springer london okt 2010 (688 results)

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Many current texts in the area are just cookbooks and, as a result, students do not know why they perform the methods they are taught, or why the methods work. The strength of this book is that it readdresses these shortcomings; by using examples, often from real life and using real data, the authors show how the fundamentals of probabilistic and statistical theories arise intuitively.A Modern Introduction to Probability and Statistics has numerous quick exercises to give direct feedback to students. In addition there are over 350 exercises, half of which have answers, of which half have full solutions. A website gives access to the data files used in the text, and, for instructors, the remaining solutions. The only pre-requisite is a first course in calculus; the text covers standard statistics and probability material, and develops beyond traditional parametric models to the Poisson process, and on to modern methods such as the bootstrap.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 504 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -¿Teamology: The Construction and Organization of Effective Teams¿ demonstrates how psychiatrist C. G. Jung¿s cognition theory, a cornerstone of modern personality typology, may be used to form and organize effective problem-solving teams through a novel quantitative transformation of numbers from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) psychological instrument directly on to Jung¿s eight cognitive modes. The resulting quantitative mode scores make obvious what is needed to make a good team.The product of sixteen years of studying student teams in engineering design project courses at Stanford University, ¿Teamology: The Construction and Organization of Effective Teams¿ is of value to educators in charge of engineering project courses, as well as to students and working professionals on project teams at all levels of engineering, architecture and business. The book is also useful for users of MBTI, and counselors interested in personal self-awareness and the development of interpersonal ability.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 108 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Anyone with a computer has heard of viruses, had to deal with several, and has been struggling with spam, spyware, and disk crashes. This book is intended as a starting point for those familiar with basic concepts of computers and computations and who would like to extend their knowledge into the realm of computer and network security. Its comprehensive treatment of all the major areas of computer security aims to give readers a complete foundation in the field of Computer Security. Exercises are given throughout the book and are intended to strengthening the reader¿s knowledge - answers are also provided. Written in a clear, easy to understand style, aimed towards advanced undergraduates and non-experts who want to know about the security problems confronting them everyday. The technical level of the book is low and requires no mathematics, and only a basic concept of computers and computations. Foundations of Computer Security will be an invaluable tool for students and professionals alike.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 392 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -General Principles of Surgery provides an illustrative, instructive, and comprehensive review that depicts the rationale of basic operative principles essential to surgical therapy.The chapters provide pertinent and concise summaries of the fundamental principles in surgery, spanning anesthesia, fluids, nutrition, bleeding, blood transfusion, circulatory monitoring and pain management. The text is illustrated throughout by line drawings and photographs that depict these surgical principles.A concise, handbook-sized reference work, this book is a valuable resource for all general surgeons and residents in training.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 140 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -An Introduction to Number Theory provides an introduction to the main streams of number theory. Starting with the unique factorization property of the integers, the theme of factorization is revisited several times throughout the book to illustrate how the ideas handed down from Euclid continue to reverberate through the subject.A number of different approaches to number theory are presented, and the different streams in the book are brought together in a chapter that describes the class number formula for quadratic fields and the famous conjectures of Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer. The final chapter introduces some of the main ideas behind modern computational number theory and its applications in cryptography.Written for graduate and advanced undergraduate students of mathematics, this text will also appeal to students in cognate subjects who wish to learn some of the big ideas in number theory.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 308 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Self-organizing maps (SOM) have proven to be of significant economic value in the areas of finance, economic and marketing applications. As a result, this area is rapidly becoming a non-academic technology. This book looks at near state-of-the-art SOM applications in the above areas, and is a multi-authored volume, edited by Guido Deboeck, a leading exponent in the use of computational methods in financial and economic forecasting, and by the originator of SOM, Teuvo Kohonen. The book contains chapters on applications of unsupervised neural networks using Kohonen's self-organizing map approach.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 316 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Although the Web is growing at an astounding pace, surpassing the 8 billion page mark, most pages are still designed for human consumption and cannot be processed by machines. Computers are used to display the information, but human intervention is still required to interpret the results. The Semantic Web unleashes a revolution of new possibilities in which content is given formal, machine processable semantics.This book provides a well-paced introduction to the Semantic Web. It covers a wide range of topics, from new trends (ontologies, rules) to existing technologies (Web Services and software agents) to more formal aspects (logic and inference). It includes: real-world (and complete) examples of the application of Semantic Web concepts; how the technology presented and discussed throughout the book can be extended to other application areas, i.e. Geographic Information Sciences, Bioinformatics and Fine Arts.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 344 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Trauma Surgery provides an illustrative, instructive, and comprehensive review that depicts the rationale of basic operative principles essential to surgical therapy in the trauma patient.The chapters provide pertinent, and concise, summaries of how to deal with the trauma patient, from initial evaluation to a closer look at the various organ systems that may need oeprated on. Thermal injury is also addressed. Stages of operative approaches with relevant technical considerations are outlined in a straigtforward manner, and complications are reviewed when appropriate for the organ system and problem. The text is illustrated throughout by line drawings and photographs that depict anatomic or technical principles.A concise, handbook-sized reference work, this book is a valuable resource for all general surgeons and residents in training.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 184 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Geometry is the cornerstone of computer graphics and computer animation, and provides the framework and tools for solving problems in two and three dimensions. This may be in the form of describing simple shapes such as a circle, ellipse, or parabola, or complex problems such as rotating 3D objects about an arbitrary axis.Geometry for Computer Graphics draws together a wide variety of geometric information that will provide a sourcebook of facts, examples, and proofs for students, academics, researchers, and professional practitioners.The book is divided into 4 sections: the first summarizes hundreds of formulae used to solve 2D and 3D geometric problems. The second section places these formulae in context in the form of worked examples. The third provides the origin and proofs of these formulae, and communicates mathematical strategies for solving geometric problems. The last section is a glossary of terms used in geometry.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 368 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Critical Care Surgery provides an illustrative, instructive, and comprehensive review that depicts the rationale of basic operative principles essential to surgical therapy in the critically ill patient.The chapters provide pertinent and concise, summaries of how to deal with various types of critical illness, including acute renal failure, coma and altered mental status, multiple organ dysfunction and hepatic failure. Stages of operative approaches with relevant technical considerations are outlined in a straightforward manner, and complications are reviewed when appropriate for the organ system and problem. The text is illustrated throughout by line drawings and photographs that depict anatomic or technical principles.A concise, handbook-sized reference work, this book is a valuable resource for all general surgeons and residents in training.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 268 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Surgery of the Pancreas and Spleen provides an illustrative, instructive, and comprehensive review that depicts the rationale of basic operative principles essential to surgical therapy in pancreatic and splenic disorders.The chapters provide pertinent and concise summaries of how to deal with various pancreatic and splenic disorders, spanning benign and malignant problems and minimally invasive procedures. Stages of operative approaches with relevant technical considerations are outlined in an easily understandable manner. Complications are reviewed when appropriate for the organ system and problem. The text is illustrated throughout by line drawings and photographs that depict anatomic or technical principles.A concise, handbook-sized reference work, this book is a valuable resource for all general surgeons and residents in training.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 244 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Network calculus is a theory dealing with queuing systems found in computer networks. Its focus is on performance guarantees. Central to the theory is the use of alternate algebras such as the min-plus algebra to transform complex network systems into analytically tractable systems. To simplify the ana- sis, another idea is to characterize tra c and service processes using various bounds. Since its introduction in the early 1990s, network calculus has dev- oped along two tracks¿deterministic and stochastic. This book is devoted to summarizing results for stochastic network calculus that can be employed in the design of computer networks to provide stochastic service guarantees. Overview and Goal Like conventional queuing theory, stochastic network calculus is based on properly de ned tra c models and service models. However, while in c- ventional queuing theory an arrival process is typically characterized by the inter-arrival times of customers and a service process by the service times of customers, the arrival process and the service process are modeled in n- work calculus respectively by some arrival curve that (maybe probabilis- cally) upper-bounds the cumulative arrival and by some service curve that (maybe probabilistically) lower-bounds the cumulative service. The idea of usingboundstocharacterizetra candservicewasinitiallyintroducedfor- terministic network calculus. It has also been extended to stochastic network calculus by exploiting the stochastic nature of arrival and service processes.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 252 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Overview and Goals This book describes how to visualize and compare bacterial genomes. Sequencing technologies are becoming so inexpensive that soon going for a cup of coffee will be more expensive than sequencing a bacterial genome. Thus, there is a very real and pressing need for high-throughput computational methods to compare hundreds and thousands of bacterial genomes. It is a long road from molecular biology to systems biology, and in a sense this text can be thought of as a path bridging these elds. The goal of this book is to p- vide a coherent set of tools and a methodological framework for starting with raw DNA sequences and producing fully annotated genome sequences, and then using these to build up and test models about groups of interacting organisms within an environment or ecological niche. Organization and Features The text is divided into four main parts: Introduction, Comparative Genomics, Transcriptomics and Proteomics, and nally Microbial Communities. The rst ve chapters are introductions of various sorts. Each of these chapters represents an introduction to a speci c scienti c eld, to bring all readers up to the same basic level before proceeding on to the methods of comparing genomes. First, a brief overview of molecular biology and of the concept of sequences as biological inf- mation are given.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 288 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -A problem of broad interest - the estimation of the spectral gap for matrices or differential operators (Markov chains or diffusions) - is covered in this book. In particular, it studies a subset of the general problem, taking some approaches that have, up till now, only appeared largely in the Chinese literature.Eigenvalues, Inequalities and Ergodic Theory serves as an introduction to this developing field, and provides an overview of the methods used in an accessible and concise manner.Each chapter starts with a summary and, in order to appeal to non-specialists, ideas are introduced through simple examples rather than technical proofs. In the latter chapters readers are introduced to problems and application areas, including stochastic models of economy.Intended for researchers, graduates and postgraduates in probability theory, Markov processes, mathematical physics and spectrum theory, this book will be a welcome introduction to a growing area of research.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 244 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -The book provides complete coverage of fundamental IP networking in Java. It introduces the concepts behind TCP/IP and UDP and their intended use and purpose; gives complete coverage of Java networking APIs, includes an extended discussion of advanced server design, so that the various design principles and tradeoffs concerned are discussed and equips the reader with analytic queuing-theory tools to evaluate design alternatives; covers UDP multicasting, and covers multi-homed hosts, leading the reader to understand the extra programming steps and design considerations required in such environments.After reading this book the reader will have an advanced knowledge of fundamental network design and programming concepts in the Java language, enabling them to design and implement distributed applications with advanced features and to predict their performance. Special emphasis is given to the scalable I/O facilities of Java 1.4 as well as complete treatments of multi-homing and UDP both unicast and multicast.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 400 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Interactive curve modeling techniques and their applications are extremely useful inanumber ofacademicandindustrialsettings.Speci cally, curvemodelingplays a signi cant role in multidisciplinary problem solving. It is extremely useful in various situations like font design, designing objects, CAD/CAM, medical im- ing and visualization, scienti c data visualization, virtual reality, object recog- tion, etc. In particular, various problems like iris recognition, ngerprint rec- nition, signature recognition, etc. can also be intelligently solved and automated using curve techniques. In addition to its critical importance more recently, the curve modeling methods have also proven to be indispensable in a variety of m- ern industries, including computer vision, robotics, medical imaging, visuali- tion, and even media. This book aims to provide a valuable source that focuses on interdisciplinary methods and to add up-to-date methodologies in the area. It aims to provide the user community with a variety of techniques, applications, and systems necessary for various real-life problems in the areas such as font design, medical visuali- tion, scienti c data visualization, archaeology, toon rendering, virtual reality, body simulation, outline capture of images, object recognition, signature recognition, industrial applications, and many others.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 368 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Applied statisticians often need to perform analyses of multivariate data; for these they will typically use one of the statistical software packages, S-Plus or R. This book sets out how to use these packages for these analyses in a concise and easy-to-use way, and will save users having to buy two books for the job. The author is well-known for this kind of book, and so buyers will trust that he's got it right. 236 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Moving on from earlier stochastic and robust control paradigms, this book introduces the fundamentals of probabilistic methods in the analysis and design of uncertain systems. The use of randomized algorithms, guarantees a reduction in the computational complexity of classical robust control algorithms and in the conservativeness of methods like H-infinity control.Features:¿ self-contained treatment explaining randomized algorithms from their genesis in the principles of probability theory to their use for robust analysis and controller synthesis;¿ comprehensive treatment of sample generation, including consideration of the difficulties involved in obtaining independent and identically distributed samples;¿ applications in congestion control of high-speed communications networks and the stability of quantized sampled-data systems.This monograph will be of interest to theorists concerned with robust and optimal control techniques and to all control engineers dealing with system uncertainties.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 364 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Graph theory is a flourishing discipline containing a body of beautiful and powerful theorems of wide applicability. Its explosive growth in recent years is mainly due to its role as an essential structure underpinning modern applied mathematics ¿ computer science, combinatorial optimization, and operations research in particular ¿ but also to its increasing application in the more applied sciences. The versatility of graphs makes them indispensable tools in the design and analysis of communication networks, for instance.The primary aim of this book is to present a coherent introduction to the subject, suitable as a textbook for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in mathematics and computer science. It provides a systematic treatment of the theory of graphs without sacrificing its intuitive and aesthetic appeal. Commonly used proof techniques are described and illustrated, and a wealth of exercises - of varying levels of difficulty - are provided tohelp the reader master the techniques and reinforce their grasp of the material.A second objective is to serve as an introduction to research in graph theory. To this end, sections on more advanced topics are included, and a number of interesting and challenging open problems are highlighted and discussed in some detail. Despite this more advanced material, the book has been organized in such a way that an introductory course on graph theory can be based on the first few sections of selected chapters.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 676 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Since its introduction in the early 1980s, the risk-neutral valuation principle has proved to be an important tool in the pricing and hedging of financial derivatives.Following the success of the first edition of ¿Risk-Neutral Valuation¿, the authors have thoroughly revised the entire book, taking into account recent developments in the field, and changes in their own thinking and teaching.In particular, the chapters on Incomplete Markets and Interest Rate Theory have been updated and extended, there is a new chapter on the important and growing area of Credit Risk and, in recognition of the increasing popularity of Lévy finance, there is considerable new material on: Infinite divisibility and Lévy processes Lévy-based models in incomplete marketsFurther material such as exercises, solutions to exercises and lecture slides are also available via the web to provide additional support for lecturers.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 456 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 416 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -In the second edition of this very successful book, Tony Sammes and Brian Jenkinson show how information held in computer systems can be recovered and how it may be deliberately hidden or subverted for criminal purposes. 'Forensic Computing: A Practitioner's Guide' is illustrated by plenty of case studies and worked examples, and will help practitioners and students gain a clear understanding of: how to recover information from computer systems in such a way as to ensure that its integrity cannot be challenged and that it will be accepted as admissible evidence in court the principles involved in password protection and data encryption the evaluation procedures used in circumventing these safeguards the particular legal issues associated with computer-generated evidence and how to ensure admissibility of such evidence.This edition is fully expanded and updated with treatment of metadata files, NFTS systems, CHS and LBA addressing, and alternate data streams.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 476 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Geometric algebra (a Clifford Algebra) has been applied to different branches of physics for a long time but is now being adopted by the computer graphics community and is providing exciting new ways of solving 3D geometric problems.John Vince (author of numerous books including ¿Geometry for Computer Graphics¿ and ¿Vector Analysis for Computer Graphics¿) has tackled this complex subject in his usual inimitable style, and provided an accessible and very readable introduction.As well as putting geometric algebra into its historical context, John tackles complex numbers and quaternions; the nature of wedge product and geometric product; reflections and rotations (showing how geometric algebra can offer a powerful way of describing orientations of objects and virtual cameras); and how to implement lines, planes, volumes and intersections. Introductory chapters also look at algebraic axioms, vector algebra and geometric conventions and the book closes with a chapter on how the algebra is applied to computer graphics.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 268 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This textbook is uniquely written with dual purpose. It cover cores material in the foundations of computing for graduate students in computer science and also provides an introduction to some more advanced topics for those intending further study in the area. This innovative text focuses primarily on computational complexity theory: the classification of computational problems in terms of their inherent complexity. The book contains an invaluable collection of lectures for first-year graduates on the theory of computation. Topics and features include more than 40 lectures for first year graduate students, and a dozen homework sets and exercises.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 436 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -In order to build a successful, Java-based application it is important to have a clear understanding of the principles underlying the various financial models. Those models guide the application designer in choosing the most appropriate Java data structures and implementation strategy. This book describes the principles of model building in financial engineering and explains those models as designs and working implementations for Java-based applications.Throughout the book a series of packaged classes are developed to address a wide range of financial applications. Java methods are designed and implemented based on the most widely used models in financial engineering and investment practice. The classes and methods are explained and designed in a way which allows the financial engineer complete flexibility. The classes can be used as off-the-shelf working solutions or the innovative developer can re-arrange and modify methods to create new productsSpringer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 580 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -The classic text on robot manipulators now covers visual control, motion planning and mobile robots too!Based on the successful Modelling and Control of Robot Manipulators by Sciavicco and Siciliano (Springer, 2000), Robotics provides the basic know-how on the foundations of robotics: modelling, planning and control. It has been expanded to include coverage of mobile robots, visual control and motion planning. A variety of problems is raised throughout, and the proper tools to find engineering-oriented solutions are introduced and explained.The text includes coverage of fundamental topics like kinematics, and trajectory planning and related technological aspects including actuators and sensors.To impart practical skill, examples and case studies are carefully worked out and interwoven through the text, with frequent resort to simulation. In addition, end-of-chapter exercises are proposed, and the book is accompanied by an electronic solutions manual containing the MATLAB® code for computer problems; this is available free of charge to those adopting this volume as a textbook for courses.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 656 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware - If we are to believe in Moore's law, then every passing day brings new and advanced changes to the technology arena. We are as amazed by miniaturization of computing devices as we are amused by their speed of computation. Everything seems to be in ux and moving fast. We are also fast moving towards ubiquitous computing. To achieve this kind of computing landscape, new ease and seamless computing user interfaces have to be developed. Believe me, if you mature and have ever program any digital device, you are, like me, looking forward to this brave new computing landscape with anticipation. However, if history is any guide to use, we in information security, and indeed every computing device user young and old, must brace themselves for a future full of problems. As we enter into this world of fast, small and concealable ubiquitous computing devices, we are entering fertile territory for dubious, mischievous, and malicious people. We need to be on guard because, as expected, help will be slow coming because rst, well trained and experienced personnel will still be dif cult to get and those that will be found will likely be very expensive as the case is today.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Java brings more functionality and versatility to the world of mobile devices, but it also introduces new security threats.This book is a comprehensive presentation of embedded Java security. It is compared with the security model of the Java 2 Standard Edition in order to view the impact of limited resources on security. The main components of embedded Java are also generally presented to give an idea about the platform architecture. To assess the effectiveness of the security model, an evaluation of the security features is carried out with results presented in the framework of the MEHARI method for risk analysis, and the Common Criteria methodology of security evaluation. The usefulness of this security evaluation is to point out areas that need security hardening.This book provides researchers and practitioners alike with a broader and deeper understanding of the issues involved in embedded Java security, and ¿as a larger view- mobile devices security.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 260 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -eProcurement in Healthcare is a book that aggregates 5 years of experience of three successive R and D projects (ELCH, GetTogether, GROPIS) covering technical and organizational issues of eProcurement. The projects, which were funded partly by the government and partly by industry and hospitals, looked at the characteristics of procurement processes and at standard technologies. Two of the projects included case studies (ELCH, GROPIS), the third project focused on the development of standard business objects for eProcurement in healthcare (GetTogether). Together they form a rich source of information worth communicating to a large audience of experts and newcomers alike. Results from the projects are supplemented by the contributions of international experts and their particular views on eProcurement, which gives the book a global perspective and hence allows its readers to learn from a variety of different approaches. Each chapter of the book is structured in a way that satisfies the needs of executives as well as academics. A management summary, tables and graphics together with key statements of experts allow the quick reader to capture the main message of each chapter, whereas background information and reference to the literature address readers who wish to gain a deeper and more comprehensive insight into the field. The management summary and the expert statements will appear in boxes separated from the main text by visual cues, e.g. background color, font size, font type.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 356 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -The extraordinary development of digital computers (microprocessors, microcontrollers) and their extensive use in control systems in all fields of applications has brought about important changes in the design of control systems. Their performance and their low cost make them suitable for use in control systems of various kinds which demand far better capabilities and performances than those provided by analog controllers. However, in order really to take advantage of the capabilities of microprocessors, it is not enough to reproduce the behavior of analog (PID) controllers. One needs to implement specific and high-performance model based control techniques developed for computer-controlled systems (techniques that have been extensively tested in practice). In this context identification of a plant dynamic model from data is a fundamental step in the design of the control system. The book takes into account the fact that the association of books with software and on-line material is radically changing the teaching methods of the control discipline. Despite its interactive character, computer-aided control design software requires the understanding of a number of concepts in order to be used efficiently. The use of software for illustrating the various concepts and algorithms helps understanding and rapidly gives a feeling of the various phenomena.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 508 pp. Englisch.