The chapters in this volume were presented at the July–August 2008 NATO Advanced Study Institute on Unexploded Ordnance Detection and Mitigation. The conference was held at the beautiful Il Ciocco resort near Lucca, in the glorious Tuscany region of northern Italy. For the ninth time we gathered at this idyllic spot to explore and extend the reciprocity between mathematics and engineering. The dynamic interaction between world-renowned scientists from the usually disparate communities of pure mathematicians and applied scientists which occurred at our eight previous ASI’s continued at this meeting. The detection and neutralization of unexploded ordnance (UXO) has been of major concern for very many decades; at least since the First World war. UXO continues to be the subject of intensive research in many ?elds of science, incl- ing mathematics, signal processing (mainly radar and sonar) and chemistry. While today’s headlines emphasize the mayhem resulting from the placement of imp- vised explosive devices (IEDs), humanitarian landmine clearing continues to draw signi?cant global attention as well. In many countries of the world, landmines threaten the population and hinder reconstruction and fast, ef?cient utilization of large areas of the mined land in the aftermath of military con?icts.

Brighton, May 1940. A time of tension and change. Geoffrey Beaumont becomes Superintendent of the enemy alien camp on the edge of town, his son Philip is gripped by the rumour that Hitler will make Brighton his English HQ, and his wife Evelyn meets Otto Gottlieb, a 'degenerate' German-Jewish painter imprisoned in the camp. As love collides with fear, the power of art with the forces of war, the lives of Evelyn, Otto and Geoffrey are changed irrevocably.

Describes the resiliance of African traditional farming practices in resisting the imposition of Western development schemes by powerful elites

Wars may officially end and treaties may be signed, but their lethal legacy lives on in the form of unexploded ordinance and minefields that continue to harm civilian populations. Aerial reconnaissance reduces the need for risky, costly and time-consuming ground operations, and the rapid development of unmanned aerial vehicles offers crucial innovations for addressing the aftermath of conflicts worldwide. Aleksandar Smiljanic, an international recognized subject matter expert in next generation defence technologies, examines current developments in technology, electronics, and unmanned autonomous systems that are increasingly allowing military experts to address the challenges of mine clearance and left-over munitions, thereby helping to neutralize the dangers posed by former battlefields. Focusing on the role that unmanned vehicle reconnaissance can play in future identification and clearance operations, the author's timely and critical account - richly illustrated and with a host of supporting scientific and mathematical evidence throughout - offers a fertile and thought-provoking array of solutions to a scourge that has affected civilian populations and civic infrastructure throughout the world for decades. This is a must-read for political and military policymakers and a vital contribution to global efforts at humanitarian relief when it comes to rebuilding the social, political, economic, and cultural landscape of affected populations, with effects not just on their own countries but consequences for us all.