The Extended Fock Basis of Clifford Algebra

We investigate the properties of the Extended Fock Basis (EFB) of Clifford algebras introduced in [1]. We show that a Clifford algebra can be seen as a direct sum of multiple spinor subspaces that are characterized as being left eigenvectors of \Gamma. We also show that a simple spinor, expressed in Fock basis, can have a maximum number of non zero coordinates that equals the size of the maximal totally null plane (with the notable exception of vectorial spaces with 6 dimensions).Comment: Minimal corrections to the published versio

Geometric realization and K-theoretic decomposition of C*-algebras

Suppose that A is a separable C*-algebra and that G_* is a (graded) subgroup of K_*(A). Then there is a natural short exact sequence 0 \to G_* \to K_*(A) \to K_*(A)/G_* \to 0. In this note we demonstrate how to geometrically realize this sequence at the level of C*-algebras. As a result, we KK-theoretically decompose A as 0 \to A\otimes \Cal K \to A_f \to SA_t \to 0 where K_*(A_t) is the torsion subgroup of K_*(A) and K_*(A_f) is its torsionfree quotient. Then we further decompose A_t : it is KK-equivalent to \oplus_p A_p where K_*(A_p) is the p-primary subgroup of the torsion subgroup of K_*(A). We then apply this realization to study the Kasparov group K^*(A) and related objects.Comment: 9 pages.To appear in International J. Mat

On the consequences of the fact that atomic levels have a certain width

This note presents two ideas. The first one is that quantum theory has a fundamentally perturbative basis but leads to nonperturbative states which it would seem natural to take into account in the foundation of a theory of quantum phenomena. The second one consists in questioning the validity of the present notion of time. Both matters are related to the fact that atomic levels have a certain width. This note is presented qualitatively so as to evidence its main points, independently of the models on which these have been tested.Comment: 8 page

On the Commitment Capacity of Unfair Noisy Channels

Noisy channels are a valuable resource from a cryptographic point of view. They can be used for exchanging secret-keys as well as realizing other cryptographic primitives such as commitment and oblivious transfer. To be really useful, noisy channels have to be consider in the scenario where a cheating party has some degree of control over the channel characteristics. Damg\r{a}rd et al. (EUROCRYPT 1999) proposed a more realistic model where such level of control is permitted to an adversary, the so called unfair noisy channels, and proved that they can be used to obtain commitment and oblivious transfer protocols. Given that noisy channels are a precious resource for cryptographic purposes, one important question is determining the optimal rate in which they can be used. The commitment capacity has already been determined for the cases of discrete memoryless channels and Gaussian channels. In this work we address the problem of determining the commitment capacity of unfair noisy channels. We compute a single-letter characterization of the commitment capacity of unfair noisy channels. In the case where an adversary has no control over the channel (the fair case) our capacity reduces to the well-known capacity of a discrete memoryless binary symmetric channel

Document Retrieval on Repetitive Collections

Document retrieval aims at finding the most important documents where a pattern appears in a collection of strings. Traditional pattern-matching techniques yield brute-force document retrieval solutions, which has motivated the research on tailored indexes that offer near-optimal performance. However, an experimental study establishing which alternatives are actually better than brute force, and which perform best depending on the collection characteristics, has not been carried out. In this paper we address this shortcoming by exploring the relationship between the nature of the underlying collection and the performance of current methods. Via extensive experiments we show that established solutions are often beaten in practice by brute-force alternatives. We also design new methods that offer superior time/space trade-offs, particularly on repetitive collections.Comment: Accepted to ESA 2014. Implementation and experiments at http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/group/suds/rlcsa

The evolution of free wave packets

We discuss four general features of force-free evolution: (1) The spatial spread of any packet changes with time in a very simple way. (2) Over sufficiently short periods of time (whose duration is related to the spread in momentum of the packet) the probability distribution moves but there is little change in shape. (3) After a sufficiently long period (related to the initial spatial spread) the packet settles into a simple form simply related to the momentum distribution in the packet. In this asymptotic regime, the shape of the probability distribution no longer changes except for its scale, which increases linearly with the time. (4) There is an infinite denumerable set of simple wave packets (the Hermite-Gauss packets) that do not change shape as they evolve.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, didactic pape

Quantum coherence generated by interference-induced state selectiveness

The relations between quantum coherence and quantum interference are discussed. A general method for generation of quantum coherence through interference-induced state selection is introduced and then applied to `simple' atomic systems under two-photon transitions, with applications in quantum optics and laser cooling.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, to be published in Journal of Modern Optics' special issue on quantum interferenc

Can thin-lipped mullet directly exploit the primary and detritic production of European macrotidal salt marshes?

Juveniles and adults (>100 mm) of Liza ramada colonize macrotidal salt marsh creeks of Mont Saint-Michel bay (France)between March and November, during spring tide floods (43% of the tides) and return to coastal waters during the ebb. This fish species actively feeds during its short stay in the creek (from 1 to 2 h). On average, each fish swallows sediment including living and inert organic matter, which amounts to 8% of its fresh body weight. Their diet is dominated by small benthic items (especially diatoms and salt marsh plant detritus), that correspond to the primary and detritic production of this macrotidal salt marsh creek. Despite very short submersion periods, mullets filter and ingest large quantities of sediment and concentrated organic matter (on average organic matter in stomach content is 31%) produced by these coastal wetlands. European salt marshes are thus shown to act as trophic areas for mullets, which are well adapted to this constraining habitat which is only flooded for short periods during spring tides

Education Through Camping

The purpose of this report was to provide a brief history of camping in the United States, an account of the Auburn, Washington School District’s elementary summer school pilot and first year camping program, the first in Washington State, and to present the education benefits of such a program