Rank-frequency relation for Chinese characters

We show that the Zipf's law for Chinese characters perfectly holds for sufficiently short texts (few thousand different characters). The scenario of its validity is similar to the Zipf's law for words in short English texts. For long Chinese texts (or for mixtures of short Chinese texts), rank-frequency relations for Chinese characters display a two-layer, hierarchic structure that combines a Zipfian power-law regime for frequent characters (first layer) with an exponential-like regime for less frequent characters (second layer). For these two layers we provide different (though related) theoretical descriptions that include the range of low-frequency characters (hapax legomena). The comparative analysis of rank-frequency relations for Chinese characters versus English words illustrates the extent to which the characters play for Chinese writers the same role as the words for those writing within alphabetical systems.Comment: To appear in European Physical Journal B (EPJ B), 2014 (22 pages, 7 figures

Real-Reward Testing for Probabilistic Processes (Extended Abstract)

We introduce a notion of real-valued reward testing for probabilistic processes by extending the traditional nonnegative-reward testing with negative rewards. In this richer testing framework, the may and must preorders turn out to be inverses. We show that for convergent processes with finitely many states and transitions, but not in the presence of divergence, the real-reward must-testing preorder coincides with the nonnegative-reward must-testing preorder. To prove this coincidence we characterise the usual resolution-based testing in terms of the weak transitions of processes, without having to involve policies, adversaries, schedulers, resolutions, or similar structures that are external to the process under investigation. This requires establishing the continuity of our function for calculating testing outcomes.Comment: In Proceedings QAPL 2011, arXiv:1107.074

Quantum Levy flights and multifractality of dipolar excitations in a random system

We consider dipolar excitations propagating via dipole-induced exchange among immobile molecules randomly spaced in a lattice. The character of the propagation is determined by long-range hops (Levy flights). We analyze the eigen-energy spectra and the multifractal structure of the wavefunctions. In 1D and 2D all states are localized, although in 2D the localization length can be extremely large leading to an effective localization-delocalization crossover in realistic systems. In 3D all eigenstates are extended but not always ergodic, and we identify the energy intervals of ergodic and non-ergodic states. The reduction of the lattice filling induces an ergodic to non-ergodic transition, and the excitations are mostly non-ergodic at low filling.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure

Characterising Probabilistic Processes Logically

In this paper we work on (bi)simulation semantics of processes that exhibit both nondeterministic and probabilistic behaviour. We propose a probabilistic extension of the modal mu-calculus and show how to derive characteristic formulae for various simulation-like preorders over finite-state processes without divergence. In addition, we show that even without the fixpoint operators this probabilistic mu-calculus can be used to characterise these behavioural relations in the sense that two states are equivalent if and only if they satisfy the same set of formulae.Comment: 18 page

Optimal nonlocal multipartite entanglement concentration based on projection measurements

We propose an optimal nonlocal entanglement concentration protocol (ECP) for multi-photon systems in a partially entangled pure state, resorting to the projection measurement on an additional photon. One party in quantum communication first performs a parity-check measurement on her photon in an N-photon system and an additional photon, and then she projects the additional photon into an orthogonal Hilbert space for dividing the original $N$-photon systems into two groups. In the first group, the N parties will obtain a subset of $N$-photon systems in a maximally entangled state. In the second group, they will obtain some less-entangled N-photon systems which are the resource for the entanglement concentration in the next round. By iterating the entanglement concentration process several times, the present ECP has the maximal success probability which is just equivalent to the entanglement of the partially entangled state. That is, this ECP is an optimal one.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Work Function of Single-wall Silicon Carbide Nanotube

Using first-principles calculations, we study the work function of single wall silicon carbide nanotube (SiCNT). The work function is found to be highly dependent on the tube chirality and diameter. It increases with decreasing the tube diameter. The work function of zigzag SiCNT is always larger than that of armchair SiCNT. We reveal that the difference between the work function of zigzag and armchair SiCNT comes from their different intrinsic electronic structures, for which the singly degenerate energy band above the Fermi level of zigzag SiCNT is specifically responsible. Our finding offers potential usages of SiCNT in field-emission devices.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figure