This revised and updated Second Edition of the best-selling reference/text is essential reading for students and scientists who seek a thorough and practical introduction to the field of polymer spectroscopy. Eleven chapters cover the fundamental aspects and experimental applications of the primary spectroscopic methods. The advantages and disadvantages of the various techniques for particular polymer systems are also discussed. The goal of the author is not to make the reader an expert in the field, but rather to provide enough information about the different spectroscopic methods that the reader can determine how the available techniques can be used to solve a particular polymer problem. This Second Edition contains new and updated information on techniques in IR and NMR, as well as an all-new chapter on Mass Spectrometry.

Gottfried Wile Leibniz was one of the central figures of seventeenth-century philosophy, and a huge intellectual figure in his age. This book from Glenn A. Harz (editor of the influential Leibniz Review) is an advanced study of Leibniz's metaphysics. Hartz analyzes a very complicated topic, widely discussed in contemporary commentaries on Leibniz, namely the question of whether Leibniz was a metaphysical idealist, realist, or whether he tried to reconcile both trends in his mature philosophy. Because Leibniz is notoriously unclear about this, much has been written on the subject. In recent years, the debate has centered on whether it is possible to maintain compatibility between the two trends. In this controversial book, Hartz demonstrates that it is not possible to maintain compatibility of idealist and realist views - they must be understood as completely separate theories. As the first major work on realism in Leibniz's metaphysics, this key text will interest international Leibniz scholars, as well as students at the graduate level.

Aimed at starting researchers in the field, Realizability gives a rigorous, yet reasonable introduction to the basic concepts of a field which has passed several successive phases of abstraction. Material from previously unpublished sources such as Ph.D. theses, unpublished papers, etc. has been molded into one comprehensive presentation of the subject area.

This revised and considerably expanded 2nd edition brings together a wide range of topics, including modal, tense, conditional, intuitionist, many-valued, paraconsistent, relevant, and fuzzy logics. Part 1, on propositional logic, is the old Introduction, but contains much new material. Part 2 is entirely new, and covers quantification and identity for all the logics in Part 1. The material is unified by the underlying theme of world semantics. All of the topics are explained clearly using devices such as tableau proofs, and their relation to current philosophical issues and debates are discussed. Students with a basic understanding of classical logic will find this book an invaluable introduction to an area that has become of central importance in both logic and philosophy. It will also interest people working in mathematics and computer science who wish to know about the area.

Asymptotics and Mellin-Barnes Integrals provides an account of the use and properties of a type of complex integral representation that arises frequently in the study of special functions typically of interest in classical analysis and mathematical physics. After developing the properties of these integrals, their use in determining the asymptotic behavior of special functions is detailed. Although such integrals have a long history, the book's account includes recent research results in analytic number theory and hyperasymptotics. The book also fills a gap in the literature on asymptotic analysis and special functions by providing a thorough account of the use of Mellin-Barnes integrals that is otherwise not available in standard references on asymptotics.

Proving that a polynomial ring in one variable over a field is a principal ideal domain can be done by means of the Euclidean algorithm, but this does not extend to more variables. However, if the variables are not allowed to commute, giving a free associative algebra, then there is a generalization, the weak algorithm, which can be used to prove that all one-sided ideals are free. This book presents the theory of free ideal rings (firs) in detail. There is also a full account of localization which is treated for general rings but the features arising in firs are given special attention.

Multicast Sockets: Practical Guide for Programmers is a hands-on, application-centric approach to multicasting (as opposed to a network-centric one) that is filled with examples, ideas, and experimentation. Each example builds on the last to introduce multicast concepts, frameworks, and APIs in an engaging manner that does not burden the reader with lots of theory and jargon. The book is an introduction to multicasting but assumes that the reader has a background in network programming and is proficient in C or Java. After reading the book, you will have a firm grasp on how to write a multicast program.

Written by pioneers in this exciting new field, Algebraic Statistics introduces the application of polynomial algebra to experimental design, discrete probability, and statistics. It begins with an introduction to Gröbner bases and a thorough description of their applications to experimental design. A special chapter covers the binary case with new application to coherent systems in reliability and two level factorial designs. The work paves the way, in the last two chapters, for the application of computer algebra to discrete probability and statistical modelling through the important concept of an algebraic statistical model. As the first book on the subject, Algebraic Statistics presents many opportunities for spin-off research and applications and should become a landmark work welcomed by both the statistical community and its relatives in mathematics and computer science.

For a long time, there has been a need for a practical, down-to-earth developers book for the Java Cryptography Extension. I am very happy to see there is now a book that can answer many of the technical questions that developers, managers, and researchers have about such a critical topic. I am sure that this book will contribute greatly to the success of securing Java applications and deployments for e-business. --Anthony Nadalin, Java Security Lead Architect, IBM

The LabVIEW Basics II: Development course is part of a series of courses designed to build your proficiency with LabVIEW and help you prepare for exams to become an NI Certified LabVIEW Developer and NI Certified LabVIEW Architect. This course is a part of the LabVIEW training series.

Empowers women to make informed decisions about autoimmune disorders. More than 50 million Americans, most of them women, suffer from a constellation of mysterious, often misdiagnosed diseases that can result in disability, disfigurement, and death. Called "autoimmune diseases," they arise when the immune system attacks healthy tissues in almost any area of the body, and include lupus rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, scleroderma, and Graves' disease.

The Best of Business Card Design series features an innovative collection of the most current and best work by top designers worldwide. Business card design is a very important and common area for the graphic design business, so it is little wonder that each installment in the series is recognized as a high quality resource that is eagerly anticipated by designers.