The ancient Greeks argued that the best life was filled with beauty, truth, justice, play and love. The mathematician Francis Su knows just where to find them."--Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine" This is perhaps the most important mathematics book of our time. Francis Su shows mathematics is an experience of the mind and, most important, of the heart."--James Tanton, Global Math Project For mathematician Francis Su, a society without mathematical affection is like a city without concerts, parks, or museums. To miss out on mathematics is to live without experiencing some of humanity's most beautiful ideas. In this profound book, written for a wide audience but especially for those disenchanted by their past experiences, an award-winning mathematician and educator weaves parables, puzzles, and personal reflections to show how mathematics meets basic human desires--such as for play, beauty, freedom, justice, and love--and cultivates virtues essential for human flourishing. These desires and virtues, and the stories told here, reveal how mathematics is intimately tied to being human. Some lessons emerge from those who have struggled, including philosopher Simone Weil, whose own mathematical contributions were overshadowed by her brother's, and Christopher Jackson, who discovered mathematics as an inmate in a federal prison. Christopher's letters to the author appear throughout the book and show how this intellectual pursuit can--and must--be open to all.
Topology Through Inquiry is a comprehensive introduction to point-set, algebraic, and geometric topology, designed to support inquiry-based learning (IBL) courses for upper-division undergraduate or beginning graduate students. The book presents an enormous amount of topology, allowing an instructor to choose which topics to treat. The point-set material contains many interesting topics well beyond the basic core, including continua and metrizability. Geometric and algebraic topology topics include the classification of 2-manifolds, the fundamental group, covering spaces, and homology (simplicial and singular). A unique feature of the introduction to homology is to convey a clear geometric motivation by starting with mod 2 coefficients. The authors are acknowledged masters of IBL-style teaching. This book gives students joy-filled, manageable challenges that incrementally develop their knowledge and skills. The exposition includes insightful framing of fruitful points of view as well as advice on effective thinking and learning. The text presumes only a modest level of mathematical maturity to begin, but students who work their way through this text will grow from mathematics students into mathematicians. Michael Starbird is a University of Texas Distinguished Teaching Professor of Mathematics. Among his works are two other co-authored books in the Mathematical Association of America's (MAA) Textbook series. Francis Su is the Benediktsson-Karwa Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College and a past president of the MAA. Both authors are award-winning teachers, including each having received the MAA's Haimo Award for distinguished teaching. Starbird and Su are, jointly and individually, on lifelong missions to make learning—of mathematics and beyond—joyful, effective, and available to everyone. This book invites topology students and teachers to join in the adventure.
That residues of pesticide and other "foreign" chemicals in foodstuffs are of concern to everyone everywhere is amply attested by the reception accorded previous volumes of "Residue Reviews" and by the gratifying enthusiasm, sincerity, and efforts shown by all the individuals from whom manuscripts have been solicited. Despite much propaganda to the contrary, there can never be any serious question that pest-control chemicals and food additive chemicals are essential to adequate food production, manufacture, marketing, and storage, yet without continuing surveillance and intelligent control some of those that persist in our foodstuffs could at times conceivably endanger the public health. Ensuring safety-in-use of these many chemicals is a dynamic challenge, for established ones are continually being displaced by newly developed ones more acceptable to food technologists, pharma cologists, toxicologists, and changing pest-control requirements in progressive food-producing economies. These matters are also of genuine concern to increasing numbers of governmental agencies and legislative bodies around the world, for some of these chemicals have resulted in a few mishaps from improper use. Adequate safety-in-use evaluations of any of these chemicals persisting into our food stuffs are not simple matters, and they incorporate the considered judgments of many individuals highly trained in a variety of complex biological, chemical, food technological, medical, pharmacological, and toxicological disciplines.
Originally published in 1975, and written by an authority on Scottish music, this book traces the evolution of the bagpipe whilst also narrating the fortunes of the ‘Great Highland Bagpipe’ itself. Exploring history and archaeology of civilizations as far removed from the Scottish Highlands as Egypt and Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome this book offers a unique full-length history of one of the world’s most interesting and ancient musical instruments. Appendices list the bagpipes of other countries and the materials used in the instrument’s manufacture as well as a comprehensive bibliography.
It is difficult to assess an explanation of a belief, or a belief system in words, Tobienne begins, and harder still to assign signification to such inexplicable conviction s]. This book addresses the often blurred line s] between magic, religion, and
I leave to other and abler pens the proper estimate of Abraham Lincoln as a ruler and statesman,—his work and place in history. Favored during the year 1864 with several months of personal intercourse with him, I shall attempt in these pages to write the story of that association; not for any value which the record will have in itself, but for the glimpses it may afford of the person and character of the man,—every detail of whose life is now invested with enduring interest for the American people. That Art should aim to embody and express the spirit and best thought of its own age seems self-evident. If it fails to do this, whatever else it may accomplish, it falls short of its highest object. It cannot dwell always among classic forms, nor clothe its conceptions in the imagery of an old and worn-out world. It must move on, if it is to keep pace with that “increasing purpose which through the ages runs,” and its ideals must be wrought out of the strife of a living humanity. It has been well said by a recent writer: “The record of the human family to the advent of Christ, was the preparation of the photographic plate for its image. All subsequent history is the bringing out of the divine ideal of true manhood.” Slowly, but surely, through the centuries, is this purpose being accomplished. Human slavery has been the material type or expression of spiritual bondage. On the lowest or physical plane, it has symbolized the captivity and degradation of our higher nature; with the breaking in of new light, and the inspiration of a deeper life, it is inevitably doomed. That man, to attain the full development of the faculties implanted in him, must be in spiritual and physical freedom, is a principle which lies at the foundation of all government; and the enfranchisement of a race to-day thus becomes the assertion and promise of a true and coming Emancipation for all men. When Abraham Lincoln, called from the humblest rank in life to preside over the nation during the most momentous period of its history, uttered his Proclamation of Freedom,—shattering forever the chains which bound four millions of human beings in slavery; an act unparalleled for moral grandeur in the history of mankind,—it was evident to all who sought beneath the surface for the cause of the war that the crisis was past,—that so surely as Heaven is on the side of Right and Justice, the North would triumph in the great struggle which had assumed the form of a direct issue between Freedom and Slavery. In common with many others, I had from the beginning of the war believed that the government would not be successful in putting down a rebellion based upon slavery as its avowed corner-stone, without striking a death-blow at the institution itself. As the months went on, and disappointment and disaster succeeded one another, this conviction deepened into certainty. When at length, in obedience to what seemed the very voice of God, the thunderbolt was launched, and, like the first gun at Concord, “was heard around the world,” all the enthusiasm of my nature was kindled. The “beast” Secession, offspring of the “dragon” Slavery, drawing in his train a third part of our national stars, was pierced with the deadly wound which could not be healed. It was the combat between Michael and Satan of Apocalyptic vision, reënacted before the eyes of the nineteenth century.
The dogma of the sovereignty of the state, deriving from the Peace of Westphalia, underpins much of the modern-day international system. However, developments in recent technology have led this ideology to depart from reality. Viewing state sovereignty through the prism of public international law, the book will begin with an overview of the settlement of Westphalia, how it has influenced international documents ever since, and how the advantages of centralised decisions came to be perceived. By surveying the Law of the Sea, Maritime Law, Air and Aviation, Telecommunications, Postal Services, Space Law and Mensuration, the book demonstrates how, in each, the interplay between state sovereignty and developing technologies have caused significant legal change. Some changes, Lyall argues, such as international measures of time and geography, have been born out of convenience, facilitated by technology developed for the purpose. Other areas of change developed out of a desire to reconcile conflicts or harmonise necessary state regulation. The book analyses the reasons behind these changes and discusses the ongoing attempts to balance state equality, measures adopted by new institutions to secure comprehensive representation. It ends by looking to the future of state sovereignty in an increasingly globalised world. The book is of use to any student or scholar interested in policy making, international law and international affairs, both legal and scientific, as well as those looking at legal administrative issues and government officiation.
Il perdigiorno Jim Powell passa le sue giornate bighellonando a Tarleton nel sud degli Usa. La sua controparte femminile è l’affascinante Nancy Lamar, che sogna una vita di lusso in Inghilterra. Un racconto che delinea tutte le contraddizioni di un’America legata a schemi conservatori, incalzata dallo spirito anticonformista degli anni ’20. Una storia di seduzione, di flirt, di alcol e gioco d’azzardo che è uno spaccato fedele degli Usa all’alba del tracollo finanziario del 1929.
A pedagogical and self-contained discussion on monolayer and bilayer quantum Hall systems is given in this volume in a field-theoretical framework, with an introduction to quantum field theory, anyon physics and Chem-Simons gauge theory.
In this monograph on twistor theory and its applications to harmonic map theory, a central theme is the interplay between the complex homogeneous geometry of flag manifolds and the real homogeneous geometry of symmetric spaces. In particular, flag manifolds are shown to arise as twistor spaces of Riemannian symmetric spaces. Applications of this theory include a complete classification of stable harmonic 2-spheres in Riemannian symmetric spaces and a Bäcklund transform for harmonic 2-spheres in Lie groups which, in many cases, provides a factorisation theorem for such spheres as well as gap phenomena. The main methods used are those of homogeneous geometry and Lie theory together with some algebraic geometry of Riemann surfaces. The work addresses differential geometers, especially those with interests in minimal surfaces and homogeneous manifolds.
FULLY ILLUSTRATED, UPDATED GUIDE TO THE STRATEGIC DESIGN OF GREEN BUILDINGS In the tradition of Building Construction Illustrated, Francis D.K. Ching and Ian M. Shapiro offer a fully illustrated guide to the theory and practice of sustainable design. This guide provides architects, designers, and builders in the green design professional community a framework and detailed strategies for designing substantively green buildings. With a focus on sustainable sites, approaching and reaching net-zero energy, low and zero-water usage, minimum-impact materials and superior indoor environmental quality, this guide explains why we need to build green, as well as green building theory and advancements in the industry. This Second Edition includes: All-new case studies featuring geographically diverse buildings with proven zero energy performance Expanded coverage of zero energy building design, as well as zero water and zero waste buildings Practical guidance for the schematic design of high-performance buildings, heating and hot water system selection, building envelope details, and integrating renewable energy Advanced strategies, such as the concept of shape efficiency, and the optimal location for stairwells in buildings Additional strategies for affordability in green design and construction Updated references to the latest codes and standards This Second Edition of Green Building Illustrated is an excellent resource for professionals, students and those interested in the design and construction of sustainable buildings.
That residues of pesticide and other contaminants in the total environment are of concern to everyone everywhere is attested by the reception accorded previous volumes of "Residue Reviews" and by the gratifying enthusiasm, sincerity, and efforts shown by all the in dividuals from whom manuscripts have been solicited. Despite much propaganda to the contrary, there can never be any serious question that pest-control chemicals and food-additive chemicals are essential to adequate food production, manufacture, marketing, and storage, yet without continuing surveillance and intelligent control some of those that persist in our foodstuffs could at times conceivably endanger the public health. Ensuring safety-in-use of these many chemicals is a dynamic challenge, for established ones are continually being dis placed by newly developed ones more acceptable to food tech nologists, pharmacologists, toxicologists, and changing pest-control requirements in progressive food-producing economies. These matters are of genuine concern to increasing numbers of governmental agencies and legislative bodies around the' wprld, for some of these chemicals have resulted in a few mishilps from improper use. Adequate safety-in-use evaluations of any of these chemicals per sisting into our foodstuHs are not simple matters, and they incorporate theconsidered judgments of many individuals highly trained in a variety of complex biological, chemical, food technological, medical, pharmacological, and toxicological disciplines.
A Mission to Gelele", the former King of Dahomey, which has taken place in the 1860s, describes with minuteness the rituals of Dahomeyan "customs," of which, before Captain Burton's visit, tales had been spread mixed with wild exaggerations. Written in Burton's lively style, it shows his powers of observation and description, as well as his cynical disposition and sometimes indelicacy of expression. The ethnology and philology of the country are carefully treated, and there is an important chapter on the Amazons, an all-female military regiment of the Kingdom, which describes the ferocity of these women and makes an excellent companion to the upcoming movie "The Woman King." Captain Burton clearly foretold the gradual but sure deterioration of Dahomey, consequent on the "custom" of periodical slaughter and of an Amazonian soldiery, which by limiting reproduction caused both weakness in the country and degeneracy in its inhabitants. The continuance of these causes has led to the easy breaking up of the Kingdom by the French. This edition comes with more than 600 footnotes for an even better understanding of the text.
In all the history of hand-written books, one of the most distinctive and handsome scripts is that of the abbey of Monte Cassino. This study examines for the first time in detail the development of this script during the Abbey's greatest period of wealth and influence, under Desiderius (abbot 1058-1087) and his successor Oderisius (abbot 1087-1105). The characteristic Cassinese hand was established long before, but in this period it was transformed into what is today considered its classic form. The present study rests on a fresh examination of many details of the Beneventan (South Italian) script in aspects incompletely studied before. It aims to provide a new history of Monte Cassino as a writing centre and to offer a context for many unique or valuable texts manuscripts that it processed.
The three Garima Gospels are the earliest surviving Ethiopian gospel books. They provide glimpses of lost late antique luxury gospel books and art of the fifth to seventh centuries, in the Aksumite kingdom of Ethiopia as well as in the Christian East. As this work shows, their artwork is closely related to Syriac, Armenian, Greek, and Georgian gospel books and to the art of late antique (Coptic) Egypt, Nubia, and Himyar (Yemen). Like most gospel manuscripts, the Garima Gospels contain ornately decorated canon tables which function as concordances of the different versions of the same material in the gospels. Analysis of these tables of numbered parallel passages, devised by Eusebius of Caesarea, contributes significantly to our understanding of the early development of the canonical four gospel collection. The origins and meanings of the decorated frames, portraits of the evangelists, Alexandrian circular pavilion, and unique image of the Jerusalem Temple are elucidated. The Garima texts and decoration demonstrate how a distinctive Christian culture developed in Aksumite Ethiopia, while also belonging to the mainstream late antique Mediterranean world. Lavishly illustrated in colour, this volume presents all of the Garima illuminated pages for the first time and extensive comparative material. It will be an essential resource for those studying late antique art and history, Ethiopia, eastern Christianity, New Testament textual criticism, and illuminated books.
This is the most comprehensive English-language compilation available on Chinese painters and their works from the late sixth through the mid- fourteenth century. Incorporating the work of Ellen Johnson Laing and Osvald Siren, the Index includes biographical details of the artists, their style and studio names.
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