Dirac operators play an important role in several domains of mathematics and physics, for example: index theory, elliptic pseudodifferential operators, electromagnetism, particle physics, and the representation theory of Lie groups. In this essentially self-contained work, the basic ideas underlying the concept of Dirac operators are explored. Starting with Clifford algebras and the fundamentals of differential geometry, the text focuses on two main properties, namely, conformal invariance, which determines the local behavior of the operator, and the unique continuation property dominating its global behavior. Spin groups and spinor bundles are covered, as well as the relations with their classical counterparts, orthogonal groups and Clifford bundles. The chapters on Clifford algebras and the fundamentals of differential geometry can be used as an introduction to the above topics, and are suitable for senior undergraduate and graduate students. The other chapters are also accessible at this level so that this text requires very little previous knowledge of the domains covered. The reader will benefit, however, from some knowledge of complex analysis, which gives the simplest example of a Dirac operator. More advanced readers–-mathematical physicists, physicists and mathematicians from diverse areas–-will appreciate the fresh approach to the theory as well as the new results on boundary value theory.

An up-to-date, comprehensive treatment of a classic text on missing data in statistics
The topic of missing data has gained considerable attention in recent decades. This new edition by two acknowledged experts on the subject offers an up-to-date account of practical methodology for handling missing data problems. Blending theory and application, authors Roderick Little and Donald Rubin review historical approaches to the subject and describe simple methods for multivariate analysis with missing values. They then provide a coherent theory for analysis of problems based on likelihoods derived from statistical models for the data and the missing data mechanism, and then they apply the theory to a wide range of important missing data problems.