Although contact geometry and topology is briefly discussed in V I Arnol''d''s book Mathematical Methods of Classical Mechanics (Springer-Verlag, 1989, 2nd edition), it still remains a domain of research in pure mathematics, e.g. see the recent monograph by H Geiges An Introduction to Contact Topology (Cambridge U Press, 2008). Some attempts to use contact geometry in physics were made in the monograph Contact Geometry and Nonlinear Differential Equations (Cambridge U Press, 2007). Unfortunately, even the excellent style of this monograph is not sufficient to attract the attention of the physics community to this type of problems. This book is the first serious attempt to change the existing status quo. In it we demonstrate that, in fact, all branches of theoretical physics can be rewritten in the language of contact geometry and topology: from mechanics, thermodynamics and electrodynamics to optics, gauge fields and gravity; from physics of liquid crystals to quantum mechanics and quantum computers, etc. The book is written in the style of famous Landau-Lifshitz (L-L) multivolume course in theoretical physics. This means that its readers are expected to have solid background in theoretical physics (at least at the level of the L-L course). No prior knowledge of specialized mathematics is required. All needed new mathematics is given in the context of discussed physical problems. As in the L-L course some problems/exercises are formulated along the way and, again as in the L-L course, these are always supplemented by either solutions or by hints (with exact references). Unlike the L-L course, though, some definitions, theorems, and remarks are also presented. This is done with the purpose of stimulating the interest of our readers in deeper study of subject matters discussed in the text.

This book discusses the computational geometry, topology and physics of digital images and video frame sequences. This trio of computational approaches encompasses the study of shape complexes, optical vortex nerves and proximities embedded in triangulated video frames and single images, while computational geometry focuses on the geometric structures that infuse triangulated visual scenes. The book first addresses the topology of cellular complexes to provide a basis for an introductory study of the computational topology of visual scenes, exploring the fabric, shapes and structures typically found in visual scenes. The book then examines the inherent geometry and topology of visual scenes, and the fine structure of light and light caustics of visual scenes, which bring into play catastrophe theory and the appearance of light caustic folds and cusps. Following on from this, the book introduces optical vortex nerves in triangulated digital images. In this context, computational physics is synonymous with the study of the fine structure of light choreographed in video frames. This choreography appears as a sequence of snapshots of light reflected and refracted from surface shapes, providing a solid foundation for detecting, analyzing and classifying visual scene shapes.

In this graduate-level book, leading researchers explore various new notions of 'space' in mathematical physics.

Peterson's Graduate Programs in Mathematics contains a wealth of information on colleges and universities that offer graduate work in Applied Mathematics, Applied Statistics, Biomathematics, Biometry, Biostatistics, Computational Sciences, Mathematical and Computational Finance, Mathematics, and Statistics. The institutions listed include those in the United States, Canada, and abroad that are accredited by U.S. accrediting bodies. Up-to-date information, collected through Peterson's Annual Survey of Graduate and Professional Institutions, provides valuable information on degree offerings, professional accreditation, jointly offered degrees, part-time and evening/weekend programs, postbaccalaureate distance degrees, faculty, students, degree requirements, entrance requirements, expenses, financial support, faculty research, and unit head and application contact information. Readers will find helpful links to in-depth descriptions that offer additional detailed information about a specific program or department, faculty members and their research, and much more.In addition, there are valuable articles on financial assistance, the graduate admissions process, advice for international and minority students, and facts about accreditation, with a current list of accrediting agencies.

A variety of introductory articles is provided on a wide range of topics, including variational problems on curves and surfaces with anisotropic curvature. Experts in the fields of Riemannian, Lorentzian and contact geometry present state-of-the-art reviews of their topics. The contributions are written on a graduate level and contain extended bibliographies. The ten chapters are the result of various doctoral courses which were held in 2009 and 2010 at universities in Leuven, Serbia, Romania and Spain.

Graduate Programs in the Physical Sciences, Mathematics, Agricultural Sciences, the Environment & Natural Resources 2012 contains more than 2,900 graduate programs in 59 disciplines-including agriculture and food sciences, astronomy and astrophysics, chemistry, physics, mathematics, environmental sciences and management, natural resources, marine sciences, and more. This guide is part of Peterson's six-volume Annual Guides to Graduate Study, the only annually updated reference work of its kind, provides wide-ranging information on the graduate and professional programs offered by U.S.-accredited colleges and universities in the United States and throughout the world. Informative data profiles for more than 2,900 graduate programs in 59 disciplines, including facts and figures on accreditation, degree requirements, application deadlines and contact information, financial support, faculty, and student body profiles. Two-page in-depth descriptions, written by featured institutions, offer complete details on specific graduate programs, schools, or departments as well as information on faculty research and the college or university. Expert advice on the admissions process, financial support, and accrediting agencies. Comprehensive directories list programs in this volume, as well as others in the graduate series. Up-to-date appendixes list institutional changes since the last addition along with abbreviations used in the guide

Peterson's Graduate Programs in the Physical Sciences, Mathematics, Agricultural Sciences, the Environment & Natural Resources contains a wealth of information on colleges and universities that offer graduate work in these exciting fields. The institutions listed include those in the United States and Canada, as well international institutions that are accredited by U.S. accrediting bodies. Up-to-date information, collected through Peterson's Annual Survey of Graduate and Professional Institutions, provides valuable information on degree offerings, professional accreditation, jointly offered degrees, part-time and evening/weekend programs, postbaccalaureate distance degrees, faculty, students, degree requirements, entrance requirements, expenses, financial support, faculty research, and unit head and application contact information. Readers will find helpful links to in-depth descriptions that offer additional detailed information about a specific program or department, faculty members and their research, and much more. In addition, there are valuable articles on financial assistance, the graduate admissions process, advice for international and minority students, and facts about accreditation, with a current list of accrediting agencies.

The emergent mathematical philosophy of categorification is reshaping our view of modern mathematics by uncovering a hidden layer of structure in mathematics, revealing richer and more robust structures capable of describing more complex phenomena. Categorification is a powerful tool for relating various branches of mathematics and exploiting the commonalities between fields. It provides a language emphasizing essential features and allowing precise relationships between vastly different fields. This volume focuses on the role categorification plays in geometry, topology, and physics. These articles illustrate many important trends for the field including geometric representation theory, homotopical methods in link homology, interactions between higher representation theory and gauge theory, and double affine Hecke algebra approaches to link homology. The companion volume (Contemporary Mathematics, Volume 683) is devoted to categorification and higher representation theory.

Operads are mathematical devices which describe algebraic structures of many varieties and in various categories. From their beginnings in the 1960s, they have developed to encompass such areas as combinatorics, knot theory, moduli spaces, string field theory and deformation quantization.