Counterexample Guided Inductive Optimization Applied to Mobile Robots Path Planning (Extended Version)

We describe and evaluate a novel optimization-based off-line path planning algorithm for mobile robots based on the Counterexample-Guided Inductive Optimization (CEGIO) technique. CEGIO iteratively employs counterexamples generated from Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) and Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT) solvers, in order to guide the optimization process and to ensure global optimization. This paper marks the first application of CEGIO for planning mobile robot path. In particular, CEGIO has been successfully applied to obtain optimal two-dimensional paths for autonomous mobile robots using off-the-shelf SAT and SMT solvers.Comment: 7 pages, 14rd Latin American Robotics Symposium (LARS'2017

QED in external fields, a functional point of view

A functional partial differential equation is set for the proper graphs generating functional of QED in external electromagnetic fields. This equation leads to the evolution of the proper graphs with the external field amplitude and the external field gauge dependence of the complete fermion propagator and vertex is derived non-perturbativally.Comment: 8 pages, published versio

Development and validation of a measure of quality in playgroups: Playgroups environment rating scale

Playgroups are community-based services that bring together young children and their caregivers for the purpose of play and social activities. Preliminary evidence shows that playgroup impacts may be dependent on the quality of the playgroup. However, to date, there is no reliable and valid measure of playgroup quality. In this paper we describe the development and validation of the Playgroup Environment Rating Scale (PERS), a standardized observation measure designed to assess the quality of playgroups. PERS builds on traditional measures used to evaluate the quality of formal settings of early childhood education and care, while proposing to assess dimensions of quality specific to the nature of playgroups, namely complex interactions between several types of participants. After developing and testing the observation measure on 24 playgroup videos, we analyzed the psychometric properties. Results showed that the PERS had good interrater reliability, was internally consistent and shows a good preliminary factor structure. Tests for convergent and criterion-related validity also presented promising results. The process of design guaranteed that the PERS can be applied to different contexts of playgroups and may also be useful for informing service planning and practice. Further national and international validation will help replicate the validity of the scale.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Lower bounds for open charm and beauty contributions to F_2

On the basis of some peculiar scaling properties of the OPE coefficient functions, we give the lower bounds for F_2^{c\bar{c}} and F_2^{b\bar{b}} independently of the properties of the gluon density function. Predictions for F_2^{b\bar{b}} within reach of HERA are made.Comment: 10 pages, 4 eps figures. Misprints are corrected and comment is added. To appear in JHE

Electron Mass Operator in a Strong Magnetic Field and Dynamical Chiral Symmetry Breaking

The electron mass operator in a strong magnetic field is calculated. The contribution of higher Landau levels of virtual electrons, along with the ground Landau level, is shown to be essential in the leading log approximation. The effect of the electron dynamical mass generation by a magnetic field is investigated. In a model with N charged fermions, it is shown that some critical number N_{cr} exists for any value of the electromagnetic coupling constant alpha, such that the fermion dynamical mass is generated with a doublet splitting for N < N_{cr}, and the dynamical mass does not arise at all for N > N_{cr}, thus leaving the chiral symmetry unbroken.Comment: 4 pages, REVTEX4, 3 figure

NMR C-NOT gate through Aharanov-Anandan's phase shift

Recently, it is proposed to do quantum computation through the Berry's phase(adiabatic cyclic geometric phase) shift with NMR (Jones et al, Nature, 403, 869(2000)). This geometric quantum gate is hopefully to be fault tolerant to certain types of errors because of the geometric property of the Berry phase. Here we give a scheme to realize the NMR C-NOT gate through Aharonov-Anandan's phase(non-adiabatic cyclic phase) shift on the dynamic phase free evolution loop. In our scheme, the gate is run non-adiabatically, thus it is less affected by the decoherence. And, in the scheme we have chosen the the zero dynamic phase time evolution loop in obtaining the gepmetric phase shift, we need not take any extra operation to cancel the dynamic phase.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur

Cooling process for inelastic Boltzmann equations for hard spheres, Part II: Self-similar solutions and tail behavior

We consider the spatially homogeneous Boltzmann equation for inelastic hard spheres, in the framework of so-called constant normal restitution coefficients. We prove the existence of self-similar solutions, and we give pointwise estimates on their tail. We also give general estimates on the tail and the regularity of generic solutions. In particular we prove Haff 's law on the rate of decay of temperature, as well as the algebraic decay of singularities. The proofs are based on the regularity study of a rescaled problem, with the help of the regularity properties of the gain part of the Boltzmann collision integral, well-known in the elastic case, and which are extended here in the context of granular gases.Comment: 41 page

The determination of the apsidal angles and Bertrand's theorem

We derive an expression for the determination of the apsidal angles that holds good for arbitrary central potentials. Then we discuss under what conditions the apsidal angles remain independent of the mechanical energy and angular momentum in the central force problem. As a consequence, an alternative and non-perturbative proof of Bertrand's theorem is obtained.Comment: Latex file, one figure; submitted for publicatio