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Family Issues on Marriage, Divorce, and Older Adults in Japan
by Fumie KumagaiThis book provides insightful sociological analyses of Japanese demography and families, paying attention not only to national average data, but also to regional variations and community level analyses. In analyzing Japanese family issues such as demographic changes, courtship and marriage, international marriage, divorce, late-life divorce, and the elderly living alone, this book emphasizes the significance of two theoretical frameworks: the dual structure and regional variations of the community network in Japan. By emphasizing the extensive cultural diversity from one region to another, this book represents a paradigm shift from former studies of Japanese families, which relied mostly on national average data. The method of analysis adopted in the study is qualitative, with a historical perspective. The book is thus an invitation to more in-depth, qualitative dialogue in the field of family sociology in Japan. This book will be of great interest not only to Asian scholars, but also to other specialists in comparative family studies around the world.
Family Math Night 6-8: Common Core State Standards in Action
by Jennifer Taylor-Cox Christine OberdorfHost Family Math Nights at your middle school—starting today! Family Math Nights are a great way for teachers to get parents involved in their children’s education and to promote math learning outside of the classroom. In this practical book, you’ll find step-by-step guidelines and activities to help you bring Family Math Nights to life. The enhanced second edition is aligned with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematical Content and Practice with new activities to help students explain their answers and write about math. It also comes with ready-to-use handouts that you can distribute during your event. With the resources in this book, you’ll have everything you need to help students learn essential math concepts—including ratios and proportional relationships, the number system, expressions and equations, geometry, and statistics and probability—in a fun and supportive environment. Special Features: The book is organized by math content, so you can quickly find activities that meet your needs. Each activity is easy to implement and includes a page of instructions educators can use to prepare the station, as well as a page for families that explains the activity and can be photocopied and displayed at the station. All of the family activities can be photocopied or downloaded from our website, www.routledge.com/9781138200999, so that you can distribute them during your event.
The Family, the Market or the State?
by Gustavo De SantisThis book touches upon a few of the major challenges that all modern societies will have to face in the near future: how to set up a resilient pay-as-you-go pension system; whether the current balance between expenses and revenues in social expenditure is viable in the future, and, if not, what changes need to be introduced; whether the relative well-being of the current and future cohorts of the old will be preserved, and how their standards of living compare to those experienced by the old in the recent past. At the micro level, the exchanges between generations are presented and discussed in detail: how they have evolved in the recent past in terms of time, money, co-residence and proximity, and what will likely happen next. The geographical scope is on the developed countries, plus South Korea. A rich documentation of tables and graphs supports the scientific analyses and the policy implications in each of the nine chapters of this book, where demography, sociology, and economics intersect fruitfully, both at the macro and at the micro level.
Family Ties and Psychosocial Processes in an Ageing Society: Comparative Perspectives (International Perspectives on Aging #42)
by Alejandro KleinThis book contributes to the discussion on the ageing society by addressing the new psycho-social structures of the ageing society, the problems around family bonds and ties, and the structures of care and protection. The book sheds light on the new roles of grandparents and new grandparents, and the empowerment and resilience initiatives, thereby providing a broad discussion of what the ageing society implies in psychosocial terms. These issues are addressed in an interdisciplinary way, but also in an approach that is also rare, comparing different realities between Europe and Latin America. The [basis of the] English translation of this book from its Spanish original manuscript was done with the help of artificial intelligence. A subsequent human revision of the content was done by the author.
Famous Problems of Geometry and How to Solve Them (Dover Books on Mathematics)
by Benjamin BoldIt took two millennia to prove the impossible; that is, to prove it is not possible to solve some famous Greek problems in the Greek way (using only straight edge and compasses). In the process of trying to square the circle, trisect the angle and duplicate the cube, other mathematical discoveries were made; for these seemingly trivial diversions occupied some of history's great mathematical minds. Why did Archimedes, Euclid, Newton, Fermat, Gauss, Descartes among so many devote themselves to these conundrums? This book brings readers actively into historical and modern procedures for working the problems, and into the new mathematics that had to be invented before they could be "solved."The quest for the circle in the square, the trisected angle, duplicated cube and other straight-edge-compass constructions may be conveniently divided into three periods: from the Greeks, to seventeenth-century calculus and analytic geometry, to nineteenth-century sophistication in irrational and transcendental numbers. Mathematics teacher Benjamin Bold devotes a chapter to each problem, with additional chapters on complex numbers and analytic criteria for constructability. The author guides amateur straight-edge puzzlists into these fascinating complexities with commentary and sets of problems after each chapter. Some knowledge of calculus will enable readers to follow the problems; full solutions are given at the end of the book.Students of mathematics and geometry, anyone who would like to challenge the Greeks at their own game and simultaneously delve into the development of modern mathematics, will appreciate this book. Find out how Gauss decided to make mathematics his life work upon waking one morning with a vision of a 17-sided polygon in his head; discover the crucial significance of eπi = -1, "one of the most amazing formulas in all of mathematics." These famous problems, clearly explicated and diagrammed, will amaze and edify curious students and math connoisseurs.
A Fan's Guide to Baseball Analytics: Why WAR, WHIP, wOBA, and Other Advanced Sabermetrics Are Essential to Understanding Modern Baseball
by Anthony CastrovinceBroken up into sections (pitching, fielding, hitting), this authoritative yet fun and easy guide will help readers young and old fully understand and comprehend the statistics that are the present and future of our national pastime. We all know what a .300 hitter looks like. The same with a 20-game winner. Those numbers are ingrained in our brains. But do they mean as much as we think? Do we feel the same way when we hear a batter has a .390 wOBA? How about a pitcher with a 1.2 WHIP? These statistics are the future of modern baseball, and no fan should be in the dark about how these metrics apply to the game.In the last twenty years, an avalanche of analytics has taken over the way the game is played, managed, and assessed, but the statistics that drive the sport (metrics like wRC+, FIP, and WAR, just to name a few) read like alphabet soup to a large number of fans who still think batting average, RBIs, and wins are the best barometers for baseball players.In A Fan&’s Guide to Baseball Analytics, MLB.com reporter and columnist Anthony Castrovince has taken on the role as explainer to help such fans understand why the old stats don&’t always add up. Readers will also learn where these modern stats came from, what they convey, and how to use them to evaluate players of the present, past, and future. For instance, what if we told you that when Joe DiMaggio had his famous 56-game hitting streak in 1941, helping him win the AL MVP, that there was, perhaps, someone more deserving? In fact, the great Ted Williams actually had a higher fWAR, bWAR, wRC+, OPS, OPS+, ISO, RC . . . well, you get the picture. So, streak or no streak, Williams should have been league MVP.An introductory course on sabermetrics, A Fan&’s Guide to Baseball Analytics is an easily digestible resource that readers can keep turning back to when they see a modern metric referenced in today&’s baseball coverage.
Fantastische Rätsel und wie Sie sie lösen können: Logik, Wahrscheinlichkeit, Geometrie, Spiele und mehr!
by Oliver RoederDie 49 verblüffendsten, beliebtesten und interessantesten Mathematikrätsel der Kolumne „The Riddler“ auf der Nachrichtenseite „FiveThirtyEight“ sind in diesem Buch für das kleine (oder größere) Rätselabenteuer zwischendurch gesammelt. Erforschen Sie dabei alltägliche Vorkommnisse mit Mathematik und Verstand:Wie Sie am besten Ihr Smartphone fallen lassenKönnen Sie den unsteten Prinzen finden?Die Quadratur des QuadratsVorsicht mit dem Martini-Glas!Können Sie die Alien-Invasion stoppen?Besetzt oder nicht besetzt – das ist hier die FrageUnd wenn Roboter Ihre Pizza schneiden?Werden Sie (ja Sie!) die Wahl entscheiden? Und vieles mehr! Die einfachsten Rätsel erfordern bloß einen Geistesblitz, während Sie für die schwierigsten schon ein gewisses Geschick in Analysis und Wahrscheinlichkeitstheorie benötigen. Die „Fantastischen Rätsel“ sind ein Muss für jeden Mathematik- oder Rätselliebhaber! "Ein modernes, intelligentes Rätselbuch, wie ich es noch nie zuvor gesehen habe, dessen mathematische und logische Herausforderungen Ihr Gehirn auf neue Art und Weise fordern werden" - Will Shortz, New York Times, NPR-PuzzlemasterDer HerausgeberOliver Roeder war Redakteur bei FiveThirtyEight und Herausgeber der mathematischen Kolumne „The Riddler“. Er hat in Wirtschaftswissenschaften mit Schwerpunkt Spieltheorie promoviert und war Nieman fellow an der Harvard University 2020. Er lebt in Brooklyn, New York.
Farb- und Formpsychologie
by Tobias C. BreinerDieses Werk ist eine umfassende und praxisrelevante Darstellung zur Farb- und Formpsychologie. Mit einer klaren Sprache und über 100 farbigen Abbildungen wird Ihnen die komplexe Thematik auf eine wissenschaftliche und anregende Art veranschaulicht.Über eine allgemeine Einführung in die Grundlagen des visuellen Systems hinaus werden Sie ebenfalls spezielles Wissen zu Assoziationen, Wirkungen und Anwendungen bestimmter Farben und Formen erwerben. Speziellen Wert legt der Autor dabei auf deren Einsatz im Game Design. Es wird zudem erstmals eine neue Farbstudie präsentiert, die zeigt, dass die Assoziationen zu Farben sich in einem in sich logischen dreidimensionalen System anordnen lassen. Die daraus gezogenen überraschenden Erkenntnisse liefern mögliche Antworten auf fundamentale Fragen der Philosophie. Das Buch ist daher nicht nur ein Muss für Wahrnehmungspsychologen und Designer, sondern eine Bereicherung für alle an dieser Thematik Interessierten.
Fascinating Mathematical People
by Philip J. Davis Gerald L. Alexanderson Donald J. AlbersFascinating Mathematical People is a collection of informal interviews and memoirs of sixteen prominent members of the mathematical community of the twentieth century, many still active. The candid portraits collected here demonstrate that while these men and women vary widely in terms of their backgrounds, life stories, and worldviews, they all share a deep and abiding sense of wonder about mathematics. Featured here--in their own words--are major research mathematicians whose cutting-edge discoveries have advanced the frontiers of the field, such as Lars Ahlfors, Mary Cartwright, Dusa McDuff, and Atle Selberg. Others are leading mathematicians who have also been highly influential as teachers and mentors, like Tom Apostol and Jean Taylor. Fern Hunt describes what it was like to be among the first black women to earn a PhD in mathematics. Harold Bacon made trips to Alcatraz to help a prisoner learn calculus. Thomas Banchoff, who first became interested in the fourth dimension while reading a Captain Marvel comic, relates his fascinating friendship with Salvador Dalí and their shared passion for art, mathematics, and the profound connection between the two. Other mathematical people found here are Leon Bankoff, who was also a Beverly Hills dentist; Arthur Benjamin, a part-time professional magician; and Joseph Gallian, a legendary mentor of future mathematicians, but also a world-renowned expert on the Beatles. This beautifully illustrated collection includes many photographs never before published, concise introductions by the editors to each person, and a foreword by Philip J. Davis.
The Fascinating World of Graph Theory
by Arthur Benjamin Ping Zhang Gary ChartrandThe fascinating world of graph theory goes back several centuries and revolves around the study of graphs--mathematical structures showing relations between objects. With applications in biology, computer science, transportation science, and other areas, graph theory encompasses some of the most beautiful formulas in mathematics--and some of its most famous problems. For example, what is the shortest route for a traveling salesman seeking to visit a number of cities in one trip? What is the least number of colors needed to fill in any map so that neighboring regions are always colored differently? Requiring readers to have a math background only up to high school algebra, this book explores the questions and puzzles that have been studied, and often solved, through graph theory. In doing so, the book looks at graph theory's development and the vibrant individuals responsible for the field's growth.Introducing graph theory's fundamental concepts, the authors explore a diverse plethora of classic problems such as the Lights Out Puzzle, the Minimum Spanning Tree Problem, the Königsberg Bridge Problem, the Chinese Postman Problem, a Knight's Tour, and the Road Coloring Problem. They present every type of graph imaginable, such as bipartite graphs, Eulerian graphs, the Petersen graph, and trees. Each chapter contains math exercises and problems for readers to savor.An eye-opening journey into the world of graphs, this book offers exciting problem-solving possibilities for mathematics and beyond.
The Fascination of Probability, Statistics and their Applications
by Almut E. D. Veraart Steen Thorbjørnsen Robert Stelzer Mark PodolskijCollecting together twenty-three self-contained articles, this volume presents the current research of a number of renowned scientists in both probability theory and statistics as well as their various applications in economics, finance, the physics of wind-blown sand, queueing systems, risk assessment, turbulence and other areas. The contributions are dedicated to and inspired by the research of Ole E. Barndorff-Nielsen who, since the early 1960s, has been and continues to be a very active and influential researcher working on a wide range of important problems. The topics covered include, but are not limited to, econometrics, exponential families, Lévy processes and infinitely divisible distributions, limit theory, mathematical finance, random matrices, risk assessment, statistical inference for stochastic processes, stochastic analysis and optimal control, time series, and turbulence. The book will be of interest to researchers and graduate students in probability, statistics and their applications.
The Fascination of Statistics
by Richard J. BrookThis book demonstrates how numbers open up new ways of thinking about problems and addresses current issues for which statistics has practical applications. The articles are classified according to probability, condensing data, testing, estimation, experimental design, prediction, and modelling.
Fashion, Faith, and Fantasy in the New Physics of the Universe
by Roger PenroseWhat can fashionable ideas, blind faith, or pure fantasy possibly have to do with the scientific quest to understand the universe? Surely, theoretical physicists are immune to mere trends, dogmatic beliefs, or flights of fancy? In fact, acclaimed physicist and bestselling author Roger Penrose argues that researchers working at the extreme frontiers of physics are just as susceptible to these forces as anyone else. In this provocative book, he argues that fashion, faith, and fantasy, while sometimes productive and even essential in physics, may be leading today's researchers astray in three of the field's most important areas--string theory, quantum mechanics, and cosmology.Arguing that string theory has veered away from physical reality by positing six extra hidden dimensions, Penrose cautions that the fashionable nature of a theory can cloud our judgment of its plausibility. In the case of quantum mechanics, its stunning success in explaining the atomic universe has led to an uncritical faith that it must also apply to reasonably massive objects, and Penrose responds by suggesting possible changes in quantum theory. Turning to cosmology, he argues that most of the current fantastical ideas about the origins of the universe cannot be true, but that an even wilder reality may lie behind them. Finally, Penrose describes how fashion, faith, and fantasy have ironically also shaped his own work, from twistor theory, a possible alternative to string theory that is beginning to acquire a fashionable status, to "conformal cyclic cosmology," an idea so fantastic that it could be called "conformal crazy cosmology."The result is an important critique of some of the most significant developments in physics today from one of its most eminent figures.
Fashion, Faith, and Fantasy in the New Physics of the Universe (Princeton Science Library)
by Roger PenroseNobel Prize–winning physicist Roger Penrose questions some of the most fashionable ideas in physics today, including string theoryWhat can fashionable ideas, blind faith, or pure fantasy possibly have to do with the scientific quest to understand the universe? Surely, theoretical physicists are immune to mere trends, dogmatic beliefs, or flights of fancy? In fact, acclaimed physicist and bestselling author Roger Penrose argues that researchers working at the extreme frontiers of physics are just as susceptible to these forces as anyone else. In this provocative book, he argues that fashion, faith, and fantasy, while sometimes productive and even essential in physics, may be leading today's researchers astray in three of the field's most important areas—string theory, quantum mechanics, and cosmology.Arguing that string theory has veered away from physical reality by positing six extra hidden dimensions, Penrose cautions that the fashionable nature of a theory can cloud our judgment of its plausibility. In the case of quantum mechanics, its stunning success in explaining the atomic universe has led to an uncritical faith that it must also apply to reasonably massive objects, and Penrose responds by suggesting possible changes in quantum theory. Turning to cosmology, he argues that most of the current fantastical ideas about the origins of the universe cannot be true, but that an even wilder reality may lie behind them. Finally, Penrose describes how fashion, faith, and fantasy have ironically also shaped his own work, from twistor theory, a possible alternative to string theory that is beginning to acquire a fashionable status, to "conformal cyclic cosmology," an idea so fantastic that it could be called "conformal crazy cosmology."The result is an important critique of some of the most significant developments in physics today from one of its most eminent figures.
Fashion Figures
by Melissa A. BorzaMissy Maker is a middle school girl who loves math and fashion. She sees math in everything she does. She tries to hide this from her friends, because she thinks it's too geeky. Missy hears that the school math club needs more members, but she's worried about what her friends will think if she joins, and she's already committed to joining the fashion club. After an epic internal struggle and with the support of her peers and her quirky, loving family, Missy finds that she can be both a Mathlete and a Fashionista. Missy figures out how to bring the two clubs together to help both groups win. In the process, she discovers that she can openly excel in math and science and still be popular with her peers. She also learns how her math and science skills can help her artistic endeavors. Gain an inside perspective on what it's like when you love math and science and happen to be a girl. Fashion Figures highlights the societal and internal pressures preteen and early-teen girls often face when they excel in these subjects, and it shows strategies for overcoming barriers to being themselves and doing what they love while still fitting in socially. What You'll Learn Girls can have a passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects and still be cool Girls can be great at math Math skills are important in non-STEM centered subject areas like fashion and art Math can be fun Who This Book Is For Pre-teen and early-teen girls (9-14 years old)
Fashion Math (Math 24/7 #10)
by Rae SimonsPeople who make clothes need to get their numbers right. From the length of fabric to the size of a pair of jeans, math plays an important role in the fashion industry. In Fashion Math, you'll learn some of the ways the math you learn in the classroom is important on the catwalk. You may even want to use that math to try your hand at making your own clothes!
Fast Car Physics
by Chuck EdmondsonRevving engines, smoking tires, and high speeds. Car racing enthusiasts and race drivers alike know the thrill of competition, the push to perform better, and the agony—and dangers—of bad decisions. But driving faster and better involves more than just high horsepower and tightly tuned engines. Physicist and amateur racer Chuck Edmondson thoroughly discusses the physics underlying car racing and explains just what’s going on during any race, why, and how a driver can improve control and ultimately win.The world of motorsports is rich with excitement and competition—and physics. Edmondson applies common mathematical theories to real-world racing situations to reveal the secrets behind successful fast driving. He explains such key concepts as how to tune your car and why it matters, how to calculate 0 to 60 mph times and quarter-mile times and why they are important, and where, when, why, and how to use kinematics in road racing. He wraps it up with insight into the impact and benefit of green technologies in racing. In each case, Edmondson’s in-depth explanations and worked equations link the physics principles to qualitative racing advice.From selecting shifting points to load transfer in car control and beyond, Fast Car Physics is the ideal source to consult before buckling up and cinching down the belts on your racing harness.
Fast Compact Algorithms and Software for Spline Smoothing
by Howard L. WeinertFast Compact Algorithms and Software for Spline Smoothing investigates algorithmic alternatives for computing cubic smoothing splines when the amount of smoothing is determined automatically by minimizing the generalized cross-validation score. These algorithms are based on Cholesky factorization, QR factorization, or the fast Fourier transform. All algorithms are implemented in MATLAB and are compared based on speed, memory use, and accuracy. An overall best algorithm is identified, which allows very large data sets to be processed quickly on a personal computer.
Fast Fourier Transform - Algorithms and Applications
by Jae Jeong Hwang K. R. Rao Do Nyeon KimThis book presents an introduction to the principles of the fast Fourier transform. This book covers FFTs, frequency domain filtering, and applications to video and audio signal processing. As fields like communications, speech and image processing, and related areas are rapidly developing, the FFT as one of essential parts in digital signal processing has been widely used. Thus there is a pressing need from instructors and students for a book dealing with the latest FFT topics. This book provides thorough and detailed explanation of important or up-to-date FFTs. It also has adopted modern approaches like MATLAB examples and projects for better understanding of diverse FFTs.
Fast Fourier Transforms (Studies in Advanced Mathematics #24)
by James S. WalkerThis new edition of an indispensable text provides a clear treatment of Fourier Series, Fourier Transforms, and FFTs. The unique software, included with the book and newly updated for this edition, allows the reader to generate, firsthand, images of all aspects of Fourier analysis described in the text. Topics covered include :
Fast Future: How the Millennial Generation Is Shaping Our World
by David D. BursteinA millennial examines how his generation is profoundly impacting politics, business, media, and activismThey've been called trophy kids, entitled, narcissistic, the worst employees in history, and even the dumbest generation. But, argues David Burstein, the millennial generation's unique blend of civic idealism and savvy pragmatism will enable us to overcome a deeply divided nation facing economic and environmental calamities.With eighty-million millennials (people who are today eighteen to thirty years old) coming of age and emerging as leaders, this is the largest generation in U.S. history, and, by 2020, its members will represent one out of every three adults. They are more ethnically and racially diverse than their elders and have begun their careers at a time when the recession has set back the job market. Yet they remain optimistic about their future and are deeply connected to one another. Drawing on extensive interviews with his millennial peers and compelling new research, Burstein illustrates how his generation is simultaneously shaping and being shaped by a fast-paced and fast-changing world.Part oral history, part social documentary, Fast Future reveals the impact and story of the millennial generation--in its own words.
Fast Matrix Multiplication with Applications (Studies in Big Data #166)
by Jerzy S. RespondekThe ambition of this monograph is to show the methods of constructing fast matrix multiplication algorithms, and their applications, in an intelligible way, accessible not only to mathematicians. The scope and coverage of the book are comprehensive and constructive, and the analyses and algorithms can be readily applied by readers from various disciplines of science and technology who need modern tools and techniques related to fast matrix multiplication and related problems and techniques. Authors start from commutative algorithms, through exact non-commutative algorithms, partial algorithms to disjoint and arbitrary precision algorithms. Authors explain how to adapt disjoint algorithms to a single matrix multiplication and prove the famous tau-theorem in the (not so) special case. In an appendix, authors show how to work with confluent Vandermonde matrices, since they are used as an auxiliary tool in problems arising in fast matrix multiplication. Importantly, each algorithm is demonstrated by a concrete example of a decent dimensionality to ensure that all the mechanisms of the algorithms are illustrated. Finally, authors give a series of applications of fast matrix multiplication algorithms in linear algebra and other types of problems, including artificial intelligence.
Fast Multipole Boundary Element Method
by Yijun LiuThe fast multipole method is one of the most important algorithms in computing developed in the 20th century. Along with the fast multipole method, the boundary element method (BEM) has also emerged, as a powerful method for modeling large-scale problems. BEM models with millions of unknowns on the boundary can now be solved on desktop computers using the fast multipole BEM. This is the first book on the fast multipole BEM, which brings together the classical theories in BEM formulations and the recent development of the fast multipole method. Two- and three-dimensional potential, elastostatic, Stokes flow, and acoustic wave problems are covered, supplemented with exercise problems and computer source codes. Applications in modeling nanocomposite materials, bio-materials, fuel cells, acoustic waves, and image-based simulations are demonstrated to show the potential of the fast multipole BEM. This book will help students, researchers, and engineers to learn the BEM and fast multipole method from a single source.
Fast Sequential Monte Carlo Methods for Counting and Optimization
by Radislav Vaisman Ad Ridder Reuven Y. RubinsteinA comprehensive account of the theory and application of Monte Carlo methodsBased on years of research in efficient Monte Carlo methods for estimation of rare-event probabilities, counting problems, and combinatorial optimization, Fast Sequential Monte Carlo Methods for Counting and Optimization is a complete illustration of fast sequential Monte Carlo techniques. The book provides an accessible overview of current work in the field of Monte Carlo methods, specifically sequential Monte Carlo techniques, for solving abstract counting and optimization problems.Written by authorities in the field, the book places emphasis on cross-entropy, minimum cross-entropy, splitting, and stochastic enumeration. Focusing on the concepts and application of Monte Carlo techniques, Fast Sequential Monte Carlo Methods for Counting and Optimization includes:Detailed algorithms needed to practice solving real-world problemsNumerous examples with Monte Carlo method produced solutions within the 1-2% limit of relative errorA new generic sequential importance sampling algorithm alongside extensive numerical resultsAn appendix focused on review material to provide additional background informationFast Sequential Monte Carlo Methods for Counting and Optimization is an excellent resource for engineers, computer scientists, mathematicians, statisticians, and readers interested in efficient simulation techniques. The book is also useful for upper-undergraduate and graduate-level courses on Monte Carlo methods.
Fast Solar Sailing
by Giovanni VulpettiThe range of solar sailing is very vast; it is a fully in-space means of propulsion that should allow us to accomplish various mission classes that are literally impossible using rocket propulsion, no matter if nuclear or electric. Fast and very fast solar sailings are special classes of sailcraft missions, initially developed only in the first half of the 1990s and still evolving, especially after the latest advances in nanotechnology. This book describes how to plan, compute and optimize the trajectories of sailcraft with speeds considerably higher than 100 km/s; such sailcraft would be able to explore the outer heliosphere, the near interstellar medium and the solar gravitational lens (550-800 astronomical units) in times significantly shorter than the span of an average career (~ 35 years), just to cite a few examples. The scientific interest in this type of exploration is huge.