The first book on the history of modernization of the mathematical sciences in
19th-mid 20th century China
Approaches the topic from various angles: language of mathematics, modes
of argumentation and proof, statistics, numerology, number theory,
geometry, discourses on "national studies"
Provides in an Appendix the first translation of a Chinese treatise by Li
Shanlan on Methods for Testing Primality (1872)
The book addresses for the first time the dynamics associated with the modernization of
mathematics in China from the nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century from a transcultural
global historical perspective. Rather than depict the transformations of mathematical
knowledge in terms of a process of westernization, the book analyzes the complex interactions
between different scientific communities and the ways in which the past, modernity, language,
and mathematics were negotiated in a global context. In each chapter, Andrea Breard provides
vivid portraits of a series of go-betweens (such as translators, educators, or state statisticians)
based on a vast array of translated primary sources hitherto unavailable to a non-Chinese
readership. They not only illustrate how Chinese scholars mediated between new mathematical
objects and discursive modes, but also how they instrumentalized their autochthonous scientific
roots in specific political and intellectual contexts. While sometimes technical in style, the book
addresses all readers who are interested in the global and cultural history of science and the
complexities involved in the making of universal mathematics. “While the pursuit of modernity
is in the title, entanglement is of as much interest. Using the famous ‘Nine Chapters’ as a
framework, Breard considers a wide range of that entanglement from divination to data
management. Breard’s analysis and thought-provoking insights show once again how much we
can learn when two cultures intersect. A fascinating read!” (John Day, Boston University).
ISBN 978-3-319-93694-9 / BIC: PBX
1st ed. 2018, X, 101 p. 21
illus., 6 illus. in color.
Softcover
ISBN 978-3-319-98028-7
Uses a flexible class of probability distributions for modeling data with
skewness behavior, discrepant observations and population heterogeneity
instead nonparametric methods
Explores methods that are implemented in the R package mixsmsn
Enhances the spread of ideas that are currently trickling through the
literature of mixture models
This book presents recent results in finite mixtures of skewed distributions to prepare readers
to undertake mixture models using scale mixtures of skew normal distributions (SMSN). For
this purpose, the authors consider maximum likelihood estimation for univariate and
multivariate finite mixtures where components are members of the flexible class of SMSN
distributions. This subclass includes the entire family of normal independent distributions, also
known as scale mixtures of normal distributions (SMN), as well as the skew-normal and
skewed versions of some other classical symmetric distributions: the skew-t (ST), the skewslash
(SSL) and the skew-contaminated normal (SCN), for example. These distributions have
heavier tails than the typical normal one, and thus they seem to be a reasonable choice for
robust inference. The proposed EM-type algorithm and methods are implemented in the R
package mixsmsn, highlighting the applicability of the techniques presented in the book. This
work is a useful reference guide for researchers analyzing heterogeneous data, as well as a
textbook for a graduate-level course in mixture models. The tools presented in the book make
complex techniques accessible to applied researchers without the advanced mathematical
background and will have broad applications in fields like medicine, biology, engineering,
economic, geology and chemistry.
Hardcover
ISBN 978-981-13-2247-1
Introduces a broad class of statistical estimators that are minimizers of
convex functions
Covers the three important topics in statistics: U-statistics, Mm-estimates and
resampling
Provides an elementary introduction to resampling in the context of these
estimators
Presents a quick and short introduction to the statistical software R
This is an introductory text on a broad class of statistical estimators that are minimizers of
convex functions. It covers the basics of U-statistics and Mm-estimators and develops their
asymptotic properties. It also provides an elementary introduction to resampling, particularly in
the context of these estimators. The last chapter is on practical implementation of the methods
presented in other chapters, using the free software R.
Series
Springer Proceedings in Mathematics & Statistics
1st ed. 2018, VI, 180 p. 20
illus., 11 illus. in color.
Hardcover
ISBN 978-981-13-1222-9
Platinum Jubilee Conference, Kolkata, India, December 2016
Discusses the design of experiments in agriculture and industry, survey
sampling and official statistics and biostatistics
Gathers articles on a wide variety of topics in statistics and its applications in
social sciences, industry and physical sciences
Is useful to statisticians, aspiring researchers and professionals across
educational levels and disciplines
This book discusses recent developments and the latest research in statistics and its
applications, primarily in agriculture and industry, survey sampling and biostatistics, gathering
articles on a wide variety of topics. Written by leading academics, scientists, researchers and
scholars from around the globe to mark the platinum jubilee of the Department of Statistics,
University of Calcutta in 2016, the book is a valuable resource for statisticians, aspiring
researchers and professionals across educational levels and disciplines.
Series
Sources and Studies in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences
Due 2018-10-07
1st ed. 2018, X, 340 p. 140
illus., 54 illus. in color.
Hardcover
ISBN 978-3-319-97036-3
Provides an up-to-date, more accessible guide to Sanskrit astronomical tables
Contains an inventory of all of the identified individual works in this genre
Includes a glossary of the relevant Sanskrit terms
This groundbreaking volume provides an up-to-date, accessible guide to Sanskrit astronomical
tables and their analysis. It begins with an overview of Indian mathematical astronomy and its
literature, including table texts, in the context of history of pre-modern astronomy. It then
discusses the primary mathematical astronomy content of table texts and the attempted
taxonomy of this genre before diving into the broad outlines of their representation in the
Sanskrit scientific manuscript corpus. Finally, the authors survey the major categories of
individual tables compiled in these texts, complete with brief analyses of some of the methods
for constructing and using them, and then chronicle the evolution of the table-text genre and
the impacts of its changing role on the discipline of Sanskrit jyotia. There are also three
appendices: one inventories all the identified individual works in the genre currently known to
the authors; one provides reference information about the details of all the notational,
calendric, astronomical, and other classification systems invoked in the study; and one serves
as a glossary of the relevant Sanskrit terms.
Series
Applied and Numerical Harmonic Analysis
Hardcover
ISBN 978-3-319-97957-1
Distributional and Fractal Calculus, Integral Transforms and Wavelets
Illustrates how the theory of distributions can be applied to solve problems in
the physical and engineering sciences
Includes a robust selection of example problems that can arise in real-life
industrial and scientific labs
Will be a valuable resource for researchers and graduate students who would
like more exposure to probabilistic methods
Distributions in the Physical and Engineering Sciences is a comprehensive exposition on
analytic methods for solving science and engineering problems which is written from the
unifying viewpoint of distribution theory and enriched with many modern topics which are
important to practitioners and researchers. The goal of the book is to give the reader, specialist
and non-specialist usable and modern mathematical tools in their research and analysis. This
new text is intended for graduate students and researchers in applied mathematics, physical
sciences and engineering. The careful explanations, accessible writing style, and many
illustrations/examples also make it suitable for use as a self-study reference by anyone
seeking greater understanding and proficiency in the problem solving methods presented. The
book is ideal for a general scientific and engineering audience, yet it is mathematically precise.
The present, softcover reprint is designed to make this classic textbook available to a wider
audience.