10,570 research outputs found
SSDB spaces and maximal monotonicity
In this paper, we develop some of the theory of SSD spaces and SSDB spaces,
and deduce some results on maximally monotone multifunctions on a reflexive
Banach space.Comment: 16 pages. Written version of the talk given at IX ISORA in Lima,
Peru, October 200
New results on q-positivity
In this paper we discuss symmetrically self-dual spaces, which are simply
real vector spaces with a symmetric bilinear form. Certain subsets of the space
will be called q-positive, where q is the quadratic form induced by the
original bilinear form. The notion of q-positivity generalizes the classical
notion of the monotonicity of a subset of a product of a Banach space and its
dual. Maximal q-positivity then generalizes maximal monotonicity. We discuss
concepts generalizing the representations of monotone sets by convex functions,
as well as the number of maximally q-positive extensions of a q-positive set.
We also discuss symmetrically self-dual Banach spaces, in which we add a Banach
space structure, giving new characterizations of maximal q-positivity. The
paper finishes with two new examples.Comment: 18 page
Universal parametric correlations in the transmission eigenvalue spectra of disordered conductors
We study the response of the transmission eigenvalue spectrum of disordered
metallic conductors to an arbitrary external perturbation. For systems without
time-reversal symmetry we find an exact non-perturbative solution for the
two-point correlation function, which exhibits a new kind of universal behavior
characteristic of disordered conductors. Systems with orthogonal and symplectic
symmetries are studied in the hydrodynamic regime.Comment: 10 pages, written in plain TeX, Preprint OUTP-93-36S (University of
Oxford), to appear in Phys. Rev. B (Rapid Communication
Correlation Functions in Disordered Systems
{Recently, we found that the correlation between the eigenvalues of random
hermitean matrices exhibits universal behavior. Here we study this universal
behavior and develop a diagrammatic approach which enables us to extend our
previous work to the case in which the random matrix evolves in time or varies
as some external parameters vary. We compute the current-current correlation
function, discuss various generalizations, and compare our work with the work
of other authors. We study the distribution of eigenvalues of Hamiltonians
consisting of a sum of a deterministic term and a random term. The correlation
between the eigenvalues when the deterministic term is varied is calculated.}Comment: 19 pages, figures not included (available on request), Tex,
NSF-ITP-93-12
Bayesian inversion for finite fault earthquake source models I—theory and algorithm
The estimation of finite fault earthquake source models is an inherently underdetermined
problem: there is no unique solution to the inverse problem of determining the rupture history
at depth as a function of time and space when our data are limited to observations at
the Earth’s surface. Bayesian methods allow us to determine the set of all plausible source
model parameters that are consistent with the observations, our a priori assumptions about the
physics of the earthquake source and wave propagation, and models for the observation errors
and the errors due to the limitations in our forward model. Because our inversion approach
does not require inverting any matrices other than covariance matrices, we can restrict our
ensemble of solutions to only those models that are physically defensible while avoiding the
need to restrict our class of models based on considerations of numerical invertibility. We
only use prior information that is consistent with the physics of the problem rather than some
artefice (such as smoothing) needed to produce a unique optimal model estimate. Bayesian inference
can also be used to estimate model-dependent and internally consistent effective errors
due to shortcomings in the forward model or data interpretation, such as poor Green’s functions
or extraneous signals recorded by our instruments. Until recently, Bayesian techniques
have been of limited utility for earthquake source inversions because they are computationally
intractable for problems with as many free parameters as typically used in kinematic
finite fault models. Our algorithm, called cascading adaptive transitional metropolis in parallel
(CATMIP), allows sampling of high-dimensional problems in a parallel computing framework.
CATMIP combines the Metropolis algorithm with elements of simulated annealing and
genetic algorithms to dynamically optimize the algorithm’s efficiency as it runs. The algorithm
is a generic Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampler; it works independently of the
model design, a priori constraints and data under consideration, and so can be used for a wide
variety of scientific problems. We compare CATMIP’s efficiency relative to several existing
sampling algorithms and then present synthetic performance tests of finite fault earthquake
rupture models computed using CATMIP
The profile of occupational stress in a sample of health profession academics at a historically disadvantaged university in South Africa
Background: Higher education is a high stress occupation or environment. Academics in health professions are engaged in professional training that adds clinical or profession-specific competencies to general academic and research outcomes. Academics in health professions assume many roles and must remain current in the practise of their professions that increases stress. Studies on occupational stress amongst health professions academics are lacking in the South African context.Objectives: To assess occupational stress in a sample of Health profession academics at a Historically Disadvantaged Institution (HDI).Methods: An online survey was conducted with a randomly selected sample of 51 permanent academics. The response rate was 55% after incentives and reminders. Instruments included a demographic questionnaire, Assessing emotions scale and the Sources of Work Stress Inventory. Descriptive statistics, correlation and regression were used to analyse the data. Instruments were reliable with this sample. Ethics clearance was obtained (Reg. No.: 15/4/42) and all ethics principles were upheld.Results: The sample was mostly female and the composition was consistent with the profiles of the faculty, health professions and HDIs. Small effects were reported for associations between demographics, EI and Occupational stress. Mixed results were reported for predictive relationships. EI and level of education were predictive of certain sources of occupational stress.Conclusion: Transformations and the work environment contributed to academics experiencing occupational stress. The historical apartheid legacies still manifest in patterned ways along gender, race and professional status in the occupational stress academics experience. Health professionals constitute a legitimate subgroup that impacts the experience and management of occupational stress. EI is an important factor to consider in the experience and management of occupational stress
Coming to America: Multiple Origins of New World Geckos
Geckos in the Western Hemisphere provide an excellent model to study faunal assembly at a continental scale. We generated a time-calibrated phylogeny, including exemplars of all New World gecko genera, to produce a biogeographic scenario for the New World geckos. Patterns of New World gecko origins are consistent with almost every biogeographic scenario utilized by a terrestrial vertebrate with different New World lineages showing evidence of vicariance, dispersal via temporary land bridge, overseas dispersal, or anthropogenic introductions. We also recovered a strong relationship between clade age and species diversity, with older New World lineages having more species than more recently arrived lineages. Our data provide the first phylogenetic hypothesis for all New World geckos and highlight the intricate origins and ongoing organization of continental faunas. The phylogenetic and biogeographical hypotheses presented here provide an historical framework to further pursue research on the diversification and assembly of the New World herpetofauna
Events, processes, and the time of a killing
The paper proposes a novel solution to the problem of the time of a killing (ToK), which persistently besets theories of act-individuation. The solution proposed claims to expose a crucial wrong-headed assumption in the debate, according to which ToK is essentially a problem of locating some event that corresponds to the killing. The alternative proposal put forward here turns on recognizing a separate category of dynamic occurents, viz. processes. The paper does not aim to mount a comprehensive defense of process ontology, relying instead on extant defenses. The primary aim is rather to put process ontology to work in diagnosing the current state of play over ToK, and indeed in solving it
JWalk: a tool for lazy, systematic testing of java classes by design introspection and user interaction
Popular software testing tools, such as JUnit, allow frequent retesting of modified code; yet the manually created test scripts are often seriously incomplete. A unit-testing tool called JWalk has therefore been developed to address the need for systematic unit testing within the context of agile methods. The tool operates directly on the compiled code for Java classes and uses a new lazy method for inducing the changing design of a class on the fly. This is achieved partly through introspection, using Java’s reflection capability, and partly through interaction with the user, constructing and saving test oracles on the fly. Predictive rules reduce the number of oracle values that must be confirmed by the tester. Without human intervention, JWalk performs bounded exhaustive exploration of the class’s method protocols and may be directed to explore the space of algebraic constructions, or the intended design state-space of the tested class. With some human interaction, JWalk performs up to the equivalent of fully automated state-based testing, from a specification that was acquired incrementally
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