Boundary-Layer Theory

Book Description

A new edition of the almost legendary textbook by Schlichting completely revised by Klaus Gersten is now available. This book presents a comprehensive overview of boundary-layer theory and its application to all areas of fluid mechanics, with emphasis on the flow past bodies (e.g. aircraft aerodynamics). It contains the latest knowledge of the subject based on a thorough review of the literature over the past 15 years. Yet again, it will be an indispensable source of inexhaustible information for students of fluid mechanics and engineers alike.

Customer Reviews:

Boundary Layer Theory.......2007-07-01

Good value - well worth the money. I also like the updated sections available in the Springer edition.

Unsurpassed.......2007-05-19

Although I have only the first edition, I still find it to be of immense value, and hands-down superior to any other book on the subject (save the newer edition perhaps). It seamlessly weaves together theory, mathematics, and experimental observation, into a very readable and (surprisingly) interesting text. Because it explains the fundamentals so well, Schlichting's book is one of those rare engineering classics that will continue to be of value for a very long time to come.

Classic book. .......2006-10-30

This is the classic book on the subject to be ever written and retains its class by incorporating some of the recent developments in the boundary layer theory.

A great collection for anyone in the field of turbulence, aerodynamics ...

good book ; bad translation.......2005-01-26

this is a classic book. however, the new 8th edition is not translated very well. i have an older english version (6th edition, 1968) that is translated much better. even where the content is the same between the two editions, the "updated" translation is worse that in the original version.

A Must-have Book for Fluid Mechanics Researchers!.......2000-10-22

This is the best and the most classical fluid mechanics book that i have read. Read it through carefully and you will get much from it. Reading it from time to time can give you many new knowledge every time.

Stability and Transition: Theory and Application: Efficient Numerical Methods with Computer Programs

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Stability and Transition: Theory and Application: Efficient Numerical Methods with Computer Programs
Tuncer Cebeci
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3540201602

Book Description

Cebeci addresses transition from laminar to turbulent flows and considers solutions, mainly with the help of the linear stability theory and the ways in which it can be implemented accurately by numerical procedures. The main concern is transition of wall boundary layers, although one chapter is devoted to an approach based on the Navier-Stokes equations. The first three chapters summarize physical knowledge of the transition process, consider the stability equations and methods for predicting transition by linear stability theory, and describe efficient and accurate numerical methods for the solution of stability equations. Chapters 4 to 7 describe computer programs based on stability-theory approach to identify the location of transition in two- and three-dimensional incompressible and compressible flows, respectively, and Chapter 7 describes a computer program within the framework of parabolized stability equations. These programs are provided on an accompanying CD-ROM.

The Statistical Mechanics of Financial Markets (Texts and Monographs in Physics)

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Excelllent introduction and very stimulating
Very useful bridge between physics methodologies and finance

The Statistical Mechanics of Financial Markets (Texts and Monographs in Physics)
Johannes Voit
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3540262857

Book Description

This highly praised introductory treatment describes the parallels between statistical physics and finance - both those established in the 100-year long interaction between these disciplines, as well as new research results on financial markets. The random-walk technique, well known in physics, is also the basic model in finance, upon which are built, for example, the Black-Scholes theory of option pricing and hedging, plus methods of portfolio optimization. Here the underlying assumptions are assessed critically. Using empirical financial data and analogies to physical models such as fluid flows, turbulence, or superdiffusion, the book develops a more accurate description of financial markets based on random walks. With this approach, novel methods for derivative pricing and risk management can be formulated. Computer simulations of interacting-agent models provide insight into the mechanisms underlying unconventional price dynamics. It is shown that stock exchange crashes can be modelled in ways analogous to phase transitions and earthquakes, and sometimes have even been predicted successfully. This third edition of "The Statistical Mechanics of Financial Markets" especially stands apart from other treatments because it offers new chapters containing a practitioner's treatment of two important current topics in banking: the basic notions and tools of risk management and capital requirements for financial institutions, including an overview of the new Basel II capital framework which may well set the risk management standards in scores of countries for years to come.

Customer Reviews:

Excelllent introduction and very stimulating.......2006-02-02

This book was my first thorough introduction to this field and I have found it thoroughly enjoyable. The comparisions between the tools of Physics and Finance along with the presentation of empirical data was highly stimulating. The economic terms were presented with lucidity and conciseness and the use of relevant examples in both Physics and Finance made it an easy read. Also of great value was it comparisons of standard economic theory with various tools within Physics.

This book also provides a very complete Bibliography where one can find classical and neoclassical economic texts and further references and directions in this relatively new field. I highly reccomend it to any Physicist looking to go into Finance or just as a good read and also to (neo) classical econonomists and financial engineers alike.

I also deeply appreciated the respect it showed to economists and its straightforward, non preachy manner that many Physicists are often guilty of!

Thanks

Very useful bridge between physics methodologies and finance.......2002-03-10

Very useful book, particularly in what concerns alternative L-Stable distributions. True, not too versed in financial theory but I'd rather see the author erring on the side of more physics than mathematical economics. As an author I don't ask much from books, just to deliver what they indend. This one does.

Clear historical description of Einstein/Bachelier. Hopefully one day we will call derivatives pricing the Bachelier valuation.

The book in short provides an excellent perspective on the statistical approach to asset price dynamics. Very clear and to the point.

Book Description

This is a reissue of Professor Batchelor's text on the theory of turbulent motion, which was first published by Cambridge University Press in 1953. It continues to be widely referred to in the professional literature of fluid mechanics, but has not been available for several years. This classic account includes an introduction to the study of homogeneous turbulence, including its mathematic representation and kinematics. Linear problems, such as the randomly-perturbed harmonic oscillator and turbulent flow through a wire gauze are then treated. The author also presents the general dynamics of decay, universal equilibrium theory, and the decay of energy-containing eddies. There is a renewed interest in turbulent motion, which finds applications in atmospheric physics, fluid mechanics, astrophysics, and planetary science.

Melt Rheology and Its Role in Plastics Processing - Theory and Applications

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One of the most concise and excellent books in rheology

Melt Rheology and Its Role in Plastics Processing - Theory and Applications
J.M. Dealy , and K.F. Wissbrun
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0792358864

Book Description

In this comprehensive book, plastics engineers, designers, and manufacturers discover how to exploit the latest techniques of measuring the rheological properties of molten and viscoelastic plastics. Fully examined is the role of polymer rheology in various melt processing operations, along with specialized areas.

Customer Reviews:

One of the most concise and excellent books in rheology.......2002-02-20

I have found this book as the reader friendly in a wide spectrum of books available on polymer rheology. The authors have maintained a fine balance between mathematical theory and physical explanations. Therefore, one can get a feel of the subject while learning through this book. The language of the book is also lucid.

I highly recommend this book for someone who wants to know what the equations and the theories in rheology means.

Book Description

This book provides concise, up-to-date and easy-to-follow information on certain aspects of an ever important research area: multiphase flow in porous media. This flow type is of great significance in many petroleum and environmental engineering problems, such as in secondary and tertiary oil recovery, subsurface remediation and CO2 sequestration. This book contains a collection of selected papers (all refereed) from a number of well-known experts on multiphase flow. The papers describe both recent and state-of-the-art modeling and experimental techniques for study of multiphase flow phenomena in porous media. Specifically, the book analyses three advanced topics: upscaling, pore-scale modeling, and dynamic effects in multiphase flow in porous media. This will be an invaluable reference for the development of new theories and computer-based modeling techniques for solving realistic multiphase flow problems. Part of this book has already been published in a journal. Audience This book will be of interest to academics, researchers and consultants working in the area of flow in porous media.

Thermodynamics of Flowing Systems: with Internal Microstructure (Oxford Engineering Science Series)

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Thermodynamics of Flowing Systems: with Internal Microstructure (Oxford Engineering Science Series)
Antony N. Beris , and Brian J. Edwards
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 019507694X

Book Description

This much-needed monograph presents a systematic, step-by-step approach to the continuum modeling of flow phenomena exhibited within materials endowed with a complex internal microstructure, such as polymers and liquid crystals. By combining the principles of Hamiltonian mechanics with those of irreversible thermodynamics, Antony N. Beris and Brian J. Edwards, renowned authorities on the subject, expertly describe the complex interplay between conservative and dissipative processes. Throughout the book, the authors emphasize the evaluation of the free energy--largely based on ideas from statistical mechanics--and how to fit the values of the phenomenological parameters against those of microscopic models. With Thermodynamics of Flowing Systems in hand, mathematicians, engineers, and physicists involved with the theoretical study of flow behavior in structurally complex media now have a superb, self-contained theoretical framework on which to base their modeling efforts.

Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems

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Very good graduate ODEs text, with some flaws
A Book on Advanced Dynamical Systems

Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems
Lawrence Perko
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0387951164

Book Description

This textbook presents a systematic study of the qualitative and geometric theory of nonlinear differential equations and dynamical systems. Although the main topic of the book is the local and global behavior of nonlinear systems and their bifurcations, a thorough treatment of linear systems is given at the beginning of the text. All the material necessary for a clear understanding of the qualitative behavior of dynamical systems is contained in this textbook, including an outline of the proof and examples illustrating the proof of the Hartman-Grobman theorem, the use of the Poincare map in the theory of limit cycles, the theory of rotated vector fields and its use in the study of limit cycles and homoclinic loops, and a description of the behavior and termination of one-parameter families of limit cycles. In addition to minor corrections and updates throughout, this new edition includes materials on higher order Melnikov theory and the bifurcation of limit cycles for planar systems of differential equations, including new sections on Francoise's algorithm for higher order Melnikov functions and on the finite codimension bifurcations that occur in the class of bounded quadratic systems.

Customer Reviews:

Very good graduate ODEs text, with some flaws.......2003-12-12

Perko's book is one of the best books that gives an advanced introduction to dynamical systems from the point of differential equations. Many other good books tread the same ground, without emphasizing the connection to ODEs. Perko's text is particularly strong in several respects. First, the dynamical systems it considers are almost always expressed in terms of underlying differential equations. Second, it gives proofs or outlines of proofs of most major theorems used in this field. Third, it covers the most important topics, including: local theory of hyperbolic equilibria, invariant manifolds, Hamiltonian systems, flows on R^2, stability theory, and elementary bifurcations. Also reviewed are the results from linear systems theory, in a particularly well-written and easy to follow introductory chapter. Another great feature of this book is its solid coverage of center manifold theory, which is an important and somewhat difficult topic.

There are a couple of problems with this book. The proofs to some of the major theorems are occasionally abstruse or poorly derived. Perko seems to bend over backwards to give analytical proofs, when algebraic or topological proofs might be easier. Many of the problems reuse the same elementary example equations. This is OK insofar as it allows the reader to see how different techniques can be used to analyze the same systems, but it limits the reader's exposure to the full variety of interesting dynamical systems that can arise in practice. The author also tends to emphasize polynomial vector fields, which is a potential limitation. Occasionally the problems are significantly more difficult than the examples worked in the text.

Overall, Perko's text is a very solid introduction to advanced ODEs and continuous dynamics. It is especially well-suited for scientists and engineers who want a readable introduction to the qualitative theory of ODEs.

A Book on Advanced Dynamical Systems.......2000-04-08

This book is a useful textbook for advanced courses on differential equations and dynamical systems for senior undergraduate students or first year graduate students.

The book presents a systematic study of the qualitative and geometric theory of nonlinear differential equations and dynamical systems.

The book has a sketch of the proof of the Hartman-Grobman Theorem which was useful for my second undergraduate course on dynamical systems and nonlinear differential equations.

I liked the book and I am quite sure it will become a classic textbook on this very useful branch of Math that has so many old and new applications in Physics, Economics and Finance.

Average customer rating:

Required Reading for Economists, Managers, Policy Wonks

A Broad Clear Vision

Must Read!!!

Dr. Greed-span, I presume

Throws everyone under the bus

The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World
Alan Greenspan
Manufacturer: Penguin Press HC, The
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable

The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court

Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World

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Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush

ASIN: 1594201315
Release Date: 2007-09-17

Book Description

In the immediate aftermath of September 11, 2001, in his fourteenth year as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, Alan Greenspan took part in a very quiet collective effort to ensure that America didn't experience an economic meltdown, taking the rest of the world with it. There was good reason to fear the worst: the stock market crash of October 1987, his first major crisis as Federal Reserve Chairman, coming just weeks after he assumed control, had come much closer than is even today generally known to freezing the financial system and triggering a genuine financial panic. But the most remarkable thing that happened to the economy after 9/11 was...nothing. What in an earlier day would have meant a crippling shock to the system was absorbed astonishingly quickly.

After 9/11 Alan Greenspan knew, if he needed any further reinforcement, that we're living in a new world - the world of a global capitalist economy that is vastly more flexible, resilient, open, self-directing, and fast-changing than it was even 20 years ago. It's a world that presents us with enormous new possibilities but also enormous new challenges. The Age of Turbulence is Alan Greenspan's incomparable reckoning with the nature of this new world - how we got here, what we're living through, and what lies over the horizon, for good and for ill-channeled through his own experiences working in the command room of the global economy for longer and with greater effect than any other single living figure. He begins his account on that September 11th morning, but then leaps back to his childhood, and follows the arc of his remarkable life's journey through to his more than 18-year tenure as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, from 1987 to 2006, during a time of transforming change.

Alan Greenspan shares the story of his life first simply with an eye toward doing justice to the extraordinary amount of history he has experienced and shaped. But his other goal is to draw readers along the same learning curve he followed, so they accrue a grasp of his own understanding of the underlying dynamics that drive world events. In the second half of the book, having brought us to the present and armed us with the conceptual tools to follow him forward, Dr. Greenspan embarks on a magnificent tour de horizon of the global economy. He reveals the universals of economic growth, delves into the specific facts on the ground in each of the major countries and regions of the world, and explains what the trend-lines of globalization are from here. The distillation of a life's worth of wisdom and insight into an elegant expression of a coherent worldview, The Age of Turbulence will stand as Alan Greenspan's personal and intellectual legacy.

A Timeline of a Remarkable Career

Mar. 6, 1926 Born in New York City

1936 At 10 sees Roosevelt campaigning; becomes expert on the 1936 Yankees

1938 Takes up clarinet at 12

1943-44 Studies clarinet at Julliard

Mid 1944 Joins Henry Jerome Band

1948 Graduates (summa cum laude) from New York University. (He later earns a master's in 1950 and a Ph.D. in 1977, also from NYU.) Hired as economic analyst at the Conference Board.

1954-74 Co-founds Townsend-Greenspan & Co. Inc., an economic consulting firm in New York City. (He returns in 1977.)

1974 Nominated by President Ford as chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisors.

1983 Chair of bipartisan National Commission on Social Security Reform.

June 1, 1987 Nominated by President Reagan for Fed Chair. Confirmed by Senate August 3.

Oct. 19, 1987 Only 69 days into Greenspan's term, the Dow drops 508 points and 22%.

July 10, 1991 Nominated by President George H.W. Bush to a second term as Fed Chairman. Later nominated to a third (February 22, 1996) and fourth term (January 4, 2000) by President Clinton.

Apr. 6, 1997 Marries Andrea Mitchell

May 18, 2004 Nominated by President George W. Bush for a fifth term as Fed chairman

Jan. 31, 2006 Completes 18 ½ years at the Fed

Feb. 1, 2006 Forms Greenspan Associates LLC, an economic consulting firm

Alan Greenspan's Top 10 Classical and Jazz Favorites

Before Alan Greenspan embarked on his legendary financial career, he studied the clarinet at Julliard and played as a professional jazz musician (while doing tax returns for his bandmates). He chose 10 favorites for us from a lifetime of listening, including:

Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 23

Vivaldi, Complete Cello Concertos

Coleman Hawkins, "Body and Soul"

Customer Reviews:

Required Reading for Economists, Managers, Policy Wonks.......2007-10-08

The Age of Turbulence--Adventures in a New World describes the 60-year career of economist Alan Greenspan in the private and public arena and his policy forecasts and recommendations for the future. The book was so absorbing I was able to read the 505 pages in just one weekend. It contains an Introduction (recounting the events of 9/11), 25 Chapters, Acknowledgments, A Note on Sources, and a fine Index. It also contains many photographs, including pictures of Greenspan's two main mentors, Arthur Burns and Ayn Rand, as well as Adam Smith, John Locke, and Joseph Schumpeter.

The first 11 chapters provide a detailed narrative of Greenspan's life and times; the remaining 14 chapters are discussions of the current world situation and a prediction of the economy in the year 2030. The paragraphs are short, and the writing is direct. Facts and statistics fill the pages; the book is much more detailed than most other memoirs I've read. Notes at the bottom of the page are especially interesting. There are no charts or graphs, however, and only one set of equations, those on p. 393 showing that real wages must be proportional to productivity. Econometrics software is mentioned, but Greenspan doesn't indicate how much he used it or how valuable it was as an aid for decision-making.

As most Republicans and Libertarians know, Greenspan is a libertarian Republican. He was a long-time student of Ayn Rand, the great champion of reason, laissez-faire capitalism, and limited government. Although the book has an Objectivist flavor, it's clear that Greenspan had to make some compromises in the ideology so he could work in the government. For instance he had to give up his support of the gold standard. It's clear, for one thing, that America doesn't currently have enough gold in Fort Knox to go back to the gold standard, and second, we would need to get all of our trading partners to switch back--which is a very dubious proposition. The best solution to price stability with fiat currency is to anchor monetary policy to the price of gold--if the price of gold goes up, the money supply is too loose and the Fed should tighten, and vice versa.

The various chapters are easily understood except Chapter 18, Current Accounts and Debt. I think some graphs, charts, tables, and equations would help here. I realize that a memoir is not the same as a treatise, but I still would have appreciated something similar to the graphs and charts of Julian Simon's book The Ultimate Resource 2. I'd also have liked to see more detail on the actual workings of the Fed--perhaps a brief manual of how it really operates. It's interesting to know, though, that Greenspan studied Robert's Rules of Order before assuming the chairmanship (p. 102)!

Chapter 20, The "Conundrum" presents Greenspan's take on the housing bubble and crash. It seems obvious, in retrospect, that as the Fed cut interest rates all the way to 1%, the government should have tightened bank reserves, tightened standards for home mortgages, and required larger down payments in order to nip the boom in housing. Similarly, Chapter 8, Irrational Exuberance, presents Greenspan's take on the Internet boom and bust. But, again, in retrospect, it seems obvious that stock margin requirements should have been increased in order to slow the rise and prevent the 2000-2001 crash.

Chapters 13 to 19 deal with international economics and discuss the situation in Europe, China, other Asian countries, Russia, and Latin America. Greenspan shows quite convincingly that globalization is the source of the disinflationary environment we've been in for the last 20 years or so. Chapter 21, Education and Income Inequality, contains a critique of our failing elementary and secondary schools and some proposed changes, including support for vouchers and pay increases for math and science teachers. Chapter 22 discusses the looming retirement of the baby boomers and the potential bankruptcy of Social Security and Medicare. Of course, Greenspan favors private accounts, but the Congress (and, seemingly, the American people) does not. Chapter 23, Corporate Governance, showcases Greenspan's knowledge of the working of company boards--he's been fortunate to serve on 16! He knows that often the CEO appoints the Board, rather than the other way around, and that as a result many corporate boards do not look out for shareholders' interest as much as they should.

Chapter 24, The Long-Term Energy Squeeze, focuses on the energy crisis. Here, I have to say, I'm surprised that Greenspan advocates (reluctantly) a higher gasoline tax. I think the tax should be just enough to keep our highways and bridges in good repair. Greenspan does, rightly, point out the future possibility of recovering natural-gas hydrates from marine sediments (p. 452). "Estimates from the U.S. Geological Survey indicate that the United States alone may possess two hundred quadrillion cubic feet of natural gas in the form of hydrates." Perhaps the path back to energy independence could be shortened by granting tax abatements to firms investing in the recovery of these hydrates.

Chapter 25, The Delphic Future, the final chapter, forecasts a real GDP in 2030 three-fourths higher than that of 2006, a continuation of the "conceptualization of U.S. GDP," and a "Federal Reserve System that will be confronted with the challenge of inflation pressures and populist politics that have been relatively quiescent in recent years." (p. 498).

Greenspan has worked with all of the Presidents from Nixon onward. It's pretty clear from this book that Gerald Ford was his favorite. Ford vetoed scores of bills, whereas George W. Bush has vetoed only a few. Greenspan rightly criticizes the Republican Party for not being true to its small government principles to cut government spending, thus causing the current high deficits and ballooning the country's debt by trillions of dollars.

I highly recommend the book to all economists, managers, and policy wonks.

A Broad Clear Vision.......2007-10-08

Forget about whether Greenspan slipped up here and there on not moving the interest rate one half point at this or that particular time. Instead look at his record, his outlook, his overall philosophy, and most important, the overall good that he achieved during his long and distinguished career.

How refreshing to read such a consistent and logical defense of the capitalist and free market system, supported by facts and research. This man is no narrow minded economist or 'figures man'; he was an enlightened philosopher whom American, and the rest of the world, were fortunate to have in such a position of influence over these important decades.

Thank you, Dr Greenspan! Your book is fantastic!

Must Read!!!.......2007-10-08

Beautiful compendium about the forces that currently rule the planet and a very respectful vision about its future in 2030.

A great book and a delicious reading!

Mauricio Beltran

Dr. Greed-span, I presume.......2007-10-07

Greenspan's anecdotes are interesting - he was in high places and behind the scenes during a somewhat turbulent time we all lived through (it isn't difficult to think of far more turbulent times humanity has endured). His determination to present himself as just a simple, hard-working number-cruncher who hesitates to use the vertical pronoun comes off a bit disingenuous, but the writing on the whole is excellent.
About half-way along, he shows his true philosophical colors and there he loses me. The only system worth living under, according to him, is laissez-faire capitalism and anything whatsoever that constrains it is the "welfare state." The one is held up on a pedestal and worshipped, every extra nickel it squeezes out of the ether is applauded; the other is booed and hissed and every incremental nickel foregone in the name of smoothing out the iniquities of an economic free-for-all is lamented. He misleads shamelessly with statistics, e.g. using average per capita income as a yardstick for measuring the success of an economy without making much of the fact that ten guys with ten thousand dollars each will yield the same APCI as one guy with a hundred thousand dollars and nine guys with nothing. He talks about a system that rewards "risk taking" without acknowledging that any risk taker needs a modicum of luck to achieve success, otherwise it would not be called "risk." Yet those risk-takers who succeed in the casino of life are deemed to deserve every nickel and be in no way beholden to those who took the same risks, as carefully and with as much bravery and forethought but with, ultimately, less favorable winds at their back -- or those fellow beings who for whatever reason never got into the race in the first place. And yet, when unfettered and unregulated risk takers threaten, by their unfettered risk-taking, to bring down the entire world economy, then it's okay for government agencies to step and save the day even if it allows those financial buccaneers to walk away with a whole lot of money in their pockets that they should have lost. Is it really just coincidence that during Greenspan's tenure at the Fed, income disparity in America grew by leaps and bounds? I think not. This guy is Ayn Rand in a business suit (an observation Mr. G. would no doubt take as a compliment, though it isn't meant as such).
Once I grasped the lens through which Greenspan sees everything, it was possible to add the correct amount of salt to his pronouncements and the rest of the book became quite interesting. His take on the world-economic status quo and his prognostications and warnings about the future in a changing global economy are worth reading as long as one doesn't swallow them whole, in my opinion. In all, a book not to be missed (my three-star rating was a mistake I can't seem to correct).

Throws everyone under the bus.......2007-10-07

Shameless attempt to bring some credibility to his lackluster life by pointing out flaws and character defects of others. He literally drives the bus over every one he mentions. It is more of a "it's all about me, and ain't I great" mentality.
I still could not put the thing down. I did enjoy some of the obstacles and inside information about the challenges that we as a nation faced
Timothy Kendrick
author
PTSD: Pathways Through the Secret Door

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