Uniqueness of the Fisher-Rao metric on the space of smooth densities

MB was supported by ‘Fonds zur F¨orderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Projekt P 24625’

Construction and Validation of ‘Science Culture Index’

Countries world-wide routinely collate statistics on STS performance indicators such as R&D expenditure, science publications, citations and impact, high-tech employment, and penetration of hightech goods. In parallel there have been several, but often isolated, attempts to define complementary public understanding of science (PUS) indicators including concepts such as scientific literacy, public sentiment, interest, and attitudes. This has been somewhat successful, but also controversial. Thus, little progress has been achieved to explicitly combine STS performance indicators and PUS indicators in a composite index of science culture. This exercise draws conceptual and methodological material used in the construction of such a composite index based on a combined data base of EU (32 countries) and India (23 States). On the basis of these 55 state units the theoretical basis, feasibility and validity of a globally portable index of science culture is demonstrated. Details of the analytical options considered and decisions made, particularly in regard to integration of two data sets, identifying and defining indicators, constructing composite indices and finally its validation has been discussed. The discussion inevitably involves a degree of EU-India specific analyses, however, the methodological issues and suggested solutions are of broader interest to researchers on the topic in other contexts.science culture, EU, India, public understanding of science, STS, indicators

Construction and validation of science culture index : Results from comparative analysis of engagement knowledge and attitudes to science: India and Europe

Countries world-wide routinely collate statistics on STS performance indicators such as R&D expenditure, science publications, citations and impact, high-tech employment, and penetration of high-tech goods. In parallel there have been several, but often isolated, attempts to define complementary ‘public understanding of science (PUS)’ indicators including concepts such as scientific literacy, public sentiment, interest, and attitudes. This has been somewhat successful, but also controversial. Thus, little progress has been achieved to explicitly combine STS performance indicators and PUS indicators in a composite index of ‘science culture’. This exercise draws conceptual and methodological material used in the construction of such a composite index based on a combined data base of EU (32 countries) and India (23 States). On the basis of these 55 ‘state units’ the theoretical basis, feasibility and validity of a globally portable index of science culture is demonstrated. Details of the analytical options considered and decisions made, particularly in regard to integration of two data sets, identifying and defining indicators, constructing composite indices and finally its validation has been discussed. The discussion inevitably involves a degree of EU-India specific analyses, however, the methodological issues and suggested solutions are of broader interest to researchers on the topic in other contexts.Science culture index

Sobolev metrics on shape space of surfaces

Let $M$ and $N$ be connected manifolds without boundary with $\dim(M) < \dim(N)$, and let $M$ compact. Then shape space in this work is either the manifold of submanifolds of $N$ that are diffeomorphic to $M$, or the orbifold of unparametrized immersions of $M$ in $N$. We investigate the Sobolev Riemannian metrics on shape space: These are induced by metrics of the following form on the space of immersions: G^P_f(h,k) = \int_{M} \g(P^f h, k)\, \vol(f^*\g) where \g is some fixed metric on $N$, f^*\g is the induced metric on $M$, $h,k \in \Gamma(f^*TN)$ are tangent vectors at $f$ to the space of embeddings or immersions, and $P^f$ is a positive, selfadjoint, bijective scalar pseudo differential operator of order $2p$ depending smoothly on $f$. We consider later specifically the operator $P^f=1 + A\Delta^p$, where $\Delta$ is the Bochner-Laplacian on $M$ induced by the metric $f^*\bar g$. For these metrics we compute the geodesic equations both on the space of immersions and on shape space, and also the conserved momenta arising from the obvious symmetries. We also show that the geodesic equation is well-posed on spaces of immersions, and also on diffeomorphism groups. We give examples of numerical solutions.Comment: 52 pages, final version as it will appea

New report for the European Commission identifies indicators for responsible research and innovation

Professor Martin W. Bauer has been working as part of a small panel of experts who have recently published a new report on Indicators for promoting and monitoring responsible research and innovation. The report on Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is concerned with Science becoming more responsive to and better aligned with the values, needs and concerns of Society. Within the European Union, policy indicators are a preferred tool for monitoring, evaluating and self-criticising policies, so in 2014 an expert group was set up to design and select possible indicators for RRI as well as evaluating existing RRI-like indicators