The controversial nat. debate over strategic defense has been overshadowed by other nat. & global issues. Research programs for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) continue, however, & the debate is likely to resume as visible results of that research begin to compete for a share of the nation¿s budget. This study considers strategic defense in the context of 4 competing strategic theories: deterrence through mutual assured destruction; deterrence through nuclear warfighting; deterrence relying on non-nuclear defense; & disarmament. Non-nuclear, space-based defense is not only feasible, but in some ways preferable to reliance on weapons of mass destruction. To support his case, he outlines a proposed actual system. Illus.

"This book will give the reader a perspective into the core theory and practice of data mining and knowledge discovery (DM & KD). Its chapters combine many theoretical foundations for various DM & KD methods, and they present an array of examples - many of which are drawn from real-life applications. Most of the theoretical developments discussed are accompanied by an extensive empirical analysis, which should give the reader both a deep theoretical and practical insight into the subjects covered." "The intended audience for this book includes graduate students studying data mining who have some background in mathematical logic and discrete optimization as well as researchers and practitioners in the same area."--BOOK JACKET.

Alternative Security offers the thinking person a place to begin to kick the “nuclear habit.” Even as it accepts the premise that war is endemic to the human condition, it provides reassurance that an other-than-nuclear deterrence policy can work to effectively safeguard national and transnational interests. These eight original essays, acco

Sustainability assessments are important instruments for shaping sustainable development in all domains. However, not every assessment approach is fitting for every assessment situation. The fit between approaches and situations is rarely considered in the current practice of approach selection. In this thesis, a situation-oriented Multi-Criteria Decision-Making framework to support systematic selection decisions is developed and effects of selection on assessment results are investigated.