2,752 research outputs found
Orbitopes
An orbitope is the convex hull of an orbit of a compact group acting linearly
on a vector space. These highly symmetric convex bodies lie at the crossroads
of several fields, in particular convex geometry, optimization, and algebraic
geometry. We present a self-contained theory of orbitopes, with particular
emphasis on instances arising from the groups SO(n) and O(n). These include
Schur-Horn orbitopes, tautological orbitopes, Caratheodory orbitopes, Veronese
orbitopes and Grassmann orbitopes. We study their face lattices, their
algebraic boundary hypersurfaces, and representations as spectrahedra or
projected spectrahedra.Comment: 37 pages. minor revisions of origina
Quantum Picturalism
The quantum mechanical formalism doesn't support our intuition, nor does it
elucidate the key concepts that govern the behaviour of the entities that are
subject to the laws of quantum physics. The arrays of complex numbers are kin
to the arrays of 0s and 1s of the early days of computer programming practice.
In this review we present steps towards a diagrammatic `high-level' alternative
for the Hilbert space formalism, one which appeals to our intuition. It allows
for intuitive reasoning about interacting quantum systems, and trivialises many
otherwise involved and tedious computations. It clearly exposes limitations
such as the no-cloning theorem, and phenomena such as quantum teleportation. As
a logic, it supports `automation'. It allows for a wider variety of underlying
theories, and can be easily modified, having the potential to provide the
required step-stone towards a deeper conceptual understanding of quantum
theory, as well as its unification with other physical theories. Specific
applications discussed here are purely diagrammatic proofs of several quantum
computational schemes, as well as an analysis of the structural origin of
quantum non-locality. The underlying mathematical foundation of this high-level
diagrammatic formalism relies on so-called monoidal categories, a product of a
fairly recent development in mathematics. These monoidal categories do not only
provide a natural foundation for physical theories, but also for proof theory,
logic, programming languages, biology, cooking, ... The challenge is to
discover the necessary additional pieces of structure that allow us to predict
genuine quantum phenomena.Comment: Commissioned paper for Contemporary Physics, 31 pages, 84 pictures,
some colo
Basic Understanding of Condensed Phases of Matter via Packing Models
Packing problems have been a source of fascination for millenia and their
study has produced a rich literature that spans numerous disciplines.
Investigations of hard-particle packing models have provided basic insights
into the structure and bulk properties of condensed phases of matter, including
low-temperature states (e.g., molecular and colloidal liquids, crystals and
glasses), multiphase heterogeneous media, granular media, and biological
systems. The densest packings are of great interest in pure mathematics,
including discrete geometry and number theory. This perspective reviews
pertinent theoretical and computational literature concerning the equilibrium,
metastable and nonequilibrium packings of hard-particle packings in various
Euclidean space dimensions. In the case of jammed packings, emphasis will be
placed on the "geometric-structure" approach, which provides a powerful and
unified means to quantitatively characterize individual packings via jamming
categories and "order" maps. It incorporates extremal jammed states, including
the densest packings, maximally random jammed states, and lowest-density jammed
structures. Packings of identical spheres, spheres with a size distribution,
and nonspherical particles are also surveyed. We close this review by
identifying challenges and open questions for future research.Comment: 33 pages, 20 figures, Invited "Perspective" submitted to the Journal
of Chemical Physics. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1008.298
Statistical post-processing of the air pollution model SIMAIR
Air pollution is a serious problem today, both from an environmental and from a health point of view. Especially in cities, particles smaller than 10 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10) can reach high concentrations. These particles are dangerous, even at low concentrations, since they are small enough to enter the lungs. In order to estimate the concentration of air pollutants, different measurements and air pollution models can be used. A combination of model data and measurements allows for the assessment of air pollution concentration over larger areas with a lower degree of uncertainty. Statistical post-processing is one approach to combining model data and measurements. SIMAIR is a Swedish system of models that uses meteorological data, emission data and dispersion models on different geographical scales to calculate the concentration of air pollutants on regional, urban and local levels. The aim of this Master’s Thesis is to study different statistical post-processing methods and to examine their adequacy with regards to dealing with air quality models. One method, Support Vector Regression, is implemented and analysed based on the results from the SIMAIR model. The compound that is examined is PM10. The statistical post-processing method is developed based on data from Hornsgatan in Stockholm from the year 2007 to 2009. This method is then validated using data from Västra Esplanaden in Umeå and Gårda in Gothenburg. The results are promising for all three sites; improvements are seen for almost all statistical indicators used to examine model performance
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