Searching via walking: How to find a marked subgraph of a graph using quantum walks

We show how a quantum walk can be used to find a marked edge or a marked complete subgraph of a complete graph. We employ a version of a quantum walk, the scattering walk, which lends itself to experimental implementation. The edges are marked by adding elements to them that impart a specific phase shift to the particle as it enters or leaves the edge. If the complete graph has N vertices and the subgraph has K vertices, the particle becomes localized on the subgraph in O(N/K) steps. This leads to a quantum search that is quadratically faster than a corresponding classical search. We show how to implement the quantum walk using a quantum circuit and a quantum oracle, which allows us to specify the resource needed for a quantitative comparison of the efficiency of classical and quantum searches -- the number of oracle calls.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Innovation in Digital Music: A Customized Program for Barcelona SAE

Barcelona SAE is a third-party study abroad provider that facilitates study and intern abroad experiences for college-age students from around the world. One branch of Barcelona SAE is its Customized Programs Department, which offers over 45 customized programs to students studying everything from public health to the culinary arts to engineering. They currently have a gap, though, in their portfolio of program offerings: they have never offered a program geared toward students studying music. Through interviews with staff members from Barcelona SAE, this paper demonstrates a need for a music-based customized program in Barcelona. Furthermore, it fills this need with a three-week, faculty-led program that exposes students to local culture while walking them through the innovation, creation, entrepreneurship and collaboration in Barcelona’s digital music scene. Each summer Barcelona hosts two conferences in digital music, both of which focus on innovation and entrepreneurship. These two events, Sonar +D and Primavera Pro, happen within two weeks of each other, and will be a focal point of this program. Both conferences provide a space for entrepreneurs to come together and share their discoveries, and to discuss the direction in which the industry is growing. Students will have the opportunity to network, hear from guest speakers, and sample some of the world’s newest advances in the field of digital music. In addition, students on the Innovation in Digital Music program will visit local businesses in the digital music industry to learn from professionals and see how the digital music business works in Europe. The Innovation in Digital Music program features design components from SIT’s Design Concepts & Evaluation and International Education Design & Delivery courses; the courses from which the theoretical foundations of this paper are drawn. The target market for this program is music courses at Berklee College of Music, Juilliard School, University of California San Diego, Jacob’s School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music. These schools all have strong music departments, and a high likelihood of sending their students abroad. As of now, music students from these universities do not have an option for a music-specific customized program in Barcelona, and this program fulfills that need, while diversifying Barcelona SAE’s portfolio and expanding their marketability

Quantum searches on highly symmetric graphs

We study scattering quantum walks on highly symmetric graphs and use the walks to solve search problems on these graphs. The particle making the walk resides on the edges of the graph, and at each time step scatters at the vertices. All of the vertices have the same scattering properties except for a subset of special vertices. The object of the search is to find a special vertex. A quantum circuit implementation of these walks is presented in which the set of special vertices is specified by a quantum oracle. We consider the complete graph, a complete bipartite graph, and an $M$-partite graph. In all cases, the dimension of the Hilbert space in which the time evolution of the walk takes place is small (between three and six), so the walks can be completely analyzed analytically. Such dimensional reduction is due to the fact that these graphs have large automorphism groups. We find the usual quadratic quantum speedups in all cases considered.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures; major revision

Transient LTRE analysis reveals the demographic and trait-mediated processes that buffer population growth.

Temporal variation in environmental conditions affects population growth directly via its impact on vital rates, and indirectly through induced variation in demographic structure and phenotypic trait distributions. We currently know very little about how these processes jointly mediate population responses to their environment. To address this gap, we develop a general transient life table response experiment (LTRE) which partitions the contributions to population growth arising from variation in (1) survival and reproduction, (2) demographic structure, (3) trait values and (4) climatic drivers. We apply the LTRE to a population of yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) to demonstrate the impact of demographic and trait-mediated processes. Our analysis provides a new perspective on demographic buffering, which may be a more subtle phenomena than is currently assumed. The new LTRE framework presents opportunities to improve our understanding of how trait variation influences population dynamics and adaptation in stochastic environments

Surveying Appalachia: Language Change and Perception

This study investigates language change in Appalachia through preliminary results of a web-based survey of university students in southern Appalachia. The survey presents traditional phonetic, lexical, and morpho-syntactic Appalachian English features and asks respondents to report their use of these features and their observation of other speakers in their area including the discourse situation. Appalachian English is often thought of as a traditional form of speech associated with the older generation (Dial 1972, Montgomery 1979, Wolfram & Christian 1976). However, within the past two generations the social and linguistic landscape of Appalachia has greatly changed. Communities that lived mainly in isolation now experience immigration and emigration with surrounding Appalachian communities and the broader South. With this openness come new language features and social practices. Recent research indicates that traditional Appalachian English features are in flux: with some dying out (Hazen 2006, Hazen, Butcher, & King 2010, Hazen, Hamilton, & Vacovsky 2011), others remaining stable (Hazen 2008), and others increasing among the younger generations (Hazen 2005, Childs & Mallinson 2004). These changes however are adapted and integrated differently by community members based on identity with the region. We study the ways that identification with Appalachia can affect a community member’s linguistic practice. Moreover, we consider ways that a community in change can be reflected in the language behaviors of community members. We carefully observe young speakers because their sense of community and identity is currently forming as they are socially and linguistically negotiating what it means to be Appalachian today

Educating Generation X and Generation Y: Teaching Tips for Librarians.

This article provides a list of helpful teaching tips for instructional librarians who need to meet the changing generational needs of their patrons. Specific generational qualities and attitudes of Generation X and Generation Y are discussed along with educational techniques and software recommendations. These tips are based on the authors\u27 experiences at Drexel University\u27s Hahnemann Library and Thomas Jefferson University\u27s Scott Memorial Library, both of which are academic health sciences libraries

Exponential algorithmic speedup by quantum walk

We construct an oracular (i.e., black box) problem that can be solved exponentially faster on a quantum computer than on a classical computer. The quantum algorithm is based on a continuous time quantum walk, and thus employs a different technique from previous quantum algorithms based on quantum Fourier transforms. We show how to implement the quantum walk efficiently in our oracular setting. We then show how this quantum walk can be used to solve our problem by rapidly traversing a graph. Finally, we prove that no classical algorithm can solve this problem with high probability in subexponential time.Comment: 24 pages, 7 figures; minor corrections and clarification

Torture-survivors' experiences of healthcare services for pain : a qualitative study

Background: Increasing numbers of torture-survivors are presenting to UK healthcare services with persistent pain. However, there is a paucity of evidence surrounding the management of persistent pain among torture-survivors and their experience of healthcare services for pain is currently unknown. This qualitative study explores their experiences of services for managing pain, to inform clinical practice and service provision. Methods: Thirteen participants were recruited from a specialist pain clinic for torture-survivors in the United Kingdom. Utilising an ethnographic approach, data were collected via clinic appointment observations, interviews and medical records and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Three themes emerged in relation to torture-survivors’ experiences of healthcare services for pain: the patient–clinician relationship; multiplicity of diagnoses and treatments; lack of service integration. Participants described limited engagement in decision-making processes regarding their care. Lack of recognition of torture experience when diagnosing and treating pain, alongside multiple unsuccessful treatments, led to confusion, frustration and hopelessness. These issues were exacerbated by the disconnect between physical and mental health services. Conclusion: This study provides new insight into the challenges faced by torture-survivors when accessing healthcare services for pain. Our findings suggest current service provision is not meeting their complex needs. Clinical implications include the need for integrated care systems and better recognition of the influence of torture experience on persistent pain. Strategies to engage and empower torture-survivors in the management of their pain are suggested