This second edition is completed by a number of additional examples and exercises. In response of comments and questions of students using this book, solutions of many exercises have been improved for a better understanding. Some changes and enhancements are concerned with the treatment of sk- symmetric and rotation tensors in the ?rst chapter. Besides, the text and formulae have thoroughly been reexamined and improved where necessary. Aachen, January 2009 Mikhail Itskov Preface to the First Ed ...