Error threshold in optimal coding, numerical criteria and classes of universalities for complexity

The free energy of the Random Energy Model at the transition point between ferromagnetic and spin glass phases is calculated. At this point, equivalent to the decoding error threshold in optimal codes, free energy has finite size corrections proportional to the square root of the number of degrees. The response of the magnetization to the ferromagnetic couplings is maximal at the values of magnetization equal to half. We give several criteria of complexity and define different universality classes. According to our classification, at the lowest class of complexity are random graph, Markov Models and Hidden Markov Models. At the next level is Sherrington-Kirkpatrick spin glass, connected with neuron-network models. On a higher level are critical theories, spin glass phase of Random Energy Model, percolation, self organized criticality (SOC). The top level class involves HOT design, error threshold in optimal coding, language, and, maybe, financial market. Alive systems are also related with the last class. A concept of anti-resonance is suggested for the complex systems.Comment: 17 page

Finite Temperature Models of Bose-Einstein Condensation

The theoretical description of trapped weakly-interacting Bose-Einstein condensates is characterized by a large number of seemingly very different approaches which have been developed over the course of time by researchers with very distinct backgrounds. Newcomers to this field, experimentalists and young researchers all face a considerable challenge in navigating through the `maze' of abundant theoretical models, and simple correspondences between existing approaches are not always very transparent. This Tutorial provides a generic introduction to such theories, in an attempt to single out common features and deficiencies of certain `classes of approaches' identified by their physical content, rather than their particular mathematical implementation. This Tutorial is structured in a manner accessible to a non-specialist with a good working knowledge of quantum mechanics. Although some familiarity with concepts of quantum field theory would be an advantage, key notions such as the occupation number representation of second quantization are nonetheless briefly reviewed. Following a general introduction, the complexity of models is gradually built up, starting from the basic zero-temperature formalism of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation. This structure enables readers to probe different levels of theoretical developments (mean-field, number-conserving and stochastic) according to their particular needs. In addition to its `training element', we hope that this Tutorial will prove useful to active researchers in this field, both in terms of the correspondences made between different theoretical models, and as a source of reference for existing and developing finite-temperature theoretical models.Comment: Detailed Review Article on finite temperature theoretical techniques for studying weakly-interacting atomic Bose-Einstein condensates written at an elementary level suitable for non-experts in this area (e.g. starting PhD students). Now includes table of content

The Small-Is-Very-Small Principle

The central result of this paper is the small-is-very-small principle for restricted sequential theories. The principle says roughly that whenever the given theory shows that a property has a small witness, i.e. a witness in every definable cut, then it shows that the property has a very small witness: i.e. a witness below a given standard number. We draw various consequences from the central result. For example (in rough formulations): (i) Every restricted, recursively enumerable sequential theory has a finitely axiomatized extension that is conservative w.r.t. formulas of complexity $\leq n$. (ii) Every sequential model has, for any $n$, an extension that is elementary for formulas of complexity $\leq n$, in which the intersection of all definable cuts is the natural numbers. (iii) We have reflection for $\Sigma^0_2$-sentences with sufficiently small witness in any consistent restricted theory $U$. (iv) Suppose $U$ is recursively enumerable and sequential. Suppose further that every recursively enumerable and sequential $V$ that locally inteprets $U$, globally interprets $U$. Then, $U$ is mutually globally interpretable with a finitely axiomatized sequential theory. The paper contains some careful groundwork developing partial satisfaction predicates in sequential theories for the complexity measure depth of quantifier alternations

On Descriptive Complexity, Language Complexity, and GB

We introduce $L^2_{K,P}$, a monadic second-order language for reasoning about trees which characterizes the strongly Context-Free Languages in the sense that a set of finite trees is definable in $L^2_{K,P}$ iff it is (modulo a projection) a Local Set---the set of derivation trees generated by a CFG. This provides a flexible approach to establishing language-theoretic complexity results for formalisms that are based on systems of well-formedness constraints on trees. We demonstrate this technique by sketching two such results for Government and Binding Theory. First, we show that {\em free-indexation\/}, the mechanism assumed to mediate a variety of agreement and binding relationships in GB, is not definable in $L^2_{K,P}$ and therefore not enforcible by CFGs. Second, we show how, in spite of this limitation, a reasonably complete GB account of English can be defined in $L^2_{K,P}$. Consequently, the language licensed by that account is strongly context-free. We illustrate some of the issues involved in establishing this result by looking at the definition, in $L^2_{K,P}$, of chains. The limitations of this definition provide some insight into the types of natural linguistic principles that correspond to higher levels of language complexity. We close with some speculation on the possible significance of these results for generative linguistics.Comment: To appear in Specifying Syntactic Structures, papers from the Logic, Structures, and Syntax workshop, Amsterdam, Sept. 1994. LaTeX source with nine included postscript figure