From the Back Cover
This is a masterly exposition and an encyclopedic presentation of the theory of hyperbolic conservation laws. It illustrates the essential role of continuum thermodynamics in providing motivation and direction for the development of the mathematical theory while also serving as the principal source of applications. The reader is expected to have a certain mathematical sophistication and to be familiar with (at least) the rudiments of analysis and the qualitative theory of partial differential equations, whereas prior exposure to continuum physics is not required. The target group of readers would consist of
(a) experts in the mathematical theory of hyperbolic systems of conservation laws who wish to learn about the connection with classical physics;
(b) specialists in continuum mechanics who may need analytical tools;
(c) experts in numerical analysis who wish to learn the underlying mathematical theory; and
(d) analysts and graduate students who seek introduction to the theory of hyperbolic systems of conservation laws.
New to the 3rd edition is an account of the early history of the subject, spanning the period between 1800 to 1957. Also new is a chapter recounting the recent solution of open problems of long standing in classical aerodynamics. Furthermore, the presentation of a number of topics in the previous edition has been revised and brought up to date, and the collection of applications has been substantially enriched. The bibliography, also expanded and updated, now comprises over fifteen hundred titles.
From the reviews of the 2nd edition:
"The author is known as one of the leading experts in the field. His masterly written book is, surely, the most complete exposition in the subject." Evgeniy Panov, Zentralblatt MATH
"This book is sure to convince every reader that working in this area is challenging, enlightening, and joyful." Katarina Jegdic, SIAM Review
Professor Dafermos received a Diploma in Civil Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (1964) and a Ph.D. in Mechanics from the Johns Hopkins University (1967). He has served as Assistant Professor at Cornell University (1968-1971), and as Associate Professor (1971-1975) and Professor (1975- present) in the Division of Applied Mathematics at Brown University. In addition, Professor Dafermos has served as Director of the Lefschetz Center of Dynamical Systems (1988-1993, 2006-2007), as Chairman of the Society for Natural Philosophy (1977-1978) and as Secretary of the International Society for the Interaction of Mathematics and Mechanics. Since 1984, he has been the Alumni-Alumnae University Professor at Brown.
In addition to several honorary degrees, he has received the SIAM W.T. and Idalia Reid Prize (2000), the Cataldo e Angiola Agostinelli Prizeof the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (2011), the Galileo Medal of the City of Padua (2012), and the Prize of the International Society for the Interaction of Mechanics and Mathematics (2014). He was elected a Fellow of SIAM (2009) and a Fellow of the AMS (2013). In 2016 he received the Wiener Prize, awarded jointly by the American Mathematical Society (AMS) and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM).
