Essays In Mathematics And Its Applications

This volume, dedicated to the eminent mathematician Vladimir Arnold, presents a collection of research and survey papers written on a large spectrum of theories and problems that have been studied or introduced by Arnold himself. Emphasis is given to topics relating to dynamical systems, stability of integrable systems, algebraic and differential topology, global analysis, singularity theory and classical mechanics. A number of applications of Arnold’s groundbreaking work are presented. This publication will assist graduate students and research mathematicians in acquiring an in-depth understanding and insight into a wide domain of research of an interdisciplinary nature.

​The volume is dedicated to Stephen Smale on the occasion of his 80th birthday.Besides his startling 1960 result of the proof of the Poincar ́e conjecture for all dimensionsgreater than or equal to five, Smale’s ground breaking contributions invarious fields in Mathematics have marked the second part of the 20th century andbeyond. Stephen Smale has done pioneering work in differential topology, globalanalysis, dynamical systems, nonlinear functional analysis, numerical analysis, theoryof computation and machine learning as well as applications in the physical andbiological sciences and economics. In sum, Stephen Smale has manifestly brokenthe barriers among the different fields of mathematics and dispelled some remainingprejudices. He is indeed a universal mathematician. Smale has been honoredwith several prizes and honorary degrees including, among others, the Fields Medal(1966), The Veblen Prize (1966), the National Medal of Science (1996) and theWolfPrize (2006/2007).

Mathematical Perspectives: Essays on Mathematics and its Historical Development is a collection of 13 biographical essays on the historical advances of science. This collection is originally meant to comprise an issue of the journal Historia Mathematica in honor of Professor Kurt R. Biermann’s 60th birthday. This 12-chapter text includes essays on studies and commentaries on the problem of “figures of equal perimeter by various authors in antiquity, including Zenodorus, Theon, and Pappus. Other essays explore the comparison of the areas of polygons with equal perimeter; the concept of function; history of mathematics; the development of mathematical physics in France; and the history of Logicism and Formalism. The remaining chapters deal with essays on an early version of Gauss’ Disquisitiones Arithmeticae, ideal numbers, a mathematical-philosophilica theory of probability, and historical examples of problem of number sequence interpolation. This book will be of value to mathematicians, historians, and researchers.

Eleven distinguished historians of science explore natural philosophy and mathematics in the Middle Ages.

The chapters in this book present an excellent exposition of recent developments in both robotics and nonlinear control centering around "hyper-redundancy", highly oscillatory inputs, optimal control, exterior differential systems, and the use of generic loops. The principal topics covered in the book are: adaptive control for a class of nonlinear systems, event-based motion planning, nonlinear control synthesis and path planning in robotics with special emphasis on nonholonomic and "hyper-redundant" robotic systems, control design and stabilization of driftless affine control systems (of the type arising in the kinematic control of nonholonomic robotic systems), control design methods for Hamiltonian systems and exterior differential systems. The chapter covering exterior differential systems contains a detailed introduction to the use of exterior differential methods, including the Goursat and extended Goursat normal forms and their application to path planning for nonholonomic systems.

Traditionally, vocational mathematics and precollege mathematics have been separate in schools. But the technological world in which today's students will work and live calls for increasing connection between mathematics and its applications. Workplace-based mathematics may be good mathematics for everyone. High School Mathematics at Work illuminates the interplay between technical and academic mathematics. This collection of thought-provoking essaysâ€"by mathematicians, educators, and other expertsâ€"is enhanced with illustrative tasks from workplace and everyday contexts that suggest ways to strengthen high school mathematical education. This important book addresses how to make mathematical education of all students meaningfulâ€"how to meet the practical needs of students entering the work force after high school as well as the needs of students going on to postsecondary education. The short readable essays frame basic issues, provide background, and suggest alternatives to the traditional separation between technical and academic mathematics. They are accompanied by intriguing multipart problems that illustrate how deep mathematics functions in everyday settingsâ€"from analysis of ambulance response times to energy utilization, from buying a used car to "rounding off" to simplify problems. The book addresses the role of standards in mathematics education, discussing issues such as finding common ground between science and mathematics education standards, improving the articulation from school to work, and comparing SAT results across settings. Experts discuss how to develop curricula so that students learn to solve problems they are likely to encounter in lifeâ€"while also providing them with approaches to unfamiliar problems. The book also addresses how teachers can help prepare students for postsecondary education. For teacher education the book explores the changing nature of pedagogy and new approaches to teacher development. What kind of teaching will allow mathematics to be a guide rather than a gatekeeper to many career paths? Essays discuss pedagogical implication in problem-centered teaching, the role of complex mathematical tasks in teacher education, and the idea of making open-ended tasksâ€"and the student work they elicitâ€"central to professional discourse. High School Mathematics at Work presents thoughtful views from experts. It identifies rich possibilities for teaching mathematics and preparing students for the technological challenges of the future. This book will inform and inspire teachers, teacher educators, curriculum developers, and others involved in improving mathematics education and the capabilities of tomorrow's work force.

This is a volume of essays and reviews that delightfully explores mathematics in all its moods — from the light and the witty, and humorous to serious, rational, and cerebral. These beautifully written articles from three great modern mathematicians will provide a source for supplemental reading for almost any math class. Topics include: logic, combinatorics, statistics, economics, artificial intelligence, computer science, and broad applications of mathematics. Readers will also find coverage of history and philosophy, including discussion of the work of Ulam, Kant, and Heidegger, among others.