Chaos A Very Short Introduction

Author : Leonard Smith
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 0191579432
Total Pages : 200 pages
Book Rating : 4.31/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Chaos: A Very Short Introduction written by Leonard Smith and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2007-02-22 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Chaos exists in systems all around us. Even the simplest system of cause and effect can be subject to chaos, denying us accurate predictions of its behaviour, and sometimes giving rise to astonishing structures of large-scale order. Our growing understanding of Chaos Theory is having fascinating applications in the real world - from technology to global warming, politics, human behaviour, and even gambling on the stock market. Leonard Smith shows that we all have an intuitive understanding of chaotic systems. He uses accessible maths and physics (replacing complex equations with simple examples like pendulums, railway lines, and tossing coins) to explain the theory, and points to numerous examples in philosophy and literature (Edgar Allen Poe, Chang-Tzu, Arthur Conan Doyle) that illuminate the problems. The beauty of fractal patterns and their relation to chaos, as well as the history of chaos, and its uses in the real world and implications for the philosophy of science are all discussed in this Very Short Introduction. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Author : Kenneth Falconer
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 0191663441
Total Pages : 144 pages
Book Rating : 4.44/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Fractals: A Very Short Introduction written by Kenneth Falconer and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2013-09-26 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many are familiar with the beauty and ubiquity of fractal forms within nature. Unlike the study of smooth forms such as spheres, fractal geometry describes more familiar shapes and patterns, such as the complex contours of coastlines, the outlines of clouds, and the branching of trees. In this Very Short Introduction, Kenneth Falconer looks at the roots of the 'fractal revolution' that occurred in mathematics in the 20th century, presents the 'new geometry' of fractals, explains the basic concepts, and explores the wide range of applications in science, and in aspects of economics. This is essential introductory reading for students of mathematics and science, and those interested in popular science and mathematics. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Author : Samir Okasha
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0198745583
Total Pages : 161 pages
Book Rating : 4.87/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Philosophy of Science written by Samir Okasha and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In this new edition Samir Ikasha reviews the main themes of contemporary philosophy of science. Beginning with a brief account of the history of modern science, he asks whether there is a discernible pattern to the way scientific ideas change over time. He examines scientific inference, scientific explanation, and the debate between realist and anti-realist views of science."--

Author : Ian Stewart
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 0191652741
Total Pages : 152 pages
Book Rating : 4.45/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Symmetry: A Very Short Introduction written by Ian Stewart and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2013-05-30 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the 1800s mathematicians introduced a formal theory of symmetry: group theory. Now a branch of abstract algebra, this subject first arose in the theory of equations. Symmetry is an immensely important concept in mathematics and throughout the sciences, and its applications range across the entire subject. Symmetry governs the structure of crystals, innumerable types of pattern formation, how systems change their state as parameters vary; and fundamental physics is governed by symmetries in the laws of nature. It is highly visual, with applications that include animal markings, locomotion, evolutionary biology, elastic buckling, waves, the shape of the Earth, and the form of galaxies. In this Very Short Introduction, Ian Stewart demonstrates its deep implications, and shows how it plays a major role in the current search to unify relativity and quantum theory. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Author : Leonard Smith
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0192853783
Total Pages : 201 pages
Book Rating : 4.83/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Chaos written by Leonard Smith and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2007-02-22 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An introduction to chaotic behavior dynamics describes its behavior in both science and the real world.

Author : John Henry Holland
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN 13 : 0199662541
Total Pages : 121 pages
Book Rating : 4.48/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Complexity written by John Henry Holland and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2014 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this very short introduction, John Holland presents an introduction to the science of complexity. Using examples from biology and economics, he shows how complexity science models the behaviour of complex systems.

Author : John Polkinghorne
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 0191577677
Total Pages : 145 pages
Book Rating : 4.73/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Quantum Theory: A Very Short Introduction written by John Polkinghorne and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2002-05-30 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Quantum Theory is the most revolutionary discovery in physics since Newton. This book gives a lucid, exciting, and accessible account of the surprising and counterintuitive ideas that shape our understanding of the sub-atomic world. It does not disguise the problems of interpretation that still remain unsettled 75 years after the initial discoveries. The main text makes no use of equations, but there is a Mathematical Appendix for those desiring stronger fare. Uncertainty, probabilistic physics, complementarity, the problematic character of measurement, and decoherence are among the many topics discussed. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Author : Iwona Abrams
Publisher : Icon Books Ltd
ISBN 13 : 1848317662
Total Pages : 300 pages
Book Rating : 4.66/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Introducing Chaos written by Iwona Abrams and published by Icon Books Ltd. This book was released on 2014-06-05 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, does it cause a tornado in Texas? Chaos theory attempts to answer such baffling questions. The discovery of randomness in apparently predictable physical systems has evolved into a science that declares the universe to be far more unpredictable than we have ever imagined. Introducing Chaos explains how chaos makes its presence felt in events from the fluctuation of animal populations to the ups and downs of the stock market. It also examines the roots of chaos in modern maths and physics, and explores the relationship between chaos and complexity, the unifying theory which suggests that all complex systems evolve from a few simple rules. This is an accessible introduction to an astonishing and controversial theory.

Author : David P. Feldman
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0191637521
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.20/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Chaos and Fractals written by David P. Feldman and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2012-08-10 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides the reader with an elementary introduction to chaos and fractals, suitable for students with a background in elementary algebra, without assuming prior coursework in calculus or physics. It introduces the key phenomena of chaos - aperiodicity, sensitive dependence on initial conditions, bifurcations - via simple iterated functions. Fractals are introduced as self-similar geometric objects and analyzed with the self-similarity and box-counting dimensions. After a brief discussion of power laws, subsequent chapters explore Julia Sets and the Mandelbrot Set. The last part of the book examines two-dimensional dynamical systems, strange attractors, cellular automata, and chaotic differential equations. The book is richly illustrated and includes over 200 end-of-chapter exercises. A flexible format and a clear and succinct writing style make it a good choice for introductory courses in chaos and fractals.

Author : Timothy Gowers
Publisher : Oxford Paperbacks
ISBN 13 : 9780192853615
Total Pages : 172 pages
Book Rating : 4.19/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction written by Timothy Gowers and published by Oxford Paperbacks. This book was released on 2002-08-22 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The aim of this volume is to explain the differences between research-level mathematics and the maths taught at school. Most differences are philosophical and the first few chapters are about general aspects of mathematical thought.