Born-Infeld Theory and Stringy Causality

Fluctuations around a non-trivial solution of Born-Infeld theory have a limiting speed given not by the Einstein metric but the Boillat metric. The Boillat metric is S-duality invariant and conformal to the open string metric. It also governs the propagation of scalars and spinors in Born-Infeld theory. We discuss the potential clash between causality determined by the closed string and open string light cones and find that the latter never lie outside the former. Both cones touch along the principal null directions of the background Born-Infeld field. We consider black hole solutions in situations in which the distinction between bulk and brane is not sharp such as space filling branes and find that the location of the event horizon and the thermodynamic properties do not depend on whether one uses the closed or open string metric. Analogous statements hold in the more general context of non-linear electrodynamics or effective quantum-corrected metrics. We show how Born-Infeld action to second order might be obtained from higher-curvature gravity in Kaluza-Klein theory. Finally we point out some intriguing analogies with Einstein-Schr\"odinger theory.Comment: 31 pages, 4 figures, LaTex; Some comments and references adde

An exact fluid model for relativistic electron beams: The many moments case

An interesting and satisfactory fluid model has been proposed in literature for the the description of relativistic electron beams. It was obtained with 14 independent variables by imposing the entropy principle and the relativity principle. Here the case is considered with an arbitrary number of independent variables, still satisfying the above mentioned two principles; these lead to conditions whose general solution is here found. We think that the results satisfy also a certain ordering with respect to a smallness parameter $\epsilon$ measuring the dispersion of the velocity about the mean; this ordering generalizes that appearing in literature for the 14 moments case

Two limit cases of Born-Infeld equations

International audienceWe study two limit cases \l \rightarrow \infty and \l \rightarrow 0 in Born-Infeld equations. Here the parameter \l >0 is interpreted as the maximal electric field in the electromagnetic theory and the case \l = 0 corresponds to the string theory. Formal limits are governed by the classical Maxwell equations and pressureless magnetohydrodynamics system, respectively. For studying the limit \l \rightarrow \infty, a new scaling is introduced. We give the relations between these limits and Brenier high and low field limits. Finally, using compensated compactness arguments, the limits are rigorously justified for global entropy solutions in $L^\infty$ in one space dimension, based on derived uniform estimates and techniques for linear Lagrangian systems

On the Mathematical and Geometrical Structure of the Determining Equations for Shear Waves in Nonlinear Isotropic Incompressible Elastodynamics

Using the theory of $1+1$ hyperbolic systems we put in perspective the mathematical and geometrical structure of the celebrated circularly polarized waves solutions for isotropic hyperelastic materials determined by Carroll in Acta Mechanica 3 (1967) 167--181. We show that a natural generalization of this class of solutions yields an infinite family of \emph{linear} solutions for the equations of isotropic elastodynamics. Moreover, we determine a huge class of hyperbolic partial differential equations having the same property of the shear wave system. Restricting the attention to the usual first order asymptotic approximation of the equations determining transverse waves we provide the complete integration of this system using generalized symmetries.Comment: 19 page

``Good Propagation'' Constraints on Dual Invariant Actions in Electrodynamics and on Massless Fields

We present some consequences of non-anomalous propagation requirements on various massless fields. Among the models of nonlinear electrodynamics we show that only Maxwell and Born-Infeld also obey duality invariance. Separately we show that, for actions depending only on the F_\mn^2 invariant, the permitted models have $L \sim \sqrt{1 + F^2}$. We also characterize acceptable vector-scalar systems. Finally we find that wide classes of gravity models share with Einstein the null nature of their characteristic surfaces.Comment: 11 pages, LaTeX, no figure

Born-Infeld-Einstein Actions?

We present some obvious physical requirements on gravitational avatars of non-linear electrodynamics and illustrate them with explicit determinantal Born-Infeld-Einstein models. A related procedure, using compensating Weyl scalars, permits us to formulate conformally invariant versions of these systems as well.Comment: 7 page

Congruences of lines in P5\mathbb{P}^5, quadratic normality, and completely exceptional Monge-Amp\`ere equations

The existence is proved of two new families of locally Cohen-Macaulay sextic threefolds in $\mathbb{P}^5$, which are not quadratically normal. These threefolds arise naturally in the realm of first order congruences of lines as focal loci and in the study of the completely exceptional Monge-Amp\`ere equations. One of these families comes from a smooth congruence of multidegree $(1,3,3)$ which is a smooth Fano fourfold of index two and genus 9.Comment: 16 page

Decision Support System for the hydropower plants management : the MINERVE project

The MINERVE project was initiated for flood management in the Upper Rhone river basin. Its first goal is the prediction of floods. The second one is the optimum management of the complex system of hydropower plants located in the basin in order to diminish the peak discharge in the Rhone River and its tributaries. The MINERVE Interactive Decision Support (MINDS) proposes turbine and bottom outlet preventive operations before the flood peak, for having storage volume in the reservoirs during the peak flow. The iterative ranking Greedy algorithm allows successive resolutions for all the hydropower plants in an iterative way until reaching the optimum operations of the whole complex. The multi-criteria analysis optimises the start and the end of the preventive operations (turbine and bottom outlet operations) for the whole ensemble hydrological forecasts for a selected hydropower plant

When Sales Meet Process Mining: A Scientific Approach to Sales Process and Performance Management

Selling has long been considered as an “art” driven by personal intuition and native sales talent. However, significant changes have occurred over the past 30 years, as a result of technological advances and changing customer expectations. As one answer to these changes, practitioners and scholars have promoted the idea of “sales as a science”, relying on documented, repeatable ways of selling that reflect scientific methods. We argue that process mining is a relevant candidate f or empowering “sales as a science” via its capacity to analyze, discover, and enhance end-to-end processes. Through a design science approach, we propose a framework for applying process mining to sales, comprising a refined notation and seven process min ing analysis scenarios. Our study represents a first step towards gaining a better un derstanding of real-world sales processes based on digital traces from operational systems e.g., customer relationship management (CRM) systems, or emerging technologies e.g., smart watches