This book gives a self-contained introduction to the subject of
asymptotic approximation for multivariate integrals for both
mathematicians and applied scientists. A collection of results of the
Laplace methods is given. Such methods are useful for example in
reliability, statistics, theoretical physics and information theory. An
important special case is the approximation of multidimensional normal
integrals. Here the relation between the differential geometry of the
boundary of the integration domain and the asymptotic probability
content is derived. One of the most important applications of these
methods is in structural reliability. Engineers working in this field
will find here a complete outline of asymptotic approximation methods
for failure probability integrals.