Peter Coles

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-conference proceedings of the Second International ICST on Auctions, Market Mechanisms and Their Applications (AMMA 2011) held in New York, USA, August 22-23, 2011. The 22 revised full papers presented were carefully selected from numerous submissions covering topics such as school choice, markets for housing, energy, and advertising, prediction markets, and the theory of market design.

We have entered the "Golden Age of Cosmology," where modern technology is allowing scientists to chart the cosmos to a depth and precision unimaginable until recent years. The amassing of this new data has had a profound impact on our understanding of the origin and evolution of the universe. The Routledge Critical Dictionary of the New Cosmology is designed to be your guide through this exciting period. The clear, concise essays by leading cosmologists provide introductions to various aspects of the subject, and allow new developments to be placed in context. The essays are cross-referenced to an alphabetical dictionary giving in-depth explanations of key words and concepts as well as biographical entries on the major figures in cosmology. This volume can be used to focus on a particular theme or to explore the big picture.

Looking at the role of probability in modern science, this book explains the importance of the need to deal with uncertainty and incomplete knowledge. It also covers developments in physics such as superstrings and dark energy, and draws lessons for everyday life.

This is a uniquely comprehensive and detailed treatment of the theoretical and observational foundations of modern cosmology, by a Nobel Laureate in Physics. It gives up-to-date and self contained accounts of the theories and observations that have made the past few decades a golden age of cosmology.