The present volume is an extensive monograph on the analytic and geometric aspects of Markov diffusion operators. It focuses on the geometric curvature properties of the underlying structure in order to study convergence to equilibrium, spectral bounds, functional inequalities such as Poincaré, Sobolev or logarithmic Sobolev inequalities, and various bounds on solutions of evolution equations. At the same time, it covers a large class of evolution and partial differential equations. The book is intended to serve as an introduction to the subject and to be accessible for beginning and advanced scientists and non-specialists. Simultaneously, it covers a wide range of results and techniques from the early developments in the mid-eighties to the latest achievements. As such, students and researchers interested in the modern aspects of Markov diffusion operators and semigroups and their connections to analytic functional inequalities, probabilistic convergence to equilibrium and geometric curvature will find it especially useful. Selected chapters can also be used for advanced courses on the topic.
The genre of the book is effectively spiritual while at the same time philosophical and should be read with this interest in mind. It has some 'heavy' themes and would best suit an adult reader but as easily could be appreciated by the curious teenager. The book attempts to unlock some of the 'great mysteries' of the world addressing difficult subjects such as 'the Jews', a place called Hell, what is the Church? Homosexuality, rebellion and sin. It directly addresses the mystery surrounding our spiritual relationship with our creator and the eternal destination of the soul. It also extends to orthodox themes such as truth, injustice and love.
Who is Ivan Stranski, you ask? If you Google his name you will find thousands of sites that talk about him. In fact, the Kossel-Stranski model of crystal growth and the Stranski-Krastanov mode of growth of thin epitaxial films are named after him — just two of the many scientific ideas and concepts Professor Stranski introduced to science (and through which a whole new field in science was born). Today thousands of physicists, chemists and materials scientists all over the world are working in the field of crystal growth, particularly in epitaxial growth and nucleation which are necessary for the invention of new materials and high technologies. In this respect, the life, personality and way of thinking of this remarkable scientist should be of great interest to both beginners and professionals in science.This book describes the life and scientific achievements of Ivan Stranski, Bulgarian-German physical chemist and the father of crystal growth, against the historical backdrop of wars, massacres, and remarkable scientific discoveries in the 20th century. It covers his family roots, which are remarkable in their own right, his life and career both in Bulgaria and Germany (West Berlin), and his scientific achievements, including his most important contribution to the physics of crystal growth.The book captures Professor Stranski's personality and way of thinking as much as possible from the recollections of his disciples and contemporaries. Short biographical notes about his most renowned students in Bulgaria, Rostislaw Kaischew and Lyubomir Krastanov, with whom Stranski developed his most fundamental ideas are also included.
The second edition of the manual on ultrasound diagnostics of the sturgeon reproductive system contains several significant additions based both on the appearance of new equipment for ultrasound diagnostics and on the results of recent studies of the authors. The new edition describes in detail the features of various types of ultrasonic sensors, including previously not used for sturgeon diagnostics. At the request of readers of the first edition, the features of the analysis of echograms obtained using a convex sensor are considered. The section describing the diagnosis of pathologies of the reproductive system of fish, including hermaphroditism, has been substantially expanded. The guide provides basic principles of ultrasound diagnostic and recommendations for the sturgeon ultrasound diagnostic equipment and workplace arrangements. There is a detailed description of ultrasound diagnostic procedure for identification of sex and maturity stage of sturgeon gonads. There is also a detailed instruction on ultrasound images analysis and description of specific diagnostic features. Annual sexual cycles with various inter-spawn intervals were for the first time analysed specifying the duration of each maturity stage in heat-reserve units. The principles of controlling linear and generative growth of sturgeons contained in replacement and breeding stocks of sturgeon farms had been defined. The Atlas contains more than a hundred illustrations, provided with detailed descriptions and notes which allow even a novice fish farmer to independently learn ultrasound diagnostic of sex and maturity stage of sturgeon gonads. The book is addressed to specialists and chief managers of sturgeon farms, the farmers involved in sturgeon breeding, scientists and students.
This is the first-ever textbook on the fundamentals of nucleation, crystal growth and epitaxy. It has been written from a unified point of view and is thus a non-eclectic presentation of this interdisciplinary topic in materials science. The reader is required to possess some basic knowledge of mathematics and physics. All formulae and equations are accompanied by examples that are of technological importance. The book presents not only the fundamentals but also the state of the art in the subject. The second revised edition includes two separate chapters dealing with the effect of the Ehrlich-Schwoebel barrier for down-step diffusion, as well as the effect of surface active species, on the morphology of the growing surfaces. In addition, many other chapters are updated accordingly. Thus, it serves as a valuable reference book for both graduate students and researchers in materials science. Sample Chapter(s). Crystal-Ambient Phase Equilibrium (396 KB). Contents: Crystal OCo Ambient Phase Equilibrium; Nucleation; Crystal Growth; Epitaxial Growth. Readership: Graduate students, academics and researchers in materials engineering, microelectronics, new materials, semiconductors and related areas.
This book examines recent political and psychological changes in Russian society during Vladimir Putin’s third term. Instability in 2011–2012 and new domestic and international contexts make this a unique period in the post-Soviet political history of Russia. This volume focuses on popular perceptions of Russian politics during a new electoral cycle, in particular views of political power, institutions, and leaders. The contributors to this collection describe, and interpret recent political trends in Russian society by utilizing unique methodologies used for over twenty years, allowing results to be compared over time.
The book is well organized and is pedagogical. By discussing crystallization in pure systems, the author introduces and describes the important concepts, physical parameters and theoretical models pertaining to nucleation and growth of crystals … If you are a young investigator or a graduate student whose research involves understanding the fundamentals of crystallization including nucleation and growth, this book will be a treat for you. Readers who have a strong background in physical chemistry or thermal physics may find the book easy to read. Nevertheless, this book should be a good reference to have on the bookshelf if you are an experienced researcher whose interest crosses the path with the general topics of crystal growth.'Acta Crystallographica Section BThe processes of new phase formation and growth are of fundamental importance in numerous rapidly developing scientific fields such as modern materials science, micro- and optoelectronics, and environmental science. Crystal Growth for Beginners combines the depth of information in monographs, with the thorough analysis of review papers, and presents the resulting content at a level understandable by beginners in science. The book covers, in practice, all fundamental questions and aspects of nucleation, crystal growth, and epitaxy.This book is a non-eclectic presentation of this interdisciplinary topic in materials science. The third edition brings existing chapters up to date, and includes new chapters on the growth of nanowires by the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism, as well as illustrated short biographical texts about the scientists who introduced the basic ideas and concepts into the fields of nucleation, crystal growth and epitaxy. All formulae and equations are illustrated by examples that are of technological importance. The book presents not only the fundamentals but also the state of the art in the subject.Crystal Growth for Beginners is a valuable reference for both graduate students and researchers in materials science. The reader is required to possess some basic knowledge of mathematics, physics and thermodynamics.
Healthy sturgeon" - a practical guide to the diagnosis and treatment of sturgeon diseases in aquaculture. How did the idea of this book come about? Full-cycle breeding of sturgeon in fresh water is a relatively young direction of aquaculture, compared, for example, with the cultivation in artificial conditions of species such as carp or trout. The main incentive for the rapid large-scale development of sturgeon breeding was a catastrophic reduction in the number of sturgeons in nature and the introduction, in this regard, of a ban on their fishing. Within a short time, thousands of fish farms appeared around the world, some of which were previously cultivated by other species, while others were built specifically for sturgeon. The available knowledge about sturgeons characterized them as very resistant to various fish diseases. However, in practice, fish farmers from both old and newly created farms are faced with the fact that under artificial conditions all groups of sturgeon (from young to mature fish) are significantly susceptible to various diseases. There were frequent cases when in certain periods the death of sturgeon juveniles reached 90%. One of the main reasons for this is that radical changes in lifestyle, expressed in the exclusion of the sea period and constant keeping in fresh water, have had a negative impact on sturgeon resistance to diseases that have not previously been noted at these fish. This is especially true for bacterial diseases that cause the most damage on sturgeon farms. Many fish farmers were not ready for this. As practice shows, if fishery specialists had taken timely measures to identify diseases in the initial stages, then, in most cases, it would be possible to prevent the mass death of fish and avoid serious losses. Therefore, working on this book, we have tried to fully help fish farmers in solving the main problems: timely diagnosis of diseases, the choice of emergency measures to prevent the development and further spread of the disease and, most importantly, the creation of conditions that prevent the emergence of diseases of fish on the sturgeon farm. The diagnostic and laboratory research methods described in this manual are focused specifically on the capabilities of fisheries laboratories, which are equipped mainly with optical equipment and rapid analysis tools. A detailed description of the external manifestations and clinical signs that in a fish farm will help to establish the onset of the disease in a timely manner was a priority task that the authors of this book tried to solve. For a better perception, all the diseases described in the book are illustrated by a large number (more than two hundred) of original photographs, diagrams and drawings. For ease of use of the book, the materials are grouped into three sections: The first section is devoted to general information about diseases, the principles of their diagnosis and ichthyopathological examination. Also, the section provides information about the features of the anatomy of sturgeon, in relation to the issues of ichthyopathology. The second section contains descriptions of infectious and non-infectious diseases of sturgeon, indicating the causes of their occurrence, risk factors and methods of treatment. The third section describes the general principles and methods of treatment of fish, the characteristics of some of the most commonly used drugs. The materials of the manual are adapted for a wide range of readers, including those studying fish farming and fish diseases on their own. More about this book on our site by link: https://www.osetrovod.ru/healthy-sturgeon
Two basic problems of representation theory are to classify irreducible representations and decompose representations occuring naturally in some other context. Algebras of Iwahori-Hecke type are one of the tools and were, probably, first considered in the context of representation theory of finite groups of Lie type. This volume consists of notes of the courses on Iwahori-Hecke algebras and their representation theory, given during the CIME summer school which took place in 1999 in Martina Franca, Italy.
The Monte Carlo method is inherently parallel and the extensive and rapid development in parallel computers, computational clusters and grids has resulted in renewed and increasing interest in this method. At the same time there has been an expansion in the application areas and the method is now widely used in many important areas of science including nuclear and semiconductor physics, statistical mechanics and heat and mass transfer. This book attempts to bridge the gap between theory and practice concentrating on modern algorithmic implementation on parallel architecture machines. Although a suitable text for final year postgraduate mathematicians and computational scientists it is principally aimed at the applied scientists: only a small amount of mathematical knowledge is assumed and theorem proving is kept to a minimum, with the main focus being on parallel algorithms development often to applied industrial problems. A selection of algorithms developed both for serial and parallel machines are provided. Sample Chapter(s). Chapter 1: Introduction (231 KB). Contents: Basic Results of Monte Carlo Integration; Optimal Monte Carlo Method for Multidimensional Integrals of Smooth Functions; Iterative Monte Carlo Methods for Linear Equations; Markov Chain Monte Carlo Methods for Eigenvalue Problems; Monte Carlo Methods for Boundary-Value Problems (BVP); Superconvergent Monte Carlo for Density Function Simulation by B-Splines; Solving Non-Linear Equations; Algorithmic Effciency for Different Computer Models; Applications for Transport Modeling in Semiconductors and Nanowires. Readership: Applied scientists and mathematicians.
Introducing Practical Smart Agents Development using Python, PyTorch, and TensorFlow KEY FEATURES ● Exposure to well-known RL techniques, including Monte-Carlo, Deep Q-Learning, Policy Gradient, and Actor-Critical. ● Hands-on experience with TensorFlow and PyTorch on Reinforcement Learning projects. ● Everything is concise, up-to-date, and visually explained with simplified mathematics. DESCRIPTION Reinforcement learning is a fascinating branch of AI that differs from standard machine learning in several ways. Adaptation and learning in an unpredictable environment is the part of this project. There are numerous real-world applications for reinforcement learning these days, including medical, gambling, human imitation activity, and robotics. This book introduces readers to reinforcement learning from a pragmatic point of view. The book does involve mathematics, but it does not attempt to overburden the reader, who is a beginner in the field of reinforcement learning. The book brings a lot of innovative methods to the reader's attention in much practical learning, including Monte-Carlo, Deep Q-Learning, Policy Gradient, and Actor-Critical methods. While you understand these techniques in detail, the book also provides a real implementation of these methods and techniques using the power of TensorFlow and PyTorch. The book covers some enticing projects that show the power of reinforcement learning, and not to mention that everything is concise, up-to-date, and visually explained. After finishing this book, the reader will have a thorough, intuitive understanding of modern reinforcement learning and its applications, which will tremendously aid them in delving into the interesting field of reinforcement learning. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN ● Familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of Reinforcement Learning and Deep Reinforcement Learning. ● Make use of Python and Gym framework to model an external environment. ● Apply classical Q-learning, Monte Carlo, Policy Gradient, and Thompson sampling techniques. ● Explore TensorFlow and PyTorch to practice the fundamentals of deep reinforcement learning. ● Design a smart agent for a particular problem using a specific technique. WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR This book is for machine learning engineers, deep learning fanatics, AI software developers, data scientists, and other data professionals eager to learn and apply Reinforcement Learning to ongoing projects. No specialized knowledge of machine learning is necessary; however, proficiency in Python is desired. TABLE OF CONTENTS Part I 1. Introducing Reinforcement Learning 2. Playing Monopoly and Markov Decision Process 3. Training in Gym 4. Struggling With Multi-Armed Bandits 5. Blackjack in Monte Carlo 6. Escaping Maze With Q-Learning 7. Discretization Part II. Deep Reinforcement Learning 8. TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Your First Neural Network 9. Deep Q-Network and Lunar Lander 10. Defending Atlantis With Double Deep Q-Network 11. From Q-Learning to Policy-Gradient 12. Stock Trading With Actor-Critic 13. What Is Next?
Here are the refereed proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Text, Speech and Dialogue, TSD 2006. The book presents 87 revised full papers together with 2 invited papers reviewing state-of-the-art research in the field of natural language processing. Coverage ranges from theoretical and methodological issues to applications with special focus on corpora, texts and transcription, speech analysis, recognition and synthesis, as well as their intertwining within NL dialogue systems.
Fractional Brownian motion (fBm) is a stochastic process which deviates significantly from Brownian motion and semimartingales, and others classically used in probability theory. As a centered Gaussian process, it is characterized by the stationarity of its increments and a medium- or long-memory property which is in sharp contrast with martingales and Markov processes. FBm has become a popular choice for applications where classical processes cannot model these non-trivial properties; for instance long memory, which is also known as persistence, is of fundamental importance for financial data and in internet traffic. The mathematical theory of fBm is currently being developed vigorously by a number of stochastic analysts, in various directions, using complementary and sometimes competing tools. This book is concerned with several aspects of fBm, including the stochastic integration with respect to it, the study of its supremum and its appearance as limit of partial sums involving stationary sequences, to name but a few. The book is addressed to researchers and graduate students in probability and mathematical statistics. With very few exceptions (where precise references are given), every stated result is proved.
This volume contains the Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Text, Speech and Dialogue, held in Brno, Czech Republic, in September 2004, under the auspices of the Masaryk University. This series of international conferences on text, speech and dialogue has come to c- stitute a major forum for presentation and discussion, not only of the latest developments in academic research in these ?elds, but also of practical and industrial applications. Uniquely, these conferences bring together researchers from a very wide area, both intellectually and geographically, including scientists working in speech technology, dialogue systems, text processing, lexicography, and other related ?elds. In recent years the conference has dev- oped into aprimary meetingplacefor speech and languagetechnologistsfrom manydifferent parts of the world and in particular it has enabled important and fruitful exchanges of ideas between Western and Eastern Europe. TSD 2004 offered a rich program of invited talks, tutorials, technical papers and poster sessions, aswellasworkshops andsystemdemonstrations. Atotalof78paperswereaccepted out of 127 submitted, contributed altogether by 190 authors from 26 countries. Our thanks as usual go to the Program Committee members and to the external reviewers for their conscientious and diligent assessment of submissions, and to the authors themselves for their high-quality contributions. We would also like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to all the members of the Organizing Committee for their tireless efforts in organizing the conference and ensuring its smooth running.
The new edition of this popular textbook keeps its structure, introducing the advanced topics of: (i) wireless communications, (ii) free-space optical (FSO) communications, (iii) indoor optical wireless (IR) communications, and (iv) fiber-optics communications, but thoroughly updates the content for new technologies and practical applications. The author presents fundamental concepts, such as propagation principles, modulation formats, channel coding, diversity principles, MIMO signal processing, multicarrier modulation, equalization, adaptive modulation and coding, detection principles, and software defined transmission, first describing them and then following up with a detailed look at each particular system. The book is self-contained and structured to provide straightforward guidance to readers looking to capture fundamentals and gain theoretical and practical knowledge about wireless communications, free-space optical communications, and fiber-optics communications, all which can be readily applied in studies, research, and practical applications. The textbook is intended for an upper undergraduate or graduate level courses in fiber-optics communication, wireless communication, and free-space optical communication problems, an appendix with all background material needed, and homework problems. In the second edition, in addition to the existing chapters being updated and problems being inserted, one new chapter has been added, related to the physical-layer security thus covering both security and reliability issues. New material on 5G and 6G technologies has been added in corresponding chapters.
Introducing Practical Smart Agents Development using Python, PyTorch, and TensorFlow KEY FEATURES ● Exposure to well-known RL techniques, including Monte-Carlo, Deep Q-Learning, Policy Gradient, and Actor-Critical. ● Hands-on experience with TensorFlow and PyTorch on Reinforcement Learning projects. ● Everything is concise, up-to-date, and visually explained with simplified mathematics. DESCRIPTION Reinforcement learning is a fascinating branch of AI that differs from standard machine learning in several ways. Adaptation and learning in an unpredictable environment is the part of this project. There are numerous real-world applications for reinforcement learning these days, including medical, gambling, human imitation activity, and robotics. This book introduces readers to reinforcement learning from a pragmatic point of view. The book does involve mathematics, but it does not attempt to overburden the reader, who is a beginner in the field of reinforcement learning. The book brings a lot of innovative methods to the reader's attention in much practical learning, including Monte-Carlo, Deep Q-Learning, Policy Gradient, and Actor-Critical methods. While you understand these techniques in detail, the book also provides a real implementation of these methods and techniques using the power of TensorFlow and PyTorch. The book covers some enticing projects that show the power of reinforcement learning, and not to mention that everything is concise, up-to-date, and visually explained. After finishing this book, the reader will have a thorough, intuitive understanding of modern reinforcement learning and its applications, which will tremendously aid them in delving into the interesting field of reinforcement learning. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN ● Familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of Reinforcement Learning and Deep Reinforcement Learning. ● Make use of Python and Gym framework to model an external environment. ● Apply classical Q-learning, Monte Carlo, Policy Gradient, and Thompson sampling techniques. ● Explore TensorFlow and PyTorch to practice the fundamentals of deep reinforcement learning. ● Design a smart agent for a particular problem using a specific technique. WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR This book is for machine learning engineers, deep learning fanatics, AI software developers, data scientists, and other data professionals eager to learn and apply Reinforcement Learning to ongoing projects. No specialized knowledge of machine learning is necessary; however, proficiency in Python is desired. TABLE OF CONTENTS Part I 1. Introducing Reinforcement Learning 2. Playing Monopoly and Markov Decision Process 3. Training in Gym 4. Struggling With Multi-Armed Bandits 5. Blackjack in Monte Carlo 6. Escaping Maze With Q-Learning 7. Discretization Part II. Deep Reinforcement Learning 8. TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Your First Neural Network 9. Deep Q-Network and Lunar Lander 10. Defending Atlantis With Double Deep Q-Network 11. From Q-Learning to Policy-Gradient 12. Stock Trading With Actor-Critic 13. What Is Next?
This book is a comprehensive exposition of the theory, algorithms, and applications of structured low-rank approximation. Local optimization methods and effective suboptimal convex relaxations for Toeplitz, Hankel, and Sylvester structured problems are presented. A major part of the text is devoted to application of the theory with a range of applications from systems and control theory to psychometrics being described. Special knowledge of the application fields is not required. The second edition of /Low-Rank Approximation/ is a thoroughly edited and extensively rewritten revision. It contains new chapters and sections that introduce the topics of: • variable projection for structured low-rank approximation;• missing data estimation;• data-driven filtering and control;• stochastic model representation and identification;• identification of polynomial time-invariant systems; and• blind identification with deterministic input model. The book is complemented by a software implementation of the methods presented, which makes the theory directly applicable in practice. In particular, all numerical examples in the book are included in demonstration files and can be reproduced by the reader. This gives hands-on experience with the theory and methods detailed. In addition, exercises and MATLAB^® /Octave examples will assist the reader quickly to assimilate the theory on a chapter-by-chapter basis. “Each chapter is completed with a new section of exercises to which complete solutions are provided.” Low-Rank Approximation (second edition) is a broad survey of the Low-Rank Approximation theory and applications of its field which will be of direct interest to researchers in system identification, control and systems theory, numerical linear algebra and optimization. The supplementary problems and solutions render it suitable for use in teaching graduate courses in those subjects as well.
This book summarizes the experimental evidence and modern classical and theoretical approaches in understanding the vitreous state, from structural problems, over equilibrium and non-equilibrium thermodynamics, to statistical physics. Glasses, and especially silicate glasses, are only the best known representatives of this particular physical state of matter. Other typical representatives include organic polymer glasses, and many other easily vitrifying organic and inorganic substances, technically important materials, amidst them vitreous water and vitrified aqueous solutions, and also many metallic alloy systems. Some of these systems only form glasses under particular conditions, e.g. through ultra-rapid cooling. This book describes the properties and the formation of both every-day technical glasses and especially of such more exotic forms of vitreous matter. It is a unique source of knowledge and new ideas for materials scientists, engineers and researchers working on condensed matter. The new edition emphasizes latest experimental findings and modern theories, explaining the kinetics of glass formation, the relaxation and stabilization of glasses and their crystallization in terms of new models, derived from the framework of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes. It shows how the properties of common technical glasses, window glass, or the vitreous ice kernel of comets can be used to develop a new understanding of the existence of matter in various, unusual forms. The described theories can even find application for the description of lasers and interesting unusual processes in the universe.
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