Author : Leonard Smith
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 201 pages
File Size : 25,95 MB
Release : 2007-02-22
Category : Mathematics
ISBN : 0192853783
Chaos exists in systems all around us. This introduction draws in philosophy, literature, and maths to explain Chaos Theory, showing the variety of its applications in the real world, from technology to global warming, politics, and even gambling on the stock market.
Author : Kenneth Falconer
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 153 pages
File Size : 35,64 MB
Release : 2013-09-26
Category : Mathematics
ISBN : 0191663441
Many are familiar with the beauty and ubiquity of fractal forms within nature. Unlike the study of smooth forms such as spheres, fractal geometry describes more familiar shapes and patterns, such as the complex contours of coastlines, the outlines of clouds, and the branching of trees. In this Very Short Introduction, Kenneth Falconer looks at the roots of the 'fractal revolution' that occurred in mathematics in the 20th century, presents the 'new geometry' of fractals, explains the basic concepts, and explores the wide range of applications in science, and in aspects of economics. This is essential introductory reading for students of mathematics and science, and those interested in popular science and mathematics. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Author : Samir Okasha
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 161 pages
File Size : 27,5 MB
Release : 2016
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 0198745583
What is science? -- Scientific inference -- Explanation in science -- Realism and anti-realism -- Scientific change and scientific revolutions -- Philosophical problems in physics, biology, and psychology -- Science and its critics.
Author : Ian Stewart
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 161 pages
File Size : 42,47 MB
Release : 2013-05-30
Category : Mathematics
ISBN : 0191652741
In the 1800s mathematicians introduced a formal theory of symmetry: group theory. Now a branch of abstract algebra, this subject first arose in the theory of equations. Symmetry is an immensely important concept in mathematics and throughout the sciences, and its applications range across the entire subject. Symmetry governs the structure of crystals, innumerable types of pattern formation, how systems change their state as parameters vary; and fundamental physics is governed by symmetries in the laws of nature. It is highly visual, with applications that include animal markings, locomotion, evolutionary biology, elastic buckling, waves, the shape of the Earth, and the form of galaxies. In this Very Short Introduction, Ian Stewart demonstrates its deep implications, and shows how it plays a major role in the current search to unify relativity and quantum theory. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Author : John Henry Holland
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 121 pages
File Size : 25,33 MB
Release : 2014
Category : History
ISBN : 0199662541
In this very short introduction, John Holland presents an introduction to the science of complexity. Using examples from biology and economics, he shows how complexity science models the behaviour of complex systems.
Author : Andrew Scull
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 153 pages
File Size : 27,4 MB
Release : 2011-08-25
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 0199608032
"Andrew Scull examines the social, historical, and culturally variable response to madness over the centuries, providing a provocative and entertaining examination of mental illness over more than two millennia."--P. [2] of cover.
Author : Geoffrey Hosking
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 177 pages
File Size : 13,73 MB
Release : 2012-03-29
Category : History
ISBN : 0199580987
A leading international authority discusses all aspects of Russian history, from the struggle by the state to control society to the transformation of the nation into a multi-ethnic empire, Russia's relations with the West and the post-Soviet era. Original.
Author : Storm Dunlop
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 177 pages
File Size : 43,22 MB
Release : 2017
Category : Nature
ISBN : 0199571317
"In this Very Short Introduction Storm Dunlop explains what weather is, what causes it, and how we measure it. Analysing the basic features of the atmosphere, its major wind systems and ocean currents, he shows how these drive the weather we experience."--Book cover.
Author : Stillman Drake
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 161 pages
File Size : 41,6 MB
Release : 2001-02-22
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 0191606669
In a startling reinterpretation of the evidence, Stillman Drake advances the hypothesis that Galileo's trial and condemnation by the Inquisition was caused not by his defiance of the Church, but by the hostility of contemporary philosophers. Galileo's own beautifully lucid arguments are used to show how his scientific method was utterly divorced from the Aristotelian approach to physics in that it was based on a search not for causes but for laws. Galileo's method was of overwhelming significance for the development of modern physics, and led to a final parting of the ways between science and philosophy. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Author : David D. Nolte
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 498 pages
File Size : 50,27 MB
Release : 2019-08-29
Category : Science
ISBN : 019884462X
The best parts of physics are the last topics that our students ever see. These are the exciting new frontiers of nonlinear and complex systems that are at the forefront of university research and are the basis of many high-tech businesses. Topics such as traffic on the World Wide Web, the spread of epidemics through globally-mobile populations, or how the synchronization of global economies are governed by universal principles just as profound as Newton's laws. Nonetheless, the conventional university physics curriculum reserves most of these topics for graduate study because of the assumed need for advanced mathematics. However, by using only linear algebra and calculus, combined with exploratory computer simulations, all of these topics become accessible to advanced undergraduate students. The structure of this book combines the three main topics of modern dynamics - chaos theory, dynamics on complex networks, and general relativity - into a coherent framework. By taking a geometric view of physics, concentrating on the time evolution of physical systems as trajectories through abstract spaces, these topics share a common and simple mathematical language through which any student can gain a unified physical intuition. Given the growing importance of complex dynamical systems in many areas of science and technology, this text provides students with an up-to-date foundation for their future careers. This second edition has an updated introductory chapter and has added key topics to help students prepare for their GRE physics subject exam. It also has expanded chapters on Hamiltonian dynamics, Hamiltonian chaos, and Econophysics, while increasing the number of homework problems at the end of each chapter. The second edition is designed to fulfill the textbook needs of any advanced undergraduate course in mechanics.
