Diffusion and growth phenomena abound in the real world surrounding us. Someexamples: growth of the world's population, growth rates of humans, public interest in news events, growth and decline of central city populations, pollution of rivers, adoption of agricultural innovations, and spreading of epidemics and migration of insects. These and numerous other phenomena are illustrations of typical growth and diffusion problems confronted in many branches of the physical, biological and social sciences as well as in various areas of agriculture, business, education, engineering medicine and public health. The book presents a large number of mathematical models to provide frameworks forthe analysis and display of many of these. The models developed and utilizedcommence with relatively simple exponential, logistic and normal distribution functions. Considerable attention is given to time dependent growth coefficients and carrying capacities. The topics of discrete and distributed time delays, spatial-temporal diffusion and diffusion with reaction are examined. Throughout the book there are a great many numerical examples. In addition and most importantly, there are more than 50 in-depth "illustrations" of the application of a particular framework ormodel based on real world problems. These examples provide the reader with an appreciation of the intrinsic nature of the phenomena involved. They address mainly readers from the physical, biological, and social sciences, as the only mathematical background assumed is elementary calculus. Methods are developed as required, and the reader can thus acquire useful tools for planning, analyzing, designing,and evaluating studies of growth transfer and diffusion phenomena. The book draws on the author's own hands-on experience in problems of environmental diffusion and dispersion, as well as in technology transfer and innovation diffusion.

This authoritative test introduces the basic aspects of diffusion phenomena and their methods of solution through physical examples. It emphasizes modeling and methodology, bridging the gap between physico chemical statements of certain kinetic processes and their reduction to diffusion problems. Author Richard Ghez draws upon his experience in the areas of metallurgy and semiconductor technology to present physically significant examples that will prove of interest to a wide range of scientists — physicists, chemists, biologists, and applied mathematicians. Prerequisites include a rigorous year of calculus and a semester of thermodynamics. The opening chapter on the diffusion equation is succeeded by chapters on steady-state examples, diffusion under external forces, and simple time-dependent examples. An introduction to similarity is followed by explorations of surface rate limitations and segregation, a user's guide to the Laplace transform, and further time-dependent examples.

The investigation of phenomena involving fractals has gone through a spectacular development in the last decade. Many physical, technological and biological processes have been shown to be related to and described by objects with non-integer dimensions. The physics of far-from-equilibrium growth phenomena represents one of the most important fields in which fractal geometry is widely applied. During the last couple of years considerable experimental, numerical and theoretical information has accumulated concerning such processes. This book, written by a well-known expert in the field, summarizes the basic concepts born in the studies of fractal growth and also presents some of the most important new results for more specialized readers. It also contains 15 beautiful color plates demonstrating the richness of the geometry of fractal patterns. Accordingly, it may serve as a textbook on the geometrical aspects of fractal growth and it treats this area in sufficient depth to make it useful as a reference book. No specific mathematical knowledge is required for reading this book which is intended to give a balanced account of the field.

The investigation of phenomena involving fractals has gone through a spectacular development in the last decade. Many physical, technological and biological processes have been shown to be related to and described by objects with non-integer dimensions. The physics of far-from-equilibrium growth phenomena represents one of the most important fields in which fractal geometry is widely applied. During the last couple of years considerable experimental, numerical and theoretical information has accumulated concerning such processes.This book, written by a well-known expert in the field, summarizes the basic concepts born in the studies of fractal growth and also presents some of the most important new results for more specialized readers. It also contains 15 beautiful color plates demonstrating the richness of the geometry of fractal patterns. Accordingly, it may serve as a textbook on the geometrical aspects of fractal growth and it treats this area in sufficient depth to make it useful as a reference book. No specific mathematical knowledge is required for reading this book which is intended to give a balanced account of the field.

This book is the second edition of Numerical methods for diffusion phenomena in building physics: a practical introduction originally published by PUCPRESS (2016). It intends to stimulate research in simulation of diffusion problems in building physics, by providing an overview of mathematical models and numerical techniques such as the finite difference and finite-element methods traditionally used in building simulation tools. Nonconventional methods such as reduced order models, boundary integral approaches and spectral methods are presented, which might be considered in the next generation of building-energy-simulation tools. In this reviewed edition, an innovative way to simulate energy and hydrothermal performance are presented, bringing some light on innovative approaches in the field.

This book provides an extensive overview of the diffusion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in developing countries between 2000 and 2012. It covers issues such as country-specific ICT diffusion patterns, technological substitution and technological convergence. By identifying social, economic and institutional prerequisites and analyzing critical country-specific conditions, the author develops a new approach to explaining the emergence of their technological takeoff. Readers will discover how developing countries are now adopting ICTs, rapidly catching up with the developed world in terms of ICT access and use.