in the book are explained in a detailed manner, allowing straightforward implementation. This level of detail is intended to familiarize the reader with some of the crucial questions of numerical optimization: how algorithms operate, why they converge, difficulties that may be encountered and their possible remedies. Theoretical aspects of the approaches chosen are also addressed with care, often using minimal assumptions.

Keywords: Optimization algorithms, nonsmooth optimization, sequential quadratic programming, interior-point methods

Series: Universitext.

Brezzi, F., Universita di Pavia, Italy; Buffa, A., Istituo di Matematica, Pavia, Italy; Corsaro, S., Istituto per il Calcolo, Napoli, Italy; Almerico, M., Universita di Napoli, Italy (Eds.)

Numerical Mathematics and Advanced Applications
Proceedings of ENUMATH 2001, the 4th European Conference on Numerical Mathematics and Advanced Applications, Ischia, July 2001

2003 Approx. 1000 p. Hardcover
88-470-0180-3

This book can be an invaluable instrument for overviewing the latest and newest issues in mathematical aspects of scientific computing, discovering new applications and the most recent developments in the old ones. Topics include applications like fluid dynamics, electromagnetism, structural mechanics, kinetic models, free boundary problems, and methodologies like a posteriori estimates, adaptivity, discontinuous Galerkin methods, domain decomposition techniques, and numerical linear algebra. ENUMATH Conferences provide a forum for discussing recent aspects of Numerical Mathematics, they convene leading experts and young scientists with a special emphasis on contributions from Europe. Readers will get an insight into the state of the art of Numerical Mathematics and, more generally, into the field of Advanced Applications.

Keywords: Applied Mathematics, Numerical, Numerical Mathematics

Contents: Flow problems.- Electromagnetic problems.- Elasticity and structures.- Numerical problems in finance.- Numerical methods for kinetic equations.- Singular free boundary problems.- Other applications.- A posteriori estimates and adaptivity.- Discontinuous Galerkin finite element methods.- Domain decomposition methods.- ODE, IDE, and related problems.- Numerical linear algebra.

Cohn, P. M., University College London, UK

Further Algebra and Applications

2003 XII, 452 p. 27 illus. Hardcover
1-85233-667-6

Further Algebra and Applications is the second volume of a new and revised edition of P.M. Cohn's classic three-volume text "Algebra" which is widely regarded as one of the most outstanding introductory algebra textbooks. For this edition, the text has been reworked and updated into two self-contained, companion volumes, covering advanced topics in algebra for second- and third-year undergraduate and postgraduate research students.
The first volume, "Basic Algebra", covers the important results of algebra; this companion volume focuses on the applications and covers the more advanced parts of topics such as:
- groups and algebras
- homological algebra
- universal algebra
- general ring theory
- representations of finite groups
- coding theory
- languages and automata
The author gives a clear account, supported by worked examples, with full proofs. There are numerous exercises with occasional hints, and some historical remarks.

Keywords: Algebra, PI-rings, Skew fields, Universal algebra

Contents: Conventions on Terminology.- Preface.- Universal Algebra.- Homological Algebra.- Further Group Theory.- Algebras.- Central Simple Algebras.- Representation Theory of Finite Groups.- Noetherian Rings and Polynomial Identities.- Rings without Finiteness Assumptions.- Skew Fields.- Coding Theory.- Languages and Automata.- Bibliography.- List of Notations.- Author Index.- Subject Index.

Daley, D.J., Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia; Vere-Jones, D., Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand

An Introduction to the Theory of Point Processes, 2nd ed.
Volume I: Elementary Theory and Methods

2003 XXI, 469 p. Hardcover
0-387-95541-0

Point processes and random measures find wide applicability in telecommunications, earthquakes, image analysis, spatial point patterns, and stereology, to name but a few areas. The authors have made a major reshaping of their work in their first edition of 1988 and now present their Introduction to the Theory of Point Processes in two volumes with sub-titles "Elementary Theory and Models" and "General Theory and Structure".
Volume One contains the introductory chapters from the first edition, together with an informal treatment of some of the later material intended to make it more accessible to readers primarily interested in models and applications. The main new material in this volume relates to marked point processes and to processes evolving in time, where the conditional intensity methodology provides a basis for model building, inference, and prediction. There are abundant examples whose purpose is both didactic and to illustrate further applications of the ideas and models that are the main substance of the text.
Volume Two returns to the general theory, with additional material on marked and spatial processes. The necessary mathematical background is reviewed in appendices located in Volume One. Daryl Daley is a Senior Fellow in the Centre for Mathematics and Applications at the Australian National University, with research publications in a diverse range of applied probability models and their analysis; he is co-author with Joe Gani of an introductory text in epidemic modelling. David Vere-Jones is an Emeritus Professor at Victoria University of Wellington, widely known for his contributions to Markov chains, point processes, applications in seismology.

Contents: Early History.- Basic Properties of the Poisson Process.- Simple Results for Stationary Point Processes on the Line.- Renewal Processes.- Finite Point Processes.- Models Constructed via Conditioning: Cox, Cluster, and Marked Point Processes.- Conditional Intensities and Likelihoods.- Second Order Properties of Stationary Point Processes.

Series: Probability and its Applications.

Schindler, W., Bundesamt fur Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik, Bonn, Germany

Measures with Symmetry Properties

2003 IX, 167 p. Softcover
3-540-00235-9

Symmetries and invariance principles play an important role in various branches of mathematics. This book deals with measures having weak symmetry properties. Even mild conditions ensure that all invariant Borel measures on a second countable locally compact space can be expressed as images of specific product measures under a fixed mapping. The results derived in this book are interesting for their own and, moreover, a number of carefully investigated examples underline and illustrate their usefulness and applicability for integration problems, stochastic simulations and statistical applications.

Keywords: Measure and integration theory, sufficient statistics, stochastic simulations, invariant measures

Series: Lecture Notes in Mathematics. Volume. 1808

Steinbach, O., University of Stuttgart, Germany

Stability Estimates for Hybrid Coupled Domain Decomposition Methods

2003 VI, 120 p. Softcover
3-540-00277-4

Domain decomposition methods are a well established tool for an efficient numerical solution of partial differential equations, in particular for the coupling of different model equations and of different discretization methods. Based on the approximate solution of local boundary value problems either by finite or boundary element methods, the global problem is reduced to an operator equation on the skeleton of the domain decomposition. Different variational formulations then lead to hybrid domain decomposition methods.

Keywords: Domain decomposition methods, coupling of finite and boundary element methods, stability analysis of mixed approximation schemes

Series: Lecture Notes in Mathematics. Volume. 1809