257 research outputs found
Los algoritmos para el cálculo de la raĂz cuadrada y sus antecedentes en textos escolares antiguos
First of all, there is an analysis of the historical and scientifical motivations that lead to the inclusion of the usual square root algorithm in mathematics in elementary education, as well as of the textbook that introduced them for the first time in Spain. Secondly we take into account two alternative algorithms for the calculation of square roots proposed by modern didactical literature of mathematics teaching, and show that, in both cases, it is possible to find precedents of their utilization in old elementary textbooks
Los algoritmos para el cálculo de la raĂz cuadrada y sus antecedentes en textos escolares antiguos
Variabilité climatique et statistiques. Etude par simulation de la puissance et de la robustesse de quelques tests utilisés pour vérifier l'homogénéité de chroniques
L'analyse statistique de séries chronologiques de données hydrométéorologiques est un des outils d'identification de variations climatiques. Cette analyse consiste le plus souvent à la mise en œuvre et à l'interprétation de tests statistiques d'homogénéité des séries. Les séries hydrologiques (données de pluie ou de débit) se caractérisent fréquemment par des effectifs faibles, et ne répondent que rarement aux conditions requises par l'application des tests statistiques dont certains sont paramétriques.Nous avons cherché à évaluer, en terme de puissance et de robustesse, le comportement de quelques méthodes statistiques largement employées dans les études de variabilité climatique. Ce travail a été mené dans chaque cas étudié au moyen de procédures de simulations type Monte-Carlo de 100 échantillons de 50 valeurs conformes aux caractéristiques souvent rencontrées dans les séries naturelles. La variabilité simulée est celle d'un changement brutal de la moyenne. Les procédures concernées sont le test de corrélation sur le rang, le test de Pettitt, le test de Buishand, la procédure bayésienne de Lee et Heghinian, et la procédure de segmentation des séries hydrométéorologiques de Hubert et Carbonnel. Des séries artificielles soit stationnaires, soit affectées par une rupture de la moyenne, normales, non-normales, autocorrélées, présentant une tendance linéaire ou un changement brutal de la variance ont été générées.Les conclusions de ce travail doivent être nuancées selon la méthode considérée. D'une manière générale la puissance maximale estimée se situe autour de 50% pour des taux de rupture de la moyenne de l'ordre de 75% de la valeur de l'écart-type. Par ailleurs il apparaît que l'autocorrélation et la présence d'une tendance dans les séries sont les deux caractéristiques qui pénalisent le plus les performances des procédures.Statistical analysis of hydrometeorological time series is often used to identify climatic variations. Most often this analysis consists of applying and interpreting statistical tests of time series homogeneity. Hydrological time series (rainfall and runoff data) are often short and do not always comply with the hypotheses of the statistical methods. Through simulation we have investigated the power and the robustness of some tests which are widely used in the studies dealing with climatic variability. In each case studied, one hundred samples of fifty elements have been generated based on the main characteristics of natural rainfall series. A shift in the mean has been used to represent a possible climatic variation. The procedures used are the rank correlation test, Pettitt's test, Buishand's test, Lee and Heghinian's bayesian procedure, and Hubert and Carbonnel's segmentation procedure for hydrometeorological series.Each simulation of one hundred samples is used to assess the performances of the methods considering a specific characteristic of the series: normality or non-normality, autocorrelation, trend, shift in the variance. First of all, stationary series have been simulated to evaluate the type I error of the tests. Then the series have been simulated with a break in the mean with different levels of amplitude, from 25% to 100% of the standard deviation value. The rank correlation test, Pettitt's test, Buishand's test and the segmentation procedure with a significance level of 1% (significance level of Scheffé's test) reject as heterogeneous less than ten series over one hundred homogeneous simulated series. This result is consistent with the type I error of a statistical test. On the other hand, Lee and Heghinian's bayesian method rejects about 40% of the series. This result means that this latter procedure must only be applied under the hypothesis of heterogeneity. The estimated power of the methods exceeds 40% to 50% when the break in the mean is more than 75% of the standard deviation value.Independent series have been simulated from normal, log-normal and Pearson distributions to compare the performances of the methods requiring normality. The results show that normality has no significant impact on the performances of these methods. However, the simulations do show that the condition of independence of the successive elements of the series is essential to keep performances constant. Otherwise a trend in the series makes the tests inefficient, except for the rank correlation test for which the alternative is a trend. No method seems to be robust against both negative and positive autoregressive dependencies. The procedures requiring a constant variance are robust when the series keep a constant mean, but seem more or less slightly influenced by a break both in the mean and in the standard deviation
De différents aspects de la variabilité de la pluviométrie en Afrique de l'Ouest et Centrale non sahélienne
La sécheresse observée depuis plus d'une vingtaine d'années dans les pays sahéliens se fait également ressentir plus au sud dans des régions d'Afrique aux climats plus humides. Cette baisse de la pluviométrie et la diminution des apports en eau de surface qu'elle entraîne y sont de nature à pénaliser les différents projets de développements liés à l'eau. Le programme ICCARE mené par l'ORSTOM a pour objet l'identification et les conséquences de cette variabilité climatique dans l'ensemble de la zone non sahélienne d'Afrique de l'Ouest et Centrale, en s'appuyant sur les données de deux cents postes pluviométriques et sur un ensemble de méthodes alliant représentations cartographiques et procédures statistiques de détection de ruptures dans les séries chronologiques, univariées et multivariées. La simple étude des séries chronologiques de hauteurs précipitées annuelles fait apparaître une nette et brutale fluctuation du régime pluviométrique dans toute la région considérée, à la fin des années 1960 et au début des années 1970. D'une manière générale, il apparaît que ce sont les zones à régime pluviométrique extrême qui ont subi les modifications les plus importantes : les plus arrosées (de la Guinée à la Côte d'Ivoire) et les plus arides (la bordure sahélienne au nord de la zone étudiée). Entre les deux, le phénomène est d'intensité plus nuancée. Les différentes procédures statistiques appliquées aux séries de hauteurs annuelles précipitées soulignent l'existence d'une rupture survenue à la fin des années 1960 ou au début des années 1970, et donc en phase avec ce qui a été observé et étudié au Sahel. D'autres variables permettant une caractérisation plus "qualitative" du phénomène ont également été étudiées. Elles apportent un complément d'information quant aux manifestations de cette variabilité pluviométrique et montrent que la variabilité climatique se traduit à différents niveaux (durée des saisons des pluies, quantités précipitées hors saisons des pluies, etc.). L'examen des séries chronologiques depuis l'origine des stations a permis de resituer l'événement observé dans une perspective historique faite d'alternances de périodes sèches et de périodes humides. Le phénomène observé à la fin des années 1960 et au début des années 1970 apparaît, cependant comme le plus significatif du point de vue statistique. Si les causes premières d'apparition du phénomène sont, à l'heure actuelle, encore insuffisamment expliquées, et ce même si certaines activités humaines y ont, sans aucun doute, contribué, cette baisse de la pluviométrie a, bien entendu, des conséquences importantes sur la disponibilité des ressources en eau dans ces régions. Si la carence pure et simple n'est pas à craindre dans ces régions où les quantités précipitées restent importantes dans l'absolu, les effets de cette variabilité climatique peuvent, malgré tout, se révéler désastreux, en ce sens qu'ils modifient les données d'un équilibre déjà souvent mis à mal par ailleurs (pression anthropique et déforestation par exemple).The drought observed for more than twenty years in the sahelian countries has also affected those located more to the South with more humid climates (SUTCLIFFE and KNOTT, 1987; NICHOLSON et al, 1988; MAHE and OLIVRY, 1991; OLIVRY et al, 1993 PATUREL et al, 1995). The decrease in rainfall and consequently that in runoff might penalise development projects linked with water supply. The ICCARE programme led by ORSTOM aimed at identifying and measuring the consequences of this climatic variability in the non-sahelian parts of the West and Central African region as a whole. The study was based on rainfall data from more than two hundred stations, break detection methods in the time series as well as cartographic tools were used. This study allowed to highlight the manifestations of the climatic variability observed for nearly 25 years in West and Central Africa. Whereas it had been thought for a long time that the rainfall deficit was restricted to the sahelian region, this study showed that the forest covered regions were also affected and generally speaking the so-called 'humid Africa'. The decrease in rainfall entails that in runoff and thus a change in water resources availability which is the cornerstone of a fairly great number of development projects. Hydrological regimes variability and possible modifications of rainfall-runoff relationship are to be the next stages of the ICCARE programme, partial results were already published (SERVAT et al, 1997). A simple study of the time series showed straightforward fluctuations of the rainfall patterns (figures 2 and 3), which happened during the late sixties or the early seventies over the whole region. The mapping of the time series analysis depicts a clear general trend towards a shift of the isohyets to the south-south-west from the 1950's to the 1980's. This shift reflects a sharp drop in the annual rainfall over the whole of the non-sahelian west and central Africa. Generally speaking it appears that the zones with extreme rainfall patterns underwent the most important modifications, namely : the wettest ones from Guinea to Ivory Coast and the driest ones, bordering the sahelian region to the North of the studied area. Elsewhere changes are less drastic (SERVAT et al, 1996). The different statistical procedures applied to the series of annual rainfall showed breaks taking place during the late 1960's or the early 1970's (figure 4), which was in keeping with what had been observed in the sahelian region. Rainfall deficits were in the order of 20% and they could reach values higher than 25% (table 1), in particular along the Atlantic Coast or in the North, which upholds the fact that 'humid Africa' was also severely affected by the rainfall variability. Other variables which allow a more qualitative characterisation of the phenomenon were also studied (table 2) (figures 5 and 6) ( PATUREL et al, 1997, SERVAT et al, 1997). They brought complementary information about the ways the rainfall variability expresses itself. The pattern of the rainy season was slightly different from what it had been before the 1970's, its length was generally shorter either because it started later than before or because it ended earlier. Likewise, the rainfall distribution was modified, which resulted in a more 'homogeneous' pattern for the zone with only one rainy season and in a sensible change in the ratio of the rainfall heights of the two rainy seasons. Some of the regions of the so-called 'wooded' savannah saw a modification of their climate with a shift from a 'guinean' climate toward a 'sudanese' one. In west Africa some regions saw also a decrease of the amount of precipitation occurring outside the rainy season, which led to a strengthening of the dry season and contributed, if need be, to the perception of the phenomenon by local populations. The decrease in the number of rainy days, where it was possible to study it, was in line with the rainfall deficit. A complementary statistical approach was carried out, it consists of a spatio-temporal study using a multidimensional exploratory analysis (KHODJA et al, 1998). This led to using a multivariate test for detecting a shift in the mean value. This approach confirmed the results obtained with univariate analyses whether it is for the time location of the break (late 1960's, early 1970's) or whether for the heterogeneous character of the phenomenon both from a spatial or temporal point of view. A major characteristic of this persisting rainfall deficit seems to be the existence of two axes of heterogeneity along the north-south and east-west directions (table 3) (figure 7). The survey of the rainfall time series from the origin allowed to place the drought in a historical perspective. So, it appears that, since the beginning of the century, the region underwent a succession of dry and wet periods, although it is difficult to speak of cycles. The phenomenon observed during the late 60's and the early 70's appears, however, as the most significant from a statistical point of view. Besides, the still lasting period of deficit has displayed a length and an intensity quite remarkable, in particular in the north and west sectors of the studied zone where the phenomenon presents an even more exceptional character (figures 8,9,10 and 11). Even though what brought about this diminution in rainfall remains, until now, unexplained, certain human activities undoubtedly contributed to the aggravation of the phenomenon. Although deforestation cannot be held entirely responsible for the drought, the fact remains that overlogging helped to increase the rainfall deficit in numerous regions along the Atlantic coast and the Guinean gulf. Of course, this rainfall deficit has important consequences on the availability of water resources in those regions. Agriculture, the filling of dams and therefore the hydroelectric production, to mention only a few domains, are strongly penalised by this decrease in resources. If a real shortage is not to be feared in those regions where the quantities of precipitation remain high in absolute terms, the effects of that variability can still prove to be disastrous, as they modify the elements of a balance that is already threatened by other factors (anthropic pressure and deforestation, for example). The ICCARE programme, which goes on with the study of the modifications of the river hydrological regimes, will give answers as to the effect of the rainfall deficit upon water resources availability
Solving the Klein-Gordon equation using Fourier spectral methods: A benchmark test for computer performance
The cubic Klein-Gordon equation is a simple but non-trivial partial
differential equation whose numerical solution has the main building blocks
required for the solution of many other partial differential equations. In this
study, the library 2DECOMP&FFT is used in a Fourier spectral scheme to solve
the Klein-Gordon equation and strong scaling of the code is examined on
thirteen different machines for a problem size of 512^3. The results are useful
in assessing likely performance of other parallel fast Fourier transform based
programs for solving partial differential equations. The problem is chosen to
be large enough to solve on a workstation, yet also of interest to solve
quickly on a supercomputer, in particular for parametric studies. Unlike other
high performance computing benchmarks, for this problem size, the time to
solution will not be improved by simply building a bigger supercomputer.Comment: 10 page
Automating the application data placement in hybrid memory systems
Multi-tiered memory systems, such as those based on Intel® Xeon Phi™processors, are equipped with several memory tiers with different characteristics including, among others, capacity, access latency, bandwidth, energy consumption, and volatility. The proper distribution of the application data objects into the available memory layers is key to shorten the time– to–solution, but the way developers and end-users determine the most appropriate memory tier to place the application data objects has not been properly addressed to date.In this paper we present a novel methodology to build an extensible framework to automatically identify and place the application’s most relevant memory objects into the Intel Xeon Phi fast on-package memory. Our proposal works on top of inproduction binaries by first exploring the application behavior and then substituting the dynamic memory allocations. This makes this proposal valuable even for end-users who do not have the possibility of modifying the application source code. We demonstrate the value of a framework based in our methodology for several relevant HPC applications using different allocation strategies to help end-users improve performance with minimal intervention. The results of our evaluation reveal that our proposal is able to identify the key objects to be promoted into fast on-package memory in order to optimize performance, leading to even surpassing hardware-based solutions.This work has been performed in the Intel-BSC Exascale Lab. Antonio J. Peña is cofinanced by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under Juan de la Cierva fellowship number IJCI-2015-23266. We would like to thank the Intel’s DCG HEAT team
for allowing us to access their computational resources. We also want to acknowledge this team, especially Larry Meadows and Jason
Sewall, as well as Pardo Keppel for the productive discussions. We thank Raphaël Léger for allowing us to access the MAXW-DGTD application and its input.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft
Nanometer-scale oxidation of Si(100) surfaces by tapping mode atomic force microscopy
The nanometerÂżscale oxidation of Si(100) surfaces in air is performed with an atomic force microscope working in tapping mode. Applying a positive voltage to the sample with respect to the tip, two kinds of modifications are induced on the sample: grown silicon oxide mounds less than 5 nm high and mounds higher than 10 nm (which are assumed to be gold depositions). The threshold voltage necessary to produce the modification is studied as a function of the average tipÂżtoÂżsample distance
Convergent Akt activation drives acquired EGFR inhibitor resistance in lung cancer
EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer are often resistant to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment. In this study, the authors show that resistant tumors display high Akt activation and that a combined treatment with AKT inhibitors causes synergistic tumour growth inhibition in vitro and in vivo
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