Topic #16  ---------------  OP-SF NET  ---------------- November 15, 1996
                            ~~~~~~~~~
From: Hans J. Haubold 
Subject: Announcement of book on Zonal Polynomials

The following book was published recently and is being recommended to the
members of the activity group: 

A.M.Mathai, S.B.Provost, and T.Hayakawa: Bilinear Forms and
Zonal Polynomials, Lecture Notes in Statistics Vol. 102,
Springer-Verlag,  Berlin and New York 1995, 376pp.

The book covers bilinear forms in real random vectors and their
generalizations as well as zonal polynomials and their applications with
respect to generalized quadratic and bilinear forms. The book begins with
the basic principles of the two fields and develops their mathematics and
statistics up to recent research results from the point of view of theory.
Detailed proofs may satisfy the mathematician while detailed examples may
inspire the physicist, particularly those working in the field of quantum
theory. Applications of the results are emphasized in extensive numbers of
exercises and references. The book is a rich source of material not yet
brought to the attention of physicists.