This book provides a unique insight into the latest breakthroughs in a consistent manner, at a level accessible to undergraduates, yet with enough attention to the theory and computation to satisfy the professional researcher Statistical physics addresses the study and understanding of systems with many degrees of freedom. As such it has a rich and varied history, with applications to thermodynamics, magnetic phase transitions, and order/disorder transformations, to name just a few. However, the tools of statistical physics can be profitably used to investigate any system with a large number of components. Thus, recent years have seen these methods applied in many unexpected directions, three of which are the main focus of this volume. These applications have been remarkably successful and have enriched the financial, biological, and engineering literature. Although reported in the physics literature, the results tend to be scattered and the underlying unity of the field overlooked.

This volume sheds light on still unexplored issues and raises new questions in the main areas addressed by the philosophy of science. Bringing together selected papers from three main events, the book presents the most advanced scientific results in the field and suggests innovative lines for further investigation. It explores how discussions on several notions of the philosophy of science can help different scientific disciplines in learning from each other. Finally, it focuses on the relationship between Cambridge and Vienna in twentieth century philosophy of science. The areas examined in the book are: formal methods, the philosophy of the natural and life sciences, the cultural and social sciences, the physical sciences and the history of the philosophy of science.

Current Perspectives and New Directions in Mechanics, Modelling and Design of Structural Systems comprises 330 papers that were presented at the Eighth International Conference on Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Computation (SEMC 2022, Cape Town, South Africa, 5-7 September 2022). The topics featured may be clustered into six broad categories that span the themes of mechanics, modelling and engineering design: (i) mechanics of materials (elasticity, plasticity, porous media, fracture, fatigue, damage, delamination, viscosity, creep, shrinkage, etc); (ii) mechanics of structures (dynamics, vibration, seismic response, soil-structure interaction, fluid-structure interaction, response to blast and impact, response to fire, structural stability, buckling, collapse behaviour); (iii) numerical modelling and experimental testing (numerical methods, simulation techniques, multi-scale modelling, computational modelling, laboratory testing, field testing, experimental measurements); (iv) design in traditional engineering materials (steel, concrete, steel-concrete composite, aluminium, masonry, timber); (v) innovative concepts, sustainable engineering and special structures (nanostructures, adaptive structures, smart structures, composite structures, glass structures, bio-inspired structures, shells, membranes, space structures, lightweight structures, etc); (vi) the engineering process and life-cycle considerations (conceptualisation, planning, analysis, design, optimization, construction, assembly, manufacture, maintenance, monitoring, assessment, repair, strengthening, retrofitting, decommissioning). Two versions of the papers are available: full papers of length 6 pages are included in an e-book, while short papers of length 2 pages, intended to be concise but self-contained summaries of the full papers, are in this printed book. This work will be of interest to civil, structural, mechanical, marine and aerospace engineers, as well as planners and architects.

New Directions in Physics represents a fascinating view of the future as seen by some of the remarkable men who were here over 40 years ago. It makes it quite clear that we are still in the dawn of physics—the excitement and challenge that lie ahead are extraordinary. We also get a glimpse of where these remarkable men have been since the end of Project Y of the Manhattan Project and where they see the future directions for physics. This book comprises 20 chapters, with the first being an introductory chapter describing Los Alamos in the 1980s. The following chapters go on to discuss tiny computers obeying quantum mechanical laws; the past, present, and future of nuclear magnetic resonance; and experimental evidence that an asteroid impact led to the extinction of many species 65 million years ago. Other chapters cover the lunar laboratory; the future of particle accelerators; models, hypotheses and approximations; and comments on three thermonuclear paths for the synthesis of helium. The book also describes how the sad augurs mock their own presage; experiments on time reversal symmetry and parity; the course of our magnetic fusion energy enterprise; early days in the Lawrence Laboratory; nuclear charge distribution in fission; developing larger software systems; reflections on style in physics; tuning up the TPC; remarks on the future of particle physics; the supernova theory; and the history and hierarchy of structure. This book will be of interest to practitioners in the field of theoretical physics.

This text presents the mathematical concepts of Grassmann variables and the method of supersymmetry to a broad audience of physicists interested in applying these tools to disordered and critical systems, as well as related topics in statistical physics. Based on many courses and seminars held by the author, one of the pioneers in this field, the reader is given a systematic and tutorial introduction to the subject matter. The algebra and analysis of Grassmann variables is presented in part I. The mathematics of these variables is applied to a random matrix model, path integrals for fermions, dimer models and the Ising model in two dimensions. Supermathematics - the use of commuting and anticommuting variables on an equal footing - is the subject of part II. The properties of supervectors and supermatrices, which contain both commuting and Grassmann components, are treated in great detail, including the derivation of integral theorems. In part III, supersymmetric physical models are considered. While supersymmetry was first introduced in elementary particle physics as exact symmetry between bosons and fermions, the formal introduction of anticommuting spacetime components, can be extended to problems of statistical physics, and, since it connects states with equal energies, has also found its way into quantum mechanics. Several models are considered in the applications, after which the representation of the random matrix model by the nonlinear sigma-model, the determination of the density of states and the level correlation are derived. Eventually, the mobility edge behavior is discussed and a short account of the ten symmetry classes of disorder, two-dimensional disordered models, and superbosonization is given.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Advanced Data Mining and Applications, ADMA 2018, held in Nanjing, China in November 2018. The 23 full and 22 short papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 104 submissions. The papers were organized in topical sections named: Data Mining Foundations; Big Data; Text and Multimedia Mining; Miscellaneous Topics.

This book offers a comprehensive picture of nonequilibrium phenomena in nanoscale systems. Written by internationally recognized experts in the field, this book strikes a balance between theory and experiment, and includes in-depth introductions to nonequilibrium fluctuation relations, nonlinear dynamics and transport, single molecule experiments, and molecular diffusion in nanopores. The authors explore the application of these concepts to nano- and biosystems by cross-linking key methods and ideas from nonequilibrium statistical physics, thermodynamics, stochastic theory, and dynamical systems. By providing an up-to-date survey of small systems physics, the text serves as both a valuable reference for experienced researchers and as an ideal starting point for graduate-level students entering this newly emerging research field.

The remarkable evolution of econophysics research has brought the deep synthesis of ideas derived from economics and physics to subjects as diverse as education, banking, finance, and the administration of large institutions. The original papers in this collection present a broad summary of these advances, written by interdisciplinary specialists. Included are studies on subjects in the development of econophysics; on the perspectives offered by econophysics on large problems in economics and finance, including the 2008-9 financial crisis; and on higher education and group decision making. The introductions and insights they provide will benefit everyone interested in applications of this new transdisciplinary science. Ten papers present an updated version of the origins, issues, and applications of econophysics Economics and finance chapters consider lessons learned from the 2008-9 financial crisis Sociophysics chapters propose new thinking on educational reforms and group decision making

This edited collection showcases some of the best recent research in the philosophy of science. It comprises of thematically arranged papers presented at the 5th conference of the European Philosophy of Science Association (EPSA15), covering a broad variety of topics within general philosophy of science, and philosophical issues pertaining to specific sciences. The collection will appeal to researchers with an interest in the philosophical underpinnings of their own discipline, and to philosophers who wish to study the latest work on the themes discussed.

In today’s complex and interconnected world, scholars of international relations seek to better understand challenges spurred by intensified global communication and interaction. The complex connectedness of modern society and politics compels us to investigate the pattern of interconnections among actors who inhabit social and political spaces. Gabriella Paár-Jákli's study aims to advance theory and practice by examining the networks used by specialists in North America and Europe to achieve their policy goals in the area of science and technology. Her book suggests that to overcome policy problems transnationally, three critical factors should be considered. First, as science and technology policy becomes increasingly critical to resolving global issues, it should be regarded as an integral element of the foreign policy process. Second, as liberal international relations theory argues, the increasing role of NGOs must be taken seriously alongside states as vital agents of policy reform. Third, as transatlantic relations remain center to maintaining the global order, they must be reconsidered. Paar-Jakli assesses the role of digital networks as facilitators of regional cooperation. Utilizing various techniques of social network analysis, her research indicates an active and structurally discernible network in cyberspace among transatlantic organizations, and demonstrates the role of virtual networks as facilitators of cooperative arrangements in transatlantic relations. Paár-Jákli's original research uses social network analysis to investigate transatlantic cooperation, a new approach that will be noteworthy to network and transatlantic scholars as well as policymakers.