Dynamics of Rumor Spreading in Complex Networks

We derive the mean-field equations characterizing the dynamics of a rumor process that takes place on top of complex heterogeneous networks. These equations are solved numerically by means of a stochastic approach. First, we present analytical and Monte Carlo calculations for homogeneous networks and compare the results with those obtained by the numerical method. Then, we study the spreading process in detail for random scale-free networks. The time profiles for several quantities are numerically computed, which allow us to distinguish among different variants of rumor spreading algorithms. Our conclusions are directed to possible applications in replicated database maintenance, peer to peer communication networks and social spreading phenomena.Comment: Final version to appear in PR

Superfluidity of fermions with repulsive on-site interaction in an anisotropic optical lattice near a Feshbach resonance

We present a numerical study on ground state properties of a one-dimensional (1D) general Hubbard model (GHM) with particle-assisted tunnelling rates and repulsive on-site interaction (positive-U), which describes fermionic atoms in an anisotropic optical lattice near a wide Feshbach resonance. For our calculation, we utilize the time evolving block decimation (TEBD) algorithm, which is an extension of the density matrix renormalization group and provides a well-controlled method for 1D systems. We show that the positive-U GHM, when hole-doped from half-filling, exhibits a phase with coexistence of quasi-long-range superfluid and charge-density-wave orders. This feature is different from the property of the conventional Hubbard model with positive-U, indicating the particle-assisted tunnelling mechanism in GHM brings in qualitatively new physics.Comment: updated with published version

First-principles quantum dynamics for fermions: Application to molecular dissociation

We demonstrate that the quantum dynamics of a many-body Fermi-Bose system can be simulated using a Gaussian phase-space representation method. In particular, we consider the application of the mixed fermion-boson model to ultracold quantum gases and simulate the dynamics of dissociation of a Bose-Einstein condensate of bosonic dimers into pairs of fermionic atoms. We quantify deviations of atom-atom pair correlations from Wick's factorization scheme, and show that atom-molecule and molecule-molecule correlations grow with time, in clear departures from pairing mean-field theories. As a first-principles approach, the method provides benchmarking of approximate approaches and can be used to validate dynamical probes for characterizing strongly correlated phases of fermionic systems.Comment: Final published versio

Matrix Product Density Operators: Simulation of finite-T and dissipative systems

We show how to simulate numerically both the evolution of 1D quantum systems under dissipation as well as in thermal equilibrium. The method applies to both finite and inhomogeneous systems and it is based on two ideas: (a) a representation for density operators which extends that of matrix product states to mixed states; (b) an algorithm to approximate the evolution (in real or imaginary time) of such states which is variational (and thus optimal) in nature.Comment: See also M. Zwolak et al. cond-mat/040644

Atomic lattice excitons: from condensates to crystals

We discuss atomic lattice excitons (ALEs), bound particle-hole pairs formed by fermionic atoms in two bands of an optical lattice. Such a system provides a clean setup to study fundamental properties of excitons, ranging from condensation to exciton crystals (which appear for a large effective mass ratio between particles and holes). Using both mean-field treatments and 1D numerical computation, we discuss the properities of ALEs under varying conditions, and discuss in particular their preparation and measurement.Comment: 19 pages, 15 figures, changed formatting for journal submission, corrected minor errors in reference list and tex

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING SOFTWARE COST ESTIMATION IN DOD ACQUISITION

Acquisition initiatives within the Department of Defense (DOD) are becoming increasingly reliant on software. While the DOD has ample experience in estimating costs of hardware acquisition, expertise in estimating software acquisition costs is lacking. The objective of this capstone project is to summarize the current software cost estimating methods, analyze existing software cost estimating models, and suggest areas and methods for improvement. To accomplish this, surveys were conducted to gather program cost data, which was run through existing cost estimating models. From here, the outputs were compared to actual program costs. This established a baseline for the effectiveness of existing methods and guided suggestions for areas of improvement. The Software Resource Data Reports (SRDR) data used seemed to have spurious data reporting from at least one source, and the base cost estimation models were not found to be sufficiently accurate in our study. The capstone finds that calibrating the cost models to the data available improved those models dramatically. In all, the capstone recommends performing data realism checks upon SRDR submissions to ensure data accuracy and calibrating cost models for each contractor with the available data before using them to estimate DOD Acquisition costs.Civilian, Department of the ArmyCivilian, Department of the ArmyCivilian, Department of the ArmyCivilian, Department of the ArmyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

Percolation in invariant Poisson graphs with i.i.d. degrees

Let each point of a homogeneous Poisson process in R^d independently be equipped with a random number of stubs (half-edges) according to a given probability distribution mu on the positive integers. We consider translation-invariant schemes for perfectly matching the stubs to obtain a simple graph with degree distribution mu. Leaving aside degenerate cases, we prove that for any mu there exist schemes that give only finite components as well as schemes that give infinite components. For a particular matching scheme that is a natural extension of Gale-Shapley stable marriage, we give sufficient conditions on mu for the absence and presence of infinite components

Slightly generalized Generalized Contagion: Unifying simple models of biological and social spreading

We motivate and explore the basic features of generalized contagion, a model mechanism that unifies fundamental models of biological and social contagion. Generalized contagion builds on the elementary observation that spreading and contagion of all kinds involve some form of system memory. We discuss the three main classes of systems that generalized contagion affords, resembling: simple biological contagion; critical mass contagion of social phenomena; and an intermediate, and explosive, vanishing critical mass contagion. We also present a simple explanation of the global spreading condition in the context of a small seed of infected individuals.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures; chapter to appear in "Spreading Dynamics in Social Systems"; Eds. Sune Lehmann and Yong-Yeol Ahn, Springer Natur

The Fractal Geometry of Critical Systems

We investigate the geometry of a critical system undergoing a second order thermal phase transition. Using a local description for the dynamics characterizing the system at the critical point T=Tc, we reveal the formation of clusters with fractal geometry, where the term cluster is used to describe regions with a nonvanishing value of the order parameter. We show that, treating the cluster as an open subsystem of the entire system, new instanton-like configurations dominate the statistical mechanics of the cluster. We study the dependence of the resulting fractal dimension on the embedding dimension and the scaling properties (isothermal critical exponent) of the system. Taking into account the finite size effects we are able to calculate the size of the critical cluster in terms of the total size of the system, the critical temperature and the effective coupling of the long wavelength interaction at the critical point. We also show that the size of the cluster has to be identified with the correlation length at criticality. Finally, within the framework of the mean field approximation, we extend our local considerations to obtain a global description of the system.Comment: 1 LaTeX file, 4 figures in ps-files. Accepted for publication in Physical Review