Chromatic Information and Feature Detection in Fast Visual Analysis

The visual system is able to recognize a scene based on a sketch made of very simple features. This ability is likely crucial for survival, when fast image recognition is necessary, and it is believed that a primal sketch is extracted very early in the visual processing. Such highly simplified representations can be sufficient for accurate object discrimination, but an open question is the role played by color in this process. Rich color information is available in natural scenes, yet artist's sketches are usually monochromatic; and, black-and-white movies provide compelling representations of real world scenes. Also, the contrast sensitivity of color is low at fine spatial scales. We approach the question from the perspective of optimal information processing by a system endowed with limited computational resources. We show that when such limitations are taken into account, the intrinsic statistical properties of natural scenes imply that the most effective strategy is to ignore fine-scale color features and devote most of the bandwidth to gray-scale information. We find confirmation of these information-based predictions from psychophysics measurements of fast-viewing discrimination of natural scenes. We conclude that the lack of colored features in our visual representation, and our overall low sensitivity to high-frequency color components, are a consequence of an adaptation process, optimizing the size and power consumption of our brain for the visual world we live in

Chromatic Information and Feature Detection in Fast Visual Analysis

The visual system is able to recognize a scene based on a sketch made of very simple features. This ability is likely crucial for survival, when fast image recognition is necessary, and it is believed that a primal sketch is extracted very early in the visual processing. Such highly simplified representations can be sufficient for accurate object discrimination, but an open question is the role played by color in this process. Rich color information is available in natural scenes, yet artist's sketches are usually monochromatic; and, black-and-white movies provide compelling representations of real world scenes. Also, the contrast sensitivity of color is low at fine spatial scales. We approach the question from the perspective of optimal information processing by a system endowed with limited computational resources. We show that when such limitations are taken into account, the intrinsic statistical properties of natural scenes imply that the most effective strategy is to ignore fine-scale color features and devote most of the bandwidth to gray-scale information. We find confirmation of these information-based predictions from psychophysics measurements of fast-viewing discrimination of natural scenes. We conclude that the lack of colored features in our visual representation, and our overall low sensitivity to high-frequency color components, are a consequence of an adaptation process, optimizing the size and power consumption of our brain for the visual world we live in

Non-Metric Gravity I: Field Equations

We describe and study a certain class of modified gravity theories. Our starting point is Plebanski formulation of gravity in terms of a triple B^i of 2-forms, a connection A^i and a ``Lagrange multiplier'' field Psi^ij. The generalization we consider stems from presence in the action of an extra term proportional to a scalar function of Psi^ij. As in the usual Plebanski general relativity (GR) case, a certain metric can be constructed from B^i. However, unlike in GR, the connection A^i no longer coincides with the self-dual part of the metric-compatible spin-connection. Field equations of the theory are shown to be relations between derivatives of the metric and components of field Psi, as well as its derivatives, the later being in contrast to the GR case. The equations are of second order in derivatives. An analog of the Bianchi identity is still present in the theory, as well as its contracted version tantamount to energy conservation equation.Comment: 21 pages, no figures (v2) energy conservation equation simplified, note on reality conditions added (v3) minor change

Area metric gravity and accelerating cosmology

Area metric manifolds emerge as effective classical backgrounds in quantum string theory and quantum gauge theory, and present a true generalization of metric geometry. Here, we consider area metric manifolds in their own right, and develop in detail the foundations of area metric differential geometry. Based on the construction of an area metric curvature scalar, which reduces in the metric-induced case to the Ricci scalar, we re-interpret the Einstein-Hilbert action as dynamics for an area metric spacetime. In contrast to modifications of general relativity based on metric geometry, no continuous deformation scale needs to be introduced; the extension to area geometry is purely structural and thus rigid. We present an intriguing prediction of area metric gravity: without dark energy or fine-tuning, the late universe exhibits a small acceleration.Comment: 52 pages, 1 figure, companion paper to hep-th/061213

Geometry and stability of dynamical systems

We reconsider both the global and local stability of solutions of continuously evolving dynamical systems from a geometric perspective. We clarify that an unambiguous definition of stability generally requires the choice of additional geometric structure that is not intrinsic to the dynamical system itself. While global Lyapunov stability is based on the choice of seminorms on the vector bundle of perturbations, we propose a definition of local stability based on the choice of a linear connection. We show how this definition reproduces known stability criteria for second order dynamical systems. In contrast to the general case, the special geometry of Lagrangian systems provides completely intrinsic notions of global and local stability. We demonstrate that these do not suffer from the limitations occurring in the analysis of the Maupertuis-Jacobi geodesics associated to natural Lagrangian systems.Comment: 22 pages, 2 figure

Propagation of light in area metric backgrounds

The propagation of light in area metric spacetimes, which naturally emerge as refined backgrounds in quantum electrodynamics and quantum gravity, is studied from first principles. In the geometric-optical limit, light rays are found to follow geodesics in a Finslerian geometry, with the Finsler norm being determined by the area metric tensor. Based on this result, and an understanding of the non-linear relation between ray vectors and wave covectors in such refined backgrounds, we study light deflection in spherically symmetric situations, and obtain experimental bounds on the non-metricity of spacetime in the solar system.Comment: 18pp, no figures, Journal versio

Development of FTK architecture: a fast hardware track trigger for the ATLAS detector

The Fast Tracker (FTK) is a proposed upgrade to the ATLAS trigger system that will operate at full Level-1 output rates and provide high quality tracks reconstructed over the entire detector by the start of processing in Level-2. FTK solves the combinatorial challenge inherent to tracking by exploiting the massive parallelism of Associative Memories (AM) that can compare inner detector hits to millions of pre-calculated patterns simultaneously. The tracking problem within matched patterns is further simplified by using pre-computed linearized fitting constants and leveraging fast DSP's in modern commercial FPGA's. Overall, FTK is able to compute the helix parameters for all tracks in an event and apply quality cuts in approximately one millisecond. By employing a pipelined architecture, FTK is able to continuously operate at Level-1 rates without deadtime. The system design is defined and studied using ATLAS full simulation. Reconstruction quality is evaluated for single muon events with zero pileup, as well as WH events at the LHC design luminosity. FTK results are compared with the tracking capability of an offline algorithm.Comment: To be published in the proceedings of DPF-2009, Detroit, MI, July 2009, eConf C09072

The Evolution of FTK, a Real-Time Tracker for Hadron Collider Experiments

We describe the architecture evolution of the highly-parallel dedicated processor FTK, which is driven by the simulation of LHC events at high luminosity (1034 cm-2 s-1). FTK is able to provide precise on-line track reconstruction for future hadronic collider experiments. The processor, organized in a two-tiered pipelined architecture, execute very fast algorithms based on the use of a large bank of pre-stored patterns of trajectory points (first tier) in combination with full resolution track fitting to refine pattern recognition and to determine off-line quality track parameters. We describe here how the high luminosity simulation results have produced a new organization of the hardware inside the FTK processor core.Comment: 11th ICATPP conferenc

B Physics at the Tevatron: Run II and Beyond

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the prospects for B physics at the Tevatron. The work was carried out during a series of workshops starting in September 1999. There were four working groups: 1) CP Violation, 2) Rare and Semileptonic Decays, 3) Mixing and Lifetimes, 4) Production, Fragmentation and Spectroscopy. The report also includes introductory chapters on theoretical and experimental tools emphasizing aspects of B physics specific to hadron colliders, as well as overviews of the CDF, D0, and BTeV detectors, and a Summary.Comment: 583 pages. Further information on the workshops, including transparencies, can be found at the workshop's homepage: http://www-theory.lbl.gov/Brun2/. The report is also available in 2-up http://www-theory.lbl.gov/Brun2/report/report2.ps.gz or chapter-by-chapter http://www-theory.lbl.gov/Brun2/report