This book gathers concepts of information across diverse fields –physics, electrical engineering and computational science – surveying current theories, discussing underlying notions of symmetry, and showing how the capacity of a system to distinguish itself relates to information. The author develops a formal methodology using group theory, leading to the application of Burnside's Lemma to count distinguishable states. This provides a tool to quantify complexity and information capacity in any physical system.
A TIME and NEW YORK TIMES TOP 10 BOOK of the YEAR * New York Times Notable Book and Times Critic’s Top Book of 2018 NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2018 BY * Elle * Bustle * Kirkus Reviews * Lit Hub* NPR * O, The Oprah Magazine * Shelf Awareness The bestselling and critically acclaimed debut novel by Lisa Halliday, hailed as “extraordinary” by The New York Times, “a brilliant and complex examination of power dynamics in love and war” by The Wall Street Journal, and “a literary phenomenon” by The New Yorker. Told in three distinct and uniquely compelling sections, Asymmetry explores the imbalances that spark and sustain many of our most dramatic human relations: inequities in age, power, talent, wealth, fame, geography, and justice. The first section, “Folly,” tells the story of Alice, a young American editor, and her relationship with the famous and much older writer Ezra Blazer. A tender and exquisite account of an unexpected romance that takes place in New York during the early years of the Iraq War, “Folly” also suggests an aspiring novelist’s coming-of-age. By contrast, “Madness” is narrated by Amar, an Iraqi-American man who, on his way to visit his brother in Kurdistan, is detained by immigration officers and spends the last weekend of 2008 in a holding room in Heathrow. These two seemingly disparate stories gain resonance as their perspectives interact and overlap, with yet new implications for their relationship revealed in an unexpected coda. A stunning debut from a rising literary star, Asymmetry is “a transgressive roman a clef, a novel of ideas, and a politically engaged work of metafiction” (The New York Times Book Review), and a “masterpiece” in the original sense of the word” (The Atlantic). Lisa Halliday’s novel will captivate any reader with while also posing arresting questions about the very nature of fiction itself.
This book describes the structural and functional asymmetries in human body movement by providing cases and examples using illustrations and easy-to-understand scenarios. Specifically, it adopts an evidence-based approach to demonstrate (i) the role of structural (e.g., bone dimensions) and functional (e.g., hemispheric dominance) asymmetries in the human body; (ii) the asymmetric nature of most daily activities (e.g., gait, mastication); (iii) the benefits of asymmetry for physical performance; and (iv) the role of asymmetry in preventing injury. More than just a scientific book, it bridges the gap between theory and practice, and includes practical examples and applications. The book appeals to academics and practitioners in the fields of kinesiology, human movement, sports sciences, strength and conditioning, and physiotherapy.
The parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) attained the Paris Agreement to tackle climate change and to strengthen the actions required for a sustainable transition towards an environmentally friendly future. This transition will involve holistic approaches and multifaceted societal shifts, requiring answers and collaboration between private, public, and academic sectors. This book gathers together contributions which study the transition towards a more sustainable future, involving and identifying the development and implications of more sustainable alternatives, in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders (e.g. communities, firms, policy makers, researchers, etc.), to achieve this transition. The approaches proposed are all concerned with a common perspective: imaging our globe with a greener picture, built upon a transversal sustainable revolution to clean up the Earth.
Examines the progress of leading scientists working on various aspects of handedness in order to consider the occurrence of handedness in the biological world. Provides in-depth coverage of the origin and development of morphological asymmetry occurring in most types of living organisms.
In today’s information-driven economy, the cost of acquiring, processing, and disseminating information significantly impacts resource allocation efficiency. This book delves into the intricate relationship between information costs and economic decision-making, providing a comprehensive analysis through both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Explore key themes such as: The components of information cost, including acquisition, processing, dissemination, search, and transaction costs. Case studies highlighting the challenges and innovations in healthcare, education, and rural development sectors. Theoretical frameworks and econometric models that illustrate the dynamic interplay between information costs and resource allocation. Practical insights and policy recommendations for reducing information costs and enhancing economic efficiency. This book is an essential read for policymakers, industry experts, academic researchers, and anyone interested in understanding how information costs shape economic outcomes in various sectors.
Software is an essential enabler for science and the new economy, but current software methodologies, tools, and techniques are often still not sufficiently robust or reliable for the constantly changing and evolving market, and many promising approaches have proved to be no more than case-oriented methods that are not fully automated. This book presents the proceedings of SoMeT_23, the 22nd International Conference on New Trends in Intelligent Software Methodology, Tools, and Techniques, held from 20–22 September 2023 in Naples, Italy. The conference brings together researchers and practitioners to share original research and practical development experience in software science and related new technologies, and is an opportunity for the software-science community to take stock of where they are today and consider future directions. The 25 papers included here were carefully selected from the many high-quality submissions received after a rigorous review process, with each paper typically being reviewed by 3 or 4 reviewers. Topics covered range from research practices, techniques and methodologies to the solutions required by global business. SoMeT_23 focused in particular on intelligent software, the application of artificial intelligence techniques in software development, and tackling human interaction in the development process for better high-level interface, with an emphasis on human-centric software methodologies, end-user development techniques, and emotional reasoning for an optimum performance between design tool and user. Exploring trends, theories, and challenges in the integration of software and science for tomorrow’s global information society, the book captures a new state-of-the-art in software science and its supporting technology and will be of interest to all those working in the field.
As the digital government field continues to evolve rapidly, scholars and professionals must stay ahead of the curve by developing innovative solutions and gaining comprehensive insights. The global landscape of digital governance is undergoing transformative shifts, necessitating a deep understanding of historical developments, current practices, and emerging trends. This urgent demand for knowledge forms the crux of the problem that the book, Emerging Developments and Technologies in Digital Government, addresses with expert knowledge and insights. The book serves as an indispensable resource for academic scholars grappling with the complexities of digital government. It critically examines historical transitions from technology-centric paradigms to people-centric models, shedding light on the global impact of open data initiatives and the vital role of human-computer interaction in reshaping government websites. For professionals and researchers across disciplines such as library sciences, administrative management, sociology, and information technology, this book becomes a beacon, offering insights and tangible solutions to navigate the multifaceted dimensions of digital government.
