Structural Glasses and Supercooled Liquids. Theory, Experiment, and Applications

This much-needed book addresses the concepts, models, experiments and applications of magnons and spin wave in magnetic devices. It fills the gap in the current literature by providing the theoretical and technological framework needed to develop innovative magnetic devices, such as recording devices and sensors. Starting with a historical review of developments in the magnon concept, and including original experimental results, the author presents methods of magnon excitation, and several basic models to describe magnon gas. He includes experiments on Bose-Einstein condensation of non-equilibrium magnons, as well as various applications of a magnon approach.

This book provides a pedagogical and comprehensive introduction to graph theory and its applications. It contains all the standard basic material and develops significant topics and applications, such as: colorings and the timetabling problem, matchings and the optimal assignment problem, and Hamiltonian cycles and the traveling salesman problem, to name but a few. Exercises at various levels are given at the end of each chapter, and a final chapter presents a few general problems with hints for solutions, thus providing the reader with the opportunity to test and refine their knowledge on the subject. An appendix outlines the basis of computational complexity theory, in particular the definition of NP-completeness, which is essential for algorithmic applications.

This comprehensive text on antenna theory explains the origin of radiation and discusses antenna parameters in-depth This book offers an in-depth coverage of fundamental antenna theory, and shows how to apply this in practice. The author discusses electromagnetic radiation and antenna characteristics such as impedance, radiation pattern, polarization, gain and efficiency. In addition, the book provides readers with the necessary tools for analyzing complex antennas and for designing new ones. Furthermore, a refresher chapter on vector algebra, including gradient, divergence and curl operation is included. Throughout the book ample examples of employing the derived theory are given and all chapters are concluded with problems, giving the reader the opportunity to test his/her acquired knowledge. Key Features: Covers the mathematical and physical background that is needed to understand electromagnetic radiation and antennas Discusses the origin of radiation and provides an in-depth explanation of antenna parameters Explores all the necessary steps in antenna analysis allowing the reader to understand and analyze new antenna structures Contains a chapter on vector algebra, which is often a stumbling block for learners in this field Includes examples and a list of problems at the end of each chapter Accompanied by a website containing solutions to the problems (for instructors) and CST modeling files (www.wiley.com/go/visser_antennas This book will serve as an invaluable reference for advanced (last year Bsc, Msc) students in antenna and RF engineering, wireless communications, electrical engineering, radio engineers and other professionals needing a reference on antenna theory. It will also be of interest to advanced/senior radio engineers, designers and developers.

An authoritative and quantitative approach to modern game theory with applications from economics, political science, military science, and finance Mathematical Game Theory combines both the theoretical and mathematical foundations of game theory with a series of complex applications along with topics presented in a logical progression to achieve a unified presentation of research results. This book covers topics such as two-person games in strategic form, zero-sum games, N-person non-cooperative games in strategic form, two-person games in extensive form, parlor and sport games, bargaining theory, best-choice games, cooperative games and dynamic games. Several classical models used in economics are presented which include Cournot, Bertrand, Hotelling, and Stackelberg as well as coverage of modern branches of game theory such as negotiation models, potential games, parlor games, and best choice games. Mathematical Game Theory: • Presents a good balance of both theoretical foundations and complex applications of game theory. • Features an in-depth analysis of parlor and sport games, networking games, and bargaining models. • Provides fundamental results in new branches of game theory, best choice games, network games, and dynamic games. • Presents numerous examples and exercises along with detailed solutions at the end of each chapter. • Is supported by an accompanying website featuring course slides and lecture content. Covering a host of important topics, this book provides a research springboard for graduate students and a reference for researchers who might be working in the areas of applied mathematics, operations research, computer science, or economical cybernetics.

The golden standard evaluation reference text Now in its second edition, Evaluation Theory, Models, and Applications is the vital text on evaluation models, perfect for classroom use as a textbook, and as a professional evaluation reference. The book begins with an overview of the evaluation field and program evaluation standards, and proceeds to cover the most widely used evaluation approaches. With new evaluation designs and the inclusion of the latest literature from the field, this Second Edition is an essential update for professionals and students who want to stay current. Understanding and choosing evaluation approaches is critical to many professions, and Evaluation Theory, Models, and Applications, Second Edition is the benchmark evaluation guide. Authors Daniel L. Stufflebeam and Chris L. S. Coryn, widely considered experts in the evaluation field, introduce and describe 23 program evaluation approaches, including, new to this edition, transformative evaluation, participatory evaluation, consumer feedback, and meta-analysis. Evaluation Theory, Models, and Applications, Second Edition facilitates the process of planning, conducting, and assessing program evaluations. The highlighted evaluation approaches include: Experimental and quasi-experimental design evaluations Daniel L. Stufflebeam's CIPP Model Michael Scriven's Consumer-Oriented Evaluation Michael Patton's Utilization-Focused Evaluation Robert Stake's Responsive/Stakeholder-Centered Evaluation Case Study Evaluation Key readings listed at the end of each chapter direct readers to the most important references for each topic. Learning objectives, review questions, student exercises, and instructor support materials complete the collection of tools. Choosing from evaluation approaches can be an overwhelming process, but Evaluation Theory, Models, and Applications, Second Edition updates the core evaluation concepts with the latest research, making this complex field accessible in just one book.

Theory and Applications of OFDM and CDMA is an ideal foundation textbook for those seeking a sound knowledge of this fast-developing field of wideband communications. The advanced transmission techniques of OFDM, applied in wireless LANs and in digital and video broadcasting, and CDMA, the foundation of 3G mobile communications, have been part of almost every communication system that has been designed in recent years, with both offering a high degree of flexibility in adjusting the system to the requirements of the application and to the impairments caused by the transmission channel. Starting from the basics of digital transmission theory, the reader gains a comprehensive overview of the underlying ideas of these techniques and their strengths and weaknesses under various conditions. In this context, the specific requirements of the mobile radio channel and their relevance for the design of digital transmission systems are discussed and related to the items of channel coding and modulation. Clear explanation of the basics of digital communications, mobile radio channels, coding and modulation, OFDM as a multicarrier system and CDMA as an application of spread spectrum techniques Discusses the most important mobile radio and digital broadcasting systems that use OFDM and CDMA, and explains in detail the underlying ideas for the choice of system parameters Progresses from the fundamentals of wideband communication through to modern applications Includes a Companion Website featuring a solutions manual, electronic versions of the figures and other useful resources This volume will be an invaluable resource to advanced undergraduate students and first/second year postgraduates of electrical and engineering and telecommunications. It will also appeal to practising engineers, researchers and those in academia who wish to expand their knowledge on modern aspects of digital communications and systems in a mobile radio environment.

Markov chains are a fundamental class of stochastic processes. They are widely used to solve problems in a large number of domains such as operational research, computer science, communication networks and manufacturing systems. The success of Markov chains is mainly due to their simplicity of use, the large number of available theoretical results and the quality of algorithms developed for the numerical evaluation of many metrics of interest. The author presents the theory of both discrete-time and continuous-time homogeneous Markov chains. He carefully examines the explosion phenomenon, the Kolmogorov equations, the convergence to equilibrium and the passage time distributions to a state and to a subset of states. These results are applied to birth-and-death processes. He then proposes a detailed study of the uniformization technique by means of Banach algebra. This technique is used for the transient analysis of several queuing systems. Contents 1. Discrete-Time Markov Chains 2. Continuous-Time Markov Chains 3. Birth-and-Death Processes 4. Uniformization 5. Queues About the Authors Bruno Sericola is a Senior Research Scientist at Inria Rennes – Bretagne Atlantique in France. His main research activity is in performance evaluation of computer and communication systems, dependability analysis of fault-tolerant systems and stochastic models.

A hands-on guide to image registration theory and methods—with examples of a wide range of real-world applications Theory and Applications of Image Registration offers comprehensive coverage of feature-based image registration methods. It provides in-depth exploration of an array of fundamental issues, including image orientation detection, similarity measures, feature extraction methods, and elastic transformation functions. Also covered are robust parameter estimation, validation methods, multi-temporal and multi-modality image registration, methods for determining the orientation of an image, methods for identifying locally unique neighborhoods in an image, methods for detecting lines in an image, methods for finding corresponding points and corresponding lines in images, registration of video images to create panoramas, and much more. Theory and Applications of Image Registration provides readers with a practical guide to the theory and underpinning principles. Throughout the book numerous real-world examples are given, illustrating how image registration can be applied to problems in various fields, including biomedicine, remote sensing, and computer vision. Also provided are software routines to help readers develop their image registration skills. Many of the algorithms described in the book have been implemented, and the software packages are made available to the readers of the book on a companion website. In addition, the book: Explores the fundamentals of image registration and provides a comprehensive look at its multi-disciplinary applications Reviews real-world applications of image registration in the fields of biomedical imaging, remote sensing, computer vision, and more Discusses methods in the registration of long videos in target tracking and 3-D reconstruction Addresses key research topics and explores potential solutions to a number of open problems in image registration Includes a companion website featuring fully implemented algorithms and image registration software for hands-on learning Theory and Applications of Image Registration is a valuable resource for researchers and professionals working in industry and government agencies where image registration techniques are routinely employed. It is also an excellent supplementary text for graduate students in computer science, electrical engineering, software engineering, and medical physics.

An introduction to risk assessment that utilizes key theory and state-of-the-art applications With its balanced coverage of theory and applications along with standards and regulations, Risk Assessment: Theory, Methods, and Applications serves as a comprehensive introduction to the topic. The book serves as a practical guide to current risk analysis and risk assessment, emphasizing the possibility of sudden, major accidents across various areas of practice from machinery and manufacturing processes to nuclear power plants and transportation systems. The author applies a uniform framework to the discussion of each method, setting forth clear objectives and descriptions, while also shedding light on applications, essential resources, and advantages and disadvantages. Following an introduction that provides an overview of risk assessment, the book is organized into two sections that outline key theory, methods, and applications. Introduction to Risk Assessment defines key concepts and details the steps of a thorough risk assessment along with the necessary quantitative risk measures. Chapters outline the overall risk assessment process, and a discussion of accident models and accident causation offers readers new insights into how and why accidents occur to help them make better assessments. Risk Assessment Methods and Applications carefully describes the most relevant methods for risk assessment, including preliminary hazard analysis, HAZOP, fault tree analysis, and event tree analysis. Here, each method is accompanied by a self-contained description as well as workflow diagrams and worksheets that illustrate the use of discussed techniques. Important problem areas in risk assessment, such as barriers and barrier analysis, human errors, and human reliability, are discussed along with uncertainty and sensitivity analysis. Each chapter concludes with a listing of resources for further study of the topic, and detailed appendices outline main results from probability and statistics, related formulas, and a listing of key terms used in risk assessment. A related website features problems that allow readers to test their comprehension of the presented material and supplemental slides to facilitate the learning process. Risk Assessment is an excellent book for courses on risk analysis and risk assessment at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It also serves as a valuable reference for engineers, researchers, consultants, and practitioners who use risk assessment techniques in their everyday work.

A key resource and framework for assessing the performance of competing entities, including forecasting models Advances in DEA Theory and Applications provides a much-needed framework for assessing the performance of competing entities with special emphasis on forecasting models. It helps readers to determine the most appropriate methodology in order to make the most accurate decisions for implementation. Written by a noted expert in the field, this text provides a review of the latest advances in DEA theory and applications to the field of forecasting. Designed for use by anyone involved in research in the field of forecasting or in another application area where forecasting drives decision making, this text can be applied to a wide range of contexts, including education, health care, banking, armed forces, auditing, market research, retail outlets, organizational effectiveness, transportation, public housing, and manufacturing. This vital resource: Explores the latest developments in DEA frameworks for the performance evaluation of entities such as public or private organizational branches or departments, economic sectors, technologies, and stocks Presents a novel area of application for DEA; namely, the performance evaluation of forecasting models Promotes the use of DEA to assess the performance of forecasting models in a wide area of applications Provides rich, detailed examples and case studies Advances in DEA Theory and Applications includes information on a balanced benchmarking tool that is designed to help organizations examine their assumptions about their productivity and performance.