The Library

Reviews:

The Man Who Loved Only Numbers

Mechanical Engineers’ Handbook, Second Edition

Weak Convergence of Probability Measures

The Fabric of Reality

Biographies of Four Mathematicians: Hadamard, von Neumann, and Smale

Analytical Mechanics, by J.S. Török

At Home in the Universe: The Search for the Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity

The books listed here are believed to be some of the finest available on their respective subjects and therefore a must-have for anyone seriously interested in the subject matter. Let us know if you have any comments, suggestions and/or additions.

(1) Kaufman, Stuart;   At Home in the Universe : The Search for Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity

(2) Mandelbrot, Benoit B.  Fractal Geometry of Nature

(3) Heinz-Otto, Peitgen, Dietmar Saupe, H. Jurgens,  Chaos and Fractals : New Frontiers of Science

(4) Goldstine,  Classical Physics

(5) L.A. Pars,  A Treatise on Analytical Dynamics,Heinemann, London, 1965.

(6) V.I. Arnold, V.V. Koslov and A.I. Neishtadt, in: Encyclopedia of Mathematical Sciences, Dynamical Systems III,  Mathematical Aspects of Classical and Celestial Mechanics  (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1988).

(7) Meirovitch, L.,  Methods of Analytical Dynamics,  McGraw-Hill, York, 1970.

(8) Bryson, A. E. and Ho, Y.C.,  Applied Optimal Control,  Hemispheric Publications, New York, 1975.

(9) Junkins, J. L. and Kim, Y.,  Introduction to Dynamics and Control of Flexible Structures.  AIAA Education Series, Washington D.C., 1993.

(10) Stephen H. Crandall, Dean C. Karnopp, Edward F.Kurtz, Jr., David C. Pridmore-Brown,  Dynamics of Mechanical and Electromechanical Systems,  Krieger Publishing Co., 1982.

(11) Jer-Nan Juang,   Applied System Identification, Prentice Hall, 1994.

(12) W. T. Thompson,  Theory of Vibration with Applications,   Prentice Hall, 1981.

(13) Meirovitch, L.,  Dynamics and Control of Structures,   Wiley Interscience, New York, 1990.

(14) Meirovitch, L.,  Principles and Techniques of Vibrations,   Prentice Hall Engineering/Science/Mathematics,1996.

(15) Benaroya, H.,  Mechanical Vibration: Analysis, Uncertainties, and Control,   Prentice Hall Engineering/Science/Mathematics, 1997.

(16) Meirovitch, L.,   Analytical Methods in Vibrations,   Macmillan, New York, New York, 1967.

(17) Nayfeh, A. H., Mook, D. T.,  Nonlinear Oscillations,   Wiley-Interscience, 1979.

(18) Likins, P. W.,   Elements of Engineering Mechanics,  McGraw Hill, 1973.

(19) Whittaker, E. T.,  Analytical Dynamics of Particle and Rigid Bodies,   Cambrdge University Press, reprinted in 1965.

(20) S.P. Timoshenko and J.N. Goodier,   Theory of Elasticity,  3rd   edition, McGraw-Hill, 1970. Originally published in 1934.  The earliest modern work in this fundamental subject. Applications oriented.

(21) S.P. Timoshenko and S. Woinowsky-Krieger,  Theory of Plates and Shells,  2nd   edition, McGraw-Hill, 1968. Originally published in 1940.   The earliest modern work in this area of structural mechanics. Applications oriented, and a subject upon which much of structural analysis is based.

(22) S.P. Timoshenko and J.M. Gere,  Theory of Elastic Stability,  2nd  edition, McGraw-Hill, 1961. Originally published in 1936.   The earliest modern work in this fundamental subject. Applications oriented.

(23) I.S. Sokolnikoff,  Mathematical Theory of Elasticity,  2nd   edition, McGraw-Hill, 1956. Originally published in 1946.   An excellent and complete theoretical introduction to the subject. Provides an excellent grounding in all the aspects of the subject.

(24) S.P. Timoshenko,  Strength of Materials, Part I: Elementary Theory and Problems,  3nd   edition, Krieger, 1976, and Part II: Advanced Theory and Problems,  3nd   edition, Krieger, 1976. Both originally published in 1930 by Litton Educational Publishers. One of the earliest introductions to the subject.

(25) S.P. Timoshenko,  History of Strength of Materials,   Dover, 1983. Originally published by McGraw-Hill in 1953.   A joy to read for those who have an interest in the origins of this subject. Discussion goes well beyond the confines of the title. Should be required reading for students.

(26) C. Lanczos,  The Variational Principles of Mechanics,   Dover, New York, 1986   One of the most readable introduction to variational principles and variational mechanics. First edition 1949. Fourth edition 1970. Written in a style that is rare today; it was written as literature.

(27) P.M. Morse and K. U. Ingard,   Theoretical Acoustics,   Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1968.   A very thorough introduction to the subject. It contains many applications and examples. May be considered a descendent of Rayleigh’s Theory of Sound.

(28) F.B. Hildebrand,  Methods of Applied Mathematics,   Second Edition, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, 1965, also now available as a Dover Publication.   The best introductions to: matrix theory, variational principles, and integral equations. Very clear exposition.

(29) J.J. Stoker,  Nonlinear Vibrations in Mechanical and Electrical Systems,   Wiley Classics, New York, 1992.   Original edition from 1950. A very clear introduction to nonlinear oscillations and nonlinear differential equations with a physical basis.

(30) J.J. Stoker,  Water Waves,   Wiley Classics, New York, 1992.   Original edition from 1958. An extensive mathematical treatment of ocean waves.

(31) G.H. Heiken, D.T. Vaniman, and B.M. French,  Lunar Sourcebook,   Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1991.   The best single reference for physical information about the Moon.

(32) A. Papoulis,  Probability, Random Variables and Stochastic Processes,  McGraw-Hill, New York, first edition, 1965.   An exceptionally detailed introduction to the subject. There are three editions, the first is the best and most approachable.

(33) G. Nicolis and I. Prigogine,   Exploring Complexity,   W.H. Freeman & Co., New York, 1989.  A fascinating and multi-disciplinary exposition (nonmathematical) to the subject of complexity.

(34) B. Kinsman,  Wind Waves,   Dover Publications, New York, 1984.   Originally published in 1967. The book on wind-generated ocean waves. Physical oceanography at its best. Written by a master. The footnotes are the greatest!

(35) Y.K. Lin,  Probabilistic Theory of Structural Dynamics,  Krieger, Malabar, Florida, 1976. Originally published by McGraw-Hill in 1967.   The most comprehensive introduction to the subject. It set the standards and was the book that introduced the current generation to the field.

(36) R. Courant and D. Hilbert,  Methods of Mathematical Physics,   Interscience, New York, Vol. 1, 1953, Vol. 2, 1962.   These English-language translations of the original German editions are exhaustive and thorough introductions to applied mathematics. From a historical perspective, it is interesting to see how modern engineering has adopted the powerful mathematical tools of physics over the past half century.

(37) R. P. Feynman, R.B. Leighton, M.L. Sands,  The Feynman Lectures on Physics,   3 vol., Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. Sixth Printing, November 1977.   This multi-volume work was published in 1963 and contains 52 chapters in all areas of physics. Worth taking a summer off and reading from cover to cover.

(38) N. Minorsky,  Nonlinear Oscillations,   Krieger, Malabar, Florida, 1974. Originally published 1962 by Van Nostrand.   Provides a thorough introduction to nonlinear oscillations. Detailed and clear exposition.