The virtual scaling function of AdS/CFT

We write an integral equation that incorporates finite corrections to the large spin asymptotics of N=4 SYM twist operators from the non-linear integral equation. We show that these corrections are an all-loop result, not affected by wrapping effects, and agree, after determining the strong coupling expansion, with string theory predictions.Comment: 4 pages, references added, typos corrected and equation (26) rewritte

From weak coupling to spinning strings

We identify the gauge theory dual of a spinning string of minimal energy with spins S_1, S_2 on AdS_5 and charge J on S^5. For this purpose we focus on a certain set of local operators with two different types of covariant derivatives acting on complex scalar fields. We analyse the corresponding nested Bethe equations for the ground states in the limit of large spins. The auxiliary Bethe roots form certain string configurations in the complex plane, which enable us to derive integral equations for the leading and sub-leading contribution to the anomalous dimension. The results can be expressed through the observables of the sl(2) sub-sector, i.e. the cusp anomaly f(g) and the virtual scaling function B_L(g), rendering the strong-coupling analysis straightforward. Furthermore, we also study a particular sub-class of these operators specialising to a scaling limit with finite values of the second spin at weak and strong coupling.Comment: 23 pages, 3 figures, minor changes, references adde

Imagining the Heavens: Adam Elsheimer’s 'Flight into Egypt' and the Renaissance Night Sky

Adam Elsheimer’s 'The Flight into Egypt' (1609) has triggered a longstanding debate among art historians. For the last five decades, Elsheimer’s novel naturalistic representation of the night sky in his painting on copper has been linked to Galileo’s telescopic observations. To explain the astronomical details of this painting, scholars have contended that Elsheimer observed, before Galileo, the night sky with one of the first telescopes available in Rome. So far, the debate has lacked input from the history of astral science. This article presents a case study that examines the relationship between the visual arts and astronomical knowledge. It offers a contextualized analysis of the technical details of the artwork within the prevailing astronomical knowledge—before the appearance of Galileo’s 'Sidereus Nuncius'—and frames it within the network of and debates among prominent figures of Galileo’s and Elsheimer’s time. It proposes a revisionist interpretation of Elsheimer’s most famous artwork based on an analysis of the technical and cultural practices of discerning and imagining the night sky around 1600

Regionmontanus sur l'équation du temps : Pratiques computationnelles d'un astronome alfonsin

International audienceThe article focuses on a text by Regiomontanus, written around 1456, included in his 'Rechenbuch' (calculation book), which develops a specific calculation of the equation of time. Based on a critical edition and translation of the text, we detail Regiomontanus's mathematical algorithm for this calculation. Our article emphasizes that the modern understanding of the equation of time and its calculation is profoundly different from historical practiceL’article se concentre sur un texte de Regiomontanus, écrit vers 1456, inclus dans son « Rechenbuch » (livre de calcul), qui élabore un calcul spécifique de l’équation du temps. Sur la base d’une édition critique et d’une traduction du texte, nous détaillons l’algorithme mathématique de Regiomontanus pour ce calcul. Notre article souligne que la compréhension moderne de l’équation du temps et de son calcul sont profondément différentes de la pratique historique

Conservatism and feminism: the case of the British Conservative Party

This article explores the potential links and contradictions between conservatism and feminism in the light of the British Conservative Party's recent claim to ‘ideological renewal’ under David Cameron. It identifies a number of long-standing, significant and sometimes unexpected overlaps and resonances between some conservative ideas as these have developed in the party over time, and some elements of feminist thought. However, the article also argues that no strand of conservative thought supports the robust analysis that would be needed to tackle entrenched gender inequalities and injustices, while many of the party's underlying assumptions are deeply anti-feminist. This means that Cameron's pro-feminist rhetoric is likely to be both divisive and incapable of realization, so that a focus on feminism highlights the hazardous nature of his attempt at ideological renewal