This marks the 100th volume to appear in the Applied Mathematical Sci­ ences series. Partial Differential Equations, by Fritz John, the first volume of the series, appeared in 1971. One year prior to its appearance, the then mathematics editor of Springer-Verlag, Klaus Peters, organized a meeting to look into the possibility of starting a series slanted toward applications. The meeting took place in New Rochelle, at the home of Fritz and Char­ lotte John. K.O. Friedrichs, Peter Lax, Monroe Donsker, Joe Keller, and others from the Courant Institute (previously, the Institute for Mathemat­ ical Sciences) were present as were Joe LaSalle and myself, the two of us having traveled down from Providence for the meeting. The John home, a large, comfortable house, especially lent itself to the informal, relaxed, and wide-ranging discussion that ensued. What emerged was a consensus that mathematical applications appeared to be poised for a period of growth and that there was a clear need for a series committed to applied mathematics. The first paragraph ofthe editorial statement written at that time reads as follows: The mathematization of all sciences, the fading of traditional scientific boundaries, the impact of computer technology, the growing importance of mathematical-computer modeling and the necessity of scientific planning all create the need both in education and research for books that are introductory to and abreast of these developments.

This marks the 100th volume to appear in the Applied Mathematical Sci­ ences series. Partial Differential Equations, by Fritz John, the first volume of the series, appeared in 1971. One year prior to its appearance, the then mathematics editor of Springer-Verlag, Klaus Peters, organized a meeting to look into the possibility of starting a series slanted toward applications. The meeting took place in New Rochelle, at the home of Fritz and Char­ lotte John. K.O. Friedrichs, Peter Lax, Monroe Donsker, Joe Keller, and others from the Courant Institute (previously, the Institute for Mathemat­ ical Sciences) were present as were Joe LaSalle and myself, the two of us having traveled down from Providence for the meeting. The John home, a large, comfortable house, especially lent itself to the informal, relaxed, and wide-ranging discussion that ensued. What emerged was a consensus that mathematical applications appeared to be poised for a period of growth and that there was a clear need for a series committed to applied mathematics. The first paragraph ofthe editorial statement written at that time reads as follows: The mathematization of all sciences, the fading of traditional scientific boundaries, the impact of computer technology, the growing importance of mathematical-computer modeling and the necessity of scientific planning all create the need both in education and research for books that are introductory to and abreast of these developments.