Composite fermions from the algebraic point of view

Composite fermion wavefuctions have been used to describe electrons in a strong magnetic field. We show that the polynomial part of these wavefunctions can be obtained by applying a normal ordered product of suitably defined annihilation and creation operators to an even power of the Vandermonde determinant, which can been considered as a kind of a non-trivial Fermi sea. In the case of the harmonic interaction we solve the system exactly in the lowest Landau level. The solution makes explicit the boson-fermion correspondence proposed recently.Comment: 11 pages 1 figur

Building an IT Taxonomy with Co-occurrence Analysis, Hierarchical Clustering, and Multidimensional Scaling

Different information technologies (ITs) are related in complex ways. How can the relationships among a large number of ITs be described and analyzed in a representative, dynamic, and scalable way? In this study, we employed co-occurrence analysis to explore the relationships among 50 information technologies discussed in six magazines over ten years (1998-2007). Using hierarchical clustering and multidimensional scaling, we have found that the similarities of the technologies can be depicted in hierarchies and two-dimensional plots, and that similar technologies can be classified into meaningful categories. The results imply reasonable validity of our approach for understanding technology relationships and building an IT taxonomy. The methodology that we offer not only helps IT practitioners and researchers make sense of numerous technologies in the iField but also bridges two related but thus far largely separate research streams in iSchools - information management and IT management

The importance of Mathematics and Statistics in Engineering

Mathematics is traditionally considered necessary for engineering courses. Over the last three decades the mathematics requirements for entry into engineering programmes has steadily weakened in Australia. Further, the mathematics component of engineering programmes has progressively decreased. This research aims to investigate the following two questions. Firstly, is mathematics a barrier for students to complete an engineering programme? And secondly, is performance in mathematics associated with performance in engineering? We investigated the significant factors associated with the weighted average mark (WAM) and completion status of engineering studies at both undergraduate and Masters level. Of particular interest was the students’ mathematical background. Furthermore, a survey of students enrolled in engineering at The University of Western Australia was conducted to obtain more in-depth views of student attitudes and perceptions towards how mathematics and statistics has affected their engineering studies. Binary logistic models were fitted to the survey data. Additionally, focus group interviews were conducted to gain student insight into how effectively mathematics was taught in their courses. The results are discussed in relation to the importance of mathematics and statistics for the engineering curriculum