Aspects and applications of the random walk
Aspects and applications of the random walk
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DOI:
10.1007/bf02179402
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发表时间:
1995-04
影响因子:
1.6
通讯作者:
J. Douglas
中科院分区:
文献类型:
--
作者:
J. Douglas
Scientists have often pondered the" unreasonable effectiveness" of mathematics in describing the complex cooperative phenomena which occur at many scales in our physical environment--processes ranging from subatomic to cosmic dimensions. A striking aspect of these mathematical models is the" universality" of the governing equations such that the same mathematical framework can encompass an accurate description of diverse types of material properties and material systems. This" universality" leads to many" analogies" which often make statistical physics research especially interesting. The success of random walk models, and the limit theorems associated with these walks, in describing the origin of various kinds of cooperative phenomena (phase transitions, fluid flow,...) is similarly remarkable and we can expect the perspective and tools of random walk theory to offer clues into the microscopic origin of large-scale regularities in the natural world and into the success of hydrodynamic mathematical models introduced to describe dynamic and equilibrium cooperative phenomena. George Weiss offers an initiation into this wonderful area of mathematical and physical investigation.The wide applicability of random walk models and the interesting mathematics of random walk theory, however, have led to a large literature on random walks which is widely dispersed among technical and mathematical journals. Consequently, it is difficult for a student to obtain a basic grounding in the mathematical methods of random walk theory and an overview of the many applications of this theory. Good summaries of random walk theory exist which are tailored to the needs and interests of mathematicians, but there are no similar authoritative texts on random walk theory which emphasize the slant of a physical scientist. Weiss' text is targeted to reduce this gap. His book focuses on an introductory level presentation intended for the beginning graduate student with a physical