The book is conceived as a text accompanying the traditional graduate courses on probability theory. An important feature of this enlarged version is the emphasis on algebraic-topological aspects leading to a wider and deeper understanding of basic theorems such as those on the structure of continuous convolution semigroups and the corresponding processes with independent increments. Fourier transformation ? the method applied within the settings of Banach spaces, locally compact Abelian groups and commutative hypergroups ? is given an in-depth discussion. This powerful analytic tool along with the relevant facts of harmonic analysis make it possible to study certain properties of stochastic processes in dependence of the algebraic-topological structure of their state spaces. In extension of the first edition, the new edition contains chapters on the probability theory of generalized convolution structures such as polynomial and Sturm?Liouville hypergroups, and on the central limit problem for groups such as tori, p-adic groups and solenoids.

The book presents, for the first time, a detailed analysis of harmonizable processes and fields (in the weak sense) that contain the corresponding stationary theory as a subclass. It also gives the structural and some key applications in detail. These include Levy's Brownian motion, a probabilistic proof of the longstanding Riemann's hypothesis, random fields indexed by LCA and hypergroups, extensions to bistochastic operators, Cramér-Karhunen classes, as well as bistochastic operators with some statistical applications.The material is accessible to graduate students in probability and statistics as well as to engineers in theoretical applications. There are numerous extensions and applications pointed out in the book that will inspire readers to delve deeper.

Probability theory on compact Lie groups deals with the interaction between “chance” and “symmetry,” a beautiful area of mathematics of great interest in its own sake but which is now also finding increasing applications in statistics and engineering (particularly with respect to signal processing). The author gives a comprehensive introduction to some of the principle areas of study, with an emphasis on applicability. The most important topics presented are: the study of measures via the non-commutative Fourier transform, existence and regularity of densities, properties of random walks and convolution semigroups of measures and the statistical problem of deconvolution. The emphasis on compact (rather than general) Lie groups helps readers to get acquainted with what is widely seen as a difficult field but which is also justified by the wealth of interesting results at this level and the importance of these groups for applications. The book is primarily aimed at researchers working in probability, stochastic analysis and harmonic analysis on groups. It will also be of interest to mathematicians working in Lie theory and physicists, statisticians and engineers who are working on related applications. A background in first year graduate level measure theoretic probability and functional analysis is essential; a background in Lie groups and representation theory is certainly helpful but the first two chapters also offer orientation in these subjects.

Using information theory the book defines quantitative measures for structure and textural information and relates them to thermodynamic negentropy. Other concepts like that of algorithmic information can be applied and used to define complexity and organization. Also defined are the physical value concepts, and how these relate to each other using ideas from ecology and economics; it thus formulates a physical theory which could serve as a basis for a dialogue between physicists, economists and ecologists.

The book has two parts: In the first, after a review of some seminal classical accounts of laws and explanations, a new account is proposed for distinguishing between laws and accidental generalizations (LAG). Among the new consequences of this proposal it is proved that any explanation of a contingent generalization shows that the generalization is not accidental. The second part involves physical theories, their modality, and their explanatory power. In particular, it is shown that (1) Each theory has a theoretical implication structure associated with it, such that there are new physical modal operators on these structures and also special modal entities that are in these structures. A special subset of the physical modals, the nomic modals are associated with the laws of theories. (2) The familiar idea that theories always explain laws by deduction of them has to be seriously modified in light of the fact that there are a host of physical theories (including for example, Newtonian Classical mechanics, Hamiltonian, and Lagrangian theory, and probability theory) that we believe are schematic (they do not have any truth value). Nevertheless, we think that there is a kind of non-deductive explanation and generality that they achieve by subsumtion under a schema.

In this new century mankind faces ever more challenging environmental and publichealthproblems,suchaspollution,invasionbyexoticspecies,theem- gence of new diseases or the emergence of diseases into new regions (West Nile virus,SARS,Anthrax,etc.),andtheresurgenceofexistingdiseases(in?uenza, malaria, TB, HIV/AIDS, etc.). Mathematical models have been successfully used to study many biological, epidemiological and medical problems, and nonlinear and complex dynamics have been observed in all of those contexts. Mathematical studies have helped us not only to better understand these problems but also to ?nd solutions in some cases, such as the prediction and control of SARS outbreaks, understanding HIV infection, and the investi- tion of antibiotic-resistant infections in hospitals. Structuredpopulationmodelsdistinguishindividualsfromoneanother- cording to characteristics such as age, size, location, status, and movement, to determine the birth, growth and death rates, interaction with each other and with environment, infectivity, etc. The goal of structured population models is to understand how these characteristics a?ect the dynamics of these models and thus the outcomes and consequences of the biological and epidemiolo- cal processes. There is a very large and growing body of literature on these topics. This book deals with the recent and important advances in the study of structured population models in biology and epidemiology. There are six chapters in this book, written by leading researchers in these areas.

This abridged and revised edition of the original book (Springer-Wien-New York: 2001) offers the only comprehensive history and documentation of the Vienna Circle based on new sources with an innovative historiographical approach to the study of science. With reference to previously unpublished archival material and more recent literature, it refutes a number of widespread clichés about "neo-positivism" or "logical positivism". Following some insights on the relation between the history of science and the philosophy of science, the book offers an accessible introduction to the complex subject of "the rise of scientific philosophy” in its socio-cultural background and European philosophical networks till the forced migration in the Anglo-Saxon world. The first part of the book focuses on the origins of Logical Empiricism before World War I and the development of the Vienna Circle in "Red Vienna" (with the "Verein Ernst Mach"), its fate during Austro-Fascism (Schlick's murder 1936) and its final expulsion by National-Socialism beginning with the "Anschluß" in 1938. It analyses the dynamics of the Schlick-Circle in the intellectual context of "late enlightenment" including the minutes of the meetings from 1930 on for the first time published and presents an extensive description of the meetings and international Unity of Science conferences between 1929 and 1941. The chapters introduce the leading philosophers of the Schlick Circle (e.g., Hans Hahn, Otto Neurath, Rudolf Carnap, Philipp Frank, Felix Kaufmann, Edgar Zilsel) and describe the conflicting interaction between Moritz Schlick and Otto Neurath, the long term communication between Moritz Schlick, Friedrich Waismann and Ludwig Wittgenstein, as well as between the Vienna Circle with Heinrich Gomperz and Karl Popper. In addition, Karl Menger's "Mathematical Colloquium" with Kurt Gödel is presented as a parallel movement. The final chapter of this section describes the demise of the Vienna Circle and the forced exodus of scientists and intellectuals from Austria. The second part of the book includes a bio-bibliographical documentation of the Vienna Circle members and for the first time of the assassination of Moritz Schlick in 1936, followed by an appendix comprising an extensive list of sources and literature.

The International Workshop on Holography in Medicine and Biology was held in MUnster, Federal Republic of Germany, on March 14th and 15th, 1979, at the Clinic of Otorhinolaryngology of the Westfalische Wilhelms-Universitat within the frame of the Symposium 79 of the Sonderforschungsbereich 88 "Teratology and Rehabilitation of Patients with Multiple Handicaps'' of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. In fact, this workshop was not the first meeting dealing exclusively with biomedical applications of holography and related techniques. The very first symposium in this field was organized by Prof. P. Greguss and took place in New York in 1973. A second one was held in MUnster in 1976 with the objec tive to improve the communication among the at that time rather isolatedly working groups in this research domain. The great response to that meeting gave encouragement to the organization of another one in MUnster, this time on a more extended international base. Thus, this workshop attracted 85 scientists from 13 countries, i.e. Austria, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Fed. Rep. of Germany, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Japan, Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands, USA, Yugoslavia.

This book gives an overview of the current state of uncertainty modeling in vibration, control, and fuzzy analysis of structural and mechanical systems. It is a coherent compendium written by leading experts and offers the reader a sampling of exciting research areas in several fast-growing branches in this field. Uncertainty modeling and analysis are becoming an integral part of system definition and modeling in many fields. The book consists of ten chapters that report the work of researchers, scientists and engineers on theoretical developments and diversified applications in engineering systems. They deal with modeling for vibration, control, and fuzzy analysis of structural and mechanical systems under uncertain conditions. The book designed for readers who are familiar with the fundamentals and wish to study a particular topic or use the book as an authoritative reference. It gives readers a sophisticated toolbox for tackling modeling problems in mechanical and structural systems in real-world situations. The book is part of a series on Stability, Vibration and Control of Structures, and provides vital information in these areas.

The contributions collected in this book have been written by well-known statisticians to acknowledge Ludwig Fahrmeir's far-reaching impact on Statistics as a science, while celebrating his 65th birthday. The contributions cover broad areas of contemporary statistical model building, including semiparametric and geoadditive regression, Bayesian inference in complex regression models, time series modelling, statistical regularization, graphical models and stochastic volatility models.