Energy Landscapes: Applications to Clusters, Biomolecules and Glasses (Cambridge Molecular Science)

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 692 pages
• Published by: Cambridge University Press
• Edition: 1st Edition March 8, 2004
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0521814154
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0521814157
• Book Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.1 x 1.6 inches
• Weighs: 3.2 pounds

Product Review
"Wales makes an important contribution: Energy Landscapes provides a pictorial language that simplifies complicated calculations to a form that can be understood and used by many scientists interested in molecular problems." David C. Clary, University of Oxford, Science

Product Description
Many research groups are now attempting to understand how the properties of systems ranging from small molecules to proteins and glasses are determined by the energy landscape. This book provides a self-contained account of energy landscape theory and how it is applied in studies of clusters, biomolecules and glasses. gorgeously illustrated in full color, the volume is geared to graduate students as well as professionals.

Reader Reviews
Potential energy surfaces are instrumental in all aspects of nanoscale phenomena and they are well suited to be treated as a unifying theme for the study of chemical physics. In this respect, this book is unique... The topics it tackles, while interest to many researchers in manifold fields, have never been distilled into a single volume. And this first effort deserves kudos. Each chapter(there are ten chapters in the whole book)is supported with an exhaustive list of references and is reasonably self contained. Moreover, there is an immediate sense of coherence and the topical flow is rather well laid out. However, it is not a textbook with all that it implies. Wales provides a updated (as of the time of his writing (2003)) account of various topics, but none of them are treated assuming a classroom style. However, the reader is referred to the pertinent literature with valuable remarks as to what is to be found in which particular reference. The proofs to the equations are largely avoided but their origin and the physical implications are given a fair treatment. The required mathematical background to follow the text is rather modest, while the wide spectrum of topics covered curbs its potential as a real page turner for the novice. The illustrations are abound and in color which is a definitive plus. The binding and the paper quality is first class. The typeface is Donald Knuth`s Computer Modern with 11/14pt letter size, and this genuinely alleviates the reading process. My only quibble is the uneven quality of the images permeating the text as some of them have been culled from different sources. I think the book serves its purpose very well and it is a good introductory exposition to a subject with utmost importance in nanoscience. I highly recommend it to anyone whose work involves materials science, chemisty or physics.