Amazon.com
"Intended as an upper-level undergraduate or introductory graduate text in computer science theory," this book lucidly covers the key concepts and theorems of the theory of computation. The presentation is remarkably clear; for example, the "proof idea," which offers the reader an intuitive feel for how the proof was constructed, accompanies many of the theorems and a proof. Introduction to the Theory of Computation covers the usual topics for this type of text plus it features a solid section on complexity theory--including an entire chapter on space complexity. The final chapter introduces more advanced topics, such as the discussion of complexity classes associated with probabilistic algorithms.
Book Description
This highly anticipated revision builds upon the strengths of the previous edition. Sipser's candid, crystal-clear style allows students at every level to understand and enjoy this field. His innovative "proof idea" sections explain profound concepts in plain English. The new edition incorporates many improvements students and professors have suggested over the years, and offers updated, classroom-tested problem sets at the end of each chapter.
Customer Reviews:
My choice for textbook in my computation theory class.......2007-10-01
I recently encountered this book at a publisher's booth at a computer conference and read it on the ride back home. This morning I made a trip to the college bookstore and notified them that it is the textbook that I will be using in my computation theory class this spring.
The chapter titles are:
0) Introduction - this chapter contains the fundamental mathematical background of sets, functions, graphs and proofs. For most students, it could be skipped or skimmed.
1) Regular languages - this chapter is an introduction to deterministic and nondeterministic finite automata and regular expressions.
2) Context-free languages - an introduction to context-free grammars and pushdown automata.
3) The Church-Turing theses - an introduction to Turing machines and the variants, such as multiple tapes and nondeterministic Turing machines.
4) Decidability - the definition of decidability and how Turing machines and finite automata are used to prove or disprove if a language is decidable.
5) Reducibility - the definition of reducible and how Turing machines can be used to execute reductions.
6) The recursion theorem - an introduction to the recursion theorem and some applications to formal theories.
7) Time complexity - the first chapter in the coverage of algorithmic complexity, in this case execution time.
8) Space complexity - an examination of the complexity of algorithms from the perspective of the amount of memory required.
9) Intractability - an examination of the problems that can be solved in principle but not in practice.
10) Advanced topics in complexity theory - approximation algorithms, probabilistic algorithms, alternation, interactive proof systems, parallel computation and cryptography.
There is less coverage of grammars than most books, which is replaced by more in the area of algorithmic analysis. In my opinion, that is an appropriate tradeoff, the analysis of algorithms gives the students some understanding of how automata are applied in computer science.
Another excellent feature of this book is the solutions to selected exercises that appear at the end of the chapters. My estimate is that reasonably detailed solutions to approximately one-third of the problems are included. This allows the students to work extra problems by themselves, and helps the instructor if they are asked to do another example in class that they have not already worked through.
The exposition is very good; I am convinced that the students will be able to read the material on their own, which is one more reason why I adopted this book for my course.
well-organized, progressive, and understandable.......2007-01-06
As an intro to the theoretical background to computer science goes, this book is about as readable and approachable as you can get.
It gives a very thorough treatment of the whole theoretical basis, from regular languages and pumping lemmas out through Turing machines and related issues, and on to some interesting language classes (like NP and PSpace-complete).
If there's a single sticking point with the book, it's that it insists on a very strict formalism (ie: everything is proof-based) -- something necessary for the topic, but it sometimes renders the material a bit hard to digest.
Great book on the subject.......2006-12-27
If you are interested in or for other reasons must read a book on this subject, this is the book. I took a class last semester which used Hopcroft as the text and I found myself often turning to this book for better understanding. This book is more intuitive and thus a bit less formal than Hopcroft but when trying to learn, understanding is better than mathematical formalism. If you are new to the subject, Sipser is the book to begin with.
Very readable, diverse, and a little sparse.......2006-11-25
This is a wonderful little gem of a book that presents the theory of computation in a fascinating way. It is targeted at advanced undergraduates in computer science, but assumes remarkably little prior knowledge, making it accessible to nearly anyone. The book covers a lot of ground, including the standard fare of automata, computability, and complexity results, plus some bonus material such as probablistic and parallel complexity, information theory, decidable logical theories, and other topics that are normally left out of introductory books. On top of this, the book is remarkably thin!
The best attribute of Sipser's book, though, is the engaging style. This is an easy book to read. You will not feel like you're running into a brick wall, as is sometimes the case with books on abstract topics. It's not so much that the book is slow or gentle (it's really not) as that it is interesting, engaging, and has a knack for stopping short of getting too caught up in details. A number of small things -- the occasional amusing exercise, the "proof idea" sections, or helpful pictures -- add up to an enjoyable reading experience.
Two cautions are appropriate to students considering this book. First, there are variations between authors in the definitions of various automata (especially PDAs). The differences are trivial, and more a matter of taste than of any real importance; but it could come up if you use Sipser as a supplement to a course that follows a different textbook. Second, the coverage of many topics in Sipser's book is brief and concise, sometimes more than you might like. Some important concepts (for example, pairwise distinguishability of strings) are only mentioned in exercises, not in the main chapter, so at least skim all the exercises even if you don't do them. The sketchy coverage is especially pronounced in advanced topics, so (as always) expect to do some filling in of concepts if you go on into further study of this area.
Most appropriate for CS students.......2006-06-01
As a teacher of the subject, I have had the chance to evaluate numerous books on the theory of computation. Of all the available texts, I think this one is the most appropriate for CS students. In the past I taught out of Dexter Kozen's book, which is incredibly elegant, but had some resistance from the students. Thinking it over I decided that Kozen's text, although beautiful, may be better suited to students pursuing a degree in pure math. Sipser's book, on the other hand, is more gentle. I find that Sipser demands far less mathematical maturity from his readers, and thus allows the difficulty to be shifted from excessive formalism to the inherent challenges present in the material. In addition, following Sipser's treatment, I was able to cover finite state machines and pushdown automata in far less time, thus allowing me to concentrate on computability and beyond. The book really shines in its treatment of computability theory, eloquently directing attention to some of the most beautiful aspects.
Another benefit of Sipser's book is the exercises, of which there are many more in this edition. Someone studying on their own should find the initial group of exercises in each section quite approachable. Even the more challenging problems are not incredibly hard, and typically draw their difficulty from the deeper themes of the chapter instead of obscure details.
If you are looking for an enjoyable, well-paced book with an introduction to computability and complexity that is truly inspiring, this is the one for you. A mathematician looking for a bit more rigor may do better with Kozen.
Book Description
Live IT!
Information technology lives all around us--in how we communicate, how we do business, how we shop, how we learn, even how we register for classes. Smart phones, iPods, PDAs, and wireless devices dominate our lives, and yet it's all too easy to take information technology for granted.
Now, Rainer, Turban, and Potter's Introduction to Information Systems helps make information technology come alive in the classroom. This text takes students where IT lives--in today's businesses and in our daily lives--and helps them understand how valuable information technology is to their future careers. Throughout, the text connects IT to accounting, finance, marketing, human resources, and operations, so students can discover how critical IT is to each functional area and every business.
Technology to help students reach their full potential
WileyPLUS provides everything needed to create an environment where students can reach their full potential and experience the exhilaration of academic success.
With WileyPLUS, students can:
* Interact with engaging activities for each chapter, including simulations and animations that help them visualize IT processes.
* Develop IT solutions for a simulated music venue called Club IT.
* Come to class better prepared for lectures.
* Get immediate feedback and context-sensitive help on assignments and quizzes.
* Access a suite of learning resources, including a complete online version of the text.
800f students surveyed said it improved their understanding of the material.
760f students surveyed said it made them better prepared for tests.
690f students surveyed said it helped them get a better grade.
Visit www.wiley.com/college/wileyplus or contact your Wiley representative for more information.
Customer Reviews:
This is a book for MIS...!!!.......2005-12-21
This book is intended for a read on topics of MIS (Management Information Systems), a predominantly Management subject, that analyses solutions for Business challenges through the effective usage of Information Technology. Though it is titled differently, its coverage of the MIS topics is reasonably sufficient.
Excellent .......2005-10-24
The book was shipped really fast. This was a great buy for me.
Excellent service.......2003-05-27
It was incredible. I ordered it on wednesday night, it was shipped on friday and I got it during the weekend. Besides the book was new in perfect conditions! Thank you.
A textbook for college business majors (only?).......2000-11-09
If you want a general IT book then don't even think about buying this one, despite its title. This is a textbook for college business majors, and looks at things from the business angle.
The book is less suitable for non-student readers. It is geared for use by a lecturer who can draw attention to the important concepts underlying the field of IT, and can steer students to useful supplementary material.
The book races across the surface of the whole field of IT. The authors have packed in a lot of material, but at a cost. The explanations may be good enough for students to answer a quiz about the various buzzwords, but there is not enough space here to cover anything in depth. The students, and you, may be left without a clear idea of what the words really mean.
At the other end of the scale, the book struggles to make plain the broad sweep of IT concepts. Although the authors try hard, ideas tend to get lost amidst the large number of factoids.
One book is never going to be enough to cover all of IT. Your choices are to be more selective about which area you want to learn about, to pick a book which is more clearly aimed at being a simple overview, or to buy this book and work really hard at following up its leads to other material to fill in the gaps.
Average customer rating:
- A Butchered Classic
- Updated Classic Text
- Good, but just it
- Automata theory. The heart of Computer Science
- Eh... Whatever...
|
Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages, and Computation (3rd Edition)
John E. Hopcroft ,
Rajeev Motwani , and
Jeffrey D. Ullman
Manufacturer: Addison Wesley
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ASIN: 0321462254 |
Amazon.com
This book is a rigorous exposition of formal languages and models of computation, with an introduction to computational complexity. The authors present the theory in a concise and straightforward manner, with an eye out for the practical applications. Exercises at the end of each chapter, including some that have been solved, help readers confirm and enhance their understanding of the material. This book is appropriate for upper-level computer science undergraduates who are comfortable with mathematical arguments.
Book Description
This classic book on formal languages, automata theory, and computational complexity has been updated to present theoretical concepts in a concise and straightforward manner with the increase of hands-on, practical applications. This new edition comes with Gradiance, an online assessment tool developed for computer science.
Gradiance is the most advanced online assessment tool developed for the computer science discipline. With its innovative underlying technology, Gradiance turns basic homework assignments and programming labs into an interactive learning experience for students. By using a series of âroot questionsâ and hints, it not only tests a student’s capability, but actually simulates a one-on-one teacher-student tutorial that allows for the student to more easily learn the material. Through the programming labs, instructors are capable of testing, tracking, and honing their students’ skills, both in terms of syntax and semantics, with an unprecedented level of assessment never before offered.
Customer Reviews:
A Butchered Classic.......2007-09-28
I've heard that the first edition of this book is a classic. Reading the second edition, I can kind of see that -- occasionally there will be a stretch of 5 pages or so that is wonderfully clear, concise, and informative.
But overall, this edition is a disappointment. The explanations tend to be mechanical and unhelpful, and are sometimes confused or just incorrect. New sections on mathematical foundations and applications have been added, but there isn't really adequate space devoted to covering either topic, and the results are so rushed and lacking in context that I can't see those sections being useful to anyone who would need them in the first place. Finally, this edition needs to be proofread for correctness! It contains numerous mistakes, some of them in the presentations of key proofs.
Updated Classic Text.......2007-08-29
The previous edition of this text was published in the late 70's (1979), and it was still in use today in many schools and Universities across the world. For good reason too, the authors of this text really nail down the concept of computability as we understand it today. It is very difficult to find an undergraduate curriculum that does not include a course in Computability or theory of computation, and that is certainly a change from a couple of decades ago where this type of study was left to the Graduate level curricula. What this means to the reader is that one can not be a Computer Scientist without understanding the concepts and theory behind what computability really means.
Things like Context Free languages and grammar are used readily in things like XML and its accompanying standards such as the DTD. So, it makes sense to update a classic text to include such topics and further illustrate to the reader that what once was a theory is now center stage of Computer Science and the IT industry as a whole.
The text starts with the classics such as an introduction to automata theory followed by languages. The authors have taken a more relaxed approach to the topics as the proofs are less formal and easier to follow. Plain text is usually used to informally proof the topic at hand, and the authors go into a more formal approach on selected proofs. This is definitely a better approach than the other texts in the same topic that proofs are center stage of the discussion and the reader gets lost early on in the process. The text is easy to read for students, and easy to explain for the instructors. I remember when I took theory of Computation for my graduate work proofs were so convoluted and difficult to read that I had to spend many of nights trying to understand what the instructor was talking about in the class.
As one would expect, the book then goes into Turning Theory and Machine with the concept to computability and complexity. Well, the good news is that the authors' approach to the topic does not change; lots of explaining of the basics followed by a more detailed formal approach to the topic. All I need to say is that I wish my text was this reader friendly! Chapter 8, Introduction to Turing Machines, sets the ground work for the rest of the text. It explains reducibility and more importantly how to reduce a problem, something I have never seen in any other text in such detail! Automata and its relation to Turing Machine is depicted in detail, so there is no gap between the topics. What is interesting is that the authors close the loop with actually talking about, for example the Halting problem, in the real world with a program.
As one would expect, different classes of problems are explored in detail with many examples (theory and real-world examples) that accompany the topic at hand. Each chapter ends with a summary of topics discussed followed by a set of exercises. There are also a number of exercises at the end of each section in a given chapter in order to reel-in the topic for the reader.
All and all, this is one great text on automata and computation theory. It is easy to read and follow for the students without the loss of content. The authors relate abstract concepts to real-world examples to further illustrate the importance of the topic at hand.
Good, but just it.......2007-06-27
A good book, but just it.
It's like a normal book. It's not bad but not excellent...
Automata theory. The heart of Computer Science.......2007-04-06
Excellent book. Nothing to say for this one.
Eh... Whatever..........2007-01-21
Uhm... I had to buy this book because it was a required text for a required course. Who would buy a book like this otherwise? Duh!
Book Description
This book presents a thorough introduction to the Microchip PIC® microcontroller family, including all of the PIC programming and interfacing for all the peripheral functions. A step-by-step approach to PIC assembly language programming is presented, with tutorials that demonstrate how to use such inherent development tools such as the Integrated Development Environment MPLAB, PIC18 C compiler, the ICD2 in-circuit debugger, and several demo boards. Comprehensive coverage spans the topics of interrupts, timer functions, parallel I/O ports, various serial communications such as USART, SPI, I2C, CAN, A/D converters, and external memory expansion.
Customer Reviews:
A very thorough overview of the PIC microcontroller.......2007-03-12
Having a background in software development (C/C++), having written a lot of assembly language in the distant past, and being familiar with processor architecture, I found the book to be straightforward and useful to me. I was able to make rapid progress through the text, sometimes skipping ahead to sections to find just what I needed. Plenty of useful source code in both asm and C as well. The professor who wrote this put together what seems like a very clean, easy to understand text (where "easy" may depend on your background - I found it easy). It is true that you can probably find much of the information in the processor specification PDF file available from Microchip or in other online sources, yet I found it very convenient to have it all available in one organized textbook. I do recommend the book for others wishing to learn more about the PIC18.
A bit difficult to read, but very detailed........2005-09-26
This book goes from basics to advanced topics, and includes sections on both assembly and C programming. It contains everything I needed to know except how to control stepper motors. This is strange because in his companion book on the MC68HC12 16 bit microcontroller he gives a very good section on stepper motors.
If you use the Allegro 3967 you don't need to use the microcontroller to drive them, just to provide on/off, speed and direction information. The 3967 does all the difficult work.
The style is a bit academic, as though it is being submitted for peer review, so he tends to overwrite things. It does not make for easy reading. I found I had to read some parts 3 times over.
I suppose any fact-filled book is not going to be an easy read.
It is worth sticking at it. He really knows his stuff, John Kirby
The best PIC18 book available........2005-09-02
I have virtually all of the major PIC books available and this
one is, by far, the best PIC18 book on the market. That may be
because it is written as a textbook by an obviously experienced
academic as well a microprocessor engineer. Each chapter follows
a natural progression from the basics of instruction set, tool
use such as MPLAB, assembly, C programming, and
on to the details of the PIC18 architecture.
Its clear organization makes it equally useful as a reference
and may be dipped into for solutions to many PIC issues such as
I2C, timer and A/D use and interfacing details for many applications.
For the earlier PIC16, the best reference is "The Quintessential PIC Microcontroller"
by Sid Katzen for many of the same reasons.
Buy these two books and you have both the PIC16 and PIC18 covered.
it's not an introduction in fact it's advanced Software & Hardware Interfacing.......2005-07-20
the name of this book is not matching with it's contents unfortunatley i found it very complecated and confusing and very hard to understand,it seems to me the only way to understand it is to read some other books related to the PIC microcontroller
the name of this book is missleading
Amazon.com
Languages and Machines is a user-friendly text that covers the key ideas of the theory of computation clearly and thoroughly. Examples and numerous diagrams, including diagrams that illustrate the principle of induction, aid in the understanding of the material. Relative to other books containing similar information, this text contains in-depth coverage of languages and parsing.
Customer Reviews:
No Examples , No Answers, No Hints.......2006-11-20
Besides the fact that the book is "dry", in which most Math theory based books are, the examples are just the basis step towards solving a problem. I equate it to teaching a child how to add, and just giving them the example "1 + 0", then assume they can figure out the rest. There are no answers, either in the back of the book for particular exercies, nor was a study guide made available. What is really shocking is that it's the most expensive book out there! Not to mention that there isn't any programming steps made available. Great text for a Math major ... horrible textbook for Computer Science Majors, mainly because computer science majors would want to see programming examples and may not be as strongly math oriented as a Math major would be.
A Good Book for a Tough Subject.......2006-02-15
Abstract language theory is hard, but Languages and Machines does a very good job of explaining the subject step by step. The topics are covered extremely thoroughly and with just the right amount of rigor. As for those who claim it's not exciting enough, you can't get blood out of a stone. Only the most dedicated computer scientist and mathematicians will find this topic interesting. Even so, this book does a superb job of tying theory to application (e.g., the machines one can use language theory to build) for even the most obscure concepts (like the Greibach Normal Form).
That being said, there are a few problems. First, the author's claim that this is a book for undergrads is not credible (except perhaps at MIT or CalTech). Even my graduate students have to read sections multiple times to "get it". Second, the author needs to provide solutions to selected problems at the back of the textbook. Most theory books do this, but not this one. This is a major weakness, especially given the difficulty of the material. Lastly, Sudkamp's proofs are extremely dry and very difficult to follow. He should take a cue from Sipser's excellent book (Intro to Theory of Computation) and introduce "proof ideas" to give the big picture for important proofs.
emphasises the Turing machine.......2005-09-29
[A review of the 3RD EDITION, 2005.]
Sudkamp gives a formal and rigorous explanation of what constitutes a language. Where this is deliberately taken to include both natural (spoken) languages and programming languages. To do this, you should note that the treatment is necessarily non-trivial. It is not a lightweight book, conceptually.
The book summarises decades of work in this field, that have attempted to reduce human languages to a form that could be "understood" by a machine. So he explains the various techniques that have arisen. Like finite state machines (finite automata).
Notably, he discusses what is a Turing machine. A universal computing engine, that all other computers can map to. Such a Turing machine might be deterministic or non-deterministic. You can learn very powerful unifying ideas.
From the construct of a Turing machine, the book uses this to delve into problems that are NP complete or P complete. The implementation of a solution as steps to be done by a Turing machine are elegant, and show how such a machine, while an idealisation, can be used to give provable results.
horrified.......2005-09-22
The book is incredibly boring. If you're condemned to read it (say, it's required reading for your qualifiers), I strongly recommend that you find a group of people to study w/ and pool your resources to only buy a single copy. The lack of answers at the back of the book makes self study difficult, and groupwork might be the only way to stay awake.
I wish to God I could think of another book to recommend over this one. I imagine any will do.
Taught by the author!.......2004-09-21
Hey,
I was fortunate enough to learn this course from the author of the book. The book by itself might seem tough. The fault lies in the fact that subject matter is not altogether too simple to understand without someone teaching it to you!
With the help of the instructor, we did learn a lot about formal languages, finite automaton, regular grammer, etc.
The key to understanding this material (and using this book effectively) is solving as many problems as possible, preferably in a group setting so that solutions can be discussed.
Note: For most problems, there exists multiple solutions, and the approach is what needs to be learned and discussed.
Recommended, with some reservations...Good luck!
Average customer rating:
- Accessible textbook on compression does not sacrifice rigor
- A great textbook
- Very good coverage
- "The" Definitive Guide
- Very well-written book, software not so good
|
Introduction to Data Compression, Second Edition (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Multimedia and Information Systems)
Khalid Sayood
Manufacturer: Morgan Kaufmann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Compression
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Similar Items:
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Data Compression: The Complete Reference
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Managing Gigabytes: Compressing and Indexing Documents and Images (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Multimedia Information and Systems)
-
Compressed Image File Formats: JPEG, PNG, GIF, XBM, BMP (ACM Press)
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Multidimensional Signal, Image, and Video Processing and Coding
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Elements of Information Theory (Wiley Series in Telecommunications and Signal Processing)
ASIN: 1558605584 |
Amazon.com
Khalid Sayood's textbook-style Introduction to Data Compression is the definitive guide to all kinds of compression schemes. Early chapters establish the mathematics involved in basic compression techniques, including lossless and lossy compression as well as the fundamentals of information theory that lay the groundwork for common forms of compression. (The book contains all the relevant formulas, although those who don't need such mathematical detail will still be able to understand the book.)
A good portion of the book examines various compression schemes, their strengths and weaknesses, and what content they work best for. Introduction to Data Compression begins with lossless compression schemes, which lose no information during the compression/decompression process. Huffman Coding, a well-established compression scheme, and arithmetic and dictionary coding also receive excellent treatment. In addition, the author takes on lossless compression for images.
For lossy compression, Sayood discusses schemes that use quantization, where a range of values is compressed in some way. He also describes scalar, vector, and differential encoding and fractal compression. A final chapter looks at video encryption (which often combines techniques from earlier chapters). Many of the compression schemes include examples from image and sound files, but the book considers a wide variety of video schemes too. This rich and confidently written text collates a lot of research and can serve as both textbook and source for designers who need a readable and mathematically solid introduction to data compression.
Book Description
The second edition of Introduction to Data Compression builds on the features that made the first the logical choice-for practitioners who need a comprehensive guide to compression for all types of multimedia and instructors who want to equip their students with solid foundations in these increasingly important and diverse techniques.
This book provides an extensive introduction to the theory underlying today's compression techniques, with detailed, instruction for their application. All of the coverage has been updated to reflect the state of the art in data compression, including both new algorithms and older methods for which new uses are being found. And the downloadable software gives you the opportunity to see firsthand how various algorithms work, to choose and implement appropriate techniques in your own applications, and to build your own algorithms.
* Fully updated to cover the most recent lossy and lossless compression techniques, including wavelets, subband coding, predictive lossless techniques, and Huffman coding variants.
* Explains established and emerging standards in depth: JPEG 2000, JPEG-LS, MPEG 2, Group 3 and 4 Faxes, JBIG 2, ADPCM, LPC, CELP, and MELP.
* Includes an new chapter providing the mathematical background required for understanding wavelets and subband coding.
* Via the companion Web site, provides source code that enables you to experiment with a wide range of compression techniques, along with sample data and updates on the latest developments in the compression field.
Customer Reviews:
Accessible textbook on compression does not sacrifice rigor .......2007-05-19
This is one of those books that only gets a new edition when the author has something genuinely new to say, and this third edition of Sayood's excellent introduction to data compression is no exception. This particular edition is different from the second mainly in that there is a new chapter on audio compression that includes a description of the mp3 algorithm. Also there is additional information on the new video coding standards as well as the new facsimile standards.
As to the target audience for this book, if you are tasked with designing hardware or software implementations of data compression algorithms and you have some background in either electrical engineering or computer science, then this is a good book from which to learn and then to practice what you learn via some very good exercises. Some prior knowledge of information theory and random processes wouldn't hurt either. There is also an abundance of examples that are sprinkled throughout the book to illustrate concepts as they are presented. The author's approach in each chapter is to explain each concept in as an accessible manor as possible, present relevant equations, and then work an example using what has just been presented.
The book presents the mathematical preliminaries in chapter 2, and chapters 3 and 4 are dedicated to coding algorithms which include Huffman coding, arithmetic coding, Golumb-Rice codes, and Tunstall codes. Chapters 5 and 6 describe many of the popular lossless compression methods and their applications. These methods include LZW, BWT, and DMC. Chapter 7 describes various lossless image compression algorithms such as JBIG as well as their applications. Chapter 8 discusses the mathematical background of lossy compression standards. Chapters 9 and 10 concentrate on quantization since it is the basis of most lossy compression schemes. Chapter 11 discusses differential encoding techniques such as DPCM and delta modulation. Included is a discussion of the CCITT G.726 standard.
Chapter 12 is the third and final chapter dedicated to mathematical foundations. It is meant to prepare the reader for the chapters on transform, subband, and wavelet based methods that encompass the following three chapters. The JPEG standard is covered in chapter 13, the CCITT G.722 standard in chapter 14, and the EZW, SPIHT, and JPEG2000 standards are covered in chapter 15. Chapter 16 focuses on audio compression and includes descriptions of the various MPEG audio compression schemes including mp3. Chapter 17 switches gears somewhat and covers techniques in which the data to be compressed is analyzed and a model is produced. This model is then used to synthesize the data and is quite useful in speech compression. Chapter 18 deals with video compression and diverges from the book's central theme of dealing with techniques rather than applications. The chapter discusses the H.261 standard as well as MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4 standards.
The website for the book, found at the publisher's site, contains a large number of C programs dealing with compression. I haven't tried to use any of these yet, so I can't speak to their validity.
A great textbook.......2006-02-11
This book has all the ingredients for a great textbook. It provides good theoratical background without going into unnecessary details, gives lot of discussion about applications, provides great exercise problems, and above all it has outstanding examples that makes some of the difficult concepts easy to understand.
Data compression needs a lot of background in information theory and other areas specific to speech, image processing etc. It is impossible to give a rigourous theoratical treatment of all of those in one volume. A strong point of this book is that it gives you just enough background on a variety of topics - without making the whole book obscure. In that respect, it is very application and implementation oriented. It is in fact what it says it is: A very good "INTRODUCTION to Data Compression"
Very good coverage.......2004-12-27
The best thing about this book is the coverage and organization of the material. Sayood covers a wide variety of compression topics without getting into the nitty gritty details of them all. Thats why its an "Introductory" book. This book is a valuable resource for those who want to know the basics of various compression techniques and can be used as a starting point for further details. Some topics like arithmetic coding are covered in more detail than others. The book is also organized nicely with mathematical foundations provided as and when necessary.
"The" Definitive Guide.......2004-02-16
Amazon claims that this is "the definitive guide". I have to agree with them because this book is the only broad grey pages introduction to data compression that I have been able to find, and it is very well written.
If you are only casually interested in data compression this book is not for you.
If you are interested in adding compression to your application and your data falls into a common category, sound, video, text ect this book is probably not for you. You should look to the open source community or buy an off the shelf product.
But if your data is odd or unique like say telemtry data (I'm sure there are other examples I just can't think of any) and you need to design a compression scheme for your data this book is "the only" book for you.
If you want to begin research into data compression and you are a newbie this book is a must have.
Very well-written book, software not so good.......2003-04-25
The book is one of the clearest I have read as a text book. Why cant everybody write like this?? There is very good flow throughout the text.
Only complaint is the software. It looks the software has not kept pace with the book itself. Some additional software has to be added (for Transform coding, for instance), and some references in the text book to the software are incorrect. If the accompanying software is upgraded, as it should be, I will rate this book a clear 5-star.
Book Description
For more than twenty-five years, An Introduction to General Systems Thinking has been hailed as an innovative introduction to systems theory, with applications in computer science and beyond. Used in university courses and professional seminars all over the world, the text has proven its ability to open minds and sharpen thinking.
Originally published in 1975 and reprinted more than twenty times over a quarter century -- and now available for the first time from Dorset House Publishing -- the text uses clear writing and basic algebraic principles to explore new approaches to projects, products, organizations, and virtually any kind of system.
Scientists, engineers, organization leaders, managers, doctors, students, and thinkers of all disciplines can use this book to dispel the mental fog that clouds problem-solving. As author Gerald M. Weinberg writes in the new preface to the Silver Anniversary Edition, "I haven't changed my conviction that most people don't think nearly as well as they could had they been taught some principles of thinking.”
Now an award-winning author of nearly forty books spanning the entire software development life cycle, Weinberg had already acquired extensive experience as a programmer, manager, university professor, and consultant when this book was originally published.
With helpful illustrations, numerous end-of-chapter exercises, and an appendix on a mathematical notation used in problem-solving, An Introduction to General Systems Thinking may be your most powerful tool in working with problems, systems, and solutions.
Customer Reviews:
Weinberg's Introduction to Systems Thinking.......2007-01-04
Weinberg's book will not teach you how to be a systems thinker. It will, however, provide a stimulating discussion and thoughtful examination of an alternative approach to problem analysis and solution. The book is not so much about how the systems approach works or how it can be applied to complex problems as it is an invitation to his readers to explore their perceptions of what they think they know versus what they really do know. Throughout the book, Weinberg follows the strategy of leading the reader through a series of logical discussions designed to bring them face to face with their biases and misconceptions about systems vs. reductionist thinking. In doing so, Weinberg exposes the shortcomings of the reductionist approach to problem solving by demonstrating to his readers that the real solutions to some familiar and apparently simple problems are very complex.
Through his examples, Weinberg shows that by viewing a system holistically within its environment, we may be able to discern patterns of behavior/actions and recognize interactions, interrelationships, and interdependencies among the components that will be missed in a reductionist approach. From that view, we can better understand the system and, perhaps, better predict how it will evolve over time. The success of his approach is demonstrated by the fact that people are still reading and quoting his book 25+ years after it was written.
One facet of this book which I found beneficial may be a drawback for some readers. Weinberg wrote from the viewpoint of a computer programmer and a scientist. A person not versed in either field might have difficulty understanding his examples.
Outstanding book.......2006-02-17
This book is excellent. I first read this book in graduate school in 1976, and I continue to find Weinberg's ideas useful. It was outstanding then, and it has held up with time.
not quite an alternative to 'Systems Thinking'.......2005-09-17
I was searching for an alternative to the out-of-print book 'Quality Software Management, vol.1: Systems Thinking', written by the same Author.
Having read few Sofware Management series books from the same Author, which I rate at the very top of my list, I was biased on very high expectations. Surprisingly, I have found it being quite verbose and in the end, I couldn't get too much inspiration out of it.
An excellent introduction..........2002-06-05
Weinberg distills the essence from von Bertalanffy's classic and manages to present it in a very accessible fashion. The book has been out of print for quite a while so it is great to see a new edition. The message and information contained in here, although originally published in 1975, is now more relevant than ever.
Weinberg covers many aspects of systems theory beginning with the main stumbling block with the present scientific paradigm: the idea that the universe is mechanistic. His treatment is much more general than Robert Rosen's in "Life Itself" but still conveys why the mechanistic notion is flawed.
He then outlines the general systems theory approach before leading into the idea that a system is simply a way of looking at the world. He then outlines the principle of indifference. This leads straight into two sections outlining various aspects of making observations. Finally he discusses behaviour and then some general systems questions.
Throughout the book he uses many examples from disparate fields in conjunction with questions for further research. It is great to see someone who doesn't preach systems but actually uses the ideas.
Definitely a must-read as we decided how to solve the myriad of issues before us.
A true classic in how humans set and solve problems.......2001-03-23
In computing, a timeless classic is anything that is worth reading for any reason other than to obtain a historical context after five years. If that still holds true after twenty five years, then it is truly an extraordinary piece of work. That label applies to this book. It is not about computing per se, but about how humans think about things and how "facts" are relative to time, our personal experience and environmental context.
Human thinking is a complex operation and that is the point of this book. The problems and examples presented are not those in computing, but problems in how we think about the world and how that world can be different from person to person. In many ways, Weinberg anticipates the development of the science of chaos, where small changes lead to disproportionate large changes. His example of the "small" change of a single character is a classic. A man was considering the purchase of a piece of real estate, but when told the cost was fourteen million dollars, sent the response by telegram, "No, price too high." However, somehow a character was dropped, so the agent received the message, "No price too high", purchased the property and so a classic error was invented.
Weinberg uses science and mathematics as the genesis point for most of his examples. The laws of thermodynamics, chance and simulations in state spaces are used to demonstrate the points. As someone with a wide background in science, I found his examples of how scientific thought gives us an anchor but yet alters over time excellent learning material. Thought problems are included at the end of each chapter and they cover many different areas. Some involve mathematics, others science and many could be the point of a vigorous philosophical debate. Together they form the best collection of thought experiments and points of contention that I have ever seen gathered together in one location.
This is a book that is a true classic, not in computing but in the broad area of scholarship. It is partly about the philosophy and mechanisms of science; partly about designing things so they work but mostly it is about how humans view the world and create things that match that view. This book will still be worth reading for a long time to come and it is on my list of top ten computing books of the year.
Book Description
What may be the most successful introductory game theory textbook ever written is now available in its fourth edition. Since it first published in 1989, successive editions have made its presentation ever more elegant, with incisive problem sets and applications. Written in a crisp and approachable style, Games and Information, 4e uses simple modeling techniques and straightforward explanations to provide students with an understanding of game theory and information economics. The fourth edition brings this material completely up-to-date, adds new end-of-chapter problems and classroom games, and is accompanied by a comprehensive website, featuring problem solutions and teaching notes: www.rasmusen.org/GI With its emphasis on applications of game theory and information economics to a vast array of disciplines, Games and Information, 4e provides an accessible first course for students in backgrounds as diverse as economics, business, mathematics, and political science.
Customer Reviews:
Wanna Make a Game?.......2003-12-03
Are you familiar with the PAPI model? (Players, Actions, Payoffs and Information, by the way.) Do you understand what equilibrium means to a game design?
This book is a good introduction to those who are looking for a background in game theory, as well as those interested in problem-solving domains of applied logic.
A good introduction for game theory students.......1998-10-28
This is a good text for game theory students. Concise and well structured, it gives sufficient details to provide a good understanding of the subject. The math is easy to follow although the choice of words may sometimes be inappropriate resulting in a logical jump, but that is well compensated by the content. There are some typo mistakes which should be corrected by the next edition. The author tries to moderate the math with logical explanantions and does it with reasonable success although some sections can still be improved. The section on bargaining, for example, is poorly explained. Overall, a good text for teaching.
Book Description
From the reviews: "The 2nd (slightly enlarged) edition of the van Lint's book is a short, concise, mathematically rigorous introduction to the subject. Basic notions and ideas are clearly presented from the mathematician's point of view and illustrated on various special classes of codes...This nice book is a must for every mathematician wishing to introduce himself to the algebraic theory of coding." European Mathematical Society Newsletter, 1993 "Despite the existence of so many other books on coding theory, this present volume will continue to hold its place as one of the standard texts...." The Mathematical Gazette, 1993
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book from mathematical standpoint.......2005-02-20
Very good intro textbook. It gives short, detailed preps to various coding areas (linear, cyclic, convolutional). The biggest advantage this book has is that it does not throw at You tonnes of unnecessary info (like many other thick books do). That is, it assumes reader has some basic understanding of algebra and probability theory. Let's say, it gives good theoretical presentation such that the reader gets good theoretical understanding, it is not example-based.
Book Description
Covers encoding and binary digits, entropy, language and meaning, efficient encoding and the noisy channel, and explores ways in which information theory relates to physics, cybernetics, psychology, and art. "Uncommonly good...the most satisfying discussion to be found." — Scientific American. 1980 edition.
Customer Reviews:
Good intro but dated.......2007-08-08
The update of this book should have been updated. While it is understandable that at the time of the first print of this book in 1961 the author saw little or no practical use for Shannon's information theory (other than perhaps his channel capacity theorem) it was well known by the second printing in 1980 that it has profound implications in studying biology (and modern technology). For instance in an article published in Nature in 1967, A. L. MacKay showed how the genetic code is highly optimal using Huffman's algorithm. More recently Ardell and Sella (with summaries available on the net) have 'demonstrated that the code's present structure was also shaped by natural selection (though non-Darwinian, see below). In this process, the codons - the triplets of nucleotides that map a particular nucleic acid sequence into proteins - are arranged to minimize the negative effects of genetic error, and to optimize the process of 'readout' of genes during protein synthesis. By permuting all 20 amino acids across all possible codon sets, both groups found that the 'universal' genetic code - the one found in nearly every organism on earth...-falls in the best .0001% of all possible codes and perhaps even better, in terms of its capacity to be an error-correcting code...' By showing modifications are possible in one generation the evidence points away from Crick's thesis of the genetic code being a 'fozen accident' but instead possible Lamarckian beginnings with horizantal gene transfer leading to Carl Woese's early RNA World hypothesis before Darwinian vertical descent begins.
The author also tends to perpetuate the widespread misunderstanding (generally by physicists who tend to contort the meaning away from Shannon's into 'available' states or choices such as with Black Holes) that information is uncertainty; he confuses (readers potentially with) surprise versus information by not taking into account the other half of the necessary equation for information transmission, being noise. He says "The amount of information conveyed by the message increases as the amount of uncertainty as to what message actually will be produced becomes greater." [pg 23] While he clears this up in a later chapter on noise it becomes so technical that it appears most readers of Shannon's theory have been mislead. At this point the scientists (usually physicists who actually work with a different concept of 'available information') typically equate the uncertainty with Kolmogorov complexity and assume that maximum information and complexity is randomess.
For instance consider Philip Nelson's comment in his book Biological Physics that 'random messages carry the most information!' In one footnote of his nearly 600 page book he effectively dismisses all of Nobel Prize winner Shannon's information achievements.
Much of the trouble is with terminology. We think of noise as impure sound. Shannon tried to avoid this problem by introducing the term 'equivocation' but on the other hand this seems to have no intuitive meaning in this context. One really has to go to the math to sort it out. The critical equation to potentially eradicate the confusion does not appear in the book -
R = Hbefore - Hafter
H is an entropy-like formula without Boltzman's constant; however the concepts are very different. (Reportedly Von Neuman told Shannon in the 1940's to call his uncertainty 'entropy, as noone will know what you mean!' Apparently this is still working!) Entropy of the universe apparently increases under the 2nd law of thermodynamics (at least ignoring gravity and extensivity), information begins and ends with life (one needs a recognizer to measure it). A random message in fact carries no information as there is no resolution (reduction) of uncertainty. This is all explained at molecular biologist's Dr. Tom Schneider's website, I know of no other comprehensive source and certainly no book that gets it right. (As yet! 'Hope springs eternal!' A. Pope; 1688 - 1744)
One of the best books I recently read!.......2007-01-11
A very good introductory text to information theory. Written in a plain, comprehensive way without too many unnecessary equations. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a book in such topic!
Good source of Intuition for Information Theory.......2006-12-26
This book seeks to explain information theory to the layman, and in that regard the author has done a brilliant job. The author explains the implications of the mathematics, without drilling into the gory details in a very appealing fashion. I also appreciated how he explores the limitations of Shannon's results by looking at some related fields.
All in all well worth the time. Although Shannon's work is quite readable by an educated layman, (1-2 years of calculus would be sufficient), it does not provide much context. (No fault of Shannon, that wasn't his goal).
Pierce provides this perspective, and his book is worth a read, even for people who munch theorems along with their cereal for breakfast.
Good book for the basics of information theory.......2005-12-08
I give this book five stars because it succeeds brilliantly at what it sets out to do - to introduce the field of information theory in an accessible non-mathematical way to the completely uninitiated. Information theory is that branch of mathematics that deals with the information content of messages. The theory addresses two aspects of communication: "How can we define and measure information?" and "What is the maximum information that can be sent through a communications channel?". No other book I know of can explain these concepts of information, bits, entropy, and data encoding without getting bogged down in proofs and mathematics. The book even manages to equate the concept of language with the information it inherently transmits in a conversational and accessible style. The book rounds out its discussion with chapters on information theory from the perspectives of physics, psychology, and art. The only math necessary to understand what's going on in this book is high school algebra and the concept of logarithms. If you are an engineer or engineering student who knows anything about information theory, you probably will not find this book helpful. Instead you would do better to start off with a more advanced book like "An Introduction To Information Theory" by Reza, which introduces concepts from a more mathematical perspective.
Layman's Introduction to Information Theory.......2005-05-15
This is a good introduction to the concepts of information theory: entropy, stationarity, ergodic sources, efficient coding, error detection, error correction and geometrical modelling. It is aimed at the layman, so there is plenty of explanatory text for each equation presented. If you know basic algebra, probability and logarithms (especially logarithms of base 2), you would get more out this book.
There should have been a more detailed explanation of how signals are transmitted and received; the difficulty of receiving a signal is described in Chapter II and there is a mention of FM transmission in Chapter IX. While the actual transmission and reception of signals may not be part of information theory, including a discussion on the most familiar use of information theory would have made this book more satisfying.
In the second half of the book, Pierce applies information theory to areas other than communications. The chapters relating to physics (X) and art (XIII) are clear, but I found the ones on cybernetics (XI) and psychology (XII) a bit of a strain. For computer-savvy folk, the chapter on cybernetics is very dated but this is no fault of the author since this book was last updated in 1979.
Kam-Hung Soh, 15 May 2005.
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