2,938 research outputs found
Local Strategy Improvement for Parity Game Solving
The problem of solving a parity game is at the core of many problems in model
checking, satisfiability checking and program synthesis. Some of the best
algorithms for solving parity game are strategy improvement algorithms. These
are global in nature since they require the entire parity game to be present at
the beginning. This is a distinct disadvantage because in many applications one
only needs to know which winning region a particular node belongs to, and a
witnessing winning strategy may cover only a fractional part of the entire game
graph.
We present a local strategy improvement algorithm which explores the game
graph on-the-fly whilst performing the improvement steps. We also compare it
empirically with existing global strategy improvement algorithms and the
currently only other local algorithm for solving parity games. It turns out
that local strategy improvement can outperform these others by several orders
of magnitude
Geometric structure of the generic static traversable wormhole throat
Traversable wormholes have traditionally been viewed as intrinsically
topological entities in some multiply connected spacetime. Here, we show that
topology is too limited a tool to accurately characterize a generic traversable
wormhole: in general one needs geometric information to detect the presence of
a wormhole, or more precisely to locate the wormhole throat. For an arbitrary
static spacetime we shall define the wormhole throat in terms of a
2-dimensional constant-time hypersurface of minimal area. (Zero trace for the
extrinsic curvature plus a "flare-out" condition.) This enables us to severely
constrain the geometry of spacetime at the wormhole throat and to derive
generalized theorems regarding violations of the energy conditions-theorems
that do not involve geodesic averaging but nevertheless apply to situations
much more general than the spherically symmetric Morris-Thorne traversable
wormhole. [For example: the null energy condition (NEC), when suitably weighted
and integrated over the wormhole throat, must be violated.] The major technical
limitation of the current approach is that we work in a static spacetime-this
is already a quite rich and complicated system.Comment: 25 pages; plain LaTeX; uses epsf.sty (four encapsulated postscript
figures
Classification and Moduli Kahler Potentials of G_2 Manifolds
Compact manifolds of G_2 holonomy may be constructed by dividing a
seven-torus by some discrete symmetry group and then blowing up the
singularities of the resulting orbifold. We classify possible group elements
that may be used in this construction and use this classification to find a set
of possible orbifold groups. We then derive the moduli Kahler potential for
M-theory on the resulting class of G_2 manifolds with blown up co-dimension
four singularities.Comment: 30 pages, Latex, references adde
G_2 Domain Walls in M-theory
M-theory is considered in its low-energy limit on a G_2 manifold with
non-vanishing flux. Using the Killing spinor equations for linear flux, an
explicit set of first-order bosonic equations for supersymmetric solutions is
found. These solutions describe a warped product of a domain wall in
four-dimensional space-time and a deformed G_2 manifold. It is shown how these
domain walls arise from the perspective of the associated four-dimensional N=1
effective supergravity theories. We also discuss the inclusion of membrane and
M5-brane sources.Comment: 30 pages, Late
Kahler Potential for M-theory on a G_2 Manifold
We compute the moduli Kahler potential for M-theory on a compact manifold of
G_2 holonomy in a large radius approximation. Our method relies on an explicit
G_2 structure with small torsion, its periods and the calculation of the
approximate volume of the manifold. As a verification of our result, some of
the components of the Kahler metric are computed directly by integration over
harmonic forms. We also discuss the modification of our result in the presence
of co-dimension four singularities and derive the gauge-kinetic functions for
the massless gauge fields that arise in this case.Comment: 31 pages, Latex. Altered discussion of truncation of field content,
some typos corrected and references added. Version to appear in Phys. Rev .
Polynomial Hamiltonian form of General Relativity
Phase space of General Relativity is extended to a Poisson manifold by
inclusion of the determinant of the metric and conjugate momentum as additional
independent variables. As a result, the action and the constraints take a
polynomial form. New expression for the generating functional for the Green
functions is proposed. We show that the Dirac bracket defines degenerate
Poisson structure on a manifold, and a second class constraints are the Casimir
functions with respect to this structure. As an application of the new
variables, we consider the Friedmann universe.Comment: 33 pages, 1 figure, corrected reference
Microbial Ecology of Ballast Water During a Transoceanic Voyage and the Effects of Open-Ocean Exchange
The only procedure used frequently to reduce the risk of invasion by ballast-mediated biota is open-ocean exchange of ballast water, a procedure in which vessels release coastal water and replace it with oceanic water. Limited information exists concerning the effects of transport upon the aquatic microbial community throughout transit and following open-ocean exchange, A transoceanic voyage aboard a commercial bulk carrier afforded us the opportunity to sample the microbial community in exchanged and unexchanged ballast-water holds during the journey from Hadera, Israel to Baltimore, USA. Five days following the exchange process, all microbial metrics tested (i.e. bacteria concentration, virus-like particle density, chl a and phaeopigment concentration, and microbial biomass) had decreased 1.6- to 34-fold from initial values, With respect to microbial measures, no significant differences existed between exchanged and unexchanged holds on Day 15, the final day of sampling. We stress that we quantified differences in total microorganism abundance and biomass, not species composition, and more research is necessary to determine the changes that nonindigenous microorganisms, including potential pathogens, may effect in receiving waters
Tensile Properties of Amorphous Diamond Films
The strength and modulus of amorphous diamond, a new material for surface micromachined MEMS and sensors, was tested in uniaxial tension by pulling laterally with a flat tipped diamond in a nanoindenter. Several sample designs were attempted. Of those, only the single layer specimen with a 1 by 2 {micro}m gage cross section and a fixed end rigidly attached to the substrate was successful. Tensile load was calculated by resolving the measured lateral and normal forces into the applied tensile force and frictional losses. Displacement was corrected for machine compliance using the differential stiffness method. Post-mortem examination of the samples was performed to document the failure mode. The load-displacement data from those samples that failed in the gage section was converted to stress-strain curves using carefully measured gage cross section dimensions. Mean fracture strength was found to be 8.5 {+-} 1.4 GPa and the modulus was 831 {+-} 94 GPa. Tensile results are compared to hardness and modulus measurements made using a nanoindenter
C-axis resistivity and high Tc superconductivity
Recently we had proposed a mechanism for the normal-state C-axis resistivity
of the high-T layered cuprates that involved blocking of the
single-particle tunneling between the weakly coupled planes by strong
intra-planar electron-electron scattering. This gave a C-axis resistivity that
tracks the ab-plane T-linear resistivity, as observed in the high-temperature
limit. In this work this mechanism is examined further for its implication for
the ground-state energy and superconductivity of the layered cuprates. It is
now argued that, unlike the single-particle tunneling, the tunneling of a
boson-like pair between the planes prepared in the BCS-type coherent trial
state remains unblocked inasmuch as the latter is by construction an eigenstate
of the pair annihilation operator. The resulting pair-delocalization along the
C-axis offers energetically a comparative advantage to the paired-up trial
state, and, thus stabilizes superconductivity. In this scheme the strongly
correlated nature of the layered system enters only through the blocking
effect, namely that a given electron is effectively repeatedly monitored
(intra-planarly scattered) by the other electrons acting as an environment, on
a time-scale shorter than the inter-planar tunneling time. Possible
relationship to other inter-layer pairing mechanisms proposed by several
workers in the field is also briefly discussed.Comment: typos in equations corrected, contents unchange
Cauchy Horizons, Thermodynamics and Closed Time-like Curves in Planar Supersymmetric Space-times
We study geodesically complete, singularity free space-times induced by
supersymmetric planar domain walls interpolating between Minkowski and anti-de
Sitter () vacua. A geodesically complete space-time without closed
time-like curves includes an infinite number of semi-infinite Minkowski
space-times, separated from each other by a region of space-time. These
space-times are closely related to the extreme Reissner Nordstr\" om (RN) black
hole, exhibiting Cauchy horizons with zero Hawking temperature, but in contrast
to the RN black hole there is no entropy. Another geodesically complete
extension with closed time-like curves involves space-times connecting a finite
number of semi-infinite Minkowski space-times.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure appended, phyzz
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