Introduction to Probability Models, Ninth Edition Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The first four chapters alone (intro, random variables, conditonal probability, markov chains) are worth the price of the book. The author packs each chapter with very interesting examples and problems. The one I found most interesting was his probabilistic analysis of the 2-SAT and SAT problems of computer science. Here he gives an informal math argument as to why 2-SAT is polynomial time decidable and why SAT should be intractable.
On the other hand, I think someone relatively new to probability theory may find his neat problems and examples a bit too much with a first reading. The book is in its seventh edition, and I think Ross has taken advantage of this by providing newer insights and more interesting problems, but in doing so it may overwhelm the novice.
If you are learning probability for the first or second time, I recommend you supplement this book with Roussas "A Course in Mathematical Statistics". Despite its title, the first 9 chapters give a calculus-based intro to probability. And the rest of the book is *excellent* for a calculus-based intro to statistics.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Introduction to Probability Models, Ninth Edition

Click here for more information about Introduction to Probability Models, Ninth Edition

Read More...

Introduction to Time Series and Forecasting Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Very good introductory book to ARMA models. Full of real-life examples that provide some intuitive insight about the issues that may arise when modelling time series and forecasting. Requires some initial knowledge in statistics and algebra but if you're involved in time series modelling, it should be your first book.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Introduction to Time Series and Forecasting

This is an introduction to time series that emphasizes methods and analysis of data sets. The logic and tools of model-building for stationary and non-stationary time series are developed and numerous exercises, many of which make use of the included computer package, provide the reader with ample opportunity to develop skills. Statisticians and students will learn the latest methods in time series and forecasting, along with modern computational models and algorithms.

Get 20% OFF

Click here for more information about Introduction to Time Series and Forecasting

Read More...

GIS and Multicriteria Decision Analysis Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This book is very well written and contains tons of useful information. I wouldn't try to do a GIS decision model without it. It describes common modeling mistakes to avoid and provides plenty of examples. I haven't found any other texts that are this in-depth, describing every step of the modeling process in detail.

Click Here to see more reviews about: GIS and Multicriteria Decision Analysis

Get 17% OFF

Click here for more information about GIS and Multicriteria Decision Analysis

Read More...

Refinery Process Modeling Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It's one of the best technical books I have ever bought. It's very easy to read, gives very good advice and covers the whole subjet. I also like that the author does not try to sell any process simulator. I hate it when an author tries to sell products with his/her books. This one is very good, because you're helped regardless of the process simulator you prefer.
I recommend buying this book very much.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Refinery Process Modeling

This book is a practical guide to the steady state modeling of petroleum processes (using commercial simulators).The book bridges the gap between theoretical computer simulator programs and real world refinery processes.It is based on the author's practical experience in modeling refining processes for over 35 years and is the outgrowth of hundreds of training courses he has presented.The simulation techniques are general and may be applied to any commercial simulation program that has the necessary features to model petroleum processes.Features include:. Petroleum characteristics and standard laboratory tests. Procedures for estimating incomplete laboratory test information. Development of pseudo-components to represent petroleum. Practical thermodynamic information. Understandable approach to modeling distillation. General technical information for processes. Test data collection and reconciliation for processes. Simulation techniques for refinery reaction systems. Simulation procedures for processes. Processes included are:-Crude and vacuum distillation-FCC processes-Catalytic reforming processes-Hydrogen processes-Thermal processes-Alkylation processes-Miscellaneous processesThe reader will gain a working knowledge of the petroleum refiningprocesses.The tips and tricks presented in this book will help thereader avoid the time consuming pitfalls so often encountered whendeveloping simulation models.The book contains a glossary of petroleum and chemical engineeringterminology and an extensive index.

Click here for more information about Refinery Process Modeling

Read More...

Lattice Boltzmann Modeling: An Introduction for Geoscientists and Engineers Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I most value this book for its brief and lucid introductions to the physics (e.g. multiphase flows) that can be incorporated into lattice Boltzmann methods.
As far as the lattice Boltzmann method is concerned, I soon found myself relying on papers in literature rather than this book (although it has to be said that this book thoroughly references publications in literature).
My main criticisms arise from following points:
* as a quick start guide, this book falls short in not discussing issues like initialisation and the general streaming-collision framework. I found the latter particularly confusing, since their code snippets suggest that they solve a slightly different equation than the one analytically described in the book. Moreover, the extension from 2D to 3D (which is left to the reader) is not as trivial as the book suggests (e.g. for the boundary conditions).
* the book gives an introduction to phenomenological models for e.g. multiphase flows. If you are an engineer or geoscientist, you might want to use models that are quantitatively more correct.
* The book doesn't go beyond lattice-Boltzmann toy models. If you want to do something "real" with lattice-Boltzmann, you will need to address more advanced issues (like how to deal with curved boundaries, or with higher-order lattices). While one cannot expect from the scope of this book to address those issues directly, it is a pity that the book doesn't prepare in any way for those issues. So probably, you'll have to throw away your code and start all over again if you ever want to model something more.
* Due to ongoing research, this book starts to become outdated. In part because the book introduces lattice-Boltzmann models from lattice-gas cellular automata (as they evolved historically), instead of being directly based on the Boltzmann transport equation (as is more common nowadays).
Overall, I quickly abandoned this book while writing my lattice-Boltzmann code. Nevertheless, you can probably have a lot of fun with the models proposed in the book, as long as you don't want to do anything too useful with it.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Lattice Boltzmann Modeling: An Introduction for Geoscientists and Engineers

Get 20% OFF

Click here for more information about Lattice Boltzmann Modeling: An Introduction for Geoscientists and Engineers

Read More...

Process Control: Modeling, Design and Simulation Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This book successfully teaches how to analyze dynamic chemical processes and develop automatic control strategies to operate them safely and economically. Rather than simply present theory topics and develop analytical solutions, this textbook uses "interactive learning" through computer-based simulation exercises, employing for this the very popular "Matlab" engineering software package, and the "Simulink" block-diagram simulation environment. Introductions to both "Matlab" and "Simulink" are included in the book.
Each chapter of the book is followed by a series of "learning modules" that serve several purposes: some focus on software tools, while others focus on particular control problems.
An introduction to process control and instrumentation is presented in chapter 1. The development and use of models is very important in control systems engineering, and fundamentals models are developed in chapter 2, including the steady-state solution and linearization to form steady-state models. Chapter 3 focuses on the dynamic behavior of linear systems, starting with state space models and then covering transfer function-based models in detail. Chapter 4 covers the development of empirical models, including continuous and discrete transfer function models.
Chapter 5 provides a detailed introduction to feedback control, developing the basics of feedback systems, PID controllers, and methods of analyzing closed-loop stability. Chapter 6 presents methods for controller tuning. Frequency response analysis techniques, important for determining control system robustness, are presented in chapter 7.
Model-based control leads to improved control loop performance, and one of the clearest model-based techniques (Internal Model Control o IMC) is presented in chapter 8. The PID controller remains the most widely used controller in industry, so chapter 9 is very valuable since it shows how to convert internal model controllers to classical feedback PID controllers.
Chapter 10 develops two widely used control strategies: Cascade and feed-forward control. Chapter 11 presents auto-tuning and gain scheduling, two methods used to deal with poor performance due to changing operating conditions and poor tuned control loops. The phenomenon of reset windup and the development of anti-reset windup strategies are also presented in this chapter.
Chapter 12 presents the split-range, selective, and override control strategies, which are used when we need the control loop to be able of switching between manipulated inputs or select from several measured outputs. Chapter 13 deals with the effect of control loops interactions, while the design of multivariable controllers is developed in chapter 14.
Chapter 15 presents the challenging tasks encountered when developing Plant-wide optimization and control schemes. Chapter 16 presents the most widely applied advanced control strategy: Model Predictive Control (MPC).
Even though the book is designed for Chemical Engineering students, I truly believe that this text would also be suitable for industrial practitioners and students in mechanical, nuclear, industrial, and electrical engineering. I am an Industrial Practitioner of Process Measurement & Control who has been working in the Process Industries for more than 16 years as an Automation, Instrumentation, Process Safety and Process Control Engineer. My academic background is in electrical and electronics engineering (I am an Electronic Engineer), not in chemical engineering as might be the case of the usual reader of this book, but working in the Oil & Gas Industry all this time, I have been dealing with Chemical-Process Control issues in a day-to-day basics. I found this book to be a very useful reference and refresher to gain a better understanding of Modern Process Control Applications.
If you are a practitioner of Process Control you may want to consider also "Instrument Engineers' Handbook, Fourth Edition, Volume Two: Process Control and optimization" by Bela Liptak, for its practical and comprehensive coverage of Process Control.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Process Control: Modeling, Design and Simulation

Process Control: Modeling, Design, and Simulation is the first complete introduction to process control that fully integrates software tools-helping you master critical techniques hands-on, using MATLAB-based computer simulations. Author B. Wayne Bequette includes process control diagrams, dynamic modeling, feedback control, frequency response analysis techniques, control loop tuning, and start-to-finish chemical process control case studies.

Get 25% OFF

Click here for more information about Process Control: Modeling, Design and Simulation

Read More...

Optimal Inventory Modeling of Systems: Multi-Echelon Techniques (International Series in Operations Research & Management Science) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Excerpted from the original Logistics Spectrum review by Dr. Jezdimir Knesevic, 1993
The book is written for the logistician who is concerned with the achievement of the required operational availability of systems, and whose main objective and responsibility is to make decisions related to inventory items, item location and investment in spares. The optimization methodology developed considers trade-offs between stock at the operating locations and supporting depots (also called the multi-echelon problems), and between stock levels for an item and its sub-items (also called the multi-indenture problems). All models developed are on an analytical nature, which provides the decision-maker with an efficient tool for the determination of optimal stockage policies.
The philosophical concepts of the book are addressed in Chapter 1, followed by the corresponding mathematical techniques in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 covers the mathematics related to the joint optimization of stock levels at operating and stockage/supporting bases. The estimation of demand rates that do not stay constant is considered in Chapter 4, where the negative binomial is used as a model, together with models that are based on the Poisson distribution (variance-to-mean ratios equal to one). The mathematics for a multi-echelon, multi-indenture optimization are developed in Chapter 5. The problem concerning periodic resupply for repairable items is addressed in Chapters 6 and 7. The associated concept is subsequently illustrated through an example application related to the Space Station Freedom. The main subject of Chapter 8 is the cannibalization problem and the associated mathematics. The last chapter, Chapter 9, of the textbook is dedicated to practical real-world problems relating to modeling and application of models, where both advantages and disadvantages are analyzed.
Undoubtedly, a book of of such great integrity deserves a place on the shelf or any person, library, or organization whose interests lie in the domain of inventory theory and its application to complex systems.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Optimal Inventory Modeling of Systems: Multi-Echelon Techniques (International Series in Operations Research & Management Science)

Get 21% OFF

Click here for more information about Optimal Inventory Modeling of Systems: Multi-Echelon Techniques (International Series in Operations Research & Management Science)

Read More...

Process Dynamics, Modeling, and Control (Topics in Chemical Engineering) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This book was the text for my undergraduate control course. It gave me a better background in process control than the other books I purchased to supplement my learning. I highly recommend this book over others such as Marlin.
Ogunnaike and Ray covers subjects such as root locus methods, tunings using frequency methods, and digital control.
Dr. Ogunnaike is also an excellent lecturer, so if you would like to take the course directly from him enroll at the University of Delaware - its well worth it.
I also recommend Essentials of Process Control by William Luyben to provide a good qualitative background in process control.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Process Dynamics, Modeling, and Control (Topics in Chemical Engineering)

This text offers a modern view of process control in the context of today's technology.It provides the standard material in a coherent presentation and uses a notation that is more consistent with the research literature in process control.Topics that are unique include a unified approach to model representations, process model formation and process identification, multivariable control, statistical quality control, and model-based control.This book is designed to be used as an introductory text for undergraduate courses in process dynamics and control.In addition to chemical engineering courses, the text would also be suitable for such courses taught in mechanical, nuclear, industrial, and metallurgical engineering departments. The material is organized so that modern concepts are presented to the student but details of the most advanced material are left to later chapters.The text material has been developed, refined, and classroom tested over the last 10-15 years at the University of Wisconsin and more recently at the University of Delaware.As part of the course at Wisconsin, a laboratory has been developed to allow the students hands-on experience with measurement instruments, real time computers, and experimental process dynamics and control problems.

Get 16% OFF

Click here for more information about Process Dynamics, Modeling, and Control (Topics in Chemical Engineering)

Read More...