springer springer dez 2008 (735 risultati)

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Bottom Line Management presents a new approach to management. It will help you if youare a senior manager in an organization and have a seat at the table where key decisions are made. It will help you be a valued employee recognized as doing the good work of the organization.What makes you valuable to your organization You're valuable if the organization would lose out if it weren't paying you for your input. The head would have significantly more to do if you weren't there. Without you, less would be produced. In your absence, poorer decisions would be made.Bottom Line Management gives you essential tools so that you can truly be valuable to your organization. In a very practical way it gives examples of successful rules how to maximize your contribution to the Bottom Line, and how to avoid popular mistakes in managerial dicision making.But in order for you to be valuable, your input must truly be valuable. Your input cannot be valuable if you do not know what the organization is trying to achieve and what strategy the head of the organization and the other leaders have adopted to try to achieve it, or if you cannot contribute to the making of good, sound, purposeful decisions. Bottom Line Management will help you understand the organization's bottom line and contribute to it.Bottom Line Management gives you essential tools so that you can truly be valuable to your organization.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Over the last century the ECG has been used by clinicians to make major clinical decisions with regard to electric pacing, the use of thrombolytic drugs in acute myocardial infarction and the timing of surgery. In conjunction with a chest X-ray and the echocardiogram it is a fundamental part of the initial investigation of a patient with suspected heart disease. These electrical squiggles have always been difficult for students to understand. In part the problem has been that the formatting of the ECG has only become standard in the last two decades. Some important books have not provided the full twelve-lead ECG. On occasion the interpretation of the ECG has been related to complex explanations of the shapes of the electrical signals. For the practising physician much of the interpretation is a matter of pattern recognition.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Thistext iswell designed with respect to the exposition from the preliminary to the more advanced and the applications interwoven throughout.Itprovides the essentialfoundationsfor the theory as well as the basic facts relating to almost periodicity.Insix structured and self-contained chapters, the author unifies the treatment of various classes of almost periodic functions, while uniquely addressing oscillations and waves in the almost periodic case.The first half of thebooklays the groundwork, notingthe basic properties of almost periodic functions, while the second half of this work addresses applications whose main emphasisison the solvability of ordinary or partial differential equations in the class of almost periodic functions. Key topics include:An introduction to metric spaces; Definitionof several classes of almost periodic functions, including those of Bohr, Besicovitch, and Stepanov; Classical results on the mean value property; Convergenceof Fourierseries to any almost periodic function; Almost periodic solutions for ODEs in a linear setting; Almost periodic nonlinear oscillations; Almost periodic waves, including heat waves. The reader is taken from elementary and well-known facts through the latest results in almost periodic oscillation and waves. This is the first text to present these latest results. The presentation level and inclusion of several clearly presented proofsmakethisworkideal for graduate students in engineering and science. The concept of almost periodicityis widely applicable to continuuum mechanics, electromagnetic theory, plasma physics,dynamical systems, and astronomy,which makes the book a useful tool for mathematicians and physicists.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - This book is an informal yet systematic presentation of lectures given by the author on Boolean algebras. The author's style is characteristically bold and fresh. He treats Boolean algebras, develops some intriguing ideas, and provides rare insights. Exercises are generously sprinkled through the text for course study. The second edition has been greatly expanded and rewritten, specific changes include:\* More detail explanations of the material in every section, making the text more accessible to undergraduates\* Three times as many exercises as well as a solutions manual\* A more careful explanation of the relationship between Boolean rings and Boolean algebras has been added;\* thirteen new chapters, including ones on topology and continuous functions and others on the extension theorem for homomorphisms, congruences and quotient algebras, lattice of ideals, and duality theory for products.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - This is a book about the ambitious reform strategy known as mayoral control ini- ated to transform the dysfunctional system of urban education in the United States. I use the term dysfunctional to refer to the inability of urban school districts over the past 50 years to reduce the learning gap between poor students and their middle class peers, despite a host of reform efforts including desegregation, compensatory programs, and decentralization. Since the mid-1990s, the idea of mayoral control has generated considerable interest. Several large cities have introduced it such as Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Baltimore, and Washington (Henig and Rich 2004; Wong et al. 2007). Although the latter have completed a quantitative study of mayoral control's impact on student performance in over 100 cities, a case study of the New York experience nevertheless illuminates the capacity of this tool for transforming urban education. Because of the size of the NYC system - roughly 1.2 million students - and its economic, social, and ethnic diversity, it faces the myriad problems of urban edu- tion writ large that impede efforts to implement change in these schools.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - The care of the critically ill or injured child begins with timely, prompt, and aggressive res- citation and stabilization. Ideally, stabilization should occur before the onset of organ failure in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. In the following pages, an international panel of experts provides an in-depth discussion of the early recognition, resuscitation, and stabilization of the critically ill or injured child. Once again, we would like to dedicate this textbook to our families and to the physicians and nurses who provide steadfast care every day in pediatric intensive care units across the globe. Derek S. Wheeler Hector R. Wong Thomas P. Shanley V Preface to Pediatric Critical Care Medicine: Basic Science and Clinical Evidence The eld of critical care medicine is growing at a tremendous pace, and tremendous advances in the understanding of critical illness have been realized in the last decade. My family has directly bene ted from some of the technological and scienti c advances made in the care of critically ill children. My son Ryan was born during my third year of medical school. By some peculiar happenstance, I was nearing completion of a 4-week rotation in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU). The head of the pediatrics clerkship was kind enough to let me have a few days off around the time of the delivery-my wife, Cathy, was 2 weeks past her due date and had been scheduled for elective induction.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Colorectal Surgery: Living Pathology in the Operating Room is two books in one. First, it is an atlas in the classic definition: each chapter is a two-page spread discussing one case. Functionally, each chapter is a case study with both the surgical and pathological perspectives beautifully rendered and fully explained.Visually, every chapter presents the reader with operative and/or diagnostic photos, and anatomic line drawings by the author. The text, more extensive than in many atlases, provides a concise yet complete operative record: patient history/work up, anatomic anomalies, the procedure itself, pathologic findings, and follow up.Key teaching points emphasize the most important and unique aspects of every case. Residents, fellows, and even seasoned practitioners will gain valuable diagnostic and therapeutic insights from this material. The case study presentation provides an excellent review tool for the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgeryexam.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Sensory Neuroscience: Four Laws of Psychophysics organizes part of psychophysics -- a science of quantitative relationships between human sensations and the stimuli that evoke them. Although psychophysics belongs to sensory neuroscience, and is coupled to neurophysiology, it has also branched out to various specialized disciplines, including the disciplines of vision and hearing, ophthalmology, optometry, otology, and audiology. Due to this diversification and fragmentation, psychophysics has had an ad-hoc, phenomenological orientation. Besides Weber's law of differential sensitivity, and the still-controversial Stevens' power law, it has lacked a systematic grid of scientific laws. Sensory Neuroscience: Four Laws of Psychophysics provides valid unifying principles and systematic applications for this otherwise fragmented precursor of experimental psychology, and defines four multisensory relationships of substantial generality between sensations and the underlying stimulus variables. This book will be particularly useful to auditory researchers, experimental psychologists, and behavioral neuroscientists.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Principles of Terahertz Science and Technology aims to elucidate the fundamentals of THz technology and science for potential new users. It surveys major techniques of generating, detecting, and manipulating THz waves and also discusses a number of essential processes where THz waves interact with physical, chemical, and biological systems. This book serves as an introduction to THz technology for new researchers in various fields.Many different disciplines, such as ultrafast spectroscopy, semiconductor device fabrication, bio-medical imaging and more, involve the recent development of THz technology. It is necessary to lay down a strong, common foundation among researchers, so that communication can proceed smoothly. Previous THz research activities have concentrated on generation and detection, but the focus has now shifted to practical applications of this technology, such as high-speed optoelectronic signal processing and molecular spectroscopy.Drawing upon years of practical experience and using numerous examples and illustrative applications Yun-Shik Lee discusses:The major techniques of generating, detecting, and manipulating THz wavesEssential processes where THz waves interact with physical, chemical, and biological systems Medical Applications of T-Ray Imaging including, optical properties of human tissue, cancer diagnostics, reflective imaging of skin burns and detection of dental cariesPrinciples of Terahertz Science and Technology is an ideal book for applied physicists, microwave engineers, biomedical engineers, electrical engineers, and analytical chemists interested in the fundamentals and applications of THz engineering.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Biological invasions are one of the major threats to our native biodiversity. The magnitude of biodiversity losses, land degradation and productivity losses of managed and natural ecosystems due to invasive species is enormous. The ecological and environmental aspects of non-native invasive plants are of great importance to (i) understand ecological principles involved in the management of invasives, (ii) design management strategies, (iii) find effective management solutions for some of the worst invaders, and (iv) frame policies and regulations. The objectives of this book are to discuss (i) ecological approaches needed to design effective management strategies, (ii) recent progress in management methods and tools, (iii) success and failure of management efforts for some of the worst invaders, and (iv) restoration and conservation of invaded land. In an effort to achieve these objectives, contributing authors have strived to provide up-to-date information on the management of non-native invasives. Chapters included in the book are peer-reviewed by international experts working in the area. Readers will get a unique perspective on ecological aspects of the management of invasives. The book will be useful to graduate students, researchers, managers and policy makers involved in the management of exotic invasives.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - In the mid 1980s, the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI) inaugurated a series of studies in mathematics education by comm- sioning one on the influence of technology and informatics on mathematics and its teaching. These studies are designed to thoroughly explore topics of c- temporary interest, by gathering together a group of experts who prepare a Study Volume that provides a considered assessment of the current state and a guide to further developments. Studies have embraced a range of issues, some central, such as the teaching of algebra, some closely related, such as the impact of history and psychology, and some looking at mathematics education from a particular perspective, such as cultural differences between East and West. These studies have been commissioned at the rate of about one per year. Once the ICMI Executive decides on the topic, one or two chairs are selected and then, in consultation with them, an International Program Committee (IPC) of about 12 experts is formed. The IPC then meets and prepares a Discussion Document that sets forth the issues and invites interested parties to submit papers. These papers are the basis for invitations to a Study Conference, at which the various dimensions of the topic are explored and a book, the Study Volume, is sketched out. The book is then put together in collaboration, mainly using electronic communication. The entire process typically takes about six years.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Information Systems Development (ISD) progresses rapidly, continually creating new challenges for the professionals involved. New concepts, approaches and techniques of systems development emerge constantly in this field. Progress in ISD comes from research as well as from practice.This conference will discuss issues pertaining to information systems development (ISD) in the inter-networked digital economy. Participants will include researchers, both experienced and novice, from industry and academia, as well as students and practitioners. Themes will include methods and approaches for ISD; ISD education; philosophical, ethical, and sociological aspects of ISD; as well as specialized tracks such as: distributed software development, ISD and knowledge management, ISD and electronic business / electronic government, ISD in public sector organizations, IOS.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Much of biology can be understood in terms of demography. It is the demographic processes of birth and death which govern rates of population growth and the rates at which gene frequencies change. The analysis of demographic processes in free-living organisms is, however, far from simple. Scientists from diverse fields in biology and statistics have united to address the challenges by developing mark-recapture methods and other approaches. Progress has been rapid, and this volume represents a snapshot of the emerging field. It has eleven sections in total, covering the most important biological and statistical frontiers, new software developments, and an open forum. It covers the latest approaches in modeling population dynamics, evolutionary ecology and wildlife biology. It addresses issues in the estimation of abundance and movement, and it covers new statistical approaches in the combination of information, Bayesian statistics, Robust Designs and the modeling of state-uncertainty.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - 'Phase Change Materials: Science and Applications' provides a unique introduction of this rapidly developing field. Clearly written and well-structured, this volume describes the material science of these fascinating materials from a theoretical and experimental perspective. Readers will find an in-depth description of their existing and potential applications in optical and solid state storage devices as well as reconfigurable logic applications.Researchers, graduate students and scientists with an interest in this field will find 'Phase Change Materials' to be a valuable reference.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - This unique book focuses on the DNA viruses in the human population that are associated with cancers. It covers most of the viruses that are thought to contribute to human malignancy. This book represents a comprehensive review of the field of DNA tumor virology. Right now, while there are books out there that cover individual viruses that are also covered in this book, there is no single book that covers this topic comprehensively. This book is the first current, comprehensive review of its kind in the market.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Cryptographic Engineering is the first book that discusses the design techniques and methods. The material of this book is scattered in journal and conference articles, and authors' lecture notes. This is a first attempt by top cryptographic engineers to bring this material in a book form and make it available to electrical engineering and computer science students and engineers working for the industry.This book is intended for a graduate-level course in Cryptographic Engineering to be taught in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Computer Science departments. Students will have to have the knowledge of basic cryptographic algorithms before taking this course which will teach them how to design cryptographic hardware (FPGA, ASIC, custom) and embedded software to be used in secure systems.Additionally, engineers working in the industry will be interested in this book to learn how to design cryptographic chips and embedded software. Engineers working on the design of cellular phones, mobile computing and sensor systems, web and enterprise security systems which rely upon cryptographic hardware and software will be interested in this book. Essential and advanced design techniques for cryptography will be covered by this book.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Congenital glaucoma is a complex problem, which has been a frequent cause of blindness in the past. Over the past decades, the prognosis of congenital glaucoma has completely changed. Surgical results are very good and enable these children to integrate entirely as adults in society.Based on the authors¿ accumulated experience of more than 50 years and 860 cases operated for congenital glaucoma, this well-structured and lavishly illustrated textbook-atlas covers all aspects of congenital and infantile glaucoma, such as the original method for examining new-borns under general anaesthesia in the slit-lamp, the signs and symptoms of the disease and the differential diagnosis, the role and importance of the echometry value for early diagnosis, the gonioscopy results and the three types of congenital glaucomas (pure, refractory and late) and the type of surgery to be performed in each case with the evaluation of follow-up long-term results. Written by renowned international experts of the field, this book will become the golden standard in the field of Pediatric and Congenital Glaucomas.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Congenital glaucoma is a complex problem, which has been a frequent cause of blindness in the past. Over the past decades, the prognosis of congenital glaucoma has completely changed. Surgical results are very good and enable these children to integrate entirely as adults in society.Based on the authors¿ accumulated experience of more than 50 years and 860 cases operated for congenital glaucoma, this well-structured and lavishly illustrated textbook-atlas covers all aspects of congenital and infantile glaucoma, such as the original method for examining new-borns under general anaesthesia in the slit-lamp, the signs and symptoms of the disease and the differential diagnosis, the role and importance of the echometry value for early diagnosis, the gonioscopy results and the three types of congenital glaucomas (pure, refractory and late) and the type of surgery to be performed in each case with the evaluation of follow-up long-term results. Written by renowned international experts of the field, this book will become the golden standard in the field of Pediatric and Congenital Glaucomas.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 512 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Congenital glaucoma is a complex problem, which has been a frequent cause of blindness in the past. Over the past decades, the prognosis of congenital glaucoma has completely changed. Surgical results are very good and enable these children to integrate entirely as adults in society.Based on the authors' accumulated experience of more than 50 years and 860 cases operated for congenital glaucoma, this well-structured and lavishly illustrated textbook-atlas covers all aspects of congenital and infantile glaucoma, such as the original method for examining new-borns under general anaesthesia in the slit-lamp, the signs and symptoms of the disease and the differential diagnosis, the role and importance of the echometry value for early diagnosis, the gonioscopy results and the three types of congenital glaucomas (pure, refractory and late) and the type of surgery to be performed in each case with the evaluation of follow-up long-term results. Written by renowned international experts of the field, this book will become the golden standard in the field of Pediatric and Congenital Glaucomas.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - The Springer Handbook of Experimental Solid Mechanics documents both the traditional techniques as well as the new methods for experimental studies of materials, components, and structures. The emergence of new materials and new disciplines, together with the escalating use of on- and off-line computers for rapid data processing and the combined use of experimental and numerical techniques have greatly expanded the capabilities of experimental mechanics. New exciting topics are included on biological materials, MEMS and NEMS, nanoindentation, digital photomechanics, photoacoustic characterization, and atomic force microscopy in experimental solid mechanics.Presenting complete instructions to various areas of experimental solid mechanics, guidance to detailed expositions in important references, and a description of state-of-the-art applications in important technical areas, this thoroughly revised and updated edition is an excellent reference to a widespread academic, industrial, and professional engineering audience.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Congenital glaucoma is a complex problem, which has been a frequent cause of blindness in the past. Over the past decades, the prognosis of congenital glaucoma has completely changed. Surgical results are very good and enable these children to integrate entirely as adults in society.Based on the authors¿ accumulated experience of more than 50 years and 860 cases operated for congenital glaucoma, this well-structured and lavishly illustrated textbook-atlas covers all aspects of congenital and infantile glaucoma, such as the original method for examining new-borns under general anaesthesia in the slit-lamp, the signs and symptoms of the disease and the differential diagnosis, the role and importance of the echometry value for early diagnosis, the gonioscopy results and the three types of congenital glaucomas (pure, refractory and late) and the type of surgery to be performed in each case with the evaluation of follow-up long-term results. Written by renowned international experts of the field, this book will become the golden standard in the field of Pediatric and Congenital Glaucomas. 512 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Qualität ist der Weg aus der Kostenfalle. Das weist der Autor in seinem Buch nach. Sein Fazit lautet: Investitionen in Qualität, Know-how und Skills lohnen sich. Es genügt aber nicht, die technische Ausstattung auf modernstem Stand zu halten, die Organisation an den aktuellsten Konzepten auszurichten, die Mitarbeiter fachlich ständig weiter zu qualifizieren und sie gut zu bezahlen. Nur intakte soziale Strukturen gewähren auf Dauer ökonomische Effizienz. Erst dann generiert gutes Management einen Ergebniskostenvorteil. 210 pp. Deutsch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Eclipse Rich Ajax Platform (RAP) is an innovative toolkit for developing applications that will run as rich clients as well as web applications. Eclipse Rich Ajax Platform is the first book on the new Eclipse RAP, and it introduces the required RCP and OSG/i concepts used by Eclipse RAP.This firstPress title demonstrates the functionality and benefits of Eclipse RAP as well as shows the sweet spots of RAP, especially focusing on single sourcing RCP and web applications, which can be a huge cost saver. This book also covers possible issues that might prevent you from successfully deploying RAP.Describes Eclipse RAP concepts and its underlying technology Explains key features of RAP Shows case studies where RAP works and where it won't 148 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -As Ruby and Rails continues to grow, and more and more jobs are coming online that require you to effectively develop Ruby and Rails in the web tier. Beyond the Rails framework, there are still very few proven tools and IDEs to get the job done, at least until now. The NetBeans Ruby and Rails IDE, according to some, is by far the best and proven IDE in Ruby and Rails. Who would've thought a Java IDE could do Ruby and Rails Published with the developer in mind, firstPress technical briefs explore emerging technologies that have the potential to be critical for tomorrow's industry. Apress keeps developers one step ahead by presenting key information as early as possible in a PDF of 150 pages or less. Explore the future through Apress with NetBeans(TM) Ruby and Rails IDE with JRuby, an officially endorsed NetBeans project book, which is for Ruby and Rails programmers who want to take advantage of the NetBeans IDE to facilitate their Ruby and/or Rails web application development. Shows you how to use the NetBeans IDE 6.5 in the Ruby and Rails development processesGives you in-depth information to help you configure the working environment for your specific Ruby interpreter, application server, and database serverShowcases the NetBeans features that enhance your productivity from project creation, to editing, debugging, and testingAuthors Chris Kutler and Brian Leonard work closely with both the developers of the NetBeans Ruby and Rails IDE project and the user community. The authors' in-depth knowledge of the numerous product features, in addition to an understanding of how the community uses the product to meet their development practices, enables them to present you the essential information necessary to efficiently and effectively use the tools of this IDE. 160 pp. Englisch.

Kombiprodukt. Condizione: Neu. Neuware.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Recent advances in sensor technology and information processing afford a new flexibility in the design of waveforms for agile sensing. Sensors are now developed with the ability to dynamically choose their transmit or receive waveforms in order to optimize an objective cost function. This has exposed a new paradigm of significant performance improvements in active sensing: dynamic waveform adaptation to environment conditions, target structures, or information features. The manuscript provides a review of recent advances in waveform-agile sensing for target tracking applications. A dynamic waveform selection and configuration scheme is developed for two active sensors that track one or multiple mobile targets. A detailed description of two sequential Monte Carlo algorithms for agile tracking are presented, together with relevant Matlab code and simulation studies, to demonstrate the benefits of dynamic waveform adaptation. The work will be of interest not only to practitioners of radar and sonar, but also other applications where waveforms can be dynamically designed, such as communications and biosensing. Table of Contents: Waveform-Agile Target Tracking Application Formulation / Dynamic Waveform Selection with Application to Narrowband and Wideband Environments / Dynamic Waveform Selection for Tracking in Clutter / Conclusions / CRLB Evaluation for Gaussian Envelope GFM Chirp from the Ambiguity Function / CRLB Evaluation from the Complex Envelope 84 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Hitting the Wall examines the combination of two intractable energy problems of our age: the peaking of global oil production and the overloading of the atmosphere with greenhouse gases. Both emerge from the overconsumption of fossil fuels and solving one problem helps solve the other. The misinformation campaign about climate change is discussed as is the role that noncarbon energy solutions can play. There are nine major components in the proposed noncarbon strategy including energy efficiency and renewable energy. Economics and realistic restraints are considered and the total carbon reduction by 2030 is evaluated, and the results show that this strategy will reduce the carbon emission in the United States to be on track to an 80% reduction in 2050. The prospects for 'clean' coal and 'acceptable' nuclear are considered, and there is some hope that they would be used in an interim role. Although there are significant technical challenges to assembling these new energy systems, the primary difficulty lies in the political arena. A multigenerational strategy is needed to guide our actions over the next century. Garnering long-term multiadministration coherent policies to put the elements of any proposed strategy in place, is a relatively rare occurrence in the United States. More common is the reversal of one policy by the next administration with counterproductive results. A framework for politically stable action is developed using the framework of 'energy tribes' where all the disparate voices in the energy debate are included and considered in a 'messy process.' This book provides hope that our descendants in the next century will live in a world that would be familiar to us. This can only be achieved if the United States plays an active leadership role in maintaining climatic balance.Table of Contents: Introduction / The End of Cheap Oil / Carbon - Too Much of a Good Thing / Carbonless Energy Options / Conventional Energy / Policy for Whom / Call to Arms / References 220 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This volume offers researchers the opportunity to catch up with important developments in the field of numerical analysis and scientific computing and to get in touch with state-of-the-art numerical techniques. The book has three parts. The first one is devoted to the use of wavelets to derive some new approaches in the numerical solution of PDEs, showing in particular how the possibility of writing equivalent norms for the scale of Besov spaces allows to develop some new methods. The second part provides an overview of the modern finite-volume and finite-difference shock-capturing schemes for systems of conservation and balance laws, with emphasis on providing a unified view of such schemes by identifying the essential aspects of their construction. In the last part a general introduction is given to the discontinuous Galerkin methods for solving some classes of PDEs, discussing cell entropy inequalities, nonlinear stability and error estimates. 202 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -[the text below needs editing and we must be careful not to say things about Dan Brown's book that could get Springer in legal trouble]Dan Brown's novel, The Da Vinci Code, was first published in 2003; its sales have reached 40 million worldwide. The book mixes a small spice of fact into a large dollop of fiction to create an entertaining novel of intrigue, adventure, romance, danger and conspiracy, which have been imaginatively worked together to cook up the successful bestseller. Most interest in the book's origins has centred on the sensational religious aspects. Dan Brown has written: 'All of the art, architecture, secret rituals, secret societies, all of that is historical fact.' This gives an air of authenticity to the book. Brown has, however, made up the religious doctrines, or based them on questionable accounts by others. The locations of the actions of The Da Vinci Code are not, however, made up. The present book is the scientific story behind the scene of several of the book's actions that take place on the axis of France that passes through Paris. The Paris Meridian is the name of this location. It is the line running north-south through the astronomical observatory in Paris. One of the original intentions behind the founding of the Paris Observatory was to determine and measure this line. The French government financed the Paris Academy of Sciences to do so in the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. It employed both astronomers - people who study and measure the stars - and geodesists - people who study and measure the Earth. This book is about what they did and why. It is a true story behind Dan Brown's fiction. This is the first English language presentation of this historical material. It is attractively written and it features the story of the community of scientists who created the Paris Meridian. They knew each other well - some were members of the same families, in one case of four generations. Like scientists everywhere they collaborated and formed alliances; they also split into warring factions and squabbled. They travelled to foreign countries, somehow transcending the national and political disputes, as scientists do now, their eyes fixed on ideas of accuracy, truth and objective, enduring values - save where the reception given to their own work is concerned, when some became blind to high ideals and descended into petty politics. To establish the Paris Meridian, the scientists endured hardship, survived danger and gloried in amazing adventures during a time of turmoil in Europe, the French Revolution and the Napoleonic War between France and Spain. Some were accused of witchcraft. Some of their associates lost their heads on the guillotine. Some died of disease. Some won honour and fame. One became the Head of State in France, albeit for no more than a few weeks. Some found dangerous love in foreign countries. One scientist killed in self defence when attacked by a jealous lover, another was himself killed by a jealous lover, a third brought back a woman to France and then jilted her, whereupon she joined a convent. The scientists worked on practical problems of interest to the government and to the people. They also worked on one of the important intellectual problems of the time, a problem of great interest to their fellow scientists all over the world, nothing less than the theory of universal gravitation. They succeeded in their intellectual work, while touching politics and the affairs of state. Their endeavours have left their marks on the landscape, in art and in literature. 208 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -As online information grows dramatically, search engines such as Google are playing a more and more important role in our lives. Critical to all search engines is the problem of designing an effective retrieval model that can rank documents accurately for a given query. This has been a central research problem in information retrieval for several decades. In the past ten years, a new generation of retrieval models, often referred to as statistical language models, has been successfully applied to solve many different information retrieval problems. Compared with the traditional models such as the vector space model, these new models have a more sound statistical foundation and can leverage statistical estimation to optimize retrieval parameters. They can also be more easily adapted to model non-traditional and complex retrieval problems. Empirically, they tend to achieve comparable or better performance than a traditional model with less effort on parameter tuning. This book systematically reviews the large body of literature on applying statistical language models to information retrieval with an emphasis on the underlying principles, empirically effective language models, and language models developed for non-traditional retrieval tasks. All the relevant literature has been synthesized to make it easy for a reader to digest the research progress achieved so far and see the frontier of research in this area. The book also offers practitioners an informative introduction to a set of practically useful language models that can effectively solve a variety of retrieval problems. No prior knowledge about information retrieval is required, but some basic knowledge about probability and statistics would be useful for fully digesting all the details. Table of Contents: Introduction / Overview of Information Retrieval Models / Simple Query Likelihood Retrieval Model / Complex Query Likelihood Model / Probabilistic Distance Retrieval Model / Language Models for Special Retrieval Tasks / Language Models for Latent Topic Analysis / Conclusions 144 pp. Englisch.