Computational thinking is increasingly gaining importance in modern biology, due to the unprecedented scale at which data is nowadays produced. Bridging the cultural gap between the biological and computational sciences, this book serves as an accessible introduction to computational concepts for students in the life sciences. It focuses on teaching algorithmic and logical thinking, rather than just the use of existing bioinformatics tools or programming. Topics are presented from a biological point of view, to demonstrate how computational approaches can be used to solve problems in biology such as biological image processing, regulatory networks, and sequence analysis. The book contains a range of pedagogical features to aid understanding, including real-world examples, in-text exercises, end-of-chapter problems, colour-coded Python code, and 'code explained' boxes. User-friendly throughout, Computational Thinking for Life Scientists promotes the thinking skills and self-efficacy req
Starting from first principles, this book covers all of the foundational material needed to develop a clear understanding of the Mathematica language, with a practical emphasis on solving problems. Concrete examples throughout the text demonstrate how Mathematica can be used to solve problems in science, engineering, economics/finance, computational linguistics, geoscience, bioinformatics, and a range of other fields. The book will appeal to students, researchers and programmers wishing to further their understanding of Mathematica. Designed to suit users of any ability, it assumes no formal knowledge of programming so it is ideal for self-study. Over 290 exercises are provided to challenge the reader's understanding of the material covered and these provide ample opportunity to practice using the language. Mathematica notebooks containing examples, programs and solutions to exercises are available from www.cambridge.org/wellin.
Presenting the key principles of thermodynamics from a microscopic point of view, this book provides engineers with the knowledge they need to apply thermodynamics and solve engineering challenges at the molecular level. It clearly explains the concepts of entropy and free energy, emphasizing key ideas used in equilibrium applications, whilst stochastic processes, such as stochastic reaction kinetics, are also covered. It provides a classical microscopic interpretation of thermodynamic properties, which is key for engineers, rather than focusing on more esoteric concepts of statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics. Coverage of molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations as natural extensions of the theoretical treatment of statistical thermodynamics is also included, teaching readers how to use computer simulations and thus enabling them to understand and engineer the microcosm. Featuring many worked examples and over 100 end-of-chapter exercises, it is ideal for use in the class
The ideas of mathematics can be understood through the techniques needed to solve problems which crop up in everyday life. Conversely, these problems can illustrate how mathematics develops 'naturally'. The essence of this informal book is to motivate mathematics by examining mathematical models of situations and problems that occur in the real world. Each chapter deals with a specific mathematical topic and each topic is introduced at different levels to provide motivation for students of varying mathematical maturity. The authors emphasize that although applications provide motivation, they are not trying to supply aids for teaching applied mathematics. It is mathematical notions and how they can be developed that are important. We thus have an interesting inversion of aims: physics, biology, linguistics, etc., are here applied to the teaching of mathematics. The bank of ideas in this practical manual will be valuable to teachers of mathematics at schools, colleges and, to a certain
This handbook is designed for experimental scientists, particularly those in the life sciences. It is for the non-specialist, and although it assumes only a little knowledge of statistics and mathematics, those with a deeper understanding will also find it useful. The book is directed at the scientist who wishes to solve his numerical and statistical problems on a programmable calculator, mini-computer or interactive terminal. The volume is also useful for the user of full-scale computer systems in that it describes how the large computer solves numerical and statistical problems. The book is divided into three parts. Part I deals with numerical techniques and Part II with statistical techniques. Part III is devoted to the method of least squares which can be regarded as both a statistical and numerical method. The handbook shows clearly how each calculation is performed. Each technique is illustrated by at least one example and there are worked examples and exercises throughout the vo
The text is a self-contained, comprehensive introduction to the theory of hydrodynamic lattice gases. Lattice-gas cellular automata are discrete models of fluids. Identical particles hop from site to site on a regular lattice, obeying simple conservative scattering rules when they collide. Remarkably, at a scale larger than the lattice spacing, these discrete models simulate the Navier-Stokes equations of fluid mechanics. This book addresses three important aspects of lattice gases. First, it shows how such simple idealised microscopic dynamics give rise to isotropic macroscopic hydrodynamics. Second, it details how the simplicity of the lattice gas provides for equally simple models of fluid phase separation, hydrodynamic interfaces, and multiphase flow. Lastly, it illustrates how lattice-gas models and related lattice-Boltzmann methods have been used to solve problems in applications as diverse as flow through porous media, phase separation, and interface dynamics. Many exercises and
Given its brevity, Plato's Meno covers an astonishingly wide array of topics: politics, education, virtue, definition, philosophical method, mathematics, the nature and acquisition of knowledge and immortality. Its treatment of these, though profound, is tantalisingly short, leaving the reader with many unresolved questions. This book confronts the dialogue's many enigmas and attempts to solve them in a way that is both lucid and sympathetic to Plato's philosophy. Reading the dialogue as a whole, it explains how different arguments are related to one another and how the interplay between characters is connected to the philosophical content of the work. In a new departure, this book's exploration focuses primarily on the content and coherence of the dialogue in its own right and not merely in the context of other dialogues, making it required reading for all students of Plato, be they from the world of classics or philosophy.
Performance measurement remains a vexing problem for business firms and other kinds of organisations. This book explains why: the performance we want to measure (long-term cash flows, long-term viability) and the performance we can measure (current cash flows, customer satisfaction, etc.) are not the same. The 'balanced scorecard', which has been widely adopted by US firms, does not solve these underlying problems of performance measurement and may exacerbate them because it provides no guidance on how to combine dissimilar measures into an overall appraisal of performance. A measurement technique called activity-based profitability analysis (ABPA) is suggested as a partial solution, especially to the problem of combining dissimilar measures. ABPA estimates the revenue consequences of each activity performed for the customer, allowing firms to compare revenues with costs for these activities and hence to discriminate between activities that are ultimately profitable and those that are
Gottlob Frege has exerted an enormous influence on the evolution of twentieth-century philosophy, yet the real significance of that influence is still very much a matter of debate. This book provides a completely new and systematic account of Frege's philosophy by focusing on its cornerstone: the theory of sense and reference. Two features distinguish this study from other books on Frege. First, sense and reference are placed absolutely at the core of Frege's work; the author shows that no adequate account of the theory can avoid analysing the notion of thought that underpins it, or explaining how it has clarified our concept of judgement. Second, the theory is situated within the development of Frege's thought; the author reveals how the theory caused Frege to alter many of his fundamental views. In doing so the author presents a clearer picture of the problems the theory was intended to solve, and delineates more sharply the characteristic features of Frege's philosophy.
The Triumph of Technology is taken from Lord Alec Broers' 2005 BBC Reith Lectures on the role and importance of technology in our lives. The lectures discuss the way technology has shaped life since the beginnings of civilization, explaining how we owe to technologists most of what drives our world today, how technologies develop, and the excitement of the modern creative process. There are some who believe that technology's future development should be controlled, and that it may already have gone too far, especially in areas such as the use of energy - something which has the potential to permanently harm our environment. Alec Broers argues that although we need to understand such dangers, and use technology wisely, it can improve our lives - that we must look to technology to solve many of the problems that threaten our planet. Included here are the complete lectures plus a new introduction and conclusion.
The search for extra-terrestrial intelligence (SETI) has for sixty years attempted to solve Fermi's paradox: if intelligent life is relatively common in the universe, where is everybody? Examining SETI through this lens, this volume summarises current thinking on the prevalence of intelligent life in the universe, and discusses sixty-six distinct solutions to the so-called paradox. It describes the methodology of SETI, and how many disciplines feed into the debate, from physics and biology, to philosophy and anthropology. The presented solutions are organised into three key groups: rare-Earth solutions, suggesting planetary habitability, life and intelligence are uncommon; catastrophist solutions, arguing civilisations do not survive long enough to make contact; and non-empirical solutions, those that take theoretical approaches, such as that our methodology is flawed. This comprehensive introduction to SETI concludes by looking at the future of the field and speculating on humanity's
The Study Guide to accompany Organic Chemistry, 12th Edition contains review materials, practice problems and exercises to enhance mastery of the material in Organic Chemistry, 12th Edition.In the Study Guide to accompany Organic Chemistry, 12th Edition, special attention is paid towards helping students learn how to put the various pieces of organic chemistry together in order to solve problems. The Study Guide helps clarify to students what organic chemistry is and how it works so that students can master the theory and practice of organic chemistry. The Study Guide emphasizes an understanding of how different molecules react together to create products and the relationship between structure and reactivity.
Gay-Lussac is best known for his chemical work but also made important contributions to other physical sciences and technology. This is the first work to examine critically both the scientific work and the man behind it. Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac (1778–1850) lived through three revolutions in France and his life reflected the social transformations taking place around him. His education and early progress in science depended on the Revolution of 1789 and on the patronage of the chemist Berthollet, a close associate of Napoleon Bonaparte. Gay-Lussac may be seen as the first 'professional' scientist and indeed, throughout the book, Professor Crosland emphasises that he knew how to use his science to solve practical problems and was able to profit considerably from this application.
Given its brevity, Plato's Meno covers an astonishingly wide array of topics: politics, education, virtue, definition, philosophical method, mathematics, the nature and acquisition of knowledge and immortality. Its treatment of these, though profound, is tantalisingly short, leaving the reader with many unresolved questions. This book confronts the dialogue's many enigmas and attempts to solve them in a way that is both lucid and sympathetic to Plato's philosophy. Reading the dialogue as a whole, it explains how different arguments are related to one another and how the interplay between characters is connected to the philosophical content of the work. In a new departure, this book's exploration focuses primarily on the content and coherence of the dialogue in its own right and not merely in the context of other dialogues, making it required reading for all students of Plato, be they from the world of classics or philosophy.
Low-speed aerodynamics is important in the design and operation of aircraft flying at low Mach number, and ground and marine vehicles. This 2001 book offers a modern treatment of the subject, both the theory of inviscid, incompressible, and irrotational aerodynamics and the computational techniques now available to solve complex problems. A unique feature of the text is that the computational approach (from a single vortex element to a three-dimensional panel formulation) is interwoven throughout. Thus, the reader can learn about classical methods of the past, while also learning how to use numerical methods to solve real-world aerodynamic problems. This second edition has a new chapter on the laminar boundary layer (emphasis on the viscous-inviscid coupling), the latest versions of computational techniques, and additional coverage of interaction problems. It includes a systematic treatment of two-dimensional panel methods and a detailed presentation of computational techniques for thr
The 2015 Paris Agreement represents the culmination of years of intense negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Designed to curb climate change, it was negotiated by almost 200 countries who came to the table with different backgrounds, perceptions and interests. As such, the Agreement represents a triumph for multilateralism in a period otherwise characterized by nationalist turns. How did countries reach the historical agreement, and what were the driving forces behind it? This book paints a full picture by providing and analysing multifaceted insider accounts from high-level delegates who represented developed and developing countries, civil society, businesses, the French Presidency, and the UNFCCC Secretariat. In doing so, the book documents not only the negotiation of the Paris Agreement but also the dynamics and factors that shaped it. A better understanding of these dynamics and factors can guide future negotiations and help us solve global
Knowledge representation and reasoning is the foundation of artificial intelligence, declarative programming, and the design of knowledge-intensive software systems capable of performing intelligent tasks. Using logical and probabilistic formalisms based on answer set programming (ASP) and action languages, this book shows how knowledge-intensive systems can be given knowledge about the world and how it can be used to solve non-trivial computational problems. The authors maintain a balance between mathematical analysis and practical design of intelligent agents. All the concepts, such as answering queries, planning, diagnostics, and probabilistic reasoning, are illustrated by programs of ASP. The text can be used for AI-related undergraduate and graduate classes and by researchers who would like to learn more about ASP and knowledge representation.
Liz has a big class project to complete but how can she focus on it when her nosy new neighbor seems to be popping up everywhere? Liz must solve both problems in the nineteenth book of the Critter Club series.When a boy Liz’s age moves in next door, Liz hopes they might become friends. But right away Liz can tell the boy has no interest in being friendly. So why does he keep showing up everywhere she is? Plus, Liz has a big class project to complete—an animal habitat diorama—but she can’t think of anything to create and her nosy new neighbor isn’t helping!With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, The Critter Club chapter books are perfect for beginning readers!
This book explores the current difficulties and unsolved problems in the field of particle therapy and, after analysing them, discusses how (and if) innovative Monte Carlo approaches can be used to solve them. Each book chapter is dedicated to a different sub-discipline, including multi-ion treatments, flash-radiotherapy, laser-accelerated beams, nanoparticles effects, binary reactions to enhance radiobiology, and space-related issues. This is the first book able to provide a comprehensive insight into this exciting field and the growing use of Monte Carlo in medical physics. It will be of interest to graduate students in medicine and medical physics, in addition to researchers and clinical staff.Key Features: Explores the exciting and interdisciplinary topic of Monte Carlo in particle therapy and medicine. Addresses common challenges in the field. Edited by an authority on the subject, with chapter contributions from specialists. Pablo Cirrone is a medical physicist and resear
