This book provides a concise introduction to the mathematical aspects of the origin, structure and evolution of the universe. The book begins with a brief overview of observational and theoretical cosmology, along with a short introduction of general relativity. It then goes on to discuss Friedmann models, the Hubble constant and deceleration...

Since the publication of the first edition of The Description Logic Handbook in 2003, the interest in Description Logics (DL) has steadily increased. This applies both to the number of active DL researchers working on DL theory and implementations of reasoning services, and to the number of applications based on DL technology. One...

The main subject of this book is data warehousing. A data warehouse is a special kind of database that, in recent years, has attracted a great deal of interest in the information technology industry. Quite a few books have been published about data warehousing generally, but very few have focused on the design of data...

The study of fracture mechanics of concrete has developed in recent years to the point where it can be used for assessing the durability of concrete structures and for the development of new concrete materials. The last decade has seen a gradual shift of interest toward fracture studies at increasingly smaller sizes and scales....

SMS is an incredible global success. At the time of writing (mid-2009) it can be used by all 4 billion GSM customers. More than 50 short messages are generated per month per GSM user. The service has created a $100 billion turnover industry. This success has been enabled mainly by the comprehensive and robust standards that have been made...

Sweeteners are forever in the news. Whether it’s information about a new sweetener or questions about one that has been on the market for years, interest in sweeteners and sweetness continues. Completely revised and updated, this fourth edition of Alternative Sweeteners provides information on new, recently evaluated,...