Visar resultat för..."Springer"

Given the fact that there are perhaps 400 billion stars in our Galaxy alone, and perhaps 400 billion galaxies in the Universe, it stands to reason that somewhere out there, in the 14-billion-year-old cosmos, there is or once was a civilization at least as advanced as our own. The sheer enormity of the numbers almost demands that we accept the truth of this hypothesis. Why, then, have we encountered no evidence, no messages, no artifacts of these extraterrestrials? In this second, significantly revised and expanded edition of his widely popular book, Webb discusses in detail the (for now!) 75 most cogent and intriguing solutions to Fermi's famous paradox: If the numbers strongly point to the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations, why have we found no evidence of them?Reviews from the first edition:"Amidst the plethora of books that treat the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence, this one by Webb … is outstanding. … Each solution is presented in a very logical, interesting, thorough manner with accompanying explanations and notes that the intelligent layperson can understand. Webb digs into the issues … by considering a very broad set of in-depth solutions that he addresses through an interesting and challenging mode of presentation that stretches the mind. … An excellent book for anyone who has ever asked ‘Are we alone?’." (W. E. Howard III, Choice, March, 2003)"Fifty ideas are presented … that reveal a clearly reasoned examination of what is known as ‘The Fermi Paradox’. … For anyone who enjoys a good detective story, or using their thinking faculties and stretching the imagination to the limits … ‘Where is everybody’ will be enormously informative and entertaining. … Read this book, and whatever your views are about life elsewhere in the Universe, your appreciation for how special life is here on Earth will be enhanced! A worthy addition to any personal library." (Philip Bridle, BBC Radio, March, 2003)Since gaining a BSc in physics from the University of Bristol and a PhD in theoretical physics from the University of Manchester, Stephen Webb has worked in a variety of universities in the UK. He is a regular contributor to the Yearbook of Astronomy series and has published an undergraduate textbook on distance determination in astronomy and cosmology as well as several popular science books. His interest in the Fermi paradox combines lifelong interests in both science and science fiction.

Ständigt återupptäckt sextiotalsklassiker*Inkluderad i Time Magazines lista över: »De 100 bästa engelskspråkiga romanerna«.*»Så tät skriven och en ren uppvisning i meta­forer. Läsandet blir som att gnaga på ett revbensspjäll.« | JAN GRADVALL, DAGENS INDUSTRI Harry Angstrom var basketesset i High School men lever nu som försäljare av automatiska grönsaksskalare. Smeknamnet »Haren« fick han på grund av sina lustiga ryckningar i näsborrarna. En dag flyr »Haren«, från familjen, Janice och deras tvåårige son. Han vill »söderut«, men råkar köra vilse och flyttar i stället in hos sin gamle baskettränare. »Haren« träffar en annan kvinna, men måste fly från henne också, tillbaka till Janice. Bortsett från sin kroniska bortkommenhet verkar »Haren« själv alltid klara sig smärtfritt. Hittills... Med Haren springer [Rabbit, Run, 1960] pulvriserade John Updike frihetsmyten i en road novel genom att visa vad som verkligen händer när någon sticker från de sina (människor går sönder). En sextiotalsroman som levt vidare på 2000-talet: omtryckt, översatt, refererad, citerad. Den berömda mening ur boken som citeras i anslaget till hip hop-filmen 8 Mile sammanfattar Updikes perspektiv: »If you have the guts to be yourself, other people 'll pay your price.«I översättning av Gottfried Grafström och med ett nyskrivet förord av litteraturkritikern Nils Schwartz.JOHN UPDIKE [1932-2009] var en amerikansk romanförfattare, novellist och kritiker, som flera gånger belönades med Pulitzerpriset. Många av hans böcker skildrar nutidsmänniskans splittring och vilsenhet med den amerikanska småstaden som spelplats. Haren springer [Rabbit, Run, 1960] var den första i en pentalogi med fristående romaner om »Haren«, vilka var och en gavs ut med ett decenniums mellanrum, mellan 1960 och 2000.»Rörande, briljant. Lika känslig som skarpsynt studie över desperationen och hungern inom oss alla.« | NEW YORK TIMES»Romanens kraft kommer från en känsla, inte ovärdig Thomas Hardy, av att universum hänger över våra öden som en stor, grådaskig, hopplös himmel. Det finns verklig smärta i den här boken, men också ett stråk av förundran.« | NORMAN MAILER»Modernista har all heder av återutgivandet av denna klassiker vars innehåll erbjuder en mycket välskriven och överraskande modern berättelse med ett hejdundrande akrobatiskt och suggestivt språk med metaforer som man stannar handlöst beundrande inför.« | BENNY HOLMBERG, TIDNINGEN KULTUREN»Haren springer är något så originellt som en gammaldags moralitet utklädd till beatnikroman.« | RASMUS LANDSTRÖM, ARBETARBLADET

Oculoplastic, Lacrimal and Orbital Surgery: The ESOPRS Textbook informs the reader of recent insights and new developments in the fields of ophthalmic plastic, lacrimal and orbital surgery. This textbook is relevant to readers preparing for the EBO-ESOPRS examination, but will also be of interest to residents and fellows in ophthalmology, plastic surgery, dermatology and all specialists with an interest in oculoplastic, lacrimal and orbital surgery.Volume 2 is divided into three sections: the first section includes chapters on socket surgery, the second section examines diseases of the orbit and the third is on thyroid associated orbitopathy.For further reading, please see Volume 1 of the textbook, which explores functional eyelid disorders, rejuvenation of periorbital region and lacrimal disorders.

"Plankton in a Changing World: The Impact of Global Change on Marine Ecosystems" invites readers to explore the microscopic hidden world beneath the waves. This book unravels the fundamental concepts of plankton ecology and their relevance, while exploring the profound impacts of global environmental changes on these vital organisms. Written in a clear and engaging way for the general public, it begins with a foundational overview of plankton, allowing it to stand alone. However, reading "The Wonders of Marine Plankton," from the same author, is encouraged for a deeper understanding of plankton ecology and peculiarities.Plankton form the very foundation of marine ecosystems. As climate change, pollution, and human activities continue to reshape our world, understanding the intricate dynamics of plankton becomes increasingly crucial. This book offers a comprehensive exploration of how these changes influence plankton populations, with far-reaching consequences for marine life and global ecosystems.Addressing issues such as rising temperatures, ocean acidification, pollution, and overfishing, the book highlights the complex challenges plankton face. Regional perspectives and case studies illustrate varied responses across different climates, showcasing the diverse impacts and adaptive strategies. Through engaging prose and rich scientific insight, "Plankton in a Changing World: The Impact of Global Change on Marine Ecosystems" invites readers to appreciate the delicate balance of our ocean and the pivotal role plankton play in maintaining it.Concluding with future research directions, it underscores the need for innovative approaches and public awareness to safeguard these essential organisms. "Plankton in a Changing World: The Impact of Global Change on Marine Ecosystems" is an essential read for those interested in marine life and environmental science. Discover how tiny organisms can have a colossal impact and why their survival is intertwined with the future of our world.

This open access book sets out the stress-system model for functional somatic symptoms in children and adolescents. The book begins by exploring the initial encounter between the paediatrician, child, and family, moves through the assessment process, including the formulation and the treatment contract, and then describes the various forms of treatment that are designed to settle the child’s dysregulated stress system. This approach both provides a new understanding of how such symptoms emerge – typically, through a history of recurrent or chronic stress, either physical or psychological – and points the way to effective assessment, management, and treatment that put the child (and family) back on the road to health and well-being.

The main objective of this new edition is to facilitate the learning of radiology through a handbook that includes all disciplines of radiology. It is aimed to guide young trainees from the beginning of their radiology training and help them in the preparation of the European Diploma in Radiology (EDiR). The 2nd edition features new cases in all the subspecialities, now including also Hybrid Imaging, Informatics (with some information regarding Artificial Intelligence) and Physics. The book is intended to be a reference in the field of radiology providing a standardised study opportunity of the specialty following the outline of EDiR. The content has been selected and supervised by the members of the different committees responsible for the examination.Each chapter is structured in three sections similar to the European exam: a first section with Multiple Response Questions (MRQs), a second section with Short Cases (SCs) and, finally, cases of clinicalreasoning (CORE). For a deeper understanding, this new edition features 30 exclusive videos that complement the text. These engaging visuals enhance the learning experience, making complex concepts easier to grasp.The reader is exposed to questions and problems as they arise in the European examination. It covers technical, security and management aspects, all of which are included in the European curriculum and which form part of the content of the exam.

Imagine that we had some way to look directly at the molecules in a living organism. An x-ray microscope would do the trick, or since we’re dreaming, perhaps an Asimov-style nanosubmarine (unfortunately, neither is currently feasible). Think of the wonders we could witness firsthand: antibodies atta- ing a virus, electrical signals racing down nerve fibers, proteins building new strands of DNA. Many of the questions puzzling the current cadre of sci- tists would be answered at a glance. But the nanoscale world of molecules is separated from our everyday world of experience by a daunting million-fold difference in size, so the world of molecules is completely invisible. I created the illustrations in this book to help bridge this gulf and allow us to see the molecular structure of cells, if not directly, then in an artistic rendition. I have included two types of illustrations with this goal in mind: watercolor paintings which magnify a small portion of a living cell by one million times, showing the arrangement of molecules inside, and comput- generated pictures, which show the atomic details of individual molecules. In this second edition of The Machinery of Life, these illustrations are presented in full color, and they incorporate many of the exciting scientific advances of the 15 years since the first edition.

The purpose of this book is to provide the reader with a solid background and understanding of the basic results and methods in probability theory before entering into more advanced courses (in probability and/or statistics). The presentation is fairly thorough and detailed with many solved examples. Several examples are solved with di erent methods in order to illustrate their di erent levels of sophistication, their pros, and their cons. The motivation for this style of exposition is that experience has proved that the hard part in courses of this kind usually is the application of the results and methods; to know how, when, and where to apply what; and then, technically, to solve a given problem once one knows how to proceed. Exercises are spread out along the way, and every chapter ends with a large selection of problems. Chapters 1 through 6 focus on some central areas of what might be called pure probability theory: multivariate random variables, conditioning, tra- forms, order variables, the multivariate normal distribution, and convergence.

From the reviews of the second edition:"This book covers many interesting topics not usually covered in a present day undergraduate course, as well as certain basic topics such as the development of the calculus and the solution of polynomial equations. The fact that the topics are introduced in their historical contexts will enable students to better appreciate and understand the mathematical ideas involved...If one constructs a list of topics central to a history course, then they would closely resemble those chosen here."(David Parrott, Australian Mathematical Society)This third edition includes new chapters on simple groups and combinatorics, and new sections on several topics, including the Poincare conjecture. The book has also been enriched by added exercises.

This open access book is the outcome of a unique multinational effort organized by the Hamburg-based Defense AI Observatory (DAIO) to portray the current state of affairs regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by armed forces around the world. The contributions span a diverse range of geostrategic contexts by providing in-depth case studies on Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, the UK, and the United States. The book does not speculate about the future implications of AI on armed forces, but rather discusses how armed forces are currently exploring the potential of this emerging technology. By adopting a uniform analytical framework, each case study discusses how armed forces view defense AI; how they are developing AI-enhanced solutions, adapting existing structures and processes, and funding their defense AI endeavors; to what extent defense AI is already fielded and operated; and how soldiers and officers are being trained to work with AI.

Do you know why honey drips whereas ketchup refuses to budge in the bottle? Or what kettles have in common with power stations, or how to cook with radar?This delightful and accessible book provides a smorgasbord and a whirlwind tour of the multitude of physical phenomena that occur in a kitchen: from the diffusion of nutrients during cooking to how an extractor fan works, how smells disperse, and where quantum effects are hidden. These and numerous other fascinating phenomena are served up in an engaging manner that will fascinate and tantalise the taste buds of anyone who enjoys eating, cooking or simply spending time in the kitchen. No specialist technical or mathematical knowledge is required to enjoy this book. Tuck right in and discover the universe of physical laws in your very own kitchen...

This book examines the history of goblins from the Middle Ages to the present. It shows that goblins—whether interpreted as creatures, objects, ideas, or people—were historically contingent and grounded in an often-hazy interplay between folkloric and folkloresque traditions. As products of their historical environ­ments, goblins have been imagined and reimagined throughout history. Their various incarnations include demons working on behalf of Satan, residents of Fairyland making mischief for humans, and cave-dwelling villains in Tolkien’s or Dungeons & Dragons’ fantasy universes.Some authors, often early modern and modern Anglophone elites, used goblins as crude, destructive mimicries of what they deemed abnormal. They chose to label certain humans as goblins to indicate those people fell outside of normative ideas about proper appearances and behavior. In the twenty-first century, however, goblins have seen a sympathetic reappraisal; now, they are often portrayed in ways that see these longstanding stereotypes as assets in an age of unreasonable societal expectations.

XV Acknowledgments xvii Chapter 1 Verilog - A Tutorial Introduction Getting Started 2 A Structural Description 2 Simulating the binaryToESeg Driver 4 Creating Ports For the Module 7 Creating a Testbench For a Module 8 Behavioral Modeling of Combinational Circuits II Procedural Models 12 Rules for Synthesizing Combinational Circuits 13 Behavioral Modeling of Clocked Sequential Circuits 14 Modeling Finite State Machines IS Rules for Synthesizing Sequential Systems 18 Non-Blocking Assignment("

Now in its second edition, this textbook provides an introduction to Python and its use for statistical data analysis. It covers common statistical tests for continuous, discrete and categorical data, as well as linear regression analysis and topics from survival analysis and Bayesian statistics.For this new edition, the introductory chapters on Python, data input and visualization have been reworked and updated. The chapter on experimental design has been expanded, and programs for the determination of confidence intervals commonly used in quality control have been introduced. The book also features a new chapter on finding patterns in data, including time series. A new appendix describes useful programming tools, such as testing tools, code repositories, and GUIs.The provided working code for Python solutions, together with easy-to-follow examples, will reinforce the reader’s immediate understanding of the topic. Accompanying data sets and Python programs are also available online. With recent advances in the Python ecosystem, Python has become a popular language for scientific computing, offering a powerful environment for statistical data analysis.With examples drawn mainly from the life and medical sciences, this book is intended primarily for masters and PhD students. As it provides the required statistics background, the book can also be used by anyone who wants to perform a statistical data analysis.

High-performance process improvement takes process improvement to the next ambition level. The kernel of the substance is a generic process improvement process that operates under the strictest time, quality and cost constraints. Thanks to a modular composition and robust methods the scope may range from one single person to networks with hundreds of companies. This is realized via three high-class phases:network and company analysis and synthesis, process analysis and synthesis, the implementation, including process improvement education and training and the practical realization of the improvement potential.The presented methods contain mass customization features and a very advanced logic for optimizing the interaction of people, technology, information and material both in the process improvement process itself and the focus process.The book is based on an extensive R&D effort and thorough practical verifications in more than 75 companies in almost any business and in all sizes.

This book presents a theory of autistic subjectivity from a Lacanian psychoanalytic perspective. Dr. Brenner describes autism as a singular mode of being that is fundamentally linked to one’s identity and basic practices of existence, offering a rigorous alternative to treating autism as a mental or physical disorder. Drawing on Freud and Lacan’s psychoanalytic understanding of the subject, Brenner outlines the unique features of the autistic subjective structure and provides a comprehensive synthesis of contemporary work on the psychoanalysis of autism. The book examines research by theorists including Jean-Claude Maleval, Éric Laurent, Rosine and Robert Lefort that has been largely unavailable to Anglophone audiences until now. In this book autism is posited to be a singular subjective structure not reducible to neurosis or psychosis. In accordance with the Lacanian approach, autism is examined with detailed attention to the subject’s use of language, culminating in Brenner’s “autistic linguistic spectrum.” A compelling read for students and scholars of psychoanalysis and autism researchers and clinicians.

This book introduces the Multilingual Approach to Diversity in Education (MADE), a framework that provides an extensive, holistic instrument with research-based teacher indicators for teachers, teacher educators, and administrators to deliver optimal education to multilingual learners in a range of contexts. The authors introduce and provide a theoretical and research-based rationale for the MADE, presenting in turn each of its seven indicators, situating them within current research and theory in multilingualism and education, and providing specific examples of classroom applications. This book will be of interest to academics, teacher educators, pre-service and practicing teachers, and graduate students interested in teaching and researching multilingual learners.

Itisaspecialpleasureformetowritethisforewordforaremarkablebookbya remarkableauthor.MarcoPettiniisadeepthinker,whohasspentmanyyears probing the foundations of Hamiltonian chaos and statistical mechanics, in particular phase transitions, from the point of view of geometry and topology. Itisinparticularthequalityofmindoftheauthorandhisdeepphysical,as well as mathematical insights which make this book so special and inspiring. It is a “must” for those who want to venture into a new approach to old problems or want to use new tools for new problems. Although topology has penetrated a number of ?elds of physics, a broad participationoftopologyintheclari?cationandprogressoffundamentalpr- lems in the above-mentioned ?elds has been lacking. The new perspectives topology gives to the above-mentioned problems are bound to help in their clari?cation and to spread to other ?elds of science. The sparsity of geometric thinking and of its use to solve fundamental problems, when compared with purely analytical methods in physics, could be relieved and made highly productive using the material discussed in this book. It is unavoidable that the physicist reader may have then to learn some new mathematics and be challenged to a new way of thinking, but with the author as a guide, he is assured of the best help in achieving this that is presently available.

This account is an introduction to mathematical knot theory, the theory of knots and links of simple closed curves in three-dimensional space. Knots can be studied at many levels and from many points of view. They can be admired as artifacts of the decorative arts and crafts, or viewed as accessible intimations of a geometrical sophistication that may never be attained. The study of knots can be given some motivation in terms of applications in molecular biology or by reference to paral­ lels in equilibrium statistical mechanics or quantum field theory. Here, however, knot theory is considered as part of geometric topology. Motivation for such a topological study of knots is meant to come from a curiosity to know how the ge­ ometry of three-dimensional space can be explored by knotting phenomena using precise mathematics. The aim will be to find invariants that distinguish knots, to investigate geometric properties of knots and to see something of the way they interact with more adventurous three-dimensional topology. The book is based on an expanded version of notes for a course for recent graduates in mathematics given at the University of Cambridge; it is intended for others with a similar level of mathematical understanding. In particular, a knowledge of the very basic ideas of the fundamental group and of a simple homology theory is assumed; it is, after all, more important to know about those topics than about the intricacies of knot theory.

The aim of stochastic programming is to find optimal decisions in problems  which involve uncertain data. This field is currently developing rapidly with contributions from many disciplines including operations research, mathematics, and probability. At the same time, it is now being applied in a wide variety of subjects ranging from agriculture to financial planning and from industrial engineering to computer networks. This textbook provides a first course in stochastic programming suitable for students with a basic knowledge of linear programming, elementary analysis, and probability. The authors aim to present a broad overview of the main themes and methods of the subject. Its prime goal is to help students develop an intuition on how to model uncertainty into mathematical problems, what uncertainty changes bring to the decision process, and what techniques help to manage uncertainty in solving the problems.In this extensively updated new edition there is more material on methods and examples including several new approaches for discrete variables, new results on risk measures in modeling and Monte Carlo sampling methods, a new chapter on relationships to other methods including approximate dynamic programming, robust optimization and online methods.The book is highly illustrated with chapter summaries and many examples and exercises. Students, researchers and practitioners in operations research and the optimization area will find it particularly of interest. Review of First Edition:"The discussion on modeling issues, the large number of examples used to illustrate the material, and the breadth of the coverage make 'Introduction to Stochastic Programming' an ideal textbook for the area." (Interfaces, 1998)

Business is at a sustainability crossroads. There is pressure from some shareholders and elected politicians to dial back on environmental and social issues, sustainability being "too woke" and a constraint on economic growth. However, there are competing pressures that mean that these same issues are now increasingly material to the bottom line; businesses ignore them at their peril as they threaten the true longer-term value of the company.This book sets out the case for the "Sustainability of Sustainability". There is compelling evidence from underlying trends in finance, trade and technology that shows that there is a sustainability bedrock, beyond which it cannot be pushed back. That bedrock is not too deep, and so a course correction is coming. Businesses should be investing now in core sustainability to be ready for the new, more durable sustainability to come.Morrison argues that while sustainability is already perceived by many as an orthodoxy, it has yet to secure the legitimacy and trust required to deliver real and lasting change.The book is for anyone who is curious about why. when and how sustainability will re-emerge and how best to prepare for its homecoming. There is a big opportunity: we will lose a lot of the fluff, green-washing, and noise and build a stronger and more meaningful version of sustainability as we do. The book helps any business manager, policy-maker or community leader find their sustainability bedrock and to build upon solid foundations.

This self-contained textbook, now in a thoroughly revised and expanded second edition, takes a matrix-oriented approach to Linear Algebra. It presents a complete theory, including all details and proofs, culminating in the Jordan canonical form and its derivation. Throughout, the book emphasizes the practical applicability of results. It therefore also covers special topics in Applied Linear Algebra, such as matrix functions, the singular value decomposition, the Kronecker product, and linear matrix equations. New to this edition are topics such as the Frobenius canonical form and a more detailed treatment of infinite-dimensional vector spaces, along with many additional exercises.The book’s matrix-oriented approach enhances intuition and simplifies abstract concepts, making them easier to understand and to apply in real-world scenarios. Key applications are illustrated through detailed examples. Additionally, several "MATLAB Minutes" allow students to explore concepts and results through computational experiments, supported by a brief introduction to MATLAB fundamentals. Together with over 380 exercises, this encourages active engagement with the material.

In November 12, 2002, Dr. John Chambers of the NASA Ames Research Center gave a seminar to the Astrobiology Group at the University of Washington. The audience of about 100 listened with rapt attention as Chambers described results from a computer study of how planetary systems form. The goal of his research was to answer a deceptively simple question: How often would newly forming planetary systems produce Earth-like planets, given a star the size of our own sun? By “Earth-like” Chambers meant a rocky planet with water on its surface, orbiting within a star’s “habitable zone. ” This not-too-hot and not-too-cold inner region, relatively close to the star, supports the presence of liquid water on a planet surface for hundreds of million of years—the time-span probably necessary for the evolution of life. To answer the question of just how many Earth-like planets might be spawned in such a planetary system, Chambers had spent thousands of hours running highly sophisticated modeling programs through arrays of powerful computers. The results presented at the meeting were startling. The simulations showed that rocky planets orbiting at the “right” distances from the central star are easily formed, but they can end up with a wide range of water content. Earth seems to be quite a gem—a rocky planet where not only can liquid water exist for long periods of time, but where water can be found as a heathy oceanful—not too little and not too much. Our planet seems to reside in a benign region of the Galaxy, where comet and asteroid bombardment is tolerable and habitable-zone planets can commonly grow to Earth size. Such real estate in our galaxy—perhaps in any galaxy—is prime for life. And rare as well.

When, in July 1969, the Americans decisively beat the Soviet Union in the race to put an astronaut on the moon, this event had profound historical, scientific and political implications. This book tells the story of the Soviet and Russian lunar programme, from its origins to the reconsideration of a lunar programme in the present-day federal Russian space programme. Following Sputnik, the first Soviet lunar flights achieved the key goals of hitting, circling and photographing the moon in 1959. The Soviet Union planned to achieve the biggest prize of them all –the first person to land on the moon – and built all the key spaceships required to do so, such as a lunar orbiter and lander. Brian Harvey describes the techniques devised by the USSR for lunar landing, from the LK lunar module to the LOK lunar orbiter and tested versions in Earth orbit. He asks whether these systems would have worked and, examining how well they were tested, concludes that they would have: the Soviet Union lost the moon race for political, not technical reasons. Designs for moon bases were even drawn up. In the end, the Soviet Union ran an impressive series of robotic missions from 1968 to 1976 to circle the moon, map the far side, conduct scientific observations from orbit, recover samples and rove over the surface. The scientific haul from these missions is surveyed: what was actually learned about the moon, its rocks and the lunar environment, that will be useful for the present plans by the United States to return to the moon and for other countries, such as India and China, to conduct their own lunar exploration.The book opens in Surgut, Siberia, in August 1976, with a largely forgotten event: the return to Earth after a three-day journey from the moon, under a single parachute, of the tiny Luna 24 cabin, with a core sample drilled deep into the Sea of Crises, a remarkable scientific and engineering achievement. It ends with an examination of projected missions, fromplans to explore the far side and set up lunar observatories to the Luna Glob explorer of the 1990s. There is also discussion of lunar tourism, using a modernized version of the Zond spacecraft which flew around the moon from1968 to 1970.

Geometry: A Metric Approach with Models, imparts a real feeling for Euclidean and non-Euclidean (in particular, hyperbolic) geometry. Intended as a rigorous first course, the book introduces and develops the various axioms slowly, and then, in a departure from other texts, continually illustrates the major definitions and axioms with two or three models, enabling the reader to picture the idea more clearly. The second edition has been expanded to include a selection of expository exercises. Additionally, the authors have designed software with computational problems to accompany the text. This software may be obtained from George Parker.

A study of topology and geometry, beginning with a comprehensible account of the extraordinary and rather mysterious impact of mathematical physics, and especially gauge theory, on the study of the geometry and topology of manifolds. The focus of the book is the Yang-Mills-Higgs field and some considerable effort is expended to make clear its origin and significance in physics. Much of the mathematics developed here to study these fields is standard, but the treatment always keeps one eye on the physics and sacrifices generality in favor of clarity. This second edition has replaced a brief appendix in the first on the Seiberg-Witten equations with a much more detailed survey of Donaldson-Witten Theory and the Witten Conjecture regarding the relationship between Donaldson and Seiberg-Witten invariants.A large number of exercises are included to encourage active participation on the part of the reader.Review from first edition:"It is unusual to find a book so carefully tailored to the needs of this interdisciplinary area of mathematical physics...Naber combines a knowledge of his subject with an excellent informal writing style."SIAM REVIEW