Book excerpt: Typed English translation of a monograph first published (in Russian) in 1982. Provides graduate students and researchers with usefully detailed discussion of most of the asymptotic methods standard these days to the work of mathematical physicists. The author prefers not to dwell in the heights of abstraction; he has written a broadly intelligble book, which is informed at every point by his secure command of major physical applications. An expensive but valuable contribution to the literature of an important but too-little-written- about field. Twelve chapters, references. (NW) Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR