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Random Field Models in Earth Sciences
by George ChristakosThis graduate-level text explores problems in earth sciences in which the random field model constitutes an effective approach. A critical and concise summary of the fundamental concepts and results of the general random field theory is followed by considerations of the intrinsic spatial random field model, and more. 103 figures. 16 tables.
Random Fields for Spatial Data Modeling: A Primer for Scientists and Engineers (Advances in Geographic Information Science)
by Dionissios T. HristopulosThis book provides an inter-disciplinary introduction to the theory of random fields and its applications. Spatial models and spatial data analysis are integral parts of many scientific and engineering disciplines. Random fields provide a general theoretical framework for the development of spatial models and their applications in data analysis. The contents of the book include topics from classical statistics and random field theory (regression models, Gaussian random fields, stationarity, correlation functions) spatial statistics (variogram estimation, model inference, kriging-based prediction) and statistical physics (fractals, Ising model, simulated annealing, maximum entropy, functional integral representations, perturbation and variational methods). The book also explores links between random fields, Gaussian processes and neural networks used in machine learning. Connections with applied mathematics are highlighted by means of models based on stochastic partial differential equations. An interlude on autoregressive time series provides useful lower-dimensional analogies and a connection with the classical linear harmonic oscillator. Other chapters focus on non-Gaussian random fields and stochastic simulation methods. The book also presents results based on the author’s research on Spartan random fields that were inspired by statistical field theories originating in physics. The equivalence of the one-dimensional Spartan random field model with the classical, linear, damped harmonic oscillator driven by white noise is highlighted. Ideas with potentially significant computational gains for the processing of big spatial data are presented and discussed. The final chapter concludes with a description of the Karhunen-Loève expansion of the Spartan model. The book will appeal to engineers, physicists, and geoscientists whose research involves spatial models or spatial data analysis. Anyone with background in probability and statistics can read at least parts of the book. Some chapters will be easier to understand by readers familiar with differential equations and Fourier transforms.
Random Fields of Piezoelectricity and Piezomagnetism: Correlation Structures (SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology)
by Anatoliy Malyarenko Martin Ostoja-Starzewski Amirhossein Amiri-HezavehRandom fields are a necessity when formulating stochastic continuum theories. In this book, a theory of random piezoelectric and piezomagnetic materials is developed. First, elements of the continuum mechanics of electromagnetic solids are presented. Then the relevant linear governing equations are introduced, written in terms of either a displacement approach or a stress approach, along with linear variational principles. On this basis, a statistical description of second-order (statistically) homogeneous and isotropic rank-3 tensor-valued random fields is given. With a group-theoretic foundation, correlation functions and their spectral counterparts are obtained in terms of stochastic integrals with respect to certain random measures for the fields that belong to orthotropic, tetragonal, and cubic crystal systems. The target audience will primarily comprise researchers and graduate students in theoretical mechanics, statistical physics, and probability.
Random Geometrically Graph Directed Self-Similar Multifractals (Chapman And Hall/crc Research Notes In Mathematics Ser. #307)
by Lars OlsenMultifractal theory was introduced by theoretical physicists in 1986. Since then, multifractals have increasingly been studied by mathematicians. This new work presents the latest research on random results on random multifractals and the physical thermodynamical interpretation of these results. As the amount of work in this area increases, Lars Olsen presents a unifying approach to current multifractal theory. Featuring high quality, original research material, this important new book fills a gap in the current literature available, providing a rigorous mathematical treatment of multifractal measures.
Random Matrix Theory with an External Source
by Edouard Brézin Shinobu HikamiThis is a first book to show that the theory of the Gaussian random matrix is essential to understand the universal correlations with random fluctuations and to demonstrate that it is useful to evaluate topological universal quantities. We consider Gaussian random matrix models in the presence of a deterministic matrix source. In such models the correlation functions are known exactly for an arbitrary source and for any size of the matrices. The freedom given by the external source allows for various tunings to different classes of universality. The main interest is to use this freedom to compute various topological invariants for surfaces such as the intersection numbers for curves drawn on a surface of given genus with marked points, Euler characteristics, and the Gromov-Witten invariants. A remarkable duality for the average of characteristic polynomials is essential for obtaining such topological invariants. The analysis is extended to nonorientable surfaces and to surfaces with boundaries.
A Random Walk in Physics: Beyond Black Holes and Time-Travels
by Massimo Cencini Andrea Puglisi Davide Vergni Angelo VulpianiThis book offers an informal, easy-to-understand account of topics in modern physics and mathematics. The focus is, in particular, on statistical mechanics, soft matter, probability, chaos, complexity, and models, as well as their interplay. The book features 28 key entries and it is carefully structured so as to allow readers to pursue different paths that reflect their interests and priorities, thereby avoiding an excessively systematic presentation that might stifle interest. While the majority of the entries concern specific topics and arguments, some relate to important protagonists of science, highlighting and explaining their contributions. Advanced mathematics is avoided, and formulas are introduced in only a few cases. The book is a user-friendly tool that nevertheless avoids scientific compromise. It is of interest to all who seek a better grasp of the world that surrounds us and of the ideas that have changed our perceptions.
Random Walks and Physical Fields (Probability Theory and Stochastic Modelling #106)
by Yves Le JanThis book presents fundamental relations between random walks on graphs and field theories of mathematical physics. Such relations have been explored for several decades and remain a rapidly developing research area in probability theory.The main objects of study include Markov loops, spanning forests, random holonomies, and covers, and the purpose of the book is to investigate their relations to Bose fields, Fermi fields, and gauge fields. The book starts with a review of some basic notions of Markovian potential theory in the simple context of a finite or countable graph, followed by several chapters dedicated to the study of loop ensembles and related statistical physical models. Then, spanning trees and Fermi fields are introduced and related to loop ensembles. Next, the focus turns to topological properties of loops and graphs, with the introduction of connections on a graph, loop holonomies, and Yang–Mills measure. Among the main results presented is an intertwining relation between merge-and-split generators on loop ensembles and Casimir operators on connections, and the key reflection positivity property for the fields under consideration.Aimed at researchers and graduate students in probability and mathematical physics, this concise monograph is essentially self-contained. Familiarity with basic notions of probability, Poisson point processes, and discrete Markov chains are assumed of the reader.
Random Walks, Random Fields, and Disordered Systems
by Anton Bovier David Brydges Amin Coja-Oghlan Dmitry Ioffe Gregory F. LawlerMarek Biskup Jiří Černý Roman KoteckýFocusing on the mathematics that lies at the intersection of probability theory, statistical physics, combinatorics and computer science, this volume collects together lecture notes on recent developments in the area. The common ground of these subjects is perhaps best described by the three terms in the title: Random Walks, Random Fields and Disordered Systems. The specific topics covered include a study of Branching Brownian Motion from the perspective of disordered (spin-glass) systems, a detailed analysis of weakly self-avoiding random walks in four spatial dimensions via methods of field theory and the renormalization group, a study of phase transitions in disordered discrete structures using a rigorous version of the cavity method, a survey of recent work on interacting polymers in the ballisticity regime and, finally, a treatise on two-dimensional loop-soup models and their connection to conformally invariant systems and the Gaussian Free Field. The notes are aimed at early graduate students with a modest background in probability and mathematical physics, although they could also be enjoyed by seasoned researchers interested in learning about recent advances in the above fields.
The Randstad: A Polycentric Metropolis (Regions and Cities)
by Wil Zonneveld Vincent NadinThe Randstad metropolitan region encompassing Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht in the western Netherlands is regarded worldwide as a model of a ‘successful’ polycentric metropolis. It is widely cited as an example of how a region of interconnected small cities can effectively compete globally by providing complementary functions which together match the power of large monocentric cities. The methods of strategic spatial planning, regional design and strategic projects that are said to underpin this polycentric metropolis are used as models for practitioners and students around the world. But is this high reputation deserved? Does the Randstad really function as a polycentric metropolis? The operation of the Randstad as a polycentric networked region is controversial both in terms of the actual strength of relations between its component parts, and the value of promoting polycentricity in policy. What are the costs and benefits of a Randstad metropolis? Does polycentricity improve the performance of the region in economic, social and environmental terms? How has the polycentric metropolis evolved and what part is played by its delta location? Has spatial planning made a difference in the form and operation of the region today? How will this spatial configuration fare in the face of the climate crisis and need to create healthy cities and regions? Is there benefit in pursuing the idea of a polycentric metropolis in government policy and action, and how? These questions are of critical interest within the Netherlands but experience in the Randstad offers valuable insights to many other complex urban regions around the world. This book will provide a critical analysis of the Randstad and lessons for strategic planning in other metropolitan regions.
Range and Richness of Vascular Land Plants: The Role of Variable Light (Special Publications #61)
by Peter S. EaglesonPublished by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Special Publications Series. This is a research monograph and not a textbook. Here I demonstrate analytically how the observed, opposing, latitudinal gradients in the average range and richness of local vascular land plant species are (outside the moist-tropical zone, at least) driven primarily by the local temporal and spatial variability of shortwave radiative flux at the canopy top. (The term "richness" as used here means the local number of different vascular land plant species unlimited by the size of the area sampled.) The hypotheses are simplistic but are nevertheless convincingly accurate in extratropical latitudes when tested against observations over the continental land surfaces of the Northern Hemisphere, the only areas tested here.
Rangeland Ecology And Management
by Harold Heady R. Dennis ChildOver the last two decades the science of range management, like many other resource disciplines, has embraced and integrated environmental concerns in the field, the laboratory, and policy. Rangeland Ecology and Management now brings this integrated approach to the classroom in a thoroughly researched, comprehensive, and readable text. The authors discuss the basics of rangeland management--including grazing and practical management of animals and vegetation--and place those basics within the context of decision making for damaged land, riparian and water conservation, multiple use, and modeling. Concepts such as succession, stability, and range condition are examined and their effects discussed. Fire is considered as an environmental factor. Appendixes provide scientific and common names of range plants and animals. These and many other issues crucial to the understanding of successful range management combine to make the finest text for upper-level undergraduates now available.
Rangeland Stewardship in Central Asia
by Victor R. SquiresThis volume of 18 chapters is the work of more than 30 authors, many of whom are natives of the Central Asian region or are researchers who have dedicated a large part of their working lives to studying the development dynamics in this vast and fascinating region. The work focuses on the 20 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990. But it also traces the attitudes of land users to the land dating from before the late 19th century, when Russian conquest and colonization occurred, and through the upheavals caused by Soviet-style collectivization and sedentarization. The book is rich with new data presented in 68 easy to understand charts/graphs (many in color) and 50 Tables. Information was generated for this book by experts working in-country. It presents for the first time in English a digest of plethora of previously inaccessible Russian reports and scientific literature that will be invaluable for development agencies, including UN, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Bank as well as to students of this vast and fascinating region who seek up to date and authoritive information.
Rangeland Sustainability: Social, Ecological, and Economic Assessments (Environmental and Societal Dimensions of Sustainable Development Goals)
by Kristie Maczko Aaron Harp John Tanaka Matt ReevesThis book provides an integrated description of the indicators of rangeland sustainability that capture ecological, economic, and social dimensions. It takes a fresh look at the information available on current and emerging issues across rangelands, and presents collaborative research for future progress. Authors offer a framework for evaluating rangeland sustainability, the best available data to use, as well as an interactive tool for use at a variety of geographical scales. Readers with limited knowledge of rangelands, as well as professional rangeland ecologists and land managers, will gain an understanding of the best tools available today to assess sustainability across rangeland ecosystems in the U.S.
Rangeland Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
by Lance B. McNew David K. Dahlgren Jeffrey L. BeckThis open access book reviews the importance of ecological functioning within rangelands considering the complex inter-relationships of production agriculture, ecosystem services, biodiversity, and wildlife habitat. More than half of all lands worldwide, and up to 70% of the western USA, are classified as rangelands—uncultivated lands that often support grazing by domestic livestock. The rangelands of North America provide a vast array of goods and services, including significant economic benefit to local communities, while providing critical habitat for hundreds of species of fish and wildlife. This book provides compendium of recent data and synthesis from more than 100 experts in wildlife and rangeland ecology in Western North America. It provides a current and in-depth synthesis of knowledge related to wildlife ecology in rangeland ecosystems, and the tools used to manage them, to serve current and future wildlife biologists and rangeland managers in the working landscapes of the West. The book also identifies information gaps and serves as a jumping-off point for future research of wildlife in rangeland ecosystems. While the content focuses on wildlife ecology and management in rangelands of Western North America, the material has important implications for rangeland ecosystems worldwide.
Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was a Gorilla (I Can Read Level 1)
by Jennifer BovéExplore the lives of gorillas with Ranger Rick in this beginning reader with full-color photos of gorillas in the wild! What if you wished you were a gorilla and then you became one? Could you eat like a gorilla? Sleep like a gorilla? Live in a gorilla family? And would you want to? Find out!Ranger Rick explorers can learn all about gorillas in this reader full of fascinating facts, vivid wildlife photographs, a Wild Words glossary, and a hands-on activity about how to make a snack like a gorilla! Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was a Gorilla is a Level One I Can Read, which means it’s perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences. Whether shared at home or in a classroom, the short sentences, familiar words, and simple concepts of Level One books support success for children eager to start reading on their own.
Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was a Lion (I Can Read Level 1)
by Sandra MarkleDig into the lives of lions with Ranger Rick in this beginning reader with full-color photos of lions in the wild! What if you wished you were a lion? And then you became one? Could you eat like a lion? Sleep like a lion? Live in a lion family? And would you want to? Find out! Ranger Rick explorers can learn all about lions in this reader full of fascinating facts, vivid wildlife photographs, a Wild Words glossary, and a hands-on activity about practicing your lion-quick reflexes!Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was a Lion is a Level One I Can Read, which means it’s perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences. Whether shared at home or in a classroom, the short sentences, familiar words, and simple concepts of Level One books support success for children eager to start reading on their own.
Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was a Polar Bear (I Can Read Level 1)
by Jennifer BovéExplore the lives of polar bears with Ranger Rick in this beginning reader with full-color photos of polar bears in the wild! What if you wished you were a polar bear and then you became one? Could you eat like a polar bear? Talk like a polar bear? Live in the cold Arctic tundra? And would you want to? Find out!Ranger Rick explorers can learn all about polar bears in this reader full of fascinating facts, vivid wildlife photographs, a Wild Words glossary, and a paws-on activity that shows readers how blubber works using ice water and vegetable shortening! Ranger Rick, the iconic raccoon ambassador from Ranger Rick magazine, asks questions like: Would you want to nap on the snow? Brrr!Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was a Polar Bear is a Level One I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences. Whether shared at home or in a classroom, the short sentences, familiar words, and simple concepts of Level One books support success for children eager to start reading on their own.
Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was a Wolf (I Can Read Level 1)
by Jennifer BovéExplore the lives of wolves with Ranger Rick in this beginning reader with full-color photos of wolves in the wild! What if you wished you were a wolf and then you became a gray wolf pup? Could you play like a pup? Talk with howls and growls? Live with a wolf pack? And would you want to? Find out!Ranger Rick explorers can learn all about wolves in this reader full of fascinating facts, vivid wildlife photographs, a Wild Words glossary, and a paws-on activity that teaches kids how to talk like a wolf! Ranger Rick, the iconic raccoon ambassador from Ranger Rick magazines, asks questions like: How do you practice being a grown-up? Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was a Wolf is a Level One I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences. Whether shared at home or in a classroom, the short sentences, familiar words, and simple concepts of Level One books support success for children eager to start reading on their own.
Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was an Elephant (I Can Read Level 1)
by Jennifer BovéExplore the lives of elephants with Ranger Rick in this beginning reader with full-color photos of elephants in the wild!What if you wished you were an elephant and then you became one? Could you talk like an elephant? Sleep like an elephant? Live in an elephant family? And would you want to? Find out! Ranger Rick explorers can learn all about elephants in this reader full of fascinating facts, vivid wildlife photographs, a Wild Words glossary, and a hands-on activity about how to play “elephant hockey” using your arm like an elephant trunk. Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was an Elephant is a Level One I Can Read, which means it’s perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences. Whether shared at home or in a classroom, the short sentences, familiar words, and simple concepts of Level One books support success for children eager to start reading on their own.
Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was an Orca (I Can Read Level 1)
by Sandra MarkleDive into the lives of orcas with Ranger Rick in this beginning reader with full-color photos of orcas in the wild! What if you wished you were an orca? And then you became one? An orca is an amazing kind of whale. Could you eat like an orca? Sleep like an orca? Live in an orca family? And would you want to? Find out! Ranger Rick explorers can learn all about orcas in this reader full of fascinating facts, vivid wildlife photographs, a Wild Words glossary, and a hands-on activity about how to communicate like an orca!Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was an Orca is a Level One I Can Read, which means it’s perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences. Whether shared at home or in a classroom, the short sentences, familiar words, and simple concepts of Level One books support success for children eager to start reading on their own.
Rapa Nui: Una herida en el océano
by Mario AmorósUn libro revelador sobre un destino bello, en peligro y tan ajeno a la cultura nacional, pese a ser parte del territorio Libro que narra la historia y memoria del pueblo rapanui a partir de la documentación consultada en una decena de archivos, de una amplia bibliografía y de numerosos testimonios. <P><P>Entre el material inédito más relevante destaca la correspondencia del sacerdote capuchino alemán Sebastián Englert, destinado en la isla desde 1935, que da cuenta de la continuidad y de los cambios en la isla a lo largo de las décadas centrales del siglo XX. <P>Hace 130 años, los jefes rapanui, encabezados por el Ariki Atamu Tekena, otorgaron a Chile la soberanía sobre su isla. A cambio, el representante del Gobierno, el capitán de la Armada Policarpo Toro, les prometió respeto y protección. El llamado Acuerdo de Voluntades convirtió a Rapa Nui en una colonia que a partir de 1895 fue arrendada a una empresa privada, que la explotó como hacienda ovejera. En estos 130 años, el Estado chileno ha tenido una equívoca relación con la isla, al punto de ofrecerla en venta en plena segunda guerra mundial nada menos que a la Alemania nazi.
Rapid Damage-Free Robotic Harvesting of Tomatoes (Springer Tracts In Mechanical Engineering Ser.)
by Jizhan Liu Zhiguo Li Pingping LiThis book shares the latest findings on this topic, systematically introduces readers to advances made in robotic harvesting around the globe, and explores the relations between the development of robotic harvesting and the respective social/economic conditions and agricultural business patterns in various countries/regions. Due to the unstructured setting it is used in, and to the significant differences between individual fruit and vegetable targets, robotic harvesting is currently considered to be one of the most challenging robotics technologies. Accordingly, research into this area involves the integration of various aspects, including biomechanics, optimization design, advanced perception and intelligent control. <P><P> In addition to rapid and damage-free robotic harvesting, which reflects the multidisciplinary nature of the topic, further aspects addressed include gripping collisions with viscoelastic objects, using lasers to cut plant material, plant-fruit response to vacuum sucking and pulling, and performance probability distribution. Highlighting outstanding innovations and reflecting the latest advances in intelligent agricultural equipment in China, the book offers a unique and valuable resource.
Raptors: The Curious Nature of Diurnal Birds of Prey (Birdlife Conservation Ser. #Volume 9)
by Keith L. BildsteinRaptors are formally classified into five families and include birds—such as eagles, ospreys, kites, true hawks, buzzards, harriers, vultures, and falcons—that are familiar and recognized by many observers. These diurnal birds of prey are found on every continent except Antarctica and can thrive in seemingly inhospitable spots such as deserts and the tundra. They have powerful talons and hooked beaks for cutting and tearing meat, and keen binocular vision to aid in their hunting prowess. Because of their large size, distinctive feeding habits, and long-distance flight patterns, raptors intrigue humans and have been the subject of much general interest as well as extensive scientific research.Keith L. Bildstein has watched and studied raptors on five continents and is well prepared to explain their critical importance, not only as ecological entities but also as inspirational tokens across natural and human-dominated landscapes. His book offers a comprehensive and accessible account of raptors, including their evolutionary history, their relationships to other groups of birds, their sensory abilities, their general natural history, their breeding ecology and feeding behavior, and threats to their survival in a human-dominated world. Biologically sound but readable, Raptors is a nontechnical overview of this captivating group. It will allow naturalists, birders, hawk-watchers, science educators, schoolchildren, and the general public, along with new students in the field of raptor biology, to understand and appreciate these birds, and in so doing better protect them.
Rare Birds: The Extraordinary Tale of the Bermuda Petrel and the Man Who Brought It Back from Extinction
by Elizabeth GehrmanThe inspiring story of David Wingate, a living legend among birders, who brought the Bermuda petrel back from presumed extinction David Wingate is known in Bermuda as the birdman and in the international conservation community as a living legend for single-handedly bringing back the cahow, or Bermuda petrel—a seabird that flies up to 82,000 miles a year, drinking seawater and sleeping on the wing. For millennia, the birds came ashore every November to breed on this tiny North Atlantic island. But less than a decade after Bermuda’s 1612 settlement, the cahows had vanished. Or so it was thought until the early 1900s, when tantalizing hints of their continued existence began to emerge. In 1951, two scientists invited fifteen-year-old Wingate along on a bare-bones expedition to find the bird. The team stunned the world by locating seven nesting pairs, and Wingate knew his life had changed forever. He would spend the next fifty years battling natural and man-made disasters, bureaucracy, and personal tragedy with single-minded devotion and antiestablishment outspokenness. In April 2009, Wingate saw his dream fulfilled, as the birds returned to Nonsuch, an island habitat that he had hand-restored, plant-by-plant, giving the Bermuda petrels the chance they needed in their centuries-long fight for survival.
Rare British Breeds: Endangered Species in the UK
by Sophie McCallumA look at rare British livestock breeds, from their history and characteristics to their conservation status and the efforts to help them survive.Rare British Breeds is a book inspired by the Rare Breed Survival Trust Watchlist, which is published annually, listing the species of sheep, cattle, horses, pigs, goats and poultry (chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese) that are endangered in the United Kingdom.This information is gathered from breed societies and lists the number of breeding females alive, along with their conservation status. Each species, regardless of their origin, is unique to the UK, either through cross breeding or by evolution.There are good reasons for wanting to keep these breeds alive. It’s not just the genetic makeup of these creatures which means many are able to survive and thrive in very formidable conditions—a prerequisite for enduring possible future environmental disasters. Once gone, these genes will never be able to be replaced. They have taken thousands of years to develop.The book looks at the history of every breed, with their evolutionary roots, development over time, exportation, cross breeding, and changing relationship to mankind as farming techniques react to societal shifts. Their particular physical characteristics such as meat, wool, milk, eggs, or ability to pull great weights are discussed, as well as their conservation status and the national and international efforts being made to ensure their survival.