Four CNU professors
books, published by CNU Press, were selected as the 2004 Outstanding Academic Publications. The National Academy of Sciences has made the selection and announced the four CNU professors
books were included in the field of basic sciences. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is undertaking the
Program of Supporting the Selection and Distribution of Outstanding Books in the Field of Basic Sciences
delegated by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development as part of the Ministry
s
Basic Science Promotion Project
. Books related to the fields of Humanities, Social Sciences, Korean Study, and Basic Sciences are all eligible for selection. Through a process of vigorous evaluation, the NAS selected about 400 outstanding basic sciences books in 2004; 108 in humanities, 91 in social sciences, 105 Korean studies, and 60 in basic sciences. Each selected book worthy of about 10 to 20 million won will be purchased and distributed to libraries, universities, and research centers.

Prof. Byon Chang-ho (Major of Mathematics, College of Natural Sciences) - "Operator Algebra"
Prof. Byon explains major math theories in an easy way for students to understand. In functional analysis, an operator algebra is an algebra of continuous linear operators on a topological vector space (such as a Banach space), which is typically required to be closed in a specified operator topology. In particular, it is a set of operators with both algebraic and topological closure properties. Though operator algebras are studied in this generality in the research literature (for example, algebras of pseudo-differential operators acting on spaces of distributions), the term operator algebra is usually used in reference to algebras of bounded operators on a Banach space or, even more specially in reference to algebras of operators on a Hilbert space. Such algebras can be used to study arbitrary sets of operators simultaneously. From this point of view, operator algebras can be regarded as a generalization of spectral theory of a single operator. In general operator algebras are non-commutative rings. In the case of operators on a Hilbert space, the adjunction mapping on operators provides additional algebraic structure which can be imposed on the algebra. In the context of operator algebras on a Hilbert space, the best studied examples are closed under adjunction and include von Neumann algebras. This book is regarded as an introductory guide to mathematics, which is usually considered to be difficult to understand.

Prof. Hong Yoon-ho (Dept. of Food & Nutrition, College of Human Ecology) - "Functional Foods"
Hong Yoon-ho, Dean of Human Ecology College, introduces functional foods to serve both as the stuff to preserve human health and as the stuff to protect human bodies from diseases. In this book, Hong identifies the definition of the functional foods based on the research results conducted for many years. He gives full information on the condition of functional foods, kinds of food materials, safety and prospects of the functional foods, and the developmental procedures, etc. Hong attached an appendix of the law on health foods in order to provide useful references for the people engaged in functional food production and consumers as well.

Prof. Kim Kwang-woo (Dept. of Economy, College of Business Administration) - “Downtown Revitalization"
This book is a translation published by the Development Bank of Japan. This book is compiled for urban planners, landscape architects, architects, city management officials, and concerned citizens involved in revitalizing the inner core of a town or city. Revitalization of a downtown becomes necessary when businesses choose to locate in newer shopping malls or industrial zones rather than building or remodeling in the older downtown area. There are many issues involved in urban renewal. An important one is the land use regulations permitting business use exclusively in central city districts, so that people are no longer allowed to live above or in back of retail shops and offices. It focuses on the re-introduction of mixed use zoning in urban centers, the historic preservation of architecturally and culturally important buildings, and the replacement of overly restrictive and unnecessarily proscriptive building codes with performance-oriented codes that allow compliance alternatives. Eight cities in three different countries (the United State, the United Kingdom, and Germany) have been examined and reported as case studies.

Dr. Jang Bok-dong (Research Institute of Philosophy)- "Dasan
s Realistic Humanics"
Dr. Jang Bok-dong introduces Dasan Jeong Yak-yong
s philosophy in the viewpoints of rhetorics, post-metaphysics, and human natures. Jeong Yak-yong(1762-1836), styled Dasan, is a representative Silhak scholar of the late 19th century. Silhak (Practical Learning) is an ideology that sought to reform the institutionalized Neo-Confucianism of the Joseon period, and thus represents a liberal movement within the Confucian tradition. In order to put an end to the doctrinal disputes that had plagued Neo-Confucianism during the previous two centuries, Dasan felt that it was necessary to elucidate the central teaching of Confucianism. Thus, Dasan began a radical reinterpretation of the vast body of Confucian classics. Based on this work, Dasan penned an extensive collection of treatises on government, including his famous work Mongminsimseo (On Leading the People). His theory of government focuses on assuring the livelihood of the people and the nation
s legal system. For this reason, his practical philosophy rejected the Neo-Confucian obsession with metaphysics. Instead, it sought to resolve issues affecting the livelihood of the people while encouraging good government capable of helping people during times of crisis. In this sense, Dasan was a forward-looking thinker who sought to reform tradition in response to the needs of the times. Dr. Jang Bok-dong studies Dasan
s philosophy in the aspect of its view on human natures. Dasan put an emphasis on the harmonization of community ethics and individuals
freedom.