Language as an Evolving Word Web

Human language can be described as a complex network of linked words. In such a treatment, each distinct word in language is a vertex of this web, and neighboring words in sentences are connected by edges. It was recently found (Ferrer and Sol\'e) that the distribution of the numbers of connections of words in such a network is of a peculiar form which includes two pronounced power-law regions. Here we treat language as a self-organizing network of interacting words. In the framework of this concept, we completely describe the observed Word Web structure without fitting.Comment: 4 pages revtex, 2 figure

Time of avalanche mixing of granular materials in a half filled rotated drum

The avalanche mixing of granular solids in a slowly rotated 2D upright drum is studied. We demonstrate that the account of the difference $\delta$ between the angle of marginal stability and the angle of repose of the granular material leads to a restricted value of the mixing time $\tau$ for a half filled drum. The process of mixing is described by a linear discrete difference equation. We show that the mixing looks like linear diffusion of fractions with the diffusion coefficient vanishing when $\delta$ is an integer part of $\pi$. Introduction of fluctuations of $\delta$ supresses the singularities of $\tau(\delta)$ and smoothes the dependence $\tau(\delta)$.Comment: 4 pages revtex (twocolumn, psfig), 2 figure

Evolution of a sandpile in a thick flow regime

We solve a one-dimensional sandpile problem analytically in a thick flow regime when the pile evolution may be described by a set of linear equations. We demonstrate that, if an income flow is constant, a space periodicity takes place while the sandpile evolves even for a pile of only one type of particles. Hence, grains are piling layer by layer. The thickness of the layers is proportional to the input flow of particles $r_0$ and coincides with the thickness of stratified layers in a two-component sandpile problem which were observed recently. We find that the surface angle $\theta$ of the pile reaches its final critical value ($\theta_f$) only at long times after a complicated relaxation process. The deviation ($\theta_f - \theta$) behaves asymptotically as $(t/r_{0})^{-1/2}$. It appears that the pile evolution depends on initial conditions. We consider two cases: (i) grains are absent at the initial moment, and (ii) there is already a pile with a critical slope initially. Although at long times the behavior appears to be similar in both cases, some differences are observed for the different initial conditions are observed. We show that the periodicity disappears if the input flow increases with time.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figure