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Shared Physical Custody: Interdisciplinary Insights in Child Custody Arrangements (European Studies of Population #25)
by Laura Bernardi Dimitri MortelmansThis open access book provides an overview of the ever-growing phenomenon of children in shared physical custody thereby providing legal, psychological, family sociological and demographical insights. It describes how, despite the long evolution of broken families, only the last decade has seen a radical shift in custody arrangements for children in divorced families and the gender revolution in parenting which is taking place. The chapters have a national or cross-national perspective and address topics like prevalence and types of shared physical custody, legal frames regulating custody arrangements, stability and changes in arrangements across the life course of children, socio‐economic, psychological, social well-being of various family members involved in different custody arrangements. With the book being an interdisciplinary collaboration, it is interesting read for social scientists in demography, sociology, psychology, law and policy makers with an interest family studies and custody arrangements.
Sharing Economy and Big Data Analytics
by Soraya Sedkaoui Mounia KhelfaouiThe different facets of the sharing economy offer numerous opportunities for businesses ? particularly those that can be distinguished by their creative ideas and their ability to easily connect buyers and senders of goods and services via digital platforms. At the beginning of the growth of this economy, the advanced digital technologies generated billions of bytes of data that constitute what we call Big Data. This book underlines the facilitating role of Big Data analytics, explaining why and how data analysis algorithms can be integrated operationally, in order to extract value and to improve the practices of the sharing economy. It examines the reasons why these new techniques are necessary for businesses of this economy and proposes a series of useful applications that illustrate the use of data in the sharing ecosystem.
Sharkovsky Ordering (SpringerBriefs in Mathematics)
by Alexander M. Blokh Oleksandr M. SharkovskyThis book provides a comprehensive survey of the Sharkovsky ordering, its different aspects and its role in dynamical systems theory and applications. It addresses the coexistence of cycles for continuous interval maps and one-dimensional spaces, combinatorial dynamics on the interval and multidimensional dynamical systems. Also featured is a short chapter of personal remarks by O.M. Sharkovsky on the history of the Sharkovsky ordering, the discovery of which almost 60 years ago led to the inception of combinatorial dynamics. Now one of cornerstones of dynamics, bifurcation theory and chaos theory, the Sharkovsky ordering is an important tool for the investigation of dynamical processes in nature. Assuming only a basic mathematical background, the book will appeal to students, researchers and anyone who is interested in the subject.
Sharp Inequalities for Ordered Random Variables in Statistics and Reliability: Volume I: Standard Order Statistics (Frontiers in Probability and the Statistical Sciences)
by Narayanaswamy Balakrishnan Tomasz RychlikThe book discusses various inequalities and sharp bounds for the usual order statistics as well as some functions of them. In particular, deterministic bounds, bounds for the case of IID samples from general, symmetric and life distributions, IID samples from shape restricted family of distributions, and samples from finite populations are all discussed in detail. An elaborate numerical evaluation and comparison of various bounds are also presented in order to illustrate their inherent differences as well as their precision. Furthermore, their applications to inference, reliability theory and characterizations are also highlighted. The book provides an in-depth exposure to various mathematical inequalities and bounds established historically as well as in recent years and their applications to order statistics and some important functions of them. It thus presents an up-to-date discussion of all results in this important area of mathematical and statistical research. The results described here are general in nature and therefore could be useful in other areas of Probability and Statistics as well.
Sharpening Your Advanced SAS Skills
by Sunil GuptaSharpening Your Advanced SAS Skills presents sophisticated SAS programming techniques, procedures, and tools, such as Proc SQL, hash tables, and SAS Macro programming, for any industry. Drawing on his more than 20 years' experience of SAS programming in the pharmaceutical industry, the author provides a unique approach that empowers both advanced p
Sheaf Theory through Examples
by Daniel RosiakAn approachable introduction to elementary sheaf theory and its applications beyond pure math.Sheaves are mathematical constructions concerned with passages from local properties to global ones. They have played a fundamental role in the development of many areas of modern mathematics, yet the broad conceptual power of sheaf theory and its wide applicability to areas beyond pure math have only recently begun to be appreciated. Taking an applied category theory perspective, Sheaf Theory through Examples provides an approachable introduction to elementary sheaf theory and examines applications including n-colorings of graphs, satellite data, chess problems, Bayesian networks, self-similar groups, musical performance, complexes, and much more. With an emphasis on developing the theory via a wealth of well-motivated and vividly illustrated examples, Sheaf Theory through Examples supplements the formal development of concepts with philosophical reflections on topology, category theory, and sheaf theory, alongside a selection of advanced topics and examples that illustrate ideas like cellular sheaf cohomology, toposes, and geometric morphisms. Sheaf Theory through Examples seeks to bridge the powerful results of sheaf theory as used by mathematicians and real-world applications, while also supplementing the technical matters with a unique philosophical perspective attuned to the broader development of ideas.
Sheaves and functions modulo p: lectures on the Woods Hole trace formula
by Lenny TaelmanThe Woods Hole trace formula is a Lefschetz fixed-point theorem for coherent cohomology on algebraic varieties. It leads to a version of the sheaves-functions dictionary of Deligne, relating characteristic-p-valued functions on the rational points of varieties over finite fields to coherent modules equipped with a Frobenius structure. This book begins with a short introduction to the homological theory of crystals of Böckle and Pink with the aim of introducing the sheaves-functions dictionary as quickly as possible, illustrated with elementary examples and classical applications. Subsequently, the theory and results are expanded to include infinite coefficients, L-functions, and applications to special values of Goss L-functions and zeta functions. Based on lectures given at the Morningside Center in Beijing in 2013, this book serves as both an introduction to the Woods Hole trace formula and the sheaves-functions dictionary, and to some advanced applications on characteristic p zeta values.
Sheaves of Algebras over Boolean Spaces
by Arthur KnoebelThis unique monograph building bridges among a number of different areas of mathematics such as algebra, topology, and category theory. The author uses various tools to develop new applications of classical concepts. Detailed proofs are given for all major theorems, about half of which are completely new. Sheaves of Algebras over Boolean Spaces will take readers on a journey through sheaf theory, an important part of universal algebra. This excellent reference text is suitable for graduate students, researchers, and those who wish to learn about sheaves of algebras.
Sheep Won't Sleep: Counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s
by Judy CoxCounting sheep is supposed to help you sleep—but a room full of yaks, alpacas, and llamas would keep anyone awake in this counting book with a comical twist. Winner of the Mathical Book Prize! A glass of warm milk, reading, working on her knitting—nothing can help Clarissa get to sleep. When even counting sheep doesn't help her doze off, she tried pairs of alpacas instead. Two, four, six . . . then llamas by fives . . . then yaks by tens! But no one could sleep with a room full of bouncing, bleating, shedding animals. Determined to unravel her problem so she can get some sleep, Clarissa counts back down until she's all alone, and she can finally get some rest. Introducing addition and subtraction by ones, twos, fives, and tens, Sheep Won't Sleep is part bedtime story, part math practice— and the hilarious illustrations of spotted, striped, and plaid animals are sure to appeal to imaginative readers of all ages. A perfect-- and fun!-- way to introduce and reinforce counting in groups, this is sure to be a study- and bedtime favorite!
Shifting the Earth
by Arthur MazerDiscover how mathematics and science have propelled history From Ancient Greece to the Enlightenment and then on to modern times, Shifting the Earth: The Mathematical Quest to Understand the Motion of the Universe takes readers on a journey motivated by the desire to understand the universe and the motion of the heavens. The author presents a thought-provoking depiction of the sociopolitical environment in which some of the most prominent scientists in history lived and then provides a mathematical account of their contributions. From Eudoxus to Einstein, this fascinating book describes how, beginning in ancient times, pioneers in the sciences and mathematics have dramatically changed our vision of who we are as well as our place in the universe. Readers will discover how Ptolemy's geocentric model evolved into Kepler's heliocentric model, with Copernicus as the critical intermediary. The author explains how one scientific breakthrough set the stage for the next one, and he also places the scientists and their discoveries within the context of history, including: Archimedes, Apollonius, and the Punic Wars Ptolemy and the rise of Christianity Copernicus and the Renaissance Kepler and the Counter-Reformation Newton and the Enlightenment Einstein and the detonation of the atom bomb Each chapter presents the work of a single scientist or mathematician, building on the previous chapters to demonstrate the evolutionary process of discovery. Chapters begin with a narrative section and conclude with a mathematical presentation of one of the scientist's original works. Most of these mathematical presentations, including the section on Einstein's special relativity, are accessible using only basic mathematics; however, readers can skip the mathematical sections and still follow the evolution of science and mathematics. Shifting the Earth is an excellent book for anyone interested in the history of mathematics and how the quest to understand the motion of the heavens has influenced the broader history of humankind.
Shifts in the Field of Mathematics Education
by Peter Gates Robyn JorgensenProfessor Stephen Lerman has been a leader in the field of mathematics education for thirty years. His work is extensive, making many significant contributions to a number of key areas of research. Stephen retired from South Bank University in 2012, where he had worked for over 20 years, though he continues to work at Loughborough University. In this book several of his long standing colleagues and collaborators reflect on his contribution to mathematics education, and in so doing illustrate how some of Steve's ideas and interventions have resulted in significant shifts in the domain.
Shimura Varieties (London Mathematical Society Lecture Note Series #457)
by Michael Harris Thomas HainesThis is the second volume of a series of mainly expository articles on the arithmetic theory of automorphic forms. It forms a sequel to On the Stabilization of the Trace Formula published in 2011. The books are intended primarily for two groups of readers: those interested in the structure of automorphic forms on reductive groups over number fields, and specifically in qualitative information on multiplicities of automorphic representations; and those interested in the classification of I-adic representations of Galois groups of number fields. Langlands' conjectures elaborate on the notion that these two problems overlap considerably. These volumes present convincing evidence supporting this, clearly and succinctly enough that readers can pass with minimal effort between the two points of view. Over a decade's worth of progress toward the stabilization of the Arthur-Selberg trace formula, culminating in Ngo Bau Chau's proof of the Fundamental Lemma, makes this series timely.
Ship and Offshore Structure Design in Climate Change Perspective (SpringerBriefs in Climate Studies)
by Rolf Skjong Elzbieta Maria Bitner-Gregersen Tor Svensen Lars Ingolf Eide Torfinn HørteThis book summarizes results of longstanding research and scientific contributions from many projects and relevant working groups. It collects and evaluates wind and wave climate projections under changing climate having design needs and marine safety in focus. Potential impact of projected climate change in met-ocean conditions on ships and offshore structures is discussed and illustrated by an example of the expected wave climate change on tanker design. The monograph is intended for students, researchers and industry based engineers who want a summary of the many studies that have been carried out on climate change effects on wind and waves and their importance for design and operations of ship and offshore structures. The reader needs only a moderate knowledge of marine wind and wave climate to follow the text.
Shock Phenomena in Granular and Porous Materials (Shock Wave and High Pressure Phenomena)
by Tracy J. Vogler D. Anthony FredenburgGranular forms of common materials such as metals and ceramics, sands and soils, porous energetic materials (explosives, reactive mixtures), and foams exhibit interesting behaviors due to their heterogeneity and critical length scale, typically commensurate with the grain or pore size. Under extreme conditions of impact, granular and porous materials display highly localized phenomena such as fracture, inelastic deformation, and the closure of voids, which in turn strongly influence the bulk response. Due to the complex nature of these interactions and the short time scales involved, computational methods have proven to be powerful tools to investigate these phenomena. Thus, the coupled use of experiment, theory, and simulation is critical to advancing our understanding of shock processes in initially porous and granular materials. This is a comprehensive volume on granular and porous materials for researchers working in the area of shock and impact physics. The book is divided into three sections, where the first presents the fundamentals of shock physics as it pertains to the equation of state, compaction, and strength properties of porous materials. Building on these fundamentals, the next section examines several applications where dynamic processes involving initially porous materials are prevalent, focusing on the areas of penetration, planetary impact, and reactive munitions. The final section provides a look at emerging areas in the field, where the expansion of experimental and computational capabilities are opening the door for new opportunities in the areas of advanced light sources, molecular dynamics modeling, and additively manufactured porous structures. By intermixing experiment, theory, and simulation throughout, this book serves as an excellent, up-to-date desk reference for those in the field of shock compression science of porous and granular materials.
Shock Waves & Explosions (Monographs and Surveys in Pure and Applied Mathematics)
by P.L. SachdevUnderstanding the causes and effects of explosions is important to experts in a broad range of disciplines, including the military, industrial and environmental research, aeronautic engineering, and applied mathematics. Offering an introductory review of historic research, Shock Waves and Explosions brings analytic and computational methods
Shohei Ohtani: The Amazing Story of Baseball's Two-Way Japanese Superstar
by Jay ParisRarely does anyone use the term “two-way” in regard to a baseball player. Yet the Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, at the young age of twenty-three, has become the epitome of the term, drawing comparisons to Babe Ruth by baseball pundits everywhere. After being drafted by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of the Japan Pacific League with the number-one pick in 2012, the eighteen-year-old Ohtani struggled with the bat during his rookie season. However, he had a breakout year in 2014, posting a 2.61 ERA in 24 starts and 179 strikeouts (as well as 10 home runs). By 2017, all thirty Major League Baseball teams had heard about the Japanese phenom and expressed interest in signing him. Ultimately, the Angels offered him the opportunity to compete as a two-way player and the chance to accomplish his professional goals. After a quiet spring training, Ohtani broke out in the first two weeks of the 2018 regular season, becoming just the 14th pitcher in major-league history to strike out 12 batters in one of his first two starts. He also homered in three consecutive games during that stretch. Shohei Ohtani: The Amazing Story of Baseball’s Two-Way Japanese Superstar tells the story of the player from rural Japan who became a two-way star not seen in America since Babe Ruth. With highlights of his best games on the mound and at bat from each month of his rookie season and anecdotes of his life in America, this is the one book that every fan will want.
Shopping Math (Math 24/7 #10)
by Helen ThompsonWhen you see a sign in your favorite store saying that everything is 30% off, can you do the math to figure out what that means? Are you good at keeping track of how much things cost--while remembering how much money you actually have in your wallet? What about sales tax? Do you remember to add that on to your total costs when you're deciding if you have enough money to buy a pair of jeans? Shopping Math can help you do all this and more!
Short-Cut Math (Dover Books on Mathematics)
by Gerard W. KellyCan you multiply 362 x .5 quickly in your head? Could you readily calculate the square of 41? How much is 635 divided by 2½? Can 727,648 be evenly divided by 8? If any of these questions took you more than a few seconds to solve, you need this book. Short-Cut Math is a concise, remarkably clear compendium of about 150 math short-cuts -- timesaving tricks that provide faster, easier ways to add, subtract, multiply, and divide.By using the simple foolproof methods in this volume, you can double or triple your calculation speed -- even if you always hated math in school. Here's a sampling of the amazingly effective techniques you will learn in minutes: Adding by 10 Groups; No-Carry Addition; Subtraction Without Borrowing; Multiplying by Aliquot Parts; Test for Divisibility by Odd and Even Numbers; Simplifying Dividends and Divisors; Fastest Way to Add or Subtract Any Pair of Fractions; Multiplying and Dividing with Mixed Numbers, and more.The short-cuts in this book require no special math ability. If you can do ordinary arithmetic, you will have no trouble with these methods. There are no complicated formulas or unfamiliar jargon -- no long drills or exercises. For each problem, the author provides an explanation of the method and a step-by-step solution. Then the short-cut is applied, with a proof and an explanation of why it works.Students, teachers, businesspeople, accountants, bank tellers, check-out clerks -- anyone who uses numbers and wishes to increase his or her speed and arithmetical agility, can benefit from the clear, easy-to-follow techniques given here.
Short-Memory Linear Processes and Econometric Applications
by Kairat T. MynbaevThis book serves as a comprehensive source of asymptotic results for econometric models with deterministic exogenous regressors. Such regressors include linear (more generally, piece-wise polynomial) trends, seasonally oscillating functions, and slowly varying functions including logarithmic trends, as well as some specifications of spatial matrices in the theory of spatial models. The book begins with central limit theorems (CLTs) for weighted sums of short memory linear processes. This part contains the analysis of certain operators in Lp spaces and their employment in the derivation of CLTs. The applications of CLTs are to the asymptotic distribution of various estimators for several econometric models. Among the models discussed are static linear models with slowly varying regressors, spatial models, time series autoregressions, and two nonlinear models (binary logit model and nonlinear model whose linearization contains slowly varying regressors). The estimation procedures include ordinary and nonlinear least squares, maximum likelihood, and method of moments. Additional topical coverage includes an introduction to operators, probabilities, and linear models; Lp-approximable sequences of vectors; convergence of linear and quadratic forms; regressions with slowly varying regressors; spatial models; convergence; nonlinear models; and tools for vector autoregressions.
Shortcut to Superconductivity: Superconducting Electronics via COMSOL Modeling
by Armen GulianThis accessible textbook offers a novel, concept-led approach to superconducting electronics, using the COMSOL Multiphysics software to help describe fundamental principles in an intuitive manner.Based on a course taught by the author and aimed primarily at engineering students, the book explains concepts effectively and efficiently, uncovering the “shortcut” to understanding each topic, enabling readers to quickly grasp the underlying essence. The book is divided into two main parts; the first part provides a general introduction to key topics encountered in superconductivity, illustrated using COMSOL simulations based on time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations and avoiding any deeply mathematical derivations. It includes numerous worked examples and problem sets with tips and solutions.The second part of the book is more conventional in nature, providing detailed derivations of the basic equations from first principles. This part covers more advanced topics, including the BCS-Gor'kov-Eliashberg approach to equilibrium properties of superconductors, the derivation of kinetic equations for nonequilibrium superconductors, and the derivation of time-dependent Ginzburg–Landau equations, used as the basis for COMSOL modeling in the first part.Supported throughout by an extensive library of COMSOL Multiphysics animations, the book serves as a uniquely accessible introduction to the field for engineers and others with a less rigorous background in physics and mathematics. However, it also features more detailed mathematical background for those wishing to delve further into the subject.
Show and Tell! Great Graphs and Smart Charts: An Introduction to Infographics
by Stuart J. MurphyA visual-learning expert races up the charts and graphs math success with kid-friendly content sure to help with homework.Want to find the most popular meal in the cafeteria? Compare town sports enrollments? Or maybe you just want to know who burps the most in your family! Learn what line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts, and pictographs are and how and when to use them to represent data. Each project shows how to build a chart or graph and ties it all together with a creative infographic that really puts the A in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, ARTS, and Mathematics). Whether used as an introductory aid or to underscore previous knowledge, the book prepares today's visually savvy children to succeed in school and life by analyzing the world around them.
Shrinkage Estimation (Springer Series in Statistics)
by Dominique Fourdrinier William E. Strawderman Martin T. WellsThis book provides a coherent framework for understanding shrinkage estimation in statistics. The term refers to modifying a classical estimator by moving it closer to a target which could be known a priori or arise from a model. The goal is to construct estimators with improved statistical properties. The book focuses primarily on point and loss estimation of the mean vector of multivariate normal and spherically symmetric distributions. Chapter 1 reviews the statistical and decision theoretic terminology and results that will be used throughout the book. Chapter 2 is concerned with estimating the mean vector of a multivariate normal distribution under quadratic loss from a frequentist perspective. In Chapter 3 the authors take a Bayesian view of shrinkage estimation in the normal setting. Chapter 4 introduces the general classes of spherically and elliptically symmetric distributions. Point and loss estimation for these broad classes are studied in subsequent chapters. In particular, Chapter 5 extends many of the results from Chapters 2 and 3 to spherically and elliptically symmetric distributions. Chapter 6 considers the general linear model with spherically symmetric error distributions when a residual vector is available. Chapter 7 then considers the problem of estimating a location vector which is constrained to lie in a convex set. Much of the chapter is devoted to one of two types of constraint sets, balls and polyhedral cones. In Chapter 8 the authors focus on loss estimation and data-dependent evidence reports. Appendices cover a number of technical topics including weakly differentiable functions; examples where Stein’s identity doesn’t hold; Stein’s lemma and Stokes’ theorem for smooth boundaries; harmonic, superharmonic and subharmonic functions; and modified Bessel functions.
Shrinkage Estimation for Mean and Covariance Matrices (SpringerBriefs in Statistics)
by Hisayuki Tsukuma Tatsuya KubokawaThis book provides a self-contained introduction to shrinkage estimation for matrix-variate normal distribution models. More specifically, it presents recent techniques and results in estimation of mean and covariance matrices with a high-dimensional setting that implies singularity of the sample covariance matrix. Such high-dimensional models can be analyzed by using the same arguments as for low-dimensional models, thus yielding a unified approach to both high- and low-dimensional shrinkage estimations. The unified shrinkage approach not only integrates modern and classical shrinkage estimation, but is also required for further development of the field. Beginning with the notion of decision-theoretic estimation, this book explains matrix theory, group invariance, and other mathematical tools for finding better estimators. It also includes examples of shrinkage estimators for improving standard estimators, such as least squares, maximum likelihood, and minimum risk invariant estimators, and discusses the historical background and related topics in decision-theoretic estimation of parameter matrices. This book is useful for researchers and graduate students in various fields requiring data analysis skills as well as in mathematical statistics.
Shrinking Japan and Regional Variations: Along the Hokurikudo and the Tosando I (SpringerBriefs in Population Studies)
by Fumie KumagaiThis book provides an insightful sociological study of the shrinking Japanese population through a regional variation perspective as it varies significantly by municipality, even within the same prefecture. Using demographic data on municipal levels, the book identifies the power unique to each municipality, which can mobilize a shrinking but sustainable Japan. The study identifies the principal explanatory factors based on the small area data of e-Stat through GPS statistical software tools such as G-census and EvaCva within a historical perspective. The theoretical framework of this study, i.e., the reason for regional variations in Japan, is the Goki-Shichido (Five Home Provinces and Seven Circuits of Ancient Japan). This historical knowledge helps in understanding the significance of the regional cultural heritage that remains in each municipality today. The book pays special attention to municipal variations within the same prefecture, utilizing a completely unique approach, unlike those that have been pursued by other researchers. This volume studies two present-day prefectures for detailed analyses based on the Goki-Shichido framework for impacts of regional variations of population decline in Japan. They are Niigata Prefecture, made up of the formerly named Echigo and Sado provinces; Ishikawa Prefecture, formed by the ancient Kaga and Noto provinces; Fukui Prefecture, based on the earlier Wakasa and Echizen provinces of the Hokurikudo; Nagano Prefecture, still called Shinano Province today and commonly divided into four areas and ten regions; and Gifu Prefecture, composed of the ancient Mino and Hida provinces of the Tosando as examples of the impact of municipal power on regional variations of shrinking Japan. However, due to the limitation of the number of pages set forth for Springer Briefs in Population Studies: Population Studies of Japan, for which the current publication is a part, it has become necessary to divide the book into two volumes, namely Volume I and Volume II. Because of this limitation the current volume I is consisted of three chapters, namely, Chapter 1: Issues, theoretical framework, and methodology; Chapter 2: Niigata Prefecture in the Hokurikudo; and Chapter 3: Ishikawa Prefecture in the Hokurikudo. The remaining three prefectures, i.e., Fukui in the Hokurikudo area, Nagano and Gifu both in the Tosando area will be discussed in the Volume II of this book. By presenting unique analyses of regional variations on small municipal levels, with demographic variables, social indicators, and historical identities, this book offers suggestions for effective regional policies to revitalize a shrinking Japan to a sustainable one. The Volume I, therefore, analyzes and discusses in detail both Niigata and Ishikawa prefectures of the Hokurikudo.
Shrinking Japan and Regional Variations: Along the Hokurikudo and the Tosando II (SpringerBriefs in Population Studies)
by Fumie KumagaiThis book provides an insightful sociological study of the shrinking Japanese population through a regional variation perspective as it varies significantly by municipality, even within the same prefecture. Using demographic data on municipal levels, the book identifies the power unique to each municipality, which can mobilize a shrinking but sustainable Japan. The study identifies the principal explanatory factors based on the small area data of e-Stat through GPS statistical software tools such as G-census and EvaCva within a historical perspective. The theoretical framework of this study, i.e., the reason for regional variations in Japan, is the Goki-Shichido (Five Home Provinces and Seven Circuits of Ancient Japan). This historical knowledge helps in understanding the significance of the regional cultural heritage that remains in each municipality today. The book pays special attention to municipal variations within the same prefecture, utilizing a completely unique approach, unlike those that have been pursued by other researchers. This book studies three present-day prefectures for detailed analyses based on the Goki-Shichido framework for impacts of regional variations of population decline in Japan. They are Niigata Prefecture, made up of the formerly named Echigo and Sado provinces; Ishikawa Prefecture, formed by the ancient Kaga and Noto provinces; Fukui Prefecture, based on the earlier Wakasa and Echizen provinces of the Hokurikudo; Nagano Prefecture, still called Shinano province today and commonly divided into four areas and ten regions; and Gifu Prefecture, composed of the ancient Mino and Hida provinces of the Tosando as examples of the impact of municipal power on regional variations of shrinking Japan. However, due to the limitation of the number of pages set forth for Springer Briefs in Population Studies: Population Studies of Japan, for which the current publication is a part, it has become necessary to divide the book into two volumes, namely Volume I and Volume II. Because of this limitation, the current Volume II consisted of four chapters. They are Chapter 1: Fukui Prefecture in the Hokurikudo; Chapter 2: Nagano Prefecture in the Tosando; Chapter 3: Gifu Prefecture in the Tosando, and Chapter 4: Epilogue: The Future of Shrinking Japan. The remaining two prefectures, i.e., Niigata and Ishikawa prefectures in the Hokurikudo area have been discussed in the Volume I of this book. By presenting unique analyses of regional variations on small municipal levels, with demographic variables, social indicators, and historical identities, this book offers suggestions for effective regional policies to revitalize a shrinking Japan to a sustainable one.