Realisations of Quantum GL_p,q(2) and Jordanian GL_h,h'(2)

The quantum group GL_p,q(2) is known to be related to the Jordanian GL_h,h'(2) via a contraction procedure. It can also be realised using the generators of the Hopf algebra G_r,s. We contract the G_r,s quantum group to obtain its Jordanian analogue G_m,k, which provides a realisation of GL_h,h'(2) in a manner similar to the q-deformed case.Comment: 6 pages LaTex, Contribution to Proceedings of "8th International Colloquium on Quantum Groups and Integrable Systems", Prague, June 17 - 19, 199

A Quantum Group Approach to some Exotic States in Quantum Optics

This subject of this thesis is the physical application of deformations of Lie algebras and their use in generalising some exotic quantum optical states. We begin by examining the theory of quantum groups and the q-boson algebras used in their representation theory. Following a review of the properties of conventional coherent states, we describe the extension of the theory to various deformed Heisenberg-Weyl algebras, as well as the q-deformations of su(2) and su(1,1). Using the Deformed Oscillator Algebra of Bonatsos and Daskaloyannis, we construct generalised deformed coherent states and investigate some of their quantum optical properties. We then demonstrate a resolution of unity for such states and suggest a way of investigating the geometric effects of the deformation. The formalism devised by Rembielinski et al is used to consider coherent states of the q-boson algebra over the quantum complex plane. We propose a new unitary operator which is a q-analogue of the displacement operator of conventional coherent state theory: This is used to construct q-displaced vacuum states which are eigenstates of the annihilation operator. Some quantum mechanical properties of these states are investigated and it is shown that they formally satisfy a Heisenberg-type minimum uncertainty relation. After briefly reviewing the theory of conventional squeezed states, we examine the various q-generalisations. We propose a q-analogue of the squeezed vacuum state, and use this in conjunction with the unitary q-displacement operator to construct a general q-squeezed state, parameterised by noncommuting variables.. It is shown that, like their conventional counterparts, such states satisfy the Robertson-Schrodinger Uncertainty Relation. We conclude with a brief discussion about the appearance of noncommuting variables in the states that have been considered

Countering Global Terrorism: Developing the Antiterrorist Capabilities of the Central Asian Militaries

The author offers a framework for improving the antiterrorist capabilities of the Central Asian militaries, including increased and focused military training with a special emphasis on Special Forces units. The training should take place within a regional train and equip program to increase effectiveness and efficiency. But, he argues, all assistance to the Central Asian states must complement broader diplomatic efforts to promote social, economic, and political reform.https://press.armywarcollege.edu/monographs/1775/thumbnail.jp

What is Skill? (and why does it matter?).

This Research-to-Practice Full Paper seeks to investigate the concept of Skill within a Competency Framework, such as that described by the CC2020 document. The notion of skill is fundamental to modern educational discourse. As educators, we strive, not only to impart knowledge, but to help students acquire the skills that they need to flourish in the modern academic and professional environments. We admire skillful practitioners and strive to become more skilled at what we do, recognising that skill is tied to an aesthetic sense - that there is something attractive and deeply satisfying about the process and output of skillful practice. Together with knowledge and disposition, the term is also used to denote one of the constituent components of competence. In computing, for example, the CC2020 document proposes curricular development models which promote skills as key ontological elements and emphasises skill acquisition as a major focus in the educational process. While this is undoubtedly an important, evolutionary development in discipline-based pedagogical practice, we feel that there are still foundational questions to be asked about precisely what is meant by definitional terms that form the core vocabulary of this approach. In this paper, we look at the notion of skill and provide a conceptual analysis which tries to distinguish it from other related ideas. We provide an overview of how skill has been seen historically as both a philosophical and sociological construct and what this means for using the term in educational theory. We examine how to usefully define skill, discuss the part it plays in teaching and assessment, and make recommendations for how it can be viewed operationally within a competency framework, such as that proposed by CC2020

Phronesis: deliberative judgement as a key competence in the post-Covid educational environment.

The global Covid19 pandemic which began in early 2020 is one of the most socially disruptive events to have occurred since the Second World War. It has left a profound mark on the institutions of society, including those charged with education, and its effects will be felt for many years. In this paper, we discuss some of the effects that public health policies have had on the practice of teaching, learning and assessment in the United Kingdom. We review at some of the literature on how current students have coped with the experience of education during Covid and look at potential difficulties that new students may now face when entering university. We suggest that the concept of phronesis, that is practical wisdom or prudential judgement, which can also be thought of as the faculty for making deliberative and evaluative judgements about courses of action, will be a crucial element of any recovery pedagogy since the problems faced are context-dependent and generally involve finding the most effective solutions among a range of options

The learner experience of student-led international group project work in software engineering.

Software development has become increasingly globalized because of technological innovation, the evolution of work and business processes, as well as prevailing educational systems and national policies [1]. This paper addresses the challenges faced when creating realistic opportunities for students to participate in team working on a globally distributed software engineering project. We examine the experience of one set of students who undertook a single semester software development project, the technical objective of which was to create a product using online collaboration tools [2]. The students involved were studying at two widely-separated universities: Robert Gordon University (RGU), UK, and the International Institute for Information Technology, Bangalore (IIIT-B), India. A classroom-based action research approach has been used to evolve and reflect on the project [3]. Detailed student feedback was canvassed using an open-ended questionnaire. The students report favourably on acquisition of employability, collaboration and professional skills. A number of challenges remain in areas of project management, the use of collaborative technology and of scaling the project to larger classes, while retaining a manageable supervision overhead

Embedding entrepreneurial skills within computing.

The Scottish government launched a nationwide drive to increase entrepreneurial skills, looking to become a “world-leading entrepreneurial and innovative nation". One of the key ambitions of this is to build an education system with entrepreneurship and innovation at its core. Within computing degrees, however, there is traditionally a focus on preparing students for employment within industry, rather than preparing them with an entrepreneurial skillset. This chapter discusses lessons learnt from the design and implementation of an entrepreneurship module taught to Honours-year computing students during the 2016 to 2017 academic year and defines a proposed series of workshops showcasing its future implementation