This book deals with the theory and the applications of a new time domain, termed natural time domain, that has been forwarded by the authors almost a decade ago (P.A. Varotsos, N.V. Sarlis and E.S. Skordas, Practica of Athens Academy 76, 294-321, 2001; Physical Review E 66, 011902, 2002). In particular, it has been found that novel dynamical features hidden behind time series in complex systems can emerge upon analyzing them in this new time domain, which conforms to the desire to reduce uncertainty and extract signal information as much as possible. The analysis in natural time enables the study of the dynamical evolution of a complex system and identifies when the system enters a critical stage. Hence, natural time plays a key role in predicting impending catastrophic events in general. Relevant examples of data analysis in this new time domain have been published during the last decade in a large variety of fields, e.g., Earth Sciences, Biology and Physics. The book explains in detail a series of such examples including the identification of the sudden cardiac death risk in Cardiology, the recognition of electric signals that precede earthquakes, the determination of the time of an impending major mainshock in Seismology, and the analysis of the avalanches of the penetration of magnetic flux into thin films of type II superconductors in Condensed Matter Physics. In general, this book is concerned with the time-series analysis of signals emitted from complex systems by means of the new time domain and provides advanced students and research workers in diverse fields with a sound grounding in the fundamentals of current research work on detecting (long-range) correlations in complex time series. Furthermore, the modern techniques of Statistical Physics in time series analysis, for example Hurst analysis, the detrended fluctuation analysis, the wavelet transform etc., are presented along with their advantages when natural time domain is employed.

This monograph contains the advances achieved based on the content of our previous monograph published in 2011. In other words, the present monograph can be considered as "Part II" containing new results accomplished in the last decade. These were published in several reputed international journals based on the concept of natural time discussed in detail in our earlier monograph. The analysis in natural time enables the study of the dynamical evolution of a complex system and identifieswhen the system enters a critical stage. A wide range of applications are discussed, such as the cases of environmental extreme events-disasters and sudden cardiac death. More light is shed on changes of natural time features before major earthquakes like the 2011 M9 Tohoku earthquake in Japan and the 2017 M8.2 Chiapas earthquake in Mexico. Hence, natural time analysis plays a key role in predicting impending catastrophic events in general with a primary audienceResearchers and Academics in Physics, Earth Sciences, and Medicine.

This proceedings volume contains selected papers presented at the 2014 International Conference on Education Management and Management Science (ICEMMS 2014), held August 7-8, 2014, in Tianjin, China. The objective of ICEMMS2014 is to provide a platform for researchers, engineers, academicians as well as industrial professionals from all over the wo

Ample information reflecting the state-of-the-art of the field of mathematics applied to the analysis and design of process control is presented in this volume. It includes recent results concerning new methodologies applied to technological systems, as well as non-conventional control techniques and the presentation of significant examples of implementation. R & D and Research laboratory participants, postgraduate students and engineers will all find this book to be invaluable.