E-Book Overview
This collection of papers presents a series of in-depth examinations on a variety of advanced topics related to Boolean functions and expressions. The chapters are written by some of the most prominent experts in their respective fields and cover topics ranging from algebra and propositional logic to learning theory, cryptography, computational complexity, electrical engineering, and reliability theory.
E-Book Content
Boolean Models and Methods in Mathematics, Computer Science, and Engineering This collection of papers presents a series of in-depth examinations of a variety of advanced topics related to Boolean functions and expressions. The chapters are written by some of the most prominent experts in their respective fields and cover topics ranging from algebra and propositional logic to learning theory, cryptography, computational complexity, electrical engineering, and reliability theory. Beyond the diversity of the questions raised and investigated in different chapters, a remarkable feature of the collection is the common thread created by the fundamental language, concepts, models, and tools provided by Boolean theory. Many readers will be surprised to discover the countless links between seemingly remote topics discussed in various chapters of the book. This text will help them draw on such connections to further their understanding of their own scientific discipline and to explore new avenues for research. Dr. Yves Crama is Professor of Operations Research and Production Management and former Dean of the HEC Management School of the University of Li`ege, Belgium. He is widely recognized as a prominent expert in the field of Boolean functions, combinatorial optimization, and operations research, and he has coauthored more than 70 papers and 3 books on these subjects. Dr. Crama is a member of the editorial board of Discrete Optimization, Journal of Scheduling, and 4OR – The Quarterly Journal of the Belgian, French and Italian Operations Research Societies. The late Peter L. Hammer (1936–2006) was a Professor of Operations Research, Mathematics, Computer Science, Management Science, and Information Systems at Rutgers University and the Director of the Rutgers University Center for Operations Research (RUTCOR). He was the founder and editor-in-chief of the journals Annals of Operations Research, Discrete Mathematics, Discrete Applied Mathematics, Discrete Optimization, and Electronic Notes in Discrete Mathematics. Dr. Hammer was the initiator of numerous pioneering investigations of the use of Boolean functions in operations research and related areas, of the theory of pseudo-Boolean functions, and of the logical analysis of data. He published more than 240 papers and 19 books on these topics.
encyclopedia of mathematics and its applications founding editor g.-c. rota Editorial Board
R. Doran, P. Flajolet, M. Ismail, T.-Y. Lam, E. Lutwak The titles below, and earlier volumes in the series, are available from booksellers or from Cambridge University Press at www.cambridge.org. 100 E. Olivieri and M. Eul´alia Vares Large Deviations and Metastability 101 A. Kushner, V. Lychagin and V. Rubtsov Contact Geometry and Nonlinear Differential Equations 102 L. W. Beineke and R. J. Wilson (eds.) with P. J. Cameron Topics in Algebraic Graph Theory 103 O. J. Staffans Well-Posed Linear Systems 104 J. M. Lewis, S. Lakshmivarahan and S. K. Dhall Dynamic Data Assimilation 105 M. Lothaire Applied Combinatorics on Words 106 A. Markoe Analytic Tomography 107 P. A. Martin Multiple Scattering 108 R. A. Brualdi Combinatorial Matrix Classes 109 J. M. Borwein and J. D. Vanderwerff Convex Functions 110 M.-J. Lai and L. L. Schumaker Spline Functions on Triangulations 111 R. T. Curtis Symmetric Generation of Groups 112 H. Salzmann et al. The Classical Fields 113 S. Peszat and J. Zabczyk Stochastic Partial Differential Equations with L´e