Fluctuations of the front in a one-dimensional model for the spread of an infection

We study the following microscopic model of infection or epidemic reaction: red and blue particles perform independent nearest-neighbor continuous-time symmetric random walks on the integer lattice $\mathbb{Z}$ with jump rates $D_R$ for red particles and $D_B$ for blue particles, the interaction rule being that blue particles turn red upon contact with a red particle. The initial condition consists of i.i.d. Poisson particle numbers at each site, with particles at the left of the origin being red, while particles at the right of the origin are blue. We are interested in the dynamics of the front, defined as the rightmost position of a red particle. For the case $D_R=D_B$, Kesten and Sidoravicius established that the front moves ballistically, and more precisely that it satisfies a law of large numbers. Their proof is based on a multi-scale renormalization technique, combined with approximate sub-additivity arguments. In this paper, we build a renewal structure for the front propagation process, and as a corollary we obtain a central limit theorem for the front when $D_R=D_B$. Moreover, this result can be extended to the case where $D_R>D_B$, up to modifying the dynamics so that blue particles turn red upon contact with a site that has previously been occupied by a red particle. Our approach extends the renewal structure approach developed by Comets, Quastel and Ram\'{{\i}}rez for the so-called frog model, which corresponds to the $D_B=0$ case.Comment: Published at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/15-AOP1034 in the Annals of Probability (http://www.imstat.org/aop/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

When each continuous operator is regular, II

The following theorem is essentially due to L.~Kantorovich and B. Vulikh and it describes one of the most important classes of Banach lattices between which each continuous operator is regular. {\bf Theorem 1.1.} {\sl Let $E$ be an arbitrary L-space and $F$ be an arbitrary Banach lattice with Levi norm. Then ${\cal L}(E,F)={\cal L}^r(E,F),\ (\star)$ that is, every continuous operator from $E$ to $F$ is regular.} In spite of the importance of this theorem it has not yet been determined to what extent the Levi condition is essential for the validity of equality $(\star)$. Our main aim in this work is to prove a converse to this theorem by showing that for a Dedekind complete $F$ the Levi condition is necessary for the validity of $(\star)$. As a sample of other results we mention the following. {\bf Theorem~3.6.} {\sl For a Banach lattice $F$ the following are equivalent: {\rm (a)} $F$ is Dedekind complete; {\rm (b)} For all Banach lattices $E$, the space ${\cal L}^r(E,F)$ is a Dedekind complete vector lattice; {\rm (c)} For all L-spaces $E$, the space ${\cal L}^r(E,F)$ is a vector lattice.

Utility of correlation techniques in gravity and magnetic interpretation

Two methods of quantitative combined analysis, internal correspondence and clustering, are presented. Model studies are used to illustrate implementation and interpretation procedures of these methods, particularly internal correspondence. Analysis of the results of applying these methods to data from the midcontinent and a transcontinental profile show they can be useful in identifying crustal provinces, providing information on horizontal and vertical variations of physical properties over province size zones, validating long wave-length anomalies, and isolating geomagnetic field removal problems. Thus, these techniques are useful in considering regional data acquired by satellites

A Characterization for Decidable Separability by Piecewise Testable Languages

The separability problem for word languages of a class $\mathcal{C}$ by languages of a class $\mathcal{S}$ asks, for two given languages $I$ and $E$ from $\mathcal{C}$, whether there exists a language $S$ from $\mathcal{S}$ that includes $I$ and excludes $E$, that is, $I \subseteq S$ and $S\cap E = \emptyset$. In this work, we assume some mild closure properties for $\mathcal{C}$ and study for which such classes separability by a piecewise testable language (PTL) is decidable. We characterize these classes in terms of decidability of (two variants of) an unboundedness problem. From this, we deduce that separability by PTL is decidable for a number of language classes, such as the context-free languages and languages of labeled vector addition systems. Furthermore, it follows that separability by PTL is decidable if and only if one can compute for any language of the class its downward closure wrt. the scattered substring ordering (i.e., if the set of scattered substrings of any language of the class is effectively regular). The obtained decidability results contrast some undecidability results. In fact, for all (non-regular) language classes that we present as examples with decidable separability, it is undecidable whether a given language is a PTL itself. Our characterization involves a result of independent interest, which states that for any kind of languages $I$ and $E$, non-separability by PTL is equivalent to the existence of common patterns in $I$ and $E$

Prudent Monetary Policy and Cautious Prediction of the Output Gap

Using the results of risk-adjusted linear-quadratic-Gaussian optimal control with perfect and imperfect observation of the economy, we obtain prudent Taylor rules for monetary policies and also allow for imperfect information and cautious Kalman filters. A prudent central bank adjusts the nominal interest rate more aggressively to changes in the inflation gap, especially if the volatility of cost-push shocks is large. If the interest rate impacts the output gap after a lag, the interest also responds to the output gap, especially with strong persistence in aggregate demand. Prudence pushes up this reaction coefficient as well. If data are poor and appear with a lag, a prudent central bank responds less strongly to new measurements of the output gap. However, prudence attenuates this policy reaction and biases the prediction of the output gap upwards, particularly if output targeting is important. Finally, prudence requires an extra upward (downward) bias in its estimate of the output gap before it feeds into the policy rule if inflation is above (below) target. This reinforces nominal interest rate reactions. A general lesson is that prudent predictions are neither efficient nor unbiased.prudence, optimal monetary policy, Taylor rules, measurement errors, prediction

Compactness in Spaces of Inner Regular Measures and a General Portmanteau Lemma

This paper may be understood as a continuation of Topsøe’s seminal paper ([16]) to characterize, within an abstract setting, compact subsets of finite inner regular measures w.r.t. the weak topology. The new aspect is that neither assumptions on compactness of the inner approximating lattices nor nonsequential continuity properties for the measures will be imposed. As a providing step also a generalization of the classical Portmanteau lemma will be established. The obtained characterizations of compact subsets w.r.t. the weak topology encompass several known ones from literature. The investigations rely basically on the inner extension theory for measures which has been systemized recently by König ([8], [10],[12]).Inner Premeasures, Weak Topology, Generalized Portmanteau Lemma.