In this richly illustrated book with many practical examples, Bjorn Sandaker provides readers with a better understanding of the relationship between technology and architecture. As an experienced teacher and writer, Sandaker offers a well-founded aesthetic theory to support the understanding and evaluation of a structure's form and design, examining concepts and viewpoints from both the professions of engineering and architecture. Comprehensively covering structure and aesthetics, this book is ideal for students, professionals and academics in the areas of architecture and building.
In this richly illustrated book with many practical examples, Bjorn Sandaker provides readers with a better understanding of the relationship between technology and architecture. As an experienced teacher and writer, Sandaker offers a well-founded aesthetic theory to support the understanding and evaluation of a structure's form and design, examining concepts and viewpoints from both the professions of engineering and architecture. Comprehensively covering structure and aesthetics, this book is ideal for students, professionals and academics in the areas of architecture and building.
Is the universe infinite, or is it just really big? Does nature abhor infinity? In startling and beautiful prose, Janna Levin's diary of unsent letters to her mother describes what we know about the shape and extent of the universe, about its beginning and its end. She grants the uninitiated access to the astounding findings of contemporary theoretical physics and makes tangible the contours of space and time—those very real curves along which apples fall and planets orbit. Levin guides the reader through the observations and thought-experiments that have enabled physicists to begin charting the universe. She introduces the cosmic archaeology that makes sense of the pattern of hot spots left over from the big bang, a pursuit on the verge of discovering the shape of space itself. And she explains the topology and the geometry of the universe now coming into focus—a strange map of space full of black holes, chaotic flows, time warps, and invisible strings. Levin advances the controversial idea that this map is edgeless but finite—that the universe is huge but not unending—a radical revelation that would provide the ultimate twist to the Copernican revolution by locating our precise position in the cosmos. As she recounts our increasingly rewarding attempt to know the universe, Levin tells her personal story as a scientist isolated by her growing knowledge. This book is her remarkable effort to reach across the distance of that knowledge and share what she knows with family and friends—and with us. Highly personal and utterly original, this physicist’s diary is a breathtaking contemplation of our deep connection with the universe and our aspirations to comprehend it.
This collaborative book compiles 30 chapters on the theory and practice of designing and building inhabited environments in outer space. It is rich in graphics including diagrams, design drawings, digital renderings, and photographs of models and operational designs.
Praise for the Third Edition “This volume is ground-breaking in terms of mathematical texts in that it does not teach from a detached perspective, but instead, looks to show students that competent mathematicians bring an intuitive understanding to the subject rather than just a master of applications.” – Electric Review A comprehensive introduction, Linear Algebra: Ideas and Applications, Fourth Edition provides a discussion of the theory and applications of linear algebra that blends abstract and computational concepts. With a focus on the development of mathematical intuition, the book emphasizes the need to understand both the applications of a particular technique and the mathematical ideas underlying the technique. The book introduces each new concept in the context of an explicit numerical example, which allows the abstract concepts to grow organically out of the necessity to solve specific problems. The intuitive discussions are consistently followed by rigorous statements of results and proofs. Linear Algebra: Ideas and Applications, Fourth Edition also features: Two new and independent sections on the rapidly developing subject of wavelets A thoroughly updated section on electrical circuit theory Illuminating applications of linear algebra with self-study questions for additional study End-of-chapter summaries and sections with true-false questions to aid readers with further comprehension of the presented material Numerous computer exercises throughout using MATLAB® code Linear Algebra: Ideas and Applications, Fourth Edition is an excellent undergraduate-level textbook for one or two semester courses for students majoring in mathematics, science, computer science, and engineering. With an emphasis on intuition development, the book is also an ideal self-study reference.
