A comprehensive review of the Finite Element Method (FEM), this book provides the fundamentals together with a wide range of applications in civil, mechanical and aeronautical engineering. It addresses both the theoretical and numerical implementation aspects of the FEM, providing examples in several important topics such as solid mechanics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer, appealing to a wide range of engineering disciplines. Written by a renowned author and academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, The Finite Element Method would appeal to researchers looking to understand how the fundamentals of the FEM can be applied in other disciplines. Researchers and graduate students studying hydraulic, mechanical and civil engineering will find it a practical reference text.
This title considers the special of random processes known as semi-Markov processes. These possess the Markov property with respect to any intrinsic Markov time such as the first exit time from an open set or a finite iteration of these times. The class of semi-Markov processes includes strong Markov processes, Lévy and Smith stepped semi-Markov processes, and some other subclasses. Extensive coverage is devoted to non-Markovian semi-Markov processes with continuous trajectories and, in particular, to semi-Markov diffusion processes. Readers looking to enrich their knowledge on Markov processes will find this book a valuable resource.
A significantly revised and improved introduction to a critical aspect of scientific computation Matrix computations lie at the heart of most scientific computational tasks. For any scientist or engineer doing large-scale simulations, an understanding of the topic is essential. Fundamentals of Matrix Computations, Second Edition explains matrix computations and the accompanying theory clearly and in detail, along with useful insights. This Second Edition of a popular text has now been revised and improved to appeal to the needs of practicing scientists and graduate and advanced undergraduate students. New to this edition is the use of MATLAB for many of the exercises and examples, although the Fortran exercises in the First Edition have been kept for those who want to use them. This new edition includes: * Numerous examples and exercises on applications including electrical circuits, elasticity (mass-spring systems), and simple partial differential equations * Early introduction of the singular value decomposition * A new chapter on iterative methods, including the powerful preconditioned conjugate-gradient method for solving symmetric, positive definite systems * An introduction to new methods for solving large, sparse eigenvalue problems including the popular implicitly-restarted Arnoldi and Jacobi-Davidson methods With in-depth discussions of such other topics as modern componentwise error analysis, reorthogonalization, and rank-one updates of the QR decomposition, Fundamentals of Matrix Computations, Second Edition will prove to be a versatile companion to novice and practicing mathematicians who seek mastery of matrix computation.
This book provides a pedagogical and comprehensive introduction to graph theory and its applications. It contains all the standard basic material and develops significant topics and applications, such as: colorings and the timetabling problem, matchings and the optimal assignment problem, and Hamiltonian cycles and the traveling salesman problem, to name but a few. Exercises at various levels are given at the end of each chapter, and a final chapter presents a few general problems with hints for solutions, thus providing the reader with the opportunity to test and refine their knowledge on the subject. An appendix outlines the basis of computational complexity theory, in particular the definition of NP-completeness, which is essential for algorithmic applications.
Written by influential scholar-critic and award-winning Daniel R. Schwarz, In Defense of Reading: Teaching Literature in the Twenty-First Century is a passionate and joyful defense of the pleasures of reading. This stimulating book provides valuable insights for teachers and students on why we read and how we read when we embark on «the odyssey of reading.» Provides valuable insights into why and how we read Addresses issues and problems in the contemporary university and offers insights into the future Explores the life of the mind, the rewards and joys of committed teaching, and the relationship between teaching and scholarship in the contemporary university Draws on the author's forty years of teaching experience Following his long term commitment to close reading and historicism, Schwarz shows how the best literary criticism must both respect text and context Contains insightful and important readings of a broad range of texts, including those by Joyce, Woolf, Conrad, Forster, Gordimer, and Spiegelman's Maus
In this controversial manifesto, Jean-Michel Rabaté addresses current anxieties about the future of literary and cultural theory and proposes that it still has a crucial role to play.
From runic inscriptions to sagas, this book introduces readers to the colourful world of Old Norse-Icelandic literature. An introduction to the colourful world of Old Norse-Icelandic literature. Covers mythology and family sagas, as well as less well-known areas, such as oral story-telling, Eddaic verse and skaldic verse. An introduction helps readers to appreciate the language and culture of the first settlers in Iceland. Looks at the reception of Old-Norse-Icelandic literature over the ages, as views of the vikings have changed. Shows how a whole range of authors from Shakespeare to Seamus Heaney have been influenced by Old Norse-Icelandic literature.
This book introduces readers to the ancient rhetorical tradition by investigating key questions about the origins, nature and importance of rhetoric. Explores the role of the orator, especially the two greatest figures of the tradition, Demosthenes and Cicero Investigates the place of rhetoric at the center of ancient education Considers the role of rhetoric since the end of antiquity. Includes a glossary of proper names and technical terms; a chronological table of political events, authors, orators, and rhetorical works; and suggestions for further reading.
Part of the Blackwell Manifestos series, The State of the Novel offers a lively, yet rigorous investigation into the state and future of the contemporary British novel written by an expert in the field. Evaluates the state of the ‘serious literary’ novel and novel criticism Prominent treatment is paid to the ‘internationalization’ of the novel in English Offers a manifesto on contemporary fiction from an expert in this field; Dominic Head is best known for his Cambridge Introduction to Modern British Fiction 1950-2000 Establishes the shared interests of contemporary theorists of the novel, cultural commentators, and novel consumers An ideal supplementary text for students and faculty interested in the novel and contemporary fiction
The diverse and controversial world of contemporary Milton studies is brought alive in this stimulating Companion. Winner of the Milton Society of America's Irene Samuels Book Award in 2002. Invites readers to explore and enjoy Milton's rich and fascinating work. Comprises 29 fresh and powerful readings of Milton's texts and the contexts in which they were created, each written by a leading scholar. Looks at literary production and cultural ideologies, issues of politics, gender and religion, individual Milton texts, other relevant contemporary texts and responses to Milton over time. Devotes a whole chapter to each major poem, and four to Paradise Lost. Conveys the excitement of recent developments in the field.