Strong converse theorems using R\'enyi entropies

We use a R\'enyi entropy method to prove strong converse theorems for certain information-theoretic tasks which involve local operations and quantum or classical communication between two parties. These include state redistribution, coherent state merging, quantum state splitting, measurement compression with quantum side information, randomness extraction against quantum side information, and data compression with quantum side information. The method we employ in proving these results extends ideas developed by Sharma [arXiv:1404.5940], which he used to give a new proof of the strong converse theorem for state merging. For state redistribution, we prove the strong converse property for the boundary of the entire achievable rate region in the $(e,q)$-plane, where $e$ and $q$ denote the entanglement cost and quantum communication cost, respectively. In the case of measurement compression with quantum side information, we prove a strong converse theorem for the classical communication cost, which is a new result extending the previously known weak converse. For the remaining tasks, we provide new proofs for strong converse theorems previously established using smooth entropies. For each task, we obtain the strong converse theorem from explicit bounds on the figure of merit of the task in terms of a R\'enyi generalization of the optimal rate. Hence, we identify candidates for the strong converse exponents for each task discussed in this paper. To prove our results, we establish various new entropic inequalities, which might be of independent interest. These involve conditional entropies and mutual information derived from the sandwiched R\'enyi divergence. In particular, we obtain novel bounds relating these quantities, as well as the R\'enyi conditional mutual information, to the fidelity of two quantum states.Comment: 40 pages, 5 figures; v4: Accepted for publication in Journal of Mathematical Physic

Synthesizing Functional Reactive Programs

Functional Reactive Programming (FRP) is a paradigm that has simplified the construction of reactive programs. There are many libraries that implement incarnations of FRP, using abstractions such as Applicative, Monads, and Arrows. However, finding a good control flow, that correctly manages state and switches behaviors at the right times, still poses a major challenge to developers. An attractive alternative is specifying the behavior instead of programming it, as made possible by the recently developed logic: Temporal Stream Logic (TSL). However, it has not been explored so far how Control Flow Models (CFMs), as synthesized from TSL specifications, can be turned into executable code that is compatible with libraries building on FRP. We bridge this gap, by showing that CFMs are indeed a suitable formalism to be turned into Applicative, Monadic, and Arrowized FRP. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our translations on a real-world kitchen timer application, which we translate to a desktop application using the Arrowized FRP library Yampa, a web application using the Monadic threepenny-gui library, and to hardware using the Applicative hardware description language ClaSH.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1712.0024

A Producer's Propensity to Conserve Framework: Application to a US and Australian Conservation Program

Increasing recognition of the environmental impact of agriculture has led to increasing public activity around the world encouraging public conservation programs. Different countries have taken different program approaches to accomplish this. The comparison and contrast here is between Australia and the United States, examining the CREP program in the U.S. and the Eco Tender program in Australia. A different historical experience in the U.S. sets certain parameters that are expected in their conservation programs. To some extent, the Australian program could take more of a clean slate approach. The Australian program is able to take a broader landscape approach, specifically considering multiple benefits with knowledge about off-site benefits as well. This is tied into a structured auction process that does not allow gaming of the auction process. While the U.S. approach does include a bidding process, its structure is such that it has characteristics of an incentive program. The U.S. approach also gives less incentive to farmers to provide environmental amenities at the lowest possible cost. Taking off-site impacts into consideration and finding ways to induce competition among farmers to provide amenities at the lowest cost to the public are seen as important characteristics of cost effective conservation programs.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

What Explains Persistent Inflation Differentials Across Transition Economies?

Panel estimates based on 19 transition economies suggests that some central banks may aim at comparatively high inflation rates mainly to make up for, and to perhaps exploit, lagging internal and external liberalization in their economies. Out-of-sample forecasts, based on expected developments in the underlying structure of these economies, and assuming no changes in institutions, suggest that incentives may be diminishing, but not to the point where inflation levels below 5 percent could credibly be announced as targets. Greater economic liberalization would help reduce incentives for higher inflation, and enhancements to central bank independence could help shield these central banks from pressures

Principles- versus rules-based output statistical disclosure control in remote access environments

In recent years, the level of detail in confidential data made available to social scientists has increased dramatically. Much of this has been due to the growth in secure data access facilities, which allow access to the most detailed data under strictly controlled conditions.One element of that control is checking to ensure that statistical outputs do not present any residual disclosure risk. Traditionally this has been managed by specifying rules for researchers to follow, but it is increasingly recognised that a ‘principles-based’ approach can be both more secure and more cost-effective.The principles-based approach requires a higher level of expertise from the facility managers, and places the subjective assessment of risk at the forefront of decision-making; these two factors often make facility managers uncomfortable. In addition, knowledge of this approach is concentrated amongst a relatively small community, whereas the rules-based model has been the dominant approach for half a century; facility managers may not be aware that there is an alternative perspective.This paper reviews the arguments for the two different approaches. The two are not mutually exclusive: both take simple rules as a starting point, but the rules-based approach also finishes there. This has advantages in some circumstances, but this paper demonstrates that the value of the principles-based approach increases with the sensitivity of the data and gives more freedom to the researchers to innovate.The paper considers how the two approaches can be implemented. It notes that, although the principles-based model requires greater initial investment by both the facility managers and researchers, the necessary training can bring substantial auxiliary benefits to the facility manager. The paper therefore concludes that a principles-based approach has advantages in many circumstances, and it is essential for the remote research data centres which dominate access solutions for the most sensitive data

Scattering theory of adiabatic reaction forces due to out-of-equilibrium quantum environments

The Landauer-Buettiker theory of mesoscopic conductors was recently extended to nanoelectromechanical systems. In this extension, the adiabatic reaction forces exerted by the electronic degrees of freedom on the mechanical modes were expressed in terms of the electronic S-matrix and its first non-adiabatic correction, the A-matrix. Here, we provide a more natural and efficient derivation of these results within the setting and solely with the methods of scattering theory. Our derivation is based on a generic model of a slow classical degree of freedom coupled to a quantum-mechanical scattering system, extending previous work on adiabatic reaction forces for closed quantum systems.Comment: Minor typos fixed, published versio