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Montesquieu is among the most important figures in the history of political thought, yet his published writings reveal next to nothing regarding his personal life. This volume provides the first English translations of letters revealing the character, lifestyle, and ambitions of this titled aristocrat, landowner, feudal lord, wine producer, and influential author. The letters chosen include intimate details regarding his marriage, family life, dalliances, and literary ambitions alongside frank assessments of French and European politics, warfare, and religion that would have aroused government censors if made public. We learn how eagerly Montesquieu sought entry into Parisian social circles after publishing his Persian Letters (1721), and we see how greatly he valued friendships with Parisian women whose influence at court could protect writers criticizing the existing order. In sum, the letters translated for this volume provide crucial context for his published work, illuminating how his life experiences shaped his worldview.
This Element is a study in cultural history, focusing on ancient Mediterranean religious traditions during the second to the early seventh centuries CE and their attempts to provide theologically sound explanations for the existence of multiple languages. The goal is to deliver a concise but balanced and, as far as possible, comprehensive treatment of the ideas about languages, linguistic diversity, and foreign language speakers across religious traditions in Late Antiquity. Therefore, this Element assumes a comparative perspective. Besides taking into account the inner heteroglossia of early Christianity, we examine sources associated with Greco-Roman polytheism, various forms of Judaism, Manicheism, and other hybrid religious forms during the late Roman and early post-Roman eras.
This study investigates the development of translated fiction within the United Kingdom publishing sector between 2001 and 2021. Drawing on NielsenIQ BookData, qualitative interviews with publishing professionals, and a detailed case study of Fitzcarraldo Editions, it analyses how translated literature has evolved from a marginal cultural pursuit into an increasingly significant area of publishing activity. The research identifies continuing structural challenges, including the costs of translation, limited linguistic and cultural diversity within publishing teams, and the dominance of a few internationally recognised authors. It also highlights the role of independent presses, literary prizes, and digital platforms in expanding visibility and readership. By situating these findings within debates on cultural diversity, symbolic capital, and global circulation, the study demonstrates how translated fiction reflects and reshapes contemporary publishing practices, contributing to a more inclusive and internationally connected literary landscape.
In Central and Eastern Europe, disinformation threatens democratic stability, inflames ideological divides, and weakens Western geopolitical commitments. Drawing on cross-national analyses, as well as in-depth studies of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, this Element analyzes: the relationship between ideological polarization and disinformation supply; the challenges of building anti-disinformation efforts; individual-level demand for disinformation; and the effects of disinformation on public opinion. Ideological polarization over sociocultural issues predicts disinformation supply, and sociocultural conservatives with anti-Western views constitute a disinformation-susceptible audience that struggles to distinguish between false and true narratives. Elite-level divisions over the threat posed by disinformation exacerbate these dynamics, hampering efforts to build disinformation resilience. However, disinformation largely fails to persuade. Amongst most individuals, attitudinal backlash is more common. Disinformation does not win over hearts and minds; rather, its appeal reflects the salience of contentious issues that have emerged as a result of wider political realignments.
Case characterizes distribution of nominals within a sentence (abstract Case), which can be reflected in morphological marking on nominals (morphological case). A related phenomenon of agreement characterizes a structural relation between a nominal and a functional category, which is morphologically manifested on the functional category. This Element examines how Case/case and agreement phenomena are derived, focusing on the syntactic operations involved. The Element discusses the types of morphological case, as well as the concept of abstract Case, starting with the seminal works of Vergnaud and Chomsky, followed by the theories of unification of Case/case and agreement, specifically the Spec-Head configuration and the operation Agree. Demonstrating empirical shortcomings of such unification, alternative approaches are considered (Dependent Case Theory and morphological approaches to agreement), illustrating their empirical and conceptual challenges. Ultimately, the Element sketches a theory of Case/case and agreement using independently motivated concepts of copy interpretation and labeling.
East Asian voices have long been marginalised in Western literature, though recent global waves of East Asian popular culture have begun to shift the landscape. Among the newest entrants to this global phenomenon are children's picture books – an emerging yet potent force with unparalleled potential for long-term impact. Despite their limited visibility in publishing, picture books are central to early education and childhood wellbeing, shaping future generations. As such, depictions of East Asia in Anglophone children's picture books represent a doubly marginalised field that has been largely overlooked. This timely and essential Element addresses that gap. Drawing on a comprehensive dataset independent of publisher self-reporting, it offers both a historical overview of East Asian representation spanning more than a century and in-depth case studies, providing a ground-breaking account of this overlooked but increasingly influential domain.
This comprehensive History examines Middle Eastern modernism through analyses of its roots and development across Turkish, Arabic, Persian, and other regional languages. An international team of contributors explains the modernist movement in the Middle East from its beginnings in the nineteenth century until today. Combining linguistic breadth and focused treatments of canonical works of Middle Eastern modernist art and literature, this History highlights remarkable connections in modernist form and content that link the Arab world to the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish Republic as well as Qajar and Pahlavi Iran, Central Asia, and even India, often to the exclusion of Western modernist norms and experiments. Working within the broader framework of global modernisms while attending to the movement's local particularities, this volume establishes Middle Eastern modernism as a vibrant field of inquiry and a cornerstone for modernist studies more generally.
Mathematicians, physicists, engineers, and data scientists will welcome this comprehensive, rigorous, and practical guide to computing spectral properties of operators in infinite-dimensional settings. It explains why standard discretisation can fail and shows how to overcome these pitfalls. It develops resolvent-based algorithms with provable convergence and certified error bounds, organised by a precise computability classification that clarifies what is achievable, what is impossible, and what extra information makes problems tractable. Topics include spectra and pseudospectra, spectral measures and functional calculus, spectral types, fractal and Cantor-type spectra, essential versus discrete spectra and multiplicities, spectral radii, abscissas and gaps, nonlinear operator pencils, and verified computation. A distinctive feature is the integration of modern applications, including a fully rigorous treatment of data-driven Koopman spectral analysis. Hundreds of worked examples, exercises with solutions, notes, and usable code make the book both a reference and a powerful toolkit for researchers and students.
After careful study of this chapter, students should be able to do the following:
LO1: Identify stress concentration in machine members.
LO2: Explain stress concentration from the theory of elasticity approach.
LO3: Calculate stress concentration due to a circular hole in a plate.
LO4: Analyze stress concentration due to an elliptical hole in a plate.
LO5: Evaluate notch sensitivity.
LO6: Create designs for reducing stress concentration.
9.1 INTRODUCTION [LO1]
Stresses given by relatively simple equations in the strength of materials for structures or machine members are based on the assumed continuity of the elastic medium. However, the presence of discontinuity destroys the assumed regularity of stress distribution in a member and a sudden increase in stresses occurs in the neighborhood of the discontinuity. In developing machines, it is impossible to avoid abrupt changes in cross-sections, holes, notches, shoulders, etc. Abrupt changes in cross-section also occur at the roots of gear teeth and threads of bolts. Some examples are shown in Figure 9.1.
Any such discontinuity acts as a stress raiser. Ideally, discontinuity in materials such as non-metallic inclusions in metals, casting defects, residual stresses from welding may also act as stress raisers. In this chapter, however, we shall consider only the geometric discontinuity that arises from design considerations of structures or machine parts.
Many theoretical methods and experimental techniques have been developed to determine stress concentrations in different structural and mechanical systems. In order to understand the concept, we shall begin with a plate with a centrally located hole. The plate is subjected to uniformly distributed tensile loading at the ends, as shown in Figure 9.2.
All metals and alloys exhibit a reduction in electrical resistance as they cool. As the temperature drops, atoms’ thermal vibrations become less intense, and conduction electrons scatter less frequently. The resistivity should decrease toward zero as the temperature approaches zero Kelvin for a perfect pure metal, where the only thing standing in the way of an electron's travel is the thermal vibrations of the lattice. This zero resistance, which a hypothetical perfect specimen would acquire if it could be cooled to absolute zero, is the phenomenon of superconductivity. Any real specimen of metal cannot be perfectly pure and will contain some impurities. As a result, in addition to being scattered by the thermal vibrations of the lattice atoms, the electrons are also dispersed by impurities, and this impurity scattering is largely temperature independent. As a result, at the lowest temperature, there will be some residual resistance. The residual resistivity of a metal increases with the degree of impurity.
The phenomenon of superconductivity was first discovered by Dutch physicist H. Kamerling Onnes of Leiden University in 1911 during the investigation of the variation of electrical resistance of mercury in the newly available range of low temperatures, in the neighborhood of temperature of liquid helium (or 4.2 K). He observed that the resistance of mercury suddenly falls from 0.08 ohm at about 4 K to less than 3 × 10−6 ohm over a very small temperature of 0.01 K.
The nonconducting materials such as paper, wood, glass, ceramics, polymers and so on do not have free charge carriers, that is, electrons or holes. Therefore, they prevent the flow of electrical current and heat through them.
When the main function of nonconducting materials is to provide electrical isolation then they are called insulators.
When the main function of nonconducting materials is for charge storage then it is called dielectric.
The dielectrics are polarized under the influence of an external electric field.
Dielectric Constant
Let us consider two parallel plates separated by a distance “d” connected with a dc supply of voltage V, as shown in Figure 6.1(a). Now the circuit is disconnected, and the dielectric is inserted between the plates, as shown in Figure 6.1(b).
Then, the voltage across the capacitor is reduced from V to V′. The change in voltage across the plates can be related by a factor as
Since V < V , the relative permittivity or dielectric constant ɛr 1 >.
The capacitance without dielectric is given as
The capacitance with dielectric is given as
Now, put the value of C and C¢ in equation (6.1), the relative permittivity or dielectric constant is
In the early days, an operational amplifier (op-amp) was the only linear integrated circuit (IC) that was used in the design of linear IC circuits and systems. Typical applications of the op-amps were mathematical operations, such as summation, subtraction, integration, small signal amplification, and generating oscillations. Over the years, other devices, such as operational transconductance amplifiers, current conveyors, and so on, have also come into common use; still, it has not reduced the importance and areas of application of op-amps. Rather, it became possible to realize many more advanced functions with linear ICs and many applications coming under the domain of nonlinear applications with advances in the process technology and increased level of integration. Some of the more common nonlinear applications are precision rectifiers, voltage-level detectors, and Schmitt trigger circuits. The Schmitt trigger circuit itself is very popular in generating varieties of pulses and other waveforms like triangular waveforms. Some other nonlinear applications such as log and antilog amplifiers, analog multiplier, charge amplifier, and isolation amplifiers are discussed in brief; phase lock loop and its basic function are also included.
Precision Rectifiers
Conventional rectifiers work well for converting alternating supply to a pulsating one. Filters are normally used to remove ripples in the pulsating voltage to obtain dc. It is observed that these rectifiers have some limitations. One of the main limitations is that when a diode conducts during rectification, it has a voltage drop across its terminals, which is approximately 0.7 V. Hence, the ac voltage available for conversion to dc is reduced by that amount.
After careful study of this chapter, students should be able to do the following:
LO1: Identify the difference between engineering mechanics and the theory of elasticity approach.
LO2: Explain yielding and brittle fracture.
LO3: Describe the stress–strain behavior of common engineering materials.
LO4: Compare hardness, ductility, malleability, toughness, and creep.
LO5: Explain different hardness measurement techniques.
1.1 INTRODUCTION [LO1]
Mechanics is one of the oldest physical sciences, dating back to the times of Aristotle and Archimedes. The subject deals with force, displacement, and motion. The concepts of mechanics have been used to solve many mechanical and structural engineering problems through the ages. Because of its intriguing nature, many great scientists including Sir Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein delved into it for solving intricate problems in their own fields.
Engineering mechanics and mechanics of materials developed over centuries with a few experiment-based postulates and assumptions, particularly to solve engineering problems in designing machines and structural parts. Problems are many and varied. However, in most cases, the requirement is to ensure sufficient strength, stiffness, and stability of the components, and eventually those of the whole machine or structure. In order to do this, we first analyze the forces and stresses at different points in a member, and then select materials of known strength and deformation behavior, to withstand the stress distribution with tolerable deformation and stability limits. The methodology has now developed to the extent of coding that takes into account the whole field stress, strain, deformation behaviors, and material characteristics to predict the probability of failure of a component at the weakest point. Inputs from the theory of elasticity and plasticity, mathematical and computational techniques, material science, and many other branches of science are needed to develop such sophisticated coding.
The theory of elasticity too developed but as an applied mathematics topic, and engineers took very little notice of it until recently, when critical analyses of components in high-speed machinery, vehicles, aerospace technology, and many other applications became necessary. The types of problems considered in both the elementary strength of material and the theory of elasticity are similar, but the approaches are different. The strength of the materials approach is generally simple. Here the emphasis is on finding practical solutions to a problem with simplifying assumptions.
Wave optics is the branch of modern physics in which the nature of light and its propagation are studied.
Interference
When two waves of the same frequency, having a constant phase difference between them, and traveling in the same medium are allowed to superimpose each other, there is a modification in the intensity pattern. This phenomenon is known as interference of light.
When the resultant amplitude at certain points is the sum of the amplitudes of the two waves, this interference is known as constructive interference.
When the resultant amplitude at certain points is the difference of the amplitudes of the two waves, this interference is known as destructive interference, as shown in Figure 11.1.
COHERENT SOURCES
Two sources are said to be coherent if the waves emitted from them have a constant phase difference with time.
THEORY OF INTERFERENCE
Let us consider two coherent sources S1 and S2 that are equidistant from source S. Let a1 and a2 be the amplitudes of the waves originated from source S1 and S2, respectively, as shown in Figure 11.2. Then the displacement y1 from the source S is given by
where δ is the phase difference between the two waves.
Now, according to the law of superposition, the resultant wave is given by
The band theory of solids is different from the others because the atoms are arranged very close to each other such that the energy levels of the outermost orbital electrons are affected. But the energy level of the innermost electrons is not affected by the neighboring atoms.
In general, if there is n number of atoms, then there will be n discrete energy levels in each energy band. In such a system of n number of atoms, the molecular orbitals are called energy bands shown in Figure 7.1.
CLASSIFICATION OF SOLIDS ON THE BASIS OF BAND THEORY
The solids can be classified on the basis of band theory. The parameter that differentiates the solids among insulator, conductor, and semiconductor is known as energy band gap and represented by (Eg), as shown in Figure 7.2. When the energy band gap (Eg) between conduction band and valence band is greater than 5 eV (electron-volt) then the solid is classified as insulator. When the energy band gap (E g)between conduction band and valence band is 0 eV (electron-volt), that is, overlapping of bands occurs then the solid is classified as conductor. When the energy band gap (Eg) between conduction band and valence band is approximately equals to 1 eV (electron-volt) then the solid is classified as semiconductors.
In this chapter, we shall study separation properties of topological spaces, vaguely speaking, whether two distinct points, a point and a closed set not containing the point, or two disjoint closed sets can be separated by disjoint open sets. On one extreme, we have indiscrete spaces in which nothing can be separated, and on the other end, we have discrete spaces in which every subset is open and it possesses all the separation properties. Metric spaces satisfy all these properties, and so, in a way, separation axioms attempt to seek how far is a topological space from being metrizable. Initially, the definition of topology given by Felix Hausdorff included a condition that we now know as the T2-axiom or the Hausdorff property. Later on, separation axioms were studied under the name accessible spaces, which was introduced by Fréchet, now known as T1-spaces and also as Fréchet space. The T0-space was introduced by Kolmogorov, and T0-spaces are also called Kolmogorov spaces. In 1923, Heinrich Tietze introduced the notation Ti for these spaces, which comes from the German word “Trennungsaxiomen,” which means “separation axioms,” and it has nothing to do with his name.
In the realm of ring theory, polynomial rings emerge as indispensable algebraic structures, providing a rich and versatile framework for studying a wide array of mathematical concepts. At their core, polynomial rings serve as a natural extension of the familiar concept of polynomials in a single variable, offering a systematic way to explore algebraic expressions involving multiple variables. This chapter delves into the foundational aspects of polynomial rings, elucidating their construction, properties, and significance within the broader landscape of ring theory.
A polynomial ring is constructed by formalizing expressions involving indeterminates and coefficients, embodying a powerful algebraic structure that captures the essence of polynomial manipulation. The algebraic properties of polynomial rings are examined, their role as noncommutative rings is emphasized, and how they form a foundation for understanding diverse mathematical topics is examined. From polynomial factorization to the roots of polynomials, polynomial rings offer insights into the structure and behavior of rings, making them a cornerstone in the exploration of abstract algebra. Furthermore, the chapter will explore connections between polynomial rings and other algebraic structures, shedding light on their significance from the perspective of mathematical theory. Through this exploration, readers will gain a deeper appreciation for the elegance and applicability of polynomial rings in the context of ring theory.