This last volume of the Berkeley Physics Course is devoted to the study of large-scale systems consisting of many atoms or molecules: thus it provides an introduction to the subjects of statistical mechanics, kinetic theory, thermo- dynamics, and heat. The approach is not patterned upon the historical development of these subjects and does not pro- ceed along conventional lines. The aim has been to adopt a modern point of view and to show, in as systematic and simple way as possible, how the basic notions of atomic theory lead to a conceptual framework capable of describing and predicting the properties of macroscopic systems.

A funny, insightful, and self-contained guide to Einstein's relativity theory and classical field theories--including electromagnetism Physicist Leonard Susskind and data engineer Art Friedman are back. This time, they introduce readers to Einstein's special relativity and Maxwell's classical field theory. Using their typical brand of real math, enlightening drawings, and humor, Susskind and Friedman walk us through the complexities of waves, forces, and particles by exploring special relativity and electromagnetism. It's a must-read for both devotees of the series and any armchair physicist who wants to improve their knowledge of physics' deepest truths.

In these essays Heinz von Foerster discusses some of the fundamental principles that govern how we know the world and how we process the information from which we derive that knowledge. Included are path- breaking articles concerning the principles of computation in neural nets (1967), the definition of self-organizing systems (1960), the nature of cognition (1970), as well as recent expansions on these themes (e.g. "How recursive is communication," 1993). Working with Norbert Wiener, Warren McCullough, and others in the 1960s and 1970s, von Foerster was one of the founders of the science of cybernetics, which has had profound effects both on modern systems theory and on the philosophy of cognition. At the Biological Computer Laboratory at the University of Illinois he produced the first parallel computers and contributed to many other developments in the theory of computation and cognition.

The Springer edition of this book is an unchanged reprint of Courant and Friedrich's classical treatise which was first published in 1948. The basic research for it took place during World War II, but there are many aspects which still make the book interesting as a text and as a reference. It treats basic aspects of the dynamics of compressible fluids in mathematical form, and attempts to present a systematic theory of nonlinear wave propagation, particularly in relation to gas dynamics. Written in the form of an advanced textbook, it accounts for classical as well as some fairly recent developments. The authors intend their audience to be engineers, physicists and mathematicians alike.

Pólya and Szegö’s classic treatment of isoperimetric inequalities in mathematical physics from the acclaimed Annals of Mathematics Studies series Princeton University Press is proud to have published the Annals of Mathematics Studies since 1940. One of the oldest and most respected series in science publishing, it has included many of the most important and influential mathematical works of the twentieth century. The series continues this tradition as Princeton University Press publishes the major works of the twenty-first century. To mark the continued success of the series, all books are available in paperback and as ebooks.

This book is concerned with one of the most fundamental questions of mathematics: the relationship between algebraic formulas and geometric images. At one of the first international mathematical congresses (in Paris in 1900), Hilbert stated a special case of this question in the form of his 16th problem (from his list of 23 problems left over from the nineteenth century as a legacy for the twentieth century). In spite of the simplicity and importance of this problem (including its numerous applications), it remains unsolved to this day (although, as you will now see, many remarkable results have been discovered).

Fundamentals of Electrodynamics is primarily a textbook for graduate students in physics. It is also a valuable at the senior level and as a profession reference book. It will be especially welcome to graduate students planning to do their doctoral research in quantum field theory or elementary particle physics. Fundamentals of Electrodynamics is a textbook for a one or two semester graduate or senior level course in electrodynamics or electromagnetic theory. It seeks to unify classical electrodynamics by using hamilton's principles and the symmetry properties of space and time as basic assumtions. For this reason special relativity is introduced much earlier than in most other texts. With this approach one is able to reduce the number of assumptions to a relatively fe that support the entire subject; in particular, from such basic assumptions, both the relativistic equations of motion for particles and Maxwell's equations for the electrodynamic field are derived. The text is broad in scope and covers, in addition to basic theory, applications to radiation theory, self-force of an electron, natural breadth of spectral lines, geometric optics, electrodynamics of material media, and propagation in moving media. The book contains worked-out examples with sample problems at the end of each chapter. Mathematical appendixes are included and the book is largely self-contained. This textbook conveys the unified nature of electrodynamics and points out, not only the beauty but also the limitations of the theory. The limitations are shown to rise from basic defects in the fundamental assumptions of the theory. The authors present analyses of the logical foundations of classical electrodynamics so that the student can better understand the problems that arise in modern theories, such as quantum electrodynamics. Also, by examining the nature of basic assumption and limits of applicability of a well-developed theory, the authors prepare the student for more difficult theories in elementary particle physics or quantum field theories.

From the reviews: “The first volume is devoted to ergodic theory and dynamical systems. It contains 19 papers divided into four groups ... . The reader will find a wealth of information and ideas that can still ignite inspiration and motivate students as well as senior researchers. The reader will also have a touch of Sinai’s personality, his taste, enthusiasm, and optimism, which are just as invaluable as his mathematical results.” (Nikolai Chernov, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2012 e)

This book grew out of the need to provide students with a solid introduction to modern fluid dynamics. It offers a broad grounding in the underlying principles and techniques used, with some emphasis on applications in astrophysics and planetary science. The book comprehensively covers recent developments, methods and techniques, including, for example, new ideas on transitions to turbulence (via transiently growing stable linear modes), new approaches to turbulence (which remains the enigma of fluid dynamics), and the use of asymptotic approximation methods, which can give analytical or semi-analytical results and complement fully numerical treatments. The authors also briefly discuss some important considerations to be taken into account when developing a numerical code for computer simulation of fluid flows. Although the text is populated throughout with examples and problems from the field of astrophysics and planetary science, the text is eminently suitable as a general introduction to fluid dynamics. It is assumed that the readers are mathematically equipped with a reasonable knowledge in analysis, including basics of ordinary and partial differential equations and a good command of vector calculus and linear algebra. Each chapter concludes with bibliographical notes in which the authors briefly discuss the chapter's essential literature and give recommendations for further, deeper reading. Included in each chapter are a number of problems, some of them relevant to astrophysics and planetary science. The book is written for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, but will also prove a valuable source of reference for established researchers.

This book is about computational methods based on operator splitting. It consists of twenty-three chapters written by recognized splitting method contributors and practitioners, and covers a vast spectrum of topics and application areas, including computational mechanics, computational physics, image processing, wireless communication, nonlinear optics, and finance. Therefore, the book presents very versatile aspects of splitting methods and their applications, motivating the cross-fertilization of ideas.

From a review of the first edition: Beautifully written and well organized ... indispensable for those interested in certain areas of mathematical physics ... for the expert and beginner alike. The author deserves to be congratulated both for his work in unifying a subject and for showing workers in the field new directions for future development. --Zentralblatt MATH This is a second edition of a well-known book on the theory of trace ideals in the algebra of operators in a Hilbert space. Because of the theory's many different applications, the book was widely used and much in demand. For this second edition, the author has added four chapters on the closely related theory of rank one perturbations of self-adjoint operators. He has also included a comprehensive index and an addendum describing some developments since the original notes were published. This book continues to be a vital source of information for those interested in the theory of trace ideals and in its applications to various areas of mathematical physics.

Max Born (1882-1970) was a physicist and mathematician who won the 1954 Nobel Prize in Physics for his research in the area of quantum mechanics. Originally published in 1943, this book presents a slightly expanded version of an address Born gave to the Durham Philosophical Society and the Pure Science Society, King's College, at Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 21st May 1943. The text provides an examination of the mutual relationship between theory and experiment in the development of physics. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the works of Born, physics and the history of science.