The author presents the fundamentals of the ergodic theory of point transformations and several advanced topics of intense research. The study of dynamical systems forms a vast and rapidly developing field even when considering only activity whose methods derive mainly from measure theory and functional analysis. Each of the basic aspects of ergodic theory--examples, convergence theorems, recurrence properties, and entropy--receives a basic and a specialized treatment. The author's accessible style and the profusion of exercises, references, summaries, and historical remarks make this a...

Thirteen-year-old Kate is without her dad, lonely and depressed. Her family is broken and her world has lost its color and energy. One day, she is drawn by a crow into a land of uncommon beauty and love. But Kate soon discovers this new land is under siege by the rebel Grod Vurmis, who is causing freak storms and environmental disasters. Vurmis is turning the inhabitants into shadows, looting the kingdom libraries, and changing the stories so the people will no longer remember who they are. Kate's curiosity and courage lead her and three friends on a perilous quest to save the Kingdom of What...