Morphing a Stereogram into Hologram

This paper develops a simple and fast method to reconstruct reality from stereoscopic images. We bring together ideas from robust optical flow techniques, morphing deformations and lightfield 3D rendering in order to create unsupervised multiview images of a scene. The reconstruction algorithm provides a good visualization of the virtual 3D imagery behind stereograms upon display on a headset-free Looking Glass 3D monitor. We discuss the possibility of applying the method for live 3D streaming optimized via an associated lookup table.Comment: PDF, 8 pages, 4 Fig

Growth Model of Au Films on Ru(001)

In an attempt to find generic features on the fractal growth of Au films deposited on Ru(001), a simple simulation model based on irreversible diffusion-limited aggregation (DLA) is discussed. Highly irregular two-dimensional dentritic islands of Au particles that gradually grow on a larger host lattice of Ru particles and have fractal dimension d_{f}~ 1.70 each, are generated via a multiple had-hoc version of the DLA algorithm for single aggregates. Annealing effects on the islands morphology are reproduced assuming different sticking probabilities at nearest-neighbour lattice sites of Au films on Ru(001). Using simulation data, islands growth are described in analogy to diffusion-limited, precipitate growth with soft impingement of precipities. This leads to analyse thin film island growth kinetics in such fractal systems and to predict a main peak in scattering intensity patterns due to interisland interference. ---------------- Copies upon request to: [email protected]: CM-ICTP/92/12

Stock Market and Motion of a Variable Mass Spring

We establish an analogy between the motion of spring whose mass increases linearly with time and volatile stock markets dynamics within an economic model based on simple temporal demand and supply functions [J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 33, 3637 (2000)]. The total system energy E_t is shown to be proportional to a decreasing time dependent spring constant k_t. This model allows to derive log-periodicity cos[log (t-t_{c})] on commodity prices and oscillations (surplus and shortages) in the level of stocks. We also made an attempt to connect these results to the Tsallis statistics parameter q based on a possible force-entropy correlation [Physica A 341, 165 (2004)] and find that the Tsallis second entropic term \sum_{i=1}^{W} p_i^{q}/(q-1) relates to the square of the demand (or supply) function

Theory of Analogous Force on Number Sets

A general statistical thermodynamic theory that considers given sequences of x-integers to play the role of particles of known type in an isolated elastic system is proposed. By also considering some explicit discrete probability distributions p_{x} for natural numbers, we claim that they lead to a better understanding of probabilistic laws associated with number theory. Sequences of numbers are treated as the size measure of finite sets. By considering p_{x} to describe complex phenomena, the theory leads to derive a distinct analogous force f_{x} on number sets proportional to $(\frac{\partial p_{x}}{\partial x} )_{T}$ at an analogous system temperature T. In particular, this yields to an understanding of the uneven distribution of integers of random sets in terms of analogous scale invariance and a screened inverse square force acting on the significant digits. The theory also allows to establish recursion relations to predict sequences of Fibonacci numbers and to give an answer to the interesting theoretical question of the appearance of the Benford's law in Fibonacci numbers. A possible relevance to prime numbers is also analyzed.Comment: RevTeX, PostScript Fig, To Appear Phys.

Pinvox Method to Enhance Self-Study in Blended Learning: Experiences at University of Bucharest

We report results on the first large-scale trial implementation of the new Pinvox algorithm carried out at the Department of Distance Learning (DL) of the University of Bucharest to encourage hundreds of Bachelor and Master DL students to perform their self-study. Pinvox is an open source tool that helps to ensure "on-line attendance" and to induce "student's attention��� through the identification of different, randomly selected, brief audio PINs embedded automatically in videos or audio files assigned to each student. We argue that checking how students watched a video lecture has many advantages in the formative assessment work

Optical Diffraction from Fractals with a Structural Transition

A macroscopic characterization of fractals showing up a structural transition from dense to multibranched growth is made using optical diffraction theory. Such fractals are generated via the numerical solution of the 2D Poisson and Biharmonic equations and are compared to more 'regular'irreversible clusters such as diffusion limited and Laplacian aggregates. The optical diffraction method enables to identify a decrease of the fractal dimension above the structural point.Comment: LaTex file; 6 figures upon request to [email protected]**. IC/94/7