Counting and Configurations


Book Description

This book presents methods of solving problems in three areas of elementary combinatorial mathematics: classical combinatorics, combinatorial arithmetic, and combinatorial geometry. Brief theoretical discussions are immediately followed by carefully worked-out examples of increasing degrees of difficulty and by exercises that range from routine to rather challenging. The book features approximately 310 examples and 650 exercises.




Principles of Combinatorics


Book Description

Berge's Principles of Combinatorics is now an acknowledged classic work of the field. Complementary to his previous books, Berge's introduction deals largely with enumeration. The choice of topics is balanced, the presentation elegant, and the text can be followed by anyone with an interest in the subject with only a little algebra required as a background. Some topics were here described for the first time, including Robinston-Shensted theorum, the Eden-Schutzenberger theorum, and facts connecting Young diagrams, trees, and the symmetric group.




Concepts, Frames and Cascades in Semantics, Cognition and Ontology


Book Description

This open access book presents novel theoretical, empirical and experimental work exploring the nature of mental representations that support natural language production and understanding, and other manifestations of cognition. One fundamental question raised in the text is whether requisite knowledge structures can be adequately modeled by means of a uniform representational format, and if so, what exactly is its nature. Frames are a key topic covered which have had a strong impact on the exploration of knowledge representations in artificial intelligence, psychology and linguistics; cascades are a novel development in frame theory. Other key subject areas explored are: concepts and categorization, the experimental investigation of mental representation, as well as cognitive analysis in semantics. This book is of interest to students, researchers, and professionals working on cognition in the fields of linguistics, philosophy, and psychology.




Mathematics of Choice


Book Description




Symmetry and Combinatorial Enumeration in Chemistry


Book Description

This book is written to introduce a new approach to stereochemical problems and to combinatorial enumerations in chemistry. This approach is based on group the ory, but different from conventional ways adopted by most textbooks on chemical group theory. The difference sterns from their starting points: conjugate subgroups and conjugacy classes. The conventional textbooks deal with linear representations and character ta bles of point groups. This fact implies that they lay stress on conjugacy classesj in fact, such group characters are determined for the respective conjugacy classes. This approach is versatile, since conjugacy classes can be easily obtained by ex amining every element of a group. It is unnecessary to know the group-subgroup relationship of the group, which is not always easy to obtain. The same situa tion is true for chemical enumerations, though these are founded on permutation groups. Thus, the P6lya-Redfield theorem (1935 and 1927) uses a cycle index that is composed of terms associated with conjugacy classes.




Microstates, Entropy and Quanta


Book Description

Statistical mechanics: the bane of many a physics student, and traditionally viewed as a long parade of ensembles, partition functions, and partial derivatives. But the subject needn't be arcane. When pared back to its underlying concepts and built from the ground up, statistical mechanics takes on a charm of its own, and sheds light on all manner of physical phenomena. This book presents a straightforward introduction to the key concepts in statistical mechanics, following the popular style of the author's highly successful textbook "Explorations in Mathematical Physics". Offering a clear, conceptual approach to the subject matter, the book presents a treatment that is mathematically complete, while remaining very accessible to undergraduates. It commences by asking: why does an ink drop spread out in a bathtub of water? This showcases the importance of counting configurations, which leads naturally to ideas of microstates, energy, entropy, thermodynamics, and physical chemistry. With this foundation, the Boltzmann distribution writes itself in its fullest form, and this opens the door to the Maxwell distribution and related areas of thermal conductivity and viscosity. Quantum ideas then appear: bosons via Einstein's and Debye's theories of heat capacity, and fermions via electrical conduction and low-temperature heat capacity of metals. The text ends with a detailed derivation of blackbody radiation, and uses this to discuss the greenhouse effect, lasers, and cosmology. Suitable for use with core undergraduate courses in statistical mechanics and thermodynamics, this book concentrates on using solid mathematics, while avoiding cumbersome notation. All the necessary mathematical steps are included in the body of the text and in the worked examples. Reviews of Explorations in Mathematical Physics by Don Koks, 2006 "With enjoyable and sometimes surprising excursions along the way, the journey provides a fresh look at many familiar topics, as it takes us from basic linear mathematics to general relativity... look forward to having your geometric intuition nourished and expanded by the author's intelligent commentaries." (Eugen Merzbacher, University of North Carolina) "... an interesting supplement to standard texts for teaching mathematical methods in physics, as it will add alternative views that could serve as additional material." (S. Marcelja, Australian Journal of Physics) "... a tour through the main ideas forming the language of modern mathematical physics ...it is a difficult task for the author to decide what is a good balance between the topics and their presentation, but in this case it has been achieved. ...for those physicists who would like to be exposed to clear motivation and careful explanation of the basics of the present-day apparatus of mathematical physics." (Ivailo Mladenov, Mathematical Reviews).




Quantum Physics of Matter


Book Description

Quantum Physics of Matter explores the way in which quantum physics determines the properties of materials. The quantum physics of solids, for example, dictates whether they are good insulators, conductors, semiconductors, or even superconductors. At a deeper level, it explores how the quantum physics of nuclei and elementary particles determines the stability of matter and hence the range of substances that came into existence through the big bang and the evolution of stars.




Reconstructing Macroeconomics


Book Description

In this book, the authors reconceptualize existing macroeconomics by treating equilibria as statistical distributions, not as fixed points.




Before Time Began


Book Description

What is the origin of the universe? What was there before the universe appeared? We are presently witnessing a second Copernican revolution: neither our Earth and Sun nor our galaxy nor even our universe is the end of all things. This account of recent developments in modern cosmology introduces how the Big Bang took place and what preceded it.




Statistical Physics


Book Description

This book, provides a general introduction to the ideas and methods of statistical mechanics with the principal aim of meeting the needs of Master’s students in chemical, mechanical, and materials science engineering. Extensive introductory information is presented on many general physics topics in which students in engineering are inadequately trained, ranging from the Hamiltonian formulation of classical mechanics to basic quantum mechanics, electromagnetic fields in matter, intermolecular forces, and transport phenomena. Since engineers should be able to apply physical concepts, the book also focuses on the practical applications of statistical physics to material science and to cutting-edge technologies, with brief but informative sections on, for example, interfacial properties, disperse systems, nucleation, magnetic materials, superfluidity, and ultralow temperature technologies. The book adopts a graded approach to learning, the opening four basic-level chapters being followed by advanced “starred” sections in which special topics are discussed. Its relatively informal style, including the use of musical metaphors to guide the reader through the text, will aid self-learning.