Because magnetically confined plasmas are generally not found in a state of thermodynamic equilibrium, they have been studied extensively with methods of applied kinetic theory. In closed magnetic field line confinement devices such as the tokamak, non-Maxwellian distortions usually occur as a result of auxiliary heating and transport. In magnetic mirror configurations even the intended steady state plasma is far from local thermodynamic equilibrium because of losses along open magnetic field lines. In both of these major fusion devices, kinetic models based on the Boltzmann equation with Fokker-Planck collision terms have been successful in representing plasma behavior. The heating of plasmas by energetic neutral beams or microwaves, the production and thermalization of a-particles in thermonuclear reactor plasmas, the study of runaway electrons in tokamaks, and the performance of two-energy compo nent fusion reactors are some examples of processes in which the solution of kinetic equations is appropriate and, moreover, generally necessary for an understanding of the plasma dynamics. Ultimately, the problem is to solve a nonlinear partial differential equation for the distribution function of each charged plasma species in terms of six phase space variables and time. The dimensionality of the problem may be reduced through imposing certain symmetry conditions. For example, fewer spatial dimensions are needed if either the magnetic field is taken to be uniform or the magnetic field inhomogeneity enters principally through its variation along the direction of the field.

This text is an introduction to methods of grid generation technology in scientific computing. Special attention is given to methods developed by the author for the treatment of singularly-perturbed equations, e.g. in modeling high Reynolds number flows. Functionals of conformality, orthogonality, energy and alignment are discussed.

First concise textbook on Large-Eddy Simulation, a very important method in scientific computing and engineering From the foreword to the third edition written by Charles Meneveau: "... this meticulously assembled and significantly enlarged description of the many aspects of LES will be a most welcome addition to the bookshelves of scientists and engineers in fluid mechanics, LES practitioners, and students of turbulence in general."

During the last half century, the development and testing of prediction models of combustion chamber performance have been an ongoing task at the International Flame Research Foundation (IFRF) in IJmuiden in the Netherlands and at many other research organizations. This task has brought forth a hierarchy of more or less standard numerical models for heat transfer predictions, in particular for the prediction of radiative heat transfer. Unfortunately all the methods developed, which certainly have a good physical foundation, are based on a large number of extreme sim plifications or uncontrolled assumptions. To date, the ever more stringent requirements for efficient production and use of energy and heat from com bustion chambers call for prediction algorithms of higher accuracy and more detailed radiative heat transfer calculations. The driving forces behind this are advanced technology requirements, the costs of large-scale experimen tal work, and the limitation of physical modeling. This interest is growing more acute and has increased the need for the publication of a textbook for more accurate treatment of radiative transfer in enclosures. The writing of a textbook on radiative heat transfer, however, in ad dition to working regularly on other subjects is a rather difficult task for which some years of meditation are necessary. The book must satisfy two requirements which are not easily reconciled. From the mathematical point of view, it must be written in accordance with standards of mathemati cal rigor and precision.

While classical orthogonal polynomials appear as solutions to hypergeometric differential equations, those of a discrete variable emerge as solutions of difference equations of hypergeometric type on lattices. The authors present a concise introduction to this theory, presenting at the same time methods of solving a large class of difference equations. They apply the theory to various problems in scientific computing, probability, queuing theory, coding and information compression. The book is an expanded and revised version of the first edition, published in Russian (Nauka 1985). Students and scientists will find a useful textbook in numerical analysis.

The book deals with the propagation and absorption of high frequency waves in plasmas. The text collects in a structured and self-contained way the basic knowledge on the broad and varied behavior of plasma waves, adopting the microscopic kinetic description of the plasma as unifying principle. The internal coherence of the theory is explicitly stressed, and interesting physical phenomena peculiar to plasmas are discussed in detail, including collisionless damping of waves, the development of stochasticity in the interactions of charged particles with electromagnetic waves, and nonlinear interactions between waves. The most common and useful approximations used in solving practical problems are derived as special cases from the more general kinetic approach, thereby clarifying their meaning and domain of applicability. This exposition should be useful to plasma physicists both as an introduction and a reference to this field of research.