The papers in this volume emphasize the numerical aspects of three main areas: optimization, linear algebra and partial differential equations. Held in January, 1989, in Yucatan, Mexico, the workshop was organized by the Institute for Research in Applied Mathematics of the National University of Mexico in collaboration with the mathematical Sciences Department at Rice University.
This book lays the foundation for the study of input-to-state stability (ISS) of partial differential equations (PDEs) predominantly of two classes—parabolic and hyperbolic. This foundation consists of new PDE-specific tools. In addition to developing ISS theorems, equipped with gain estimates with respect to external disturbances, the authors develop small-gain stability theorems for systems involving PDEs. A variety of system combinations are considered: PDEs (of either class) with static maps; PDEs (again, of either class) with ODEs; PDEs of the same class (parabolic with parabolic and hyperbolic with hyperbolic); and feedback loops of PDEs of different classes (parabolic with hyperbolic). In addition to stability results (including ISS), the text develops existence and uniqueness theory for all systems that are considered. Many of these results answer for the first time the existence and uniqueness problems for many problems that have dominated the PDE control literature of the last two decades, including—for PDEs that include non-local terms—backstepping control designs which result in non-local boundary conditions. Input-to-State Stability for PDEs will interest applied mathematicians and control specialists researching PDEs either as graduate students or full-time academics. It also contains a large number of applications that are at the core of many scientific disciplines and so will be of importance for researchers in physics, engineering, biology, social systems and others.
The field of health psychology has grown dramatically in the last decade, with exciting new developments in the study of how psychological and psychosocial processes contribute to risk for and disease sequelae for a variety of medical problems. In addition, the quality and effectiveness of many of our treatments, and health promotion and disease prevention efforts, have been significantly enhanced by the contributions of health psychologists (Taylor, 1995). Unfortunately, however, much of the theo rizing in health psychology and the empirical research that derives from it continue to reflect the mainstream bias of psychology and medicine, both of which have a primary focus on white, heterosexual, middle-class American men. This bias pervades our thinking despite the demographic heterogeneity of American society (U. S. Bureau of the Census, 1992) and the substantial body of epidemiologic evidence that indicates significant group differences in health status, burden of morbidity and mortality, life expectancy, quality of life, and the risk and protective factors that con tribute to these differences in health outcomes (National Center for Health Statistics, 1994; Myers, Kagawa-Singer, Kumanyika, Lex, & M- kides, 1995). There is also substantial evidence that many of the health promotion and disease prevention efforts that have proven effective with more affluent, educated whites, on whom they were developed, may not yield comparable results when used with populations that differ by eth nicity, social class, gender, or sexual orientation (Cochran & Mays, 1991; Castro, Coe, Gutierres, & Saenz, this volume; Chesney & Nealey, this volume).
Kinematic Systems in Geodesy, Surveying, and Remote Sensing provides a state-of-the-art discussion on the use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) in combination with Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) for detailed sensing of the Earth's surface. Divided into two parts, the book first discusses GPS/INS with respect to theory and modelling, equipment trends, estimation methods and quality control, algorithms, and software trends. It then describes the applications of these kinematic systems to positioning and navigation, modelling and measurement of gravity, gravity gradiometry, and altitude. This collection of 63 presentations documents the symposium of the same name held in Banff, Alberta, September 1990. It is the sixth volume of the International Association of Geodesy Symposia series published by Springer-Verlag New York.
Rarely is a reader exposed to such an extraordinary, multifaceted presentation of aerospace technology as Bob Brulle narrates in this book. After returning from duty as a combat fighter pilot in World War II, this Belgian immigrant developed a multitalented and innovative aerospace career path that addressed many of the aerospace professions. Along the way he forged a career in the aviation and space field that resulted in his participating in several of the most momentous aerospace achievements of the past century. He also expanded his education through hard work to a level at which he was qualified to teach graduate-level aerospace engineering courses. It is interesting to follow how the analysis and design techniques of aerospace vehicles progressed over the years, which incidentally reveals the large role that the computer played in making that possible. The story on the early Cape Canaveral operations was amusing and showed that enterprising innovations played a large role in a successful undertaking. Some of the projects described were a surprise, as I had never heard of them, like reading how a pencil-shaped missile was built that could fly and maneuver over an intercontinental distance at a high hypersonic velocity. He also described how American engineers and scientists fought the Cold War battle for technological supremacy on their desks and in their laboratories. The initiatives by which this enterprising engineer develops his technical approach to a project are very informative and offer the reader an insight into the workings of successful operations. He achieves an interesting behind-the-scenes look at how aerospace history is made by weaving in the historical significance of these projects as they are developed. As a former aeronautical engineer at the rapidly growing Mc- Donnell Aircraft Corporation, Bob gives us an interesting exposure to the importance of top management's relationship with the workforce in a successful company. "Mr. Mac" made it a point to make all his employees team members by frequent communication and friendly association.
This book highlights the essential theoretical and practical aspects of lightning, lightning protection, safety and education. Additionally, several auxiliary topics that are required to understand the core themes are also included. The main objective of the contents is to enlighten the scientists, researchers, engineers and social activists (including policy makers) in developing countries regarding the key information related to lightning and thunderstorms. A majority of developing countries are in tropics where the lightning characteristics are somewhat different from those in temperate regions. The housing structures and power/communication networks, and human behavioural patterns(that depends on socio-economic parameters) in these countries are also different from those in the developed world. As the existing books on similar themes address only those scenarios in developed countries, this book serves a vast spectrum of readership in developing world who seek knowledge in the principles of lightning and a practical guidance on lightning protection and safety education.
The text's broad coverage includes parabolic PDEs; hyperbolic PDEs of first and second order; fluid, thermal, and structural systems; delay systems; PDEs with third and fourth derivatives in space (including variants of linearized Ginzburg-Landau, Schrodinger, Kuramoto-Sivashinsky, KdV, beam, and Navier-Stokes equations); real-valued as well as complex-valued PDEs; stabilization as well as motion planning and trajectory tracking for PDEs; and elements of adaptive control for PDEs and control of nonlinear PDEs.
This edited volume uses a ‘constructivist/reflexive’ approach to address critical infrastructure protection (CIP), a central political practice associated with national security. The politics of CIP, and the construction of the threat they are meant to counter, effectively establish a powerful discursive connection between that the traditional and normal conditions for day-to-day politics and the exceptional dynamics of national security. Combining political theory and empirical case studies, this volume addresses key issues related to protection and the governance of insecurity in the contemporary world. The contributors track the transformation and evolution of critical infrastructures (and closely related issues of homeland security) into a security problem, and analyze how practices associated with CIP constitute, and are an expression of, changing notions of security and insecurity. The book explores aspects of ‘securitisation’ as well as at practices, audiences, and contexts that enable and constrain the production of the specific form of governmentality that CIP exemplifies. It also explores the rationalities at play, the effects of these security practices, and the implications for our understanding of security and politics today.
