5,689 research outputs found
Exploring systems interactions for building resilience within coastal environments and communities.
This paper focuses on identifying examples of first-order systems interactions, which make important contributions to building coastal resiliency for coastal zone management. This discussion is based on an application of the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework to a case-study analysis of coastal management in South Australia. The study suggests that cross-scale interactions and informal relationships within and between users and managers are key interactions defining resilience outcomes within the current system. A significant constraint on improving resilience was the lack of evaluative criteria
for identifying sustainable forms of system behaviour. The paper argues that resilience is a function of a normative statement on the characteristics desirable in the functioning system. Analyses of coastal resilience, which facilitate greater understanding of the range of complexities in coastal behaviour, are therefore central to gaining the most useful insights into the options
and pathways for building more sustainable coastal futures
On ordinal utility, cardinal utility, and random utility
Though the Random Utility Model (RUM) was conceived
entirely in terms of ordinal utility, the apparatus throughwhich it is widely practised exhibits properties of
cardinal utility. The adoption of cardinal utility as a
working operation of ordinal is perfectly valid, provided
interpretations drawn from that operation remain faithful
to ordinal utility. The paper considers whether the latterrequirement holds true for several measurements commonly
derived from RUM. In particular it is found that
measurements of consumer surplus change may depart from
ordinal utility, and exploit the cardinality inherent in
the practical apparatus.
Sparse Graph Codes for Quantum Error-Correction
We present sparse graph codes appropriate for use in quantum
error-correction. Quantum error-correcting codes based on sparse graphs are of
interest for three reasons. First, the best codes currently known for classical
channels are based on sparse graphs. Second, sparse graph codes keep the number
of quantum interactions associated with the quantum error correction process
small: a constant number per quantum bit, independent of the blocklength.
Third, sparse graph codes often offer great flexibility with respect to
blocklength and rate. We believe some of the codes we present are unsurpassed
by previously published quantum error-correcting codes.Comment: Version 7.3e: 42 pages. Extended version, Feb 2004. A shortened
version was resubmitted to IEEE Transactions on Information Theory Jan 20,
200
Solution of a Braneworld Big Crunch/Big Bang Cosmology
We solve for the cosmological perturbations in a five-dimensional background
consisting of two separating or colliding boundary branes, as an expansion in
the collision speed V divided by the speed of light c. Our solution permits a
detailed check of the validity of four-dimensional effective theory in the
vicinity of the event corresponding to the big crunch/big bang singularity. We
show that the four-dimensional description fails at the first nontrivial order
in (V/c)^2. At this order, there is nontrivial mixing of the two relevant
four-dimensional perturbation modes (the growing and decaying modes) as the
boundary branes move from the narrowly-separated limit described by
Kaluza-Klein theory to the well-separated limit where gravity is confined to
the positive-tension brane. We comment on the cosmological significance of the
result and compute other quantities of interest in five-dimensional
cosmological scenarios.Comment: 54 pages, 12 figures, URL updated & 3 references adde
An overview of palaeomagnetic chronology with special reference to the South African hominid sites
Main articleThe phenomena of secular variation, polarity reversals and apparent polar wander are discussed. The calibration of each of these phenomena for use in palaeomagnetic chronology is
outlined and the use of each of these calibrated scales for dating is briefly explained. A successful
application of the polarity reversal dating technique is presented as an example of the
potential for palaeomagnetic chronology in South Africa. In this example it is shown that the
age of the important Member 3 in Makapan is about 3 My. It is concluded that palaeomagnetic
chronology has a vast potential in South Africa ; a palaeomagnetic laboratory specifically
oriented to chronological problems would be extremely valuable.Non
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