Best of
Technical

1986

Programming Pearls


Jon L. Bentley - 1986
    Jon has done a wonderful job of updating the material. I am very impressed at how fresh the new examples seem." - Steve McConnell, author, Code CompleteWhen programmers list their favorite books, Jon Bentley's collection of programming pearls is commonly included among the classics. Just as natural pearls grow from grains of sand that irritate oysters, programming pearls have grown from real problems that have irritated real programmers. With origins beyond solid engineering, in the realm of insight and creativity, Bentley's pearls offer unique and clever solutions to those nagging problems. Illustrated by programs designed as much for fun as for instruction, the book is filled with lucid and witty descriptions of practical programming techniques and fundamental design principles. It is not at all surprising that Programming Pearls has been so highly valued by programmers at every level of experience. In this revision, the first in 14 years, Bentley has substantially updated his essays to reflect current programming methods and environments. In addition, there are three new essays on (1) testing, debugging, and timing; (2) set representations; and (3) string problems. All the original programs have been rewritten, and an equal amount of new code has been generated. Implementations of all the programs, in C or C++, are now available on the Web.What remains the same in this new edition is Bentley's focus on the hard core of programming problems and his delivery of workable solutions to those problems. Whether you are new to Bentley's classic or are revisiting his work for some fresh insight, this book is sure to make your own list of favorites.

The Design of the UNIX Operating System


Maurice J. Bach - 1986
    The leading selling UNIX internals book on the market.

Schaum's Outline of Theory and Problems of Data Structures


Seymour Lipschutz - 1986
    This guide, which can be used with any text or can stand alone, contains at the beginning of each chapter a list of key definitions, a summary of major concepts, step by step solutions to dozens of problems, and additional practice problems.

A First Course in the Finite Element Method


Daryl L. Logan - 1986
    It does not have the usual prerequisites (such as structural analysis) required by most available texts in this area. The book is written primarily as a basic learning tool for the undergraduate student in civil and mechanical engineering whose main interest is in stress analysis and heat transfer. The text is geared toward those who want to apply the finite element method as a tool to solve practical physical problems. This revised fourth edition includes the addition of a large number of new problems (including SI problems), an appendix for mechanical and thermal properties, and more civil applications.

The C Answer Book


Clovis L. Tondo - 1986
    Ideal for use with K&R in any course on C. Careful study of this answer book will help understand ANSI C and enhance programming skills. Tondo & Gimpel describe each solution and completely format programs to show the logical flow.

Lasers (Revised)


Anthony E. Siegman - 1986
    The book gives a detailed accurate treatment of laser physics which does not require a background in quantum mechanics.

The Watch Repairer's Manual


Henry B. Fried - 1986
    Fried was "widely acknowledged as the dean of American watchmakers." In the revised, 1961 edition of his classic book "The Watch Repairer's Manual, " reprinted here, Fried addresses topics important to contemporary watch repairers, such as self-winding watches, waterproofing, calendar watches, alarm wristwatches, and chronographs. "The Watch Repairer's Manual" also includes a fine visual dictionary of exploded views in isometric, which are very helpful for ordering watch parts.One of the few modern books available on the techniques of watch repair and certainly the most esteemed, "The Watch Repairer's Manual" is outstanding for its sequence of presentation and its many useful illustrations, including enlarged details of alarm and self-winding watches. The consummate craftsman and master of details, Fried himself created the illustrations. From teaching others, Fried has learned that if you have a good understanding of how and why the mechanisms work, you will become better at fixing any problems you face-often without needing to consult a book."The Watch Repairer's Manual" provides:- Helpful background material, such as full descriptions of the main divisions of the modern watch mechanisms, including the purpose and function of each unit.- Complete directions for cleaning and overhauling a watch movement for casing.- A section devoted to general repairs and troubleshooting.For anyone interested in watch repair, this volume will serve as a working manual, a reference manual, and even a course of study. Assuming little previous knowledge on the part of the reader, Fried provides complete and clear detail on each operation. "The Watch Repairer's Manual" should be of great value to the student, hobbyist, watch collector, and instrument maker. Henry B. Fried wrote and illustrated 14 books, many pamphlets, and hundreds of articles on horology, the science of timepieces. The first American to receive the Silver Medal of the British Horological Institute, he served as president of the New York City Horological Society and the New York State Watchmakers Association and vice president of the old Horological Institute of America. He taught and lectured on horology and served as an industry consultant. He also was a consultant for the "Random House Dictionary" and the "Merriam-Webster Dictionary."

Computers & Typesetting, Volume B: Tex: The Program


Donald Ervin Knuth - 1986
    We now believe that every i has been properly dotted, every t has been properly crossed, and every bug has been properly exterminated.Donald E. Knuth, creator of the exciting TeX computer typesetting system, has made available in this volume the fully documented program listing for TeX.Readers who are already familiar with TeX and with its user's guide, The TeXbook, will find much of interest in the source code. Other readers interested in software development and in Knuth's programming style will find this a fascinating and instructive case study. Never before has a computer program of this size been spelled out so clearly and completely. Knuth presents all the algorithms and explains every detail of the TeX program, utilizing the WEB system of structured documentation that he developed as part of his TeX research project.TeX: The Program is the second in a five-volume series on Computers and Typesetting, all authored by Knuth. This series presents the results of nearly a decade of innovative research on the problems of preparing publications of high quality.

Fundamentals of Plasma Physics


J.A. Bittencourt - 1986
    Its clarity and completeness makes the text suitable for self-learning and for self-paced courses.Throughout the text the emphasis is on clarity, rather than formality, the various derivations are explained in detail and, wherever possible, the physical interpretations are emphasized. The mathematical treatment is set out in great detail, carrying out the steps which are usually left to the reader. The problems form an integral part of the text and most of them were designed in such a way as to provide a guideline, stating intermediate steps with answers.

Adaptive Filter Theory


Simon Haykin - 1986
    The fourth edition of this book has been updated and refined to stay current with the field.

Schaum's Outline of Computer Graphics


Roy A. Plastock - 1986
    Clear explanations of fundamental tasks facilitate students' understanding of important concepts. New! Chapters on shading models, shadow, and texture--including the Phong illumination model--explain the latest techniques and tools for achieving photorealism in computer graphics.

Advanced MS-DOS Programming


Ray Duncan - 1986
    The reference section details each MS-DOS function call and interrupt and the BIOS interrupts. This new edition includes both new and expanded material.

ASM Handbook, Volume 10: Materials Characterization


Ruth E. Whan - 1986
    It emphasizes the practical rather than the theoretical, describing the most common applications and limitations of each method. Contents include: Sampling; Optical and X-Ray Spectroscopy; Mass Spectroscopy; Chromatography; Classical, Electrochemical and Radiochemical Analysis; Resonance Methods; Metallographic Techniques; Diffraction Methods; Electron Optical Methods; Electron or X-Ray Spectroscopic Methods; MethodAs Based on Sputtering or Scattering Phenomena.

Advanced C


Herbert Schildt - 1986
    

The Advancement of Science, and Its Burdens


Gerald Holton - 1986
    Gerald Holton, one of the century's leading historians of science, continues his analysis of how modern science works and how it influences our world, with particular emphasis on the role of the thematic elements--those often unconscious presuppositions that guide scientific work to success or failure. Many of the conclusions emerge from the author's extensive study of the contributions of Albert Einstein. Indeed, Holton's new introduction for this edition, Einstein and the Cultural Roots of Modern Science, demonstrates that Einstein's daring main pursuit, the discovery of unity among seemingly disparate aspects of physics, was psychologically supported by a surprising ally: the high literary works in which he immersed himself, above all Goethe's. This case study alone may well be a classic example for studying the interaction of science and culture.

Fire Protection Handbook


National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) - 1986
    

Principles of Communication Systems


Herbert Taub - 1986
    A clear and readable tutorial style is combined with thorough coverage of both basic and advanced concepts. And the second edition acquaints students with the state of the art,including treatment of topics that have only recently become important and which many available texts ignore. This edition features improved treatment of signal analysis,including representations in signal space,as well as a more complete and modern presentation of random variables and random processes,with illustrative examples to teach detection of signals in noise. There is also a complete discussion of modulation techniques and synchronization and error rate calculation.

The Theory Of Database Concurrency Control


Christos H. Papadimitriou - 1986
    

Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists


Willes H. Weber - 1986
    It is an essential tool for all engineers and physical scientists.

Circuits, Signals, And Systems


William McC Siebert - 1986
    

Basic Electricity: A Self-Teaching Guide


Charles Ryan - 1986
    What makes a light bulb work? What overloads a fuse? Why your car needs a battery and an alternator? We all use electricity in our daily lives, yet most of us don't know what it is or how it works. With Basic Electricity, Second Edition, you can teach yourself all about electricity--for everyday understanding or as a basis for further study. This easy-to-use guide takes you through the basics of electricity and familiarizes you with the workings of voltage, current, resistance, power, and other circuit values in direct-current and alternating-current electricity. The Second Edition has been extensively updated to include the latest in electrical technology. Through step-by-step problem-solving, you'll gain a true understanding of the basic rules, laws, concepts and equations of electric circuits. Best of all, you'll understand and appreciate the nature of electricity without ever having to determine its "invisible" identity. Self-tests at the end of each chapter have been fully revised...and a brand-new end-of-course exam is included so you can test your overall comprehension of basic electricity. For further study, the Second Edition's cross-referenced list of standard texts on electricity has also been updated.

Programmers at Work: Interviews With 19 Programmers Who Shaped the Computer Industry (Tempus)


Susan Lammers - 1986
    A classic title on the PC revolution originally published in 1986. Featuring Bill Gates, Andy Hertzfeld, Charles Simonyi, Ray Ozzie, Michael Hawley and many more.

LISP Lore: A Guide to Programming the LISP Machine


Hank Bromley - 1986
    Mark, for instance, would really like to cover basics like the flavor system, etc., so he could start doing his own programming without a lot of trial and error, and Bill and I would be interested in this, too. I'm quite sure that Mark Jones, Bruce, Eric and Van would also be really interested. Would you like to do it? Bill has let me know that if you'd care to set something up, he's free to meet with us anytime this week or next (although I'll only be here on Wed. next week) so we can come up with a plan. What do you think? Joan. xiv Lisp Lore (All the people and computers mentioned above work at AT&T Bell Laboratories, in Murray Hill, New Jersey. ) I agreed, with some trepidation, to try teaching such a course. It wasn't clear how I was going to explain the Lisp Machine environment to a few dozen beginners when at the time I felt I was scarcely able to keep myself afloat. Particularly since many of the "beginners" had PhD's in computer science and a decade or two of programming experience.

Optimal Control


Frank L. Lewis - 1986
    It covers the major topics involving measurement, principles of optimality, dynamic programming, variational methods, Kalman filtering, and other solution techniques. To give the reader a sense of the problems that can arise in a hands-on project, the authors have included new material on optimal output feedback control, a technique used in the aerospace industry. Also included are two new chapters on robust control to provide background in this rapidly growing area of interest. Relations to classical control theory are emphasized throughout the text, and a root-locus approach to steady-state controller design is included. A chapter on optimal control of polynomial systems is designed to give the reader sufficient background for further study in the field of adaptive control. The authors demonstrate through numerous examples that computer simulations of optimal controllers are easy to implement and help give the reader an intuitive feel for the equations. To help build the reader's confidence in understanding the theory and its practical applications, the authors have provided many opportunities throughout the book for writing simple programs. Optimal Control will also serve as an invaluable reference for control engineers in the industry. It offers numerous tables that make it easy to find the equations needed to implement optimal controllers for practical applications. All simulations have been performed using MATLAB and relevant Toolboxes. Optimal Control assumes a background in the state-variable representation of systems; because matrix manipulations are the basic mathematical vehicle of the book, a short review is included in the appendix. A lucid introductory text and an invaluable reference, Optimal Control will serve as a complete tool for the professional engineer and advanced student alike. As a superb introductory text and an indispensable reference, this new edition of Optimal Control will serve the needs of both the professional engineer and the advanced student in mechanical, electrical, and aerospace engineering. Its coverage encompasses all the fundamental topics as well as the major changes of recent years, including output-feedback design and robust design. An abundance of computer simulations using MATLAB and relevant Toolboxes is included to give the reader the actual experience of applying the theory to real-world situations. Major topics covered include: * Static Optimization * Optimal Control of Discrete-Time Systems * Optimal Control of Continuous-Time Systems * The Tracking Problem and Other LQR Extensions * Final-Time-Free and Constrained Input Control * Dynamic Programming * Optimal Control for Polynomial Systems * Output Feedback and Structured Control * Robustness and Multivariable Frequency-Domain Techniques