Complexity of certificates, heuristics, and counting types , with applications to cryptography and circuit theory

In dieser Habilitationsschrift werden Struktur und Eigenschaften von Komplexitätsklassen wie P und NP untersucht, vor allem im Hinblick auf: Zertifikatkomplexität, Einwegfunktionen, Heuristiken gegen NP-Vollständigkeit und Zählkomplexität. Zum letzten Punkt werden speziell untersucht: (a) die Komplexität von Zähleigenschaften von Schaltkreisen, (b) Separationen von Zählklassen mit Immunität und (c) die Komplexität des Zählens der Lösungen von ,,tally`` NP-Problemen

Natural Sciences: Definitions and Attempt at Classification

The article discusses the formal classification of natural sciences, which is based on several propositions: (a) natural sciences can be separated onto independent and dependent sciences based on the gnosiologic criterion and irreducibility criteria (principal and technical); (b) there are four independent sciences which form a hierarchy: physics ↠chemistry ↠terrestrial biology ↠human psychology; (c) every independent science except for physics has already developed or will develop in the future a set of final paradigms formulated in the terms of the science one step above it in the hierarchy; (d) some paradigms in physics will never become final; (e) each independent natural science has dependent sciences with paradigms already expressed in the terms of the respective independent sciences.  Existing paradigms of independent natural sciences are listed and discussed with respect to the degree of their approach to the final state

From Higher Spins to Strings: A Primer

A contribution to the collection of reviews "Introduction to Higher Spin Theory" edited by S. Fredenhagen, this introductory article is a pedagogical account of higher-spin fields and their connections with String Theory. We start with the motivations for and a brief historical overview of the subject. We discuss the Wigner classifications of unitary irreducible Poincar\'e-modules, write down covariant field equations for totally symmetric massive and massless representations in flat space, and consider their Lagrangian formulation. After an elementary exposition of the AdS unitary representations, we review the key no-go and yes-go results concerning higher-spin interactions, e.g., the Velo-Zwanziger acausality and its string-theoretic resolution among others. The unfolded formalism, which underlies Vasiliev's equations, is then introduced to reformulate the flat-space Bargmann-Wigner equations and the AdS massive-scalar Klein-Gordon equation, and to state the "central on-mass-shell theorem". These techniques are used for deriving the unfolded form of the boundary-to-bulk propagator in $AdS_4$, which in turn discloses the asymptotic symmetries of (supersymmetric) higher-spin theories. The implications for string-higher-spin dualities revealed by this analysis are then elaborated.Comment: 106 pages, 2 figures. Contribution to the collection of reviews "Introduction to Higher Spin Theory" edited by S. Fredenhagen. V2: Typos corrected, acknowledgements and references adde

Traveling Salesman Problem

This book is a collection of current research in the application of evolutionary algorithms and other optimal algorithms to solving the TSP problem. It brings together researchers with applications in Artificial Immune Systems, Genetic Algorithms, Neural Networks and Differential Evolution Algorithm. Hybrid systems, like Fuzzy Maps, Chaotic Maps and Parallelized TSP are also presented. Most importantly, this book presents both theoretical as well as practical applications of TSP, which will be a vital tool for researchers and graduate entry students in the field of applied Mathematics, Computing Science and Engineering

Making Sense of Biological Naturalism

Searle’s theory of Biological Naturalism has been largely ignored in the philosophical literature and Searle’s commentators are confused by his seemingly contradictory views. In this dissertation I attempt to make sense of Biological Naturalism. In chapter 2 I will ascertain which concerns prevent Searle’s readers from understanding his position. The remaining chapters aim to dissolve the tensions and dispel any confusion. Chapter 3 considers Searle’s notion of first-person ontology, finding that it expresses a belief that experiences are essentially subjective and qualitative. In chapter 4 I consider the notions of levels of description, causal reduction and what Searle means by causation and realisation. Chapter 5 turns to the question of how to categorise Searle’s position. Many of his critics charge him with being a property dualist. By highlighting the difference between the meaning of irreducibility intended by the property dualist and Searle I show that there is sufficient difference in their use of the term so as to reject an interpretation of Biological Naturalism as a form of property dualism. Chapter 6 is where I turn to the other end of the physicalism/dualism spectrum and assess whether Searle should be seen as holding a form of identity theory. I first argue for a neutral form of identity that I call real identity, which does not include the inherent reductive privileging of standard identity. I then argue that Searle should be seen as advocating a form of real identity theory; a form of token identity theory which does not privilege the physical over the mental. In chapter 7 I return to the main barriers to making sense of Biological Naturalism which I identified in chapter 2 and lay out my response to each. I conclude with a coherent interpretation of Searle’s position

The Morality of Social Movements

Understanding a normative concept like oppression requires attention to not only its harms but also the causes of those harms. In other words, a complete understanding of such a concept requires a proper causal explanation. This causal explanation can also inform and constrain our moral response to such harms. Therefore, the conceptual explanatory framework that we use to inform our moral diagnosis and our moral response become significant. The first goal of this dissertation is to propose complexity theory as the proper framework for not only explaining a social phenomenon like oppression but also understanding the proper sites for social change. The second goal of this dissertation is to answer three interrelated questions about how we should respond, morally, to a chronic and complex social problem like racial or gender inequality: (1) Why do the current interventions to address these problems fail? (2) Do social movements play any unique role in addressing these problems? (3) What is our individual responsibility to participate in social movements? In response, I argue that the explanatory frameworks that we choose to understand the cause(s) of social problems can be the source of the inadequacy of our intervention. I argue that a proper social and moral intervention needs to capture the complex and dynamic nature of the social world. I also show that changing the explanatory framework allows us to see the unique role social movements play in making effective and sustainable social change possible. Finally, I conclude supporting such movements is a moral imperative