Friberg, Joran

A Remarkable Collection of Babylonian Mathematical Texts

Series: Sources and Studies in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences
2007, Approx. 560 p., 259 illus., Hardcover
ISBN: 0-387-34543-4
Due: January 2007

About this book

The book analyzes the mathematical tablets which are in the possession of a private collector, Martin Schoyen. This collection contains all sorts of tablets, some similar to classical ones but also others with fascinating new material. Here the author translates their mathematical content, compares it with previous known material, then evaluates the period of the tablet and its purpose. This allows the author to provide new insights into the interpretation of some classical tablets, as for example Plimpton 322 which has an exclusive appendix.

What makes this book so unique is the light being shed on Babylonian mathematics. For instance, new evidence of Babylonian familiarity with sophisticated mathematical objects is provided, including the knowledge of the three dimensional Pythagorean equation and the familiarity with the geometry of the icosahedron is new and unexpected. The author is a master of analysis of the errors found in the tablets. It is well known that computational errors in the tablets are revealing of the algorithms employed in the computations. The author exploits with mastery this clever technique to gain new insight in the mathematical reasoning behind the content of the tablets. From the analysis it becomes increasingly clear that Babylonians were outstanding calculators, probably only comparable in modern times with exhibition genius calculators. For example, it appears that schoolboys were familiar with the multiplication tables at least up to 25!. He also gives numerous geometrical possible explanations and interpretations of the tablets. Another very important finding is the use of the zero notation in novel contexts and periods.

The book is very carefully written and organized, the tablets are classified according to their mathematical content and purpose, while useful drawings and pictures are provided for the most interesting tablets. The author makes a great effort to make the material accessible to both assyriologists and mathematicians. There is an introduction with basic background on babylonian mathematics and on numerous occasions the author reviews basic mathematical material

Table of contents

Acknowledgements.- Introduction.- Documentation of Provenance.- Abbreviations.- How to Get a Better Understanding of Mathematical Cuneiform Texts.- Old Babylonian Arithmetical Hand Tablets.- Old Babylonian Arithmetical Table Texts.- Old Babylonian Metrological Table Texts.- Mesopotamian Weight Stones.- Neo-Sumerian Field Maps (Ur III).- An Old Sumerian Metro-Mathematical Table Text (Early Dynastic IIIa).- Old Babylonian Hand Tablets with Practical Mathematics.- Old Babylonian Hand Tablets with Geometric Exercises.- The Beginning and the End of the Sumerian King List.- Three Old Babylonian Mathematical Problem Texts from Uruk.- Three Problem Texts Not Belonging to Any Known Group of Texts.- App. 1. Subtractive Notations for Numbers in Mathematical Cuneiform Texts.- App. 2. The Old Babylonian Combined Multiplication Table.- App. 3. An Old Babylonian Combined Arithmetical Algorithm.- App. 4. Cuneiform Systems of Notations for Numbers and Measures.- App. 5. Old Babylonian Complete Metrological Tables.- App. 6. Metro-Mathematical Cuneiform Texts from the Third Millennium BC.- App. 7. CUNES 50-08-001. A Combined Metro-Mathematical Table Text (ED IIIb).- App. 8. Plimpton 322, a Table of Parameters for igi?igi.bi Problems.- App. 9. Many-Place Squares of Squares in Late Babylonian Mathematical Texts.- App. 10. Color Photos of Selected Texts.- Vocabulary for the MS Texts.- Index of Subjects.- Index of Texts.- References.

Lovelock, David, Marilou, Mendel, Wright, Arthur L.

An Introduction to the Mathematics of Money
Saving and Investing

2007, Approx. 295 p., Hardcover
ISBN: 0-387-34432-2
Online version available
Due: January 2007

About this textbook

This book is an introduction to the mathematics of finance. Part I focuses on analysis of deterministic cash flows, such as those generated by riskless bonds and annuities. Part II focuses on the analysis of risky securities, such as stocks and options. This book is suitable for undergraduates in mathematics, economics and business programmes. It contains examples and exercises throughout. This book uses investing as a vehicle to introduce ideas, techniques and applications that might not be encountered other mathematics courses. These include proofs by induction, recurrence relations, inequalities (in particular, the Arithmetic-Geometric Mean inequality and the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality), and the elements of probability and statistics. The book introduces the reader to the elements of investing that are of life-long practical use. This book targets students at the sophomore/junior level, without assuming a background or any experience in investing.

Table of contents

Preface.- Interest - Simple.- Interest - Compound.- Inflation and Taxes.- Annuities.- Loans and Risks.- Amortization.- Credit Cards.- Bonds.- Stocks and Stock Markets.- Stock Market Indexes, Pricing, and Risk.- Options.- Appendix: Induction, Recurrence Relations, Inequalities.- Appendix: Statistics.- Answers.- References.- Index.

Lynch, Stephen

Dynamical Systems with Applications Using MathematicaR

2007, Approx. 550 p., 350 illus., Softcover
ISBN: 0-8176-4482-2
Due: April 2007

About this textbook

Dynamical Systems with Applications Using MathematicaR provides an introduction to the theory of dynamical systems with the aid of the Mathematica computer algebra package. The book has a very hands-on approach and takes the reader from basic theory to recently published research material. Emphasized throughout are numerous applications to biology, chemical kinetics, economics, electronics, epidemiology, nonlinear optics, mechanics, population dynamics, and neural networks.

Throughout the book, the author has focused on breadth of coverage rather than fine detail, with theorems and proofs being kept to a minimum. The first part of the book deals with continuous systems using ordinary differential equations, while the second part is devoted to the study of discrete dynamical systems. Exercises are included at the end of every chapter. Both textbooks and research papers are presented in the list of references

Table of contents

Preface.- A tutorial introduction to Mathematica.- Differential equations.- Planar systems.- Interacting species.- Limit cycles.- Hamiltonian systems, Lyapunov functions, and stability.- Bifurcation theory.- Three-dimensional autonomous systems and chaos.- Poincare maps and nonautonomous systems in the plane.- Local and global bifurcations.- The second part of David Hilbert's sixteenth problem.- Linear discrete dynamical systems.- Nonlinear discrete dynamical systems.- Complex iterative maps.- Electromagnetic waves and optical resonators.- Fractals and multifractals.- Chaos control and synchronization.- Neural networks.- Examination-type questions.- Solutions to exercises.- References.- Mathematica program file index.- Index

Agarwal, Ravi P., Ding, Shusen

Inequalities for Differential Forms

2007, X, 390 p., Hardcover
ISBN: 0-387-36034-4
Due: June 2007

About this book

Differential forms satisfying the A-harmonic equations have found wide applications in fields such as general relativity, theory of elasticity, quasiconformal analysis, differential geometry, and nonlinear differential equations in domains on manifolds.

This monograph is the first one to systematically present a series of local and global estimates and inequalities for such differential forms in particular. It concentrates on the Hardy-Littlewood, Poincare, Cacciooli, imbedded and reverse Holder inequalities. Integral estimates for operators, such as homotopy operator, the Laplace-Beltrami operator, and the gradient operator are also presented. Additionally, some related topics such as BMO inequalities, Lipschitz classes, Orlicz spaces and inequalities in Carnot groups are discussed in the concluding chapter. An abundance of bibliographical references and historical material supplement the text throughout.

This book will serve as an invaluable reference for researchers, instructors and graduate students in analysis and partial differential equations and could be used as additional material for specific courses in these fields.

Table of contents

Hardy-Littlewood Inequalities.- Norm Comparison Theorems.- Poincare-type inequalities.- Caccioppoli Inequalities.- Imbedding Inequalities.- Reverse Holder Inequaltiies.- Estimates for Jacobians.- Inequalities for Operators.- Some related topics.- Bibliography.- Index

Kusuoka, Shigeo; Yamazaki, Akira (Eds.)

Advances in Mathematical Economics , Vol. 9

2006, 130 p., Hardcover
ISBN: 4-431-34341-5

About this book

A lot of economic problems can formulated as constrained optimizations and equilibration of their solutions. Various mathematical theories have been supplying economists with indispensable machineries for these problems arising in economic theory. Conversely, mathematicians have been stimulated by various mathematical difficulties raised by economic theories. The series is designed to bring together those mathematicians who were seriously interested in getting new challenging stimuli from economic theories with those economists who are seeking for effective mathematical tools for their researchers.

Table of contents
Takashi Adachi: Option on a unit-type closed-end investment fund.- Takahiko Fujita, Ryozo Miura: The distribution of continuous time rank processes.- Hirotaka Fushiya: Asymptotic expansion for a filtering problem and a short term rate model.- Elyes Jouini, Walter Schachermayer, and Nizar Touzi: Law invariant risk measures have the Fatou property.- Mikio Nakayama: The dawn of modern theory of games.- Manabu Toda: Approximation of excess demand on the boundary and equilibrium price set.- Yuji Umezawa: The minimal risk of hedging with a convex risk measure.- Na Zhang: The distribution of firm size.