The Statistical Physics of Fixation and Equilibration in Individual-Based Models


Book Description

This thesis explores several interdisciplinary topics at the border of theoretical physics and biology, presenting results that demonstrate the power of methods from statistical physics when applied to neighbouring disciplines. From birth-death processes in switching environments to discussions on the meaning of quasi-potential landscapes in high-dimensional spaces, this thesis is a shining example of the efficacy of interdisciplinary research. The fields advanced in this work include game theory, the dynamics of cancer, and invasion of mutants in resident populations, as well as general contributions to the theory of stochastic processes. The background material provides an intuitive introduction to the theory and applications of stochastic population dynamics, and the use of techniques from statistical physics in their analysis. The thesis then builds on these foundations to address problems motivated by biological phenomena.













Neural Networks for Pattern Recognition


Book Description

In a simple and accessible way it extends embedding field theory into areas of machine intelligence that have not been clearly dealt with before. Neural Networks for Pattern Recognition takes the pioneering work in artificial neural networks by Stephen Grossberg and his colleagues to a new level. In a simple and accessible way it extends embedding field theory into areas of machine intelligence that have not been clearly dealt with before. Following a tutorial of existing neural networks for pattern classification, Nigrin expands on these networks to present fundamentally new architectures that perform realtime pattern classification of embedded and synonymous patterns and that will aid in tasks such as vision, speech recognition, sensor fusion, and constraint satisfaction. Nigrin presents the new architectures in two stages. First he presents a network called Sonnet 1 that already achieves important properties such as the ability to learn and segment continuously varied input patterns in real time, to process patterns in a context sensitive fashion, and to learn new patterns without degrading existing categories. He then removes simplifications inherent in Sonnet 1 and introduces radically new architectures. These architectures have the power to classify patterns that may have similar meanings but that have different external appearances (synonyms). They also have been designed to represent patterns in a distributed fashion, both in short-term and long-term memory.







Ion Exchange Technology


Book Description

This book provides comprehensive coverage of developments in ion exchange areas which would continue to have major impacts in the general pursuit of pollution control and pollution prevention. Its nine chapters can be split into four different theme areas: trace contaminants removals; new materials; desalination and finally controlling gaseous pollutants. This would have value for practicing engineers, scientists and researchers who are pertaining to ion exchange technology. It would also server the needs of those trying to explore and identify new technologies in the areas of pollution control and pollution prevention.







Salt Marshes


Book Description

Salt marshes are highly dynamic and important ecosystems that dampen impacts of coastal storms and are an integral part of tidal wetland systems, which sequester half of all global marine carbon. They are now being threatened due to sea-level rise, decreased sediment influx, and human encroachment. This book provides a comprehensive review of the latest salt marsh science, investigating their functions and how they are responding to stresses through formation of salt pannes and pools, headward erosion of tidal creeks, marsh-edge erosion, ice-fracturing, and ice-rafted sedimentation. Written by experts in marsh ecology, coastal geomorphology, wetland biology, estuarine hydrodynamics, and coastal sedimentation, it provides a multidisciplinary summary of recent advancements in our knowledge of salt marshes. The future of wetlands and potential deterioration of salt marshes is also considered, providing a go-to reference for graduate students and researchers studying these coastal systems, as well as marsh managers and restoration scientists.