The concept of adiabatic electronic potential-energy surfaces, defined by the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, is fundamental to our thinking about chemical processes. Recent computational as well as experimental studies have produced ample evidence that the so-called conical intersections of electronic energy surfaces, predicted by von Neumann and Wigner in 1929, are the rule rather than the exception in polyatomic molecules. It is nowadays increasingly recognized that conical intersections play a key mechanistic role in chemical reaction dynamics. This volume provides an up-to-date overview of the multi-faceted research on the role of conical intersections in photochemistry and photobiology, including basic theoretical concepts, novel computational strategies as well as innovative experiments. The contents and discussions will be of value to advanced students and researchers in photochemistry, molecular spectroscopy and related areas.

Dedicated to the memory of Wolfgang Classical Intersection Theory (see for example Wei! [Wei]) treats the case of proper intersections, where geometrical objects (usually subvarieties of a non singular variety) intersect with the expected dimension. In 1984, two books appeared which surveyed and developed work by the individual authors, co workers and others on a refined version of Intersection Theory, treating the case of possibly improper intersections, where the intersection could have ex cess dimension. The first, by W. Fulton [Full] (recently revised in updated form), used a geometrical theory of deformation to the normal cone, more specifically, deformation to the normal bundle followed by moving the zero section to make the intersection proper; this theory was due to the author together with R. MacPherson and worked generally for intersections on algeb raic manifolds. It represents nowadays the standard approach to Intersection Theory. The second, by W. Vogel [Vogl], employed an algebraic approach to inter sections; although restricted to intersections in projective space it produced an intersection cycle by a simple and natural algorithm, thus leading to a Bezout theorem for improper intersections. It was developed together with J. Stiickrad and involved a refined version of the classical technique ofreduc tion to the diagonal: here one starts with the join variety and intersects with successive hyperplanes in general position, laying aside components which fall into the diagonal and intersecting the residual scheme with the next hyperplane; since all the hyperplanes intersect in the diagonal, the process terminates.

This volume examines the multifaceted ways in which textual material in nineteenth-century European cultures intersected with non-literary cultural artefacts and concepts. The essays consider the presence of such diverse phenomena as the dandy, nationhood, diasporic identity, operatic and dramatic personae and effects, trapeze artists, paintings, and the grotesque and fantastic in the work of a variety of writers from France, Germany, Spain, Britain, Russia, Greece and Italy. The volume argues for a view of the long nineteenth century as a century of lively cultural dialogue and exchange between national and sub-national cultures, between 'high' and popular art forms, and between different genres and different media, and it will be of interest to general readers and scholars alike.

A central study in Probability Theory is the behavior of fluctuation phenomena of partial sums of different types of random variable. One of the most useful concepts for this purpose is that of the random walk which has applications in many areas, particularly in statistical physics and statistical chemistry. Originally published in 1991, Intersections of Random Walks focuses on and explores a number of problems dealing primarily with the nonintersection of random walks and the self-avoiding walk. Many of these problems arise in studying statistical physics and other critical phenomena. Topics include: discrete harmonic measure, including an introduction to diffusion limited aggregation (DLA); the probability that independent random walks do not intersect; and properties of walks without self-intersections. The present softcover reprint includes corrections and addenda from the 1996 printing, and makes this classic monograph available to a wider audience. With a self-contained introduction to the properties of simple random walks, and an emphasis on rigorous results, the book will be useful to researchers in probability and statistical physics and to graduate students interested in basic properties of random walks.

Taking South Asia as its focus, this wide-ranging collection probes the general reluctance of the cultural anthropology to engage with contemporary visual art and artists, including painting, sculpture, performance art and installation. Through case studies engaged equally in anthropology and visual studies, contributors examine art and artistic production in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal to bring the social and political complexities of artistic practice to the fore. Demonstrating the potential of the visual as a means to understand a society, its values, and its politics, this volume ranges across discourses of anthropology, sociology, biography, memory, art history, and contemporary practices of visual art. Ultimately, Intersections of Contemporary Art, Anthropology and Art History in South Asia simultaneously expands and challenges the disciplinary foci of two fields: it demonstrates to art criticism and art history the necessity of anthropological and sociological methodologies and theories, while at the same time challenging the “iconophobia” of social sciences.