Physics of Self-Organization and Evolution

Self-Organization in Sensor and Actor Networks explores self-organization mechanisms and methodologies concerning the efficient coordination between intercommunicating autonomous systems.Self-organization is often referred to as the multitude of algorithms and methods that organise the global behaviour of a system based on inter-system communication. Studies of self-organization in natural systems first took off in the 1960s. In technology, such approaches have become a hot research topic over the last 4-5 years with emphasis upon management and control in communication networks, and especially in resource-constrained sensor and actor networks. In the area of ad hoc networks new solutions have been discovered that imitate the properties of self-organization. Some algorithms for on-demand communication and coordination, including data-centric networking, are well-known examples. Key features include: Detailed treatment of self-organization, mobile sensor and actor networks, coordination between autonomous systems, and bio-inspired networking. Overview of the basic methodologies for self-organization, a comparison to central and hierarchical control, and classification of algorithms and techniques in sensor and actor networks. Explanation of medium access control, ad hoc routing, data-centric networking, synchronization, and task allocation issues. Introduction to swarm intelligence, artificial immune system, molecular information exchange. Numerous examples and application scenarios to illustrate the theory. Self-Organization in Sensor and Actor Networks will prove essential reading for students of computer science and related fields; researchers working in the area of massively distributed systems, sensor networks, self-organization, and bio-inspired networking will also find this reference useful.

This is the first book in the two-volume set offering comprehensive coverage of the field of computer organization and architecture. This book provides complete coverage of the subjects pertaining to introductory courses in computer organization and architecture, including: * Instruction set architecture and design * Assembly language programming * Computer arithmetic * Processing unit design * Memory system design * Input-output design and organization * Pipelining design techniques * Reduced Instruction Set Computers (RISCs) The authors, who share over 15 years of undergraduate and graduate level instruction in computer architecture, provide real world applications, examples of machines, case studies and practical experiences in each chapter.

Mechanics and Physics of Porous Solids addresses the mechanics and physics of deformable porous materials whose porous space is filled by one or several fluid mixtures interacting with the solid matrix. Coussy uses the language of thermodynamics to frame the discussion of this topic and bridge the gap between physicists and engineers, and organises the material in such a way that individual phases are explored, followed by coupled problems of increasing complexity. This structure allows the reader to build a solid understanding of the physical processes occurring in the fluids and then porous solids. Mechanics and Physics of Porous Solids offers a critical reference on the physics of multiphase porous materials – key reading for engineers and researchers in structural and material engineering, concrete, wood and materials science, rock and soil mechanics, mining and oil prospecting, biomechanics.

Mechanics and Physics of Porous Solids addresses the mechanics and physics of deformable porous materials whose porous space is filled by one or several fluid mixtures interacting with the solid matrix. Coussy uses the language of thermodynamics to frame the discussion of this topic and bridge the gap between physicists and engineers, and organises the material in such a way that individual phases are explored, followed by coupled problems of increasing complexity. This structure allows the reader to build a solid understanding of the physical processes occurring in the fluids and then porous solids. Mechanics and Physics of Porous Solids offers a critical reference on the physics of multiphase porous materials – key reading for engineers and researchers in structural and material engineering, concrete, wood and materials science, rock and soil mechanics, mining and oil prospecting, biomechanics.

A comprehensive treatment of the chemistry and physics of mechanical hardness Chemistry and Physics of Mechanical Hardness presents a general introduction to hardness measurement and the connections between hardness and fundamental materials properties. Beginning with an introduction on the importance of hardness in the development of technology, the book systematically covers: Indentation Chemical bonding Plastic deformation Covalent semiconductors Simple metals and alloys Transition metals Intermetallic compounds Ionic crystals Metal-metalloids Oxides Molecular crystals Polymers Glasses Hot hardness Chemical hardness Super-hard materials Chemistry and Physics of Mechanical Hardness is essential reading for materials scientists, mechanical engineers, metallurgists, ceramists, chemists, and physicists who are interested in learning how hardness is related to other properties and to the building blocks of everyday matter.

The main theme of this highly successful book is that the transmission of energy by wave propogation is fundamental to almost every branch of physics. Therefore, besides giving students a thorough grounding in the theory of waves and vibrations, the book also demonstrates the pattern and unity of a large part of physics. This new edition has been thoroughly revised and has been redeisgned to meet the best contemporary standards. It includes new material on electron waves in solids using the Kronig-Penney model to show how their allowed energies are limited to Brillouin zones, The role of phonons is also discussed. An Optical Transform is used to demonstrate the modern method of lens testing. In the last two chapters the sections on chaos and solitons have been reduced but their essential contents remain. As with earlier editions, the book has a large number of problems together with hints on how to solve them. The Physics of Vibrations and Waves, 6th Edition will prove invaluable for students taking a first full course in the subject across a variety of disciplines particularly physics, engineering and mathematics.

This work of reference represents a remarkably complete, detailed and extensive review of the field of gender, work and organization in the second decade of the 21st century. Its authors represent eight countries and many disciplines including management, sociology, political science, and gender studies. The chapters, by top scholars in their areas of expertise, offer both reviews and empirical findings, and insights and challenges for further work. The chapters are organized in five sections: Histories and Philosophies; Organizing Work and the Gendered Organization; Embodiment; Globalization; and Diversity. Theoretical and conceptual developments at the cutting edge of the field are explicated and illustrated by the handbook’s authors. Methods for conducting research into gender, work and organization are reviewed and assessed as well as illustrated in the work of several chapters. Efforts to produce greater gender equality in the workplace are covered in nearly every chapter, in terms of past successes and failures. Military organizations are presented as one of the difficult to change in regards to gender (with the result that women are marginalized in practice even when official policies and goals require their full inclusion). The role of the body/embodiment is emphasized in several chapters, with attention both to how organizations discipline bodies and how organizational members use their bodies to gain advantage. Particular attention is paid to sexuality in/and organizations, including sexual harassment, policies to alleviate bias, and the likelihood that future work will pay more attention to the body’s presence and role in work and organizations. Many chapters also address “change efforts” that have been employed by individuals, groups, and organizations, including transnational ones such as the European Union, the United Nations, and so on. In addition to its value for teachers and students within this field, it also offers insights that would be of value to policy makers and practitioners who need to reflect on the latest thinking relating to gender at work and in organizations.

In this book, the authors bring together basic ideas from fracture mechanics and statistical physics, classical theories, simulation and experimental results to make the statistical physics aspects of fracture more accessible. They explain fracture-like phenomena, highlighting the role of disorder and heterogeneity from a statistical physical viewpoint. The role of defects is discussed in brittle and ductile fracture, ductile to brittle transition, fracture dynamics, failure processes with tension as well as compression: experiments, failure of electrical networks, self-organized critical models of earthquake and their extensions to capture the physics of earthquake dynamics. The text also includes a discussion of dynamical transitions in fracture propagation in theory and experiments, as well as an outline of analytical results in fiber bundle model dynamics With its wide scope, in addition to the statistical physics community, the material here is equally accessible to engineers, earth scientists, mechanical engineers, and material scientists. It also serves as a textbook for graduate students and researchers in physics.

Here, leading scientists report on why and how diamond can be optimized for applications in bioelectronic and electronics. They cover such topics as growth techniques, new and conventional doping mechanisms, superconductivity in diamond, and excitonic properties, while application aspects include quantum electronics at room temperature, biosensors as well as diamond nanocantilevers and SAWs. Written in a review style to make the topic accessible for a wider community of scientists working in interdisciplinary fields with backgrounds in physics, chemistry, biology and engineering, this is essential reading for everyone working in environments that involve conventional electronics, biotechnology, quantum computing, quantum cryptography, superconductivity and light emission from highly excited excitonic systems.

Though the deep interior of the Earth (and other terrestrial planets) is inaccessible to humans, we are able to combine observational, experimental and computational (theoretical) studies to begin to understand the role of the deep Earth in the dynamics and evolution of the planet. This book brings together a series of reviews of key areas in this important and vibrant field of studies. A range of material properties, including phase transformations and rheological properties, influences the way in which material is circulated within the planet. This circulation re-distributes key materials such as volatiles that affect the pattern of materials circulation. The understanding of deep Earth structure and dynamics is a key to the understanding of evolution and dynamics of terrestrial planets, including planets orbiting other stars. This book contains chapters on deep Earth materials, compositional models, and geophysical studies of material circulation which together provide an invaluable synthesis of deep Earth research. Readership: advanced undergraduates, graduates and researchers in geophysics, mineral physics and geochemistry.