Approximately Strategyproof Tournament Rules: On Large Manipulating Sets and Cover-Consistence

We consider the manipulability of tournament rules, in which n teams play a round robin tournament and a winner is (possibly randomly) selected based on the outcome of all binom{n}{2} matches. Prior work defines a tournament rule to be k-SNM-? if no set of ? k teams can fix the ? binom{k}{2} matches among them to increase their probability of winning by >? and asks: for each k, what is the minimum ?(k) such that a Condorcet-consistent (i.e. always selects a Condorcet winner when one exists) k-SNM-?(k) tournament rule exists? A simple example witnesses that ?(k) ? (k-1)/(2k-1) for all k, and [Jon Schneider et al., 2017] conjectures that this is tight (and prove it is tight for k=2). Our first result refutes this conjecture: there exists a sufficiently large k such that no Condorcet-consistent tournament rule is k-SNM-1/2. Our second result leverages similar machinery to design a new tournament rule which is k-SNM-2/3 for all k (and this is the first tournament rule which is k-SNM-(<1) for all k). Our final result extends prior work, which proves that single-elimination bracket with random seeding is 2-SNM-1/3 [Jon Schneider et al., 2017], in a different direction by seeking a stronger notion of fairness than Condorcet-consistence. We design a new tournament rule, which we call Randomized-King-of-the-Hill, which is 2-SNM-1/3 and cover-consistent (the winner is an uncovered team with probability 1)

Seasonal movements of northern pike in Minto Flats, Alaska

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2016Northern pike (Esox lucius) is a large, long-lived piscivorous species that are harvested in sport and subsistence fisheries in Alaska. My study described the seasonal movements of northern pike that inhabit the Minto Lakes portion (Goldstream Creek drainage) of the Minto Flats wetland complex, Alaska, from May 2008 through January 2010. Very high frequency (VHF) radio tags (n = 220) were surgically implanted in northern pike in Minto Flats in May 2007, 2008, and 2009, and fish were relocated with fixed telemetry stations and aerial- and boat-based telemetry surveys. Radio-tagged northern pike displayed a distinct spring pre-spawning migration into the Minto Lakes study area, where they remained for the duration of the open-water season. A protracted out-migration occurred between late September and early December, with downstream movements peaking in November and October of 2008 and 2009, respectively. Radio-tagged fish present in the Minto Lakes study area during the open-water season overwintered exclusively in a 26-km reach of the Chatanika River from its confluence with Goldstream Creek upstream to the Murphy Dome Road access point. Daily movement rates were greatest during May and August. In addition to providing a better understanding of northern pike life history in Minto Flats, these results will aid managers and researchers by identifying critical habitats and providing information to better design future population assessment experiments

Seasonal distribution of the ichthyofauna of Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Alamo, Texas

This study investigated the small aquatic ecosystems of Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, located in a predominantly agricultural area of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas. Fishes and water quality data were collected for 13 months to determine the status of fish populations and the factors which influence their distributions on the refuge. Sixteen fish species were collected during the study, however, more than 20 species are known to inhabit the Rio Grande in the vicinity of the refuge. Water source played a major role in influencing fish species richness in these aquatic ecosystems. Diverted river water offered the best source of fish species immigrants. Gambusia affinis, Cyprinodon variegatus, Menidia beryllina and Poecilia latipinna maintained relatively high abundances throughout the study. Gambusia affinis was the most abundant species collected from the refuge while C. variegatus contributed the greatest biomass. Fish abundance patterns were closely related to changes in water temperature

The Florida Chautauqua as Text: Creating and Satisfying a Disposition to Appropriate Cultural Goods in Northwest Florida.

The purpose of this dissertation is to demonstrate that the Florida Chautauqua in De Funiak Springs, Florida, was primarily a commercial venture which pretended to a goal of offering cultural, educational, and religious products. In the Chautauqua\u27s early years, it succeeded because it could exploit the economic and cultural situation. The Assembly tried to create a market for culture by developing cultural competencies in potential consumers so that those consumers would buy what the Chautauqua could sell. As the situation changed, the Florida Chautauqua, though it tried, could not adapt enough to be viable. To support the argument, I describe the institution known as the Florida Chautauqua in terms of its presentation as text. Pierre Bourdieu\u27s description of cultural competence and the role of education, both formal and informal, in creating an ability to recognize cultural value in goods and then providing a means to appropriate those goods is central to this study. Throughout its thirty-five year history, various themes were dominant. The initial period (roughly 1885-1896) was dominated by religion. During the second period (1897-1906) entertainment came to the forefront. During both periods education was an important factor as well. The last period (1907-1920) was marked by an assembly in flux, unable to settle on a dominant theme. The printed programs provide valuable insight into the performance text (those events which comprised the formal program) and cultural text (the amalgamation of performance events plus informal events such as social interaction) of the Florida Chautauqua. This study is primarily a content analysis of the assembly and is not meant to address issues such as the relationship with the New York Chautauqua, the specific correspondence with changes in religion or entertainment in the United States in general, or reconstruction and the Civil War

CONTROVERSIAL INNOCENT PASSAGES IN THE BLACK SEA, 1982 - 2021

How and why has Russia disputed innocent passages by Western warships in the Black Sea since the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III) in 1982, and how has the West justified conducting these passages? This thesis focuses on the historical, geopolitical, and legal context surrounding four instances of innocent passage conducted by USS Yorktown and USS Caron (1986 and 1988), HMS Dragon (2020), and HMS Defender (2021) within 12 nautical miles of Crimea, in order to explain the broader implications that these innocent passages have for operations in the disputed waters of the Black Sea and the South China Sea. Whereas the 1986 innocent passage was met with Soviet naval interference and diplomatic protests, the 1988 innocent passage escalated to an infamous shouldering or “bumping incident.” A similar pattern of escalation took place after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. In my thesis, I provide a historical context for the innocent passages, and I explore U.S. and UK reasoning for conducting the innocent passages as well as Russia’s objections to the passages. Finally, I assess what the disputes suggest for similar maritime disputes with China in the South China Sea and propose a template for Navy-Wide Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOP) guidance.Outstanding ThesisLieutenant, United States NavyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited