Edited by Giulio Casati / Universita degli Studi di Milano
Boris Chirikov / Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Novosibirsk, Russia

Quantum Chaos
Between Order and Disorder

Paperback (ISBN-13: 9780521031660 | ISBN-10: 0521031664)
Hardback (ISBN-13: 9780521432917 | ISBN-10: 052143291X)

Quantum Chaos provides a comprehensive overview of our understanding of chaotic behaviour in a wide variety of quantum and semiclassical systems, and describes both experimental and theoretical investigations. A general introduction sets out the main features of chaos in quantum systems. Thereafter, in an authoritative collection of papers, prominent scientists put forward their particular interpretations of quantum chaos, with reference to a broad range of interesting physical systems. As yet, there is no universally accepted definition of quantum chaos. However, by dealing with such a wide range of topics from different branches of physics, this book provides a unique overview of this rapidly expanding field, and will be of great interest to graduate students and researchers in many areas of physics and chemistry.

* Unique breadth of coverage
* Detailed introductory chapter by the editors
* Chaos and nonlinear dynamics are two of the hottest subjects in science right now

Contents

Preface; Acknowledgments; Introduction: 1. The legacy of chaos in quantum mechanics G. Casati and B. V. Chirikov; Part I. Classical Chaos and Quantum Localization: 2. Stochastic behaviour of a quantum pendulum under a periodic perturbation G. Casati, B. V. Chirikov, F. M. Izrailev and J. Ford; 3. Quantum dynamics of a nonintegrable system D. R. Grempel, R. E. Prange and S. E. Fishman; 4. Excitation of molecular rotation by periodic microwave pulses. A testing ground for Anderson localization R. Blumel, S. Fishman and U. Smilansky; 5. Localization of diffusive excitation in multi-level systems D. K. Shepelyansky; 6. Classical and quantum chaos for a kicked top F. Haake, M. Kus and R. Scharf; 7. Self-similarity in quantum dynamics L. E. Reichl and L. Haoming; 8. Time irreversibility of classically chaotic quantum dynamics K. Ikeda; 9. Effect of noise on time-dependent quantum chaos E. Ott, T. M. Antonsen Jr and J. D. Hanson; 10. Dynamical localization, dissipation and noise R. F. Graham; 11. Maximum entropy models and quantum transmission in disordered systems J.-L. Pichard and M. Sanquer; 12. Solid state 'atoms' in intense oscillating fields M. S. Sherwin; Part II. Atoms in Strong Fields: 13. Localization of classically chaotic diffusion for hydrogen atoms in microwave fields J. E. Bayfield, G. Casati, I. Guarneri and D. W. Sokol; 14. Inhibition of quantum transport due to 'scars' of unstable periodic orbits R. V. Jensen, M. M. Sanders, M. Saraceno and B. Sundaram; 15. Rubidium Rydberg atoms in strong fields G. Benson, G. Raithel and H. Walther; 16. Diamagnetic Rydberg atom: confrontation of calculated and observed spectra C.-H. Iu, G. R. Welch, M. M. Kash, D. Kleppner, D. Delande and J. C. Gay; 17. Semiclassical approximation for the quantum states of a hydrogen atom in a magnetic field near the ionization limit M. Y. Kuchiev and O. P. Sushkov; 18. The semiclassical helium atom D. Wintgen, K. Richter and G. Tanner; 19. Stretched helium: a model for quantum chaos in two-electron atoms R. Blumel and W. P. Reinhardt; Part III. Semiclassical Approximations: 20. Semiclassical theory of spectral rigidity M. V. Berry; 21. Semiclassical structure of trace formulas R. G. Littlejohn; 22. h-Expansion for quantum trace formulas P. Gaspard; 23. Pinball scattering B. Eckhardt, G. Russberg, P. Cvitanovic, P. E. Rosenqvist and P. Scherer; 24. Logarithm breaking time in quantum chaos G. P. Berman and G. M. Zaslavsky; 25. Semiclassical propagation: how long can it last? M. A. Sepulveda, S. Tomsovic and E. J. Heller; 26. The quantized Baker's transformation N. L. Balazs and A. Voros; 27. Classical structures in the quantized baker transformation M. Saraceno; 28. Quantum nodal points as fingerprints of classical chaos P. Leboeuf and A. Voros; 29. Chaology of action billiards A. M. Ozorio de Almeida and M. A. M. de Aguiar; Part IV. Level Statistics and Random Matrix Theory: 30. Characterization of chaotic quantum spectra and universality of level fluctuation laws O. Bohigas, M. J. Giannono, and C. Schmit; 31. Quantum chaos, localization and band random matrices F. M. Izrailev; 32. Structural invariance in channel space: a step toward understanding chaotic scattering in quantum mechanics T. H. Seligman; 33. Spectral properties of a Fermi accelerating disk R. Badrinarayanan and J. J. Jose; 34. Spectral properties of systems with dynamical localization T. Dittrich and U. Smilansky; 35. Unbound quantum diffusion and fractal spectra T. Geisel, R. Ketzmerick and G. Petschel; 36. Microwave studies in irregularly shaped billiards H.-J. Stockmann, J. Stein and M. Kollman; Index.

Edited by Kevin C. Knox / California Institute of Technology
Richard Noakes / University of Cambridge
Foreword by Stephen W. Hawking

From Newton to Hawking
A History of Cambridge University's Lucasian Professors of Mathematics

Paperback (ISBN-13: 9780521663939 | ISBN-10: 0521663938)

Cambridge University's Lucasian Professorship of Mathematics is one of the most celebrated academic positions in the world. Since its foundation in 1663, the chair has been held by seventeen men who represent some of the best and most influential minds in science and technology. Principally a social history of mathematics and physics, the story of these great natural philosophers and mathematical physicists is told here by some of the finest historians of science. The journey begins with the search for a benefactor able to establish a 'mathematicus professor honorarius', and travels through the life and work of the professors, exploring aspects from the heroic to the absurd. Covering both the great similarities and the extreme differences in mathematical physics over the last four centuries, this informative work offers new perspectives on world-famous scientists including Isaac Newton, Charles Babbage, G. G. Stokes, Paul Dirac and Stephen Hawking.

* Places well-known scientists within the broad and complex history of the Lucasian Professorship of Mathematics
* Emphasises the interplay between mathematics, natural philosophy, politics and religion inside and outside Cambridge University
* Written by leading historians of science, including a foreword by Stephen Hawking

Contents

Timeline of Lucasian Professors; Foreword Stephen Hawking; Introduction: 'Mind Almost Divine' K. C. Knox and R. Noakes; 1. Isaac Barrow and the foundation of the Lucasian Professorship M. Feingold; 2. 'Very Accomplished Mathematician, Philosopher, Chemist' - Newton as Lucasian Professor R. Iliffe; 3. Making Newton easy: William Whiston in Cambridge and London S. Snobelen and L. Stewart; 4. Sensible Newtonians: Nicholas Saunderson & John Colson J. Gascoigne; 5. The negative side of nothing: Edward Waring, Isaac Milner and Newtonian values K. C. Knox; 6. Paper and brass: The Lucasian Professorship 1820-1839 S. Schaffer; 7. Arbiters of Victorian science: George Gabriel Stokes and Joshua King D. B. Wilson; 8. 'That Universal Aetherial Plenum': Joseph Larmor's Natural History of Physics A. Warwick; 9. Paul Dirac: the purest soul in an atomic age H. Kragh; 10. Is the end in sight for the Lucasian Chair? Stephen Hawking as Millennium Professor H. Mialet; Appendix. The Statutes of the Lucasian Professorship: a translation I. Stewart.

Jean-Francois Sadoc / Universite de Paris XI
Remy Mosseri / Universite de Paris VII

Geometrical Frustration

Series: Collection Alea-Saclay: Monographs and Texts in Statistical Physics
Paperback (ISBN-13: 9780521031875 | ISBN-10: 0521031877)

This book shows how the concept of geometrical frustration can be used to elucidate the structure and properties of non-periodic materials such as metallic glasses, quasicrystals, amorphous semiconductors and complex liquid crystals. Geometric frustration is introduced through examples and idealized models, leading to a consideration of how the concept can be used to identify ordered and defective regions in real materials. Then it is shown how these principles can also be used to model physical properties of materials, in particular specific volume, melting, the structure factor and the glass transition. Final chapters consider geometric frustration in periodic structures with large cells and quasiperiodic order. Appendices give all necessary background on geometry, symmetry and tilings. The text considers geometrical frustration at different scales in many types of materials and structures, including metals, amorphous solids, liquid crystals, amphiphiles, cholisteric systems, polymers, phospholipid membranes, atomic clusters, and quasicrystals. Of interest to researchers in condensed matter physics, materials science and structural chemistry, as well as mathematics and structural biology.

* Topical area
* Accessible and well-illustrated account
* Of interest to wide group of researchers in condensed matter physics, materials science, structural chemistry, mathematics and structural biology

Contents

Preface; 1. Introduction to geometrical frustration; 2. Ideal models; 3. Finite structures; 4. Decurving and disclinations; 5. Hierarchical polytopes; 6. Some physical properties; 7. Periodic structures with large cells; 8. Quasiperiodic order and frustration; Appendices; Bibliography; Index.


Andrew Gelman / Columbia University
Jennifer Hill / Columbia University

Data Analysis Using Regression and Multilevel/Hierarchical Models

Series: Analytical Methods for Social Research
Paperback (ISBN-13: 9780521686891 | ISBN-10: 052168689X)
Hardback (ISBN-13: 9780521867061 | ISBN-10: 0521867061)

Data Analysis Using Regression and Multilevel/Hierarchical Models is a comprehensive manual for the applied researcher who wants to perform data analysis using linear and nonlinear regression and multilevel models. The book introduces a wide variety of models, whilst at the same time instructing the reader in how to fit these models using available software packages. The book illustrates the concepts by working through scores of real data examples that have arisen from the authors' own applied research, with programming codes provided for each one. Topics covered include causal inference, including regression, poststratification, matching, regression discontinuity, and instrumental variables, as well as multilevel logistic regression and missing-data imputation. Practical tips regarding building, fitting, and understanding are provided throughout.

* Discusses a wide range of linear and non-linear multilevel models
* Provides R and Winbugs computer codes and contains notes on using SASS and STATA
* Analyses illustrated with dozens of graphs of data and fitted models
* Dozens of examples, almost all coming from Gelman/Hill's own applied research

Contents

1. Why?; 2. Concepts and methods from basic probability and statistics; Part IA. Single-level Regression: 3. Linear regression: the basics; 4. Linear regression: before and after fitting the model; 5. Logistic regression; 6. Generalized linear models; Part IB. Working with Regression Inferences: 7. Simulation of probability models and statistical inferences; 8. Simulation for checking statistical procedures and model fits; 9. Causal inference using regression on the treatment variable; 10. Causal inference using more advanced models; Part IIA. Multilevel Regression: 11. Multilevel structures; 12. Multilevel linear models: the basics; 13. Multilevel linear models: varying slopes, non-nested models and other complexities; 14. Multilevel logistic regression; 15. Multilevel generalized linear models; Part IIB. Fitting Multilevel Models: 16. Multilevel modeling in bugs and R: the basics; 17. Fitting multilevel linear and generalized linear models in bugs and R; 18. Likelihood and Bayesian inference and computation; 19. Debugging and speeding convergence; Part III. From Data Collection to Model Understanding to Model Checking: 20. Sample size and power calculations; 21. Understanding and summarizing the fitted models; 22. Analysis of variance; 23. Causal inference using multilevel models; 24. Model checking and comparison; 25. Missing data imputation; Appendixes: A. Six quick tips to improve your regression modeling; B. Statistical graphics for research and presentation; C. Software; References.


Clifford A. Pickover / IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, New York

The Mathematics of Oz
Mental Gymnastics from Beyond the Edge

Paperback (ISBN-13: 9780521700849 | ISBN-10: 0521700841)

Grab a pencil. Relax. Then take off on a mind-boggling journey to the ultimate frontier of math, mind, and meaning as acclaimed author Dr Clifford Pickover, Dorothy, and Dr Oz explore some of the oddest and quirkiest highways and byways of the numerically obsessed. Prepare yourself for a shattering odyssey as The Mathematics of Oz unlocks the doors of your imagination. The thought-provoking mysteries, puzzles, and problems range from zebra numbers and circular primes to Legion's number - a number so big that it makes a trillion pale in comparison. The strange mazes, bizarre consequences, and dizzying arrays of logic problems will entertain people at all levels of mathematical sophistication. The tests devised by enigmatic Dr Oz to assess human intelligence will tease the brain of even the most avid puzzle fan. Test your wits on a host of mathematical topics: geometry and mazes, sequences, series, sets, arrangements, probability and misdirection, number theory, arithmetic, and even several problems dealing with the physical world. With numerous illustrations, this is an original, fun-filled, and thoroughly unique introduction to numbers and their role in creativity, computers, games, practical research, and absurd adventures that teeter on the edge of logic and insanity. The Mathematics of Oz will have you squirming in frustration and begging for more.

* Big name author who has written over 20 popular books plus puzzle columns for Discover and other popular magazines
* New and unusual mathematical puzzles not found in standard collections
* Lots of amusing original illustrations

Contents

Travel guide; Preface; Introduction; Puzzles: 1. The yellow-brick road; 2. Animal array; 3. An experiment with Kansas; 4. An experiment with signs; 5. The logic of greenness; 6. Magical maze; 7. Kansas railway contraction; 8. The problem of the bones; 9. Square overdrive; 10. Squares and cubes; 11. Plex's matrix; 12. Chaos at the clock factory; 13. The upsilon configuration; 14. Bone toss; 15. Animal farm courthouse; 16. Omega sphere; 17. Leg bone shatter produces triangle; 18. Z-bar ranch; 19. Mystery of phasers; 20. Salty number cycle; 21. Where are the composites?; 22. Brain trip; 23. The gaps of omicron; 24. Hutchinson problem; 25. Flint hill series; 26. Wacky tiles; 27. Toto clone puzzle; 28. Legion's number; 29. The problems of the tombs; 30. Plex's tiles; 31. Phasers on targets; 32. The chamber of death and despair; 33. Zebra irrationals; 34. Creatures in resin; 35. Prime-poor equations; 36. Number satellite; 37. Flatworm math; 38. Regolith paradox; 39.; 40. Entroy; 41. Animal gap; 42. Arranging alien heads; 43. Ramanujan congruences and the quest for transcendence; 44. Getting noticed; 45. Juggler numbers; 46. Friends from Mars; 47. Phi in four 4s; 48; On planet zyph; 49. The jellyfish of europa; 50. Archeological dissection; 51. The gamma gambit; 52. Robot hand hive; 53. Ramanujan and the quattuordecillion; 54. Lunatic ferris wheel; 55. The ultimate spindle; 56. Prairie artifact; 57. Alien pellets; 58. The beauty of polygon slicing; 59. Cosmic call; 60. Knight moves; 61. Sphere; 62. Potawatomi target; 63. Sliders; 64. Swapping; 65. Triangle dissection; 66. A simple code; 67. Heterosquare; 68. Insertion; 69. Missing landscape; 70. The choice; 71. Animal selection; 72. The skeletal men of Uranus; 73. Hindbrain stimulation; 74. The arrays of absolution; 75. Trochophore abduction; 76. The dream pyramids of Missouri; 77. Mathematical flower petal; 78. Blood and water; 79. Cavern problems; 80. Three triplets; 81. Oos and oob gambit; 82. Napiform mathematics; 83. Toto, Mr. plex, elephant; 84. Witch overdrive; 85. What is art?; 86. Wendy magic square; 87. Heaven and hell; 88. The stars of heaven; 89. Vacation in the Tarantula nebula; 90. Hot lava; 91. Circular primes; 92. The truth about cats and dogs; 93. Disc mania; 94. N2+m2=s; 95. 2, 271, 2718281; 96. Android watch; 97. Knight moves; 98. Pool table gambit; 99. A connection between pi and e; 100. Venusian number bush; 101. Triangle cave; 102. Rat attack; 103. The scarecrow formula; 104. Circle math; 105. A, AB, ABA; 106. Ants and cheese; 107. The omega crystal; 108. Attack of undulating undecamorphs; Epilog; Further exploring; For further reading; About the author.