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  • Book
  • © 2006

Extreme Events in Nature and Society

  • A fascinating overview of the diverse types of extreme event
  • Reveals the common roots of these phenomena
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Part of the book series: The Frontiers Collection (FRONTCOLL)

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Table of contents (15 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages I-XV
  2. Extreme Events: Magic, Mysteries, and Challenges

    1. Extreme Events: Magic, Mysteries, and Challenges

      • Volker Jentsch, Holger Kantz, Sergio Albeverio
      Pages 1-18
  3. General Considerations

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 19-19
    2. Anticipating Extreme Events

      • Mihai Nadin
      Pages 21-45
    3. Mathematical Methods and Concepts for the Analysis of Extreme Events

      • Sergio Albeverio, Vladimir Piterbarg
      Pages 47-68
    4. Dynamical Interpretation of Extreme Events: Predictability and Predictions

      • Holger Kantz, Eduardo G. Altmann, Sarah Hallerberg, Detlef Holstein, Anja Riegert
      Pages 69-93
    5. Endogenous versus Exogenous Origins of Crises

      • Didier Sornette
      Pages 95-119
  4. Scenarios

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 121-121
    2. Epilepsy: Extreme Events in the Human Brain

      • Klaus Lehnertz
      Pages 123-143
    3. Extreme Events in the Geological Past

      • Jürgen Herget
      Pages 145-168
    4. Wind and Precipitation Extremes in the Earth’s Atmosphere

      • Andreas Hense, Petra Friederichs
      Pages 169-187
    5. Predicting the Lifetime of Steel

      • Matz Haaks, Karl Maier
      Pages 211-232
    6. Computer Simulations of Opinions and their Reactions to Extreme Events

      • Santo Fortunato, Dietrich Stauffer
      Pages 233-257
    7. Networks of the Extreme: A Search for the Exceptional

      • Philippe Blanchard, Tyll Krüger
      Pages 259-274
  5. Prevention, Precaution, and Avoidance

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 275-275
    2. Risk Management and Physical Modelling for Mountainous Natural Hazards

      • Michael Lehning, Christian Wilhelm
      Pages 277-293
    3. Prevention of Surprise

      • Zuzana Chladná, Elena Moltchanova, Michael Obersteiner
      Pages 295-317
  6. Back Matter

    Pages 349-352

About this book

Significant, and usually unwelcome, surprises, such as floods, financial crisis, epileptic seizures, or material rupture, are the topics of Extreme Events in Nature and Society. The book, authored by foremost experts in these fields, reveals unifying and distinguishing features of extreme events, including problems of understanding and modelling their origin, spatial and temporal extension, and potential impact. The chapters converge towards the difficult problem of anticipation: forecasting the event and proposing measures to moderate or prevent it. Extreme Events in Nature and Society will interest not only specialists, but also the general reader eager to learn how the multifaceted field of extreme events can be viewed as a coherent whole.

Editors and Affiliations

  • Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Komplexe Systeme und Institut für Angewandte Mathematik, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany

    Sergio Albeverio, Volker Jentsch

  • Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme, Dresden, Germany

    Holger Kantz

About the editors

Sergio Albeverio: Studied mathematics and physics; professorships and research positions at several universities (in Europe, USA, Russia, Japan, China); now professor at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Director of Interdisciplinary Center for Complex Systems at the University of Bonn.

Volker Jentsch: Studied physics and geophysics; worked in Max Planck Institutes, universities and scientific administration; now co-director at the Interdisciplinary Center for Complex Systems at the University of Bonn.

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access