Evaluating the Comprehension of Euler Diagrams

We describe an empirical investigation into layout criteria that can help with the comprehension of Euler diagrams. Euler diagrams are used to represent set inclusion in applications such as teaching set theory, database querying, software engineering, filing system organisation and bio-informatics. Research in automatically laying out Euler diagrams for use with these applications is at an early stage, and our work attempts to aid this research by informing layout designers about the importance of various Euler diagram aesthetic criteria. The three criteria under investigation were: contour jaggedness, zone area inequality and edge closeness. Subjects were asked to interpret diagrams with different combinations of levels for each of the criteria. Results for this investigation indicate that, within the parameters of the study, all three criteria are important for understanding Euler diagrams and we have a preliminary indication of the ordering of their importance

Exact Multi-Restricted Schur Polynomial Correlators

We derive a product rule satisfied by restricted Schur polynomials. We focus mostly on the case that the restricted Schur polynomial is built using two matrices, although our analysis easily extends to more than two matrices. This product rule allows us to compute exact multi-point correlation functions of restricted Schur polynomials, in the free field theory limit. As an example of the use of our formulas, we compute two point functions of certain single trace operators built using two matrices and three point functions of certain restricted Schur polynomials, exactly, in the free field theory limit. Our results suggest that gravitons become strongly coupled at sufficiently high energy, while the restricted Schur polynomials for totally antisymmetric representations remain weakly interacting at these energies. This is in perfect accord with the half-BPS (single matrix) results of hep-th/0512312. Finally, by studying the interaction of two restricted Schur polynomials we suggest a physical interpretation for the labels of the restricted Schur polynomial: the composite operator $\chi_{R,(r_n,r_m)}(Z,X)$ is constructed from the half BPS ``partons'' $\chi_{r_n}(Z)$ and $\chi_{r_m}(X)$.Comment: 42 page

Bulk quartic vertices from boundary four-point correlators

We present arguments which suggest that the bulk higher-spin gravity duals of weakly-coupled conformal field theories obey some refined notion of locality. In particular, we discuss the Mellin amplitude programme in this context. We focus on the $O(N)$ vector model and minimal higher-spin gravity as a paradigmatic example of such holographic dual pairs. We restrict ourselves to three- and four-point functions of scalar primary operators, but the qualitative conclusions are expected to hold for the generic case.Comment: 13 pages. Contribution to the proceedings of the "International Workshop on Higher Spin Gauge Theories" (4-6 November 2015, Singapore

Clafer: Lightweight Modeling of Structure, Behaviour, and Variability

Embedded software is growing fast in size and complexity, leading to intimate mixture of complex architectures and complex control. Consequently, software specification requires modeling both structures and behaviour of systems. Unfortunately, existing languages do not integrate these aspects well, usually prioritizing one of them. It is common to develop a separate language for each of these facets. In this paper, we contribute Clafer: a small language that attempts to tackle this challenge. It combines rich structural modeling with state of the art behavioural formalisms. We are not aware of any other modeling language that seamlessly combines these facets common to system and software modeling. We show how Clafer, in a single unified syntax and semantics, allows capturing feature models (variability), component models, discrete control models (automata) and variability encompassing all these aspects. The language is built on top of first order logic with quantifiers over basic entities (for modeling structures) combined with linear temporal logic (for modeling behaviour). On top of this semantic foundation we build a simple but expressive syntax, enriched with carefully selected syntactic expansions that cover hierarchical modeling, associations, automata, scenarios, and Dwyer's property patterns. We evaluate Clafer using a power window case study, and comparing it against other notations that substantially overlap with its scope (SysML, AADL, Temporal OCL and Live Sequence Charts), discussing benefits and perils of using a single notation for the purpose