The
processes of freezing and melting were present at the beginnings
of the Earth and continue to dominate the natural and industrial
worlds. The solidification of a liquid or the melting of a solid
involves a complex interplay of many physical effects. This
book systematically presents the field of continuum solidification
theory based on instability phenomena. An understanding of the
physics is developed by using examples of increasing complexity
with the object of creating a deep physical insight applicable
to more complex problems. Applied mathematicians, engineers,
physicists, and materials scientists will all find this volume
of interest.