4,360 research outputs found
Large scale evaluation of importance maps in automatic speech recognition
In this paper, we propose a metric that we call the structured saliency
benchmark (SSBM) to evaluate importance maps computed for automatic speech
recognizers on individual utterances. These maps indicate time-frequency points
of the utterance that are most important for correct recognition of a target
word. Our evaluation technique is not only suitable for standard classification
tasks, but is also appropriate for structured prediction tasks like
sequence-to-sequence models. Additionally, we use this approach to perform a
large scale comparison of the importance maps created by our previously
introduced technique using "bubble noise" to identify important points through
correlation with a baseline approach based on smoothed speech energy and forced
alignment. Our results show that the bubble analysis approach is better at
identifying important speech regions than this baseline on 100 sentences from
the AMI corpus.Comment: submitted to INTERSPEECH 202
Studies of waveform requirements for intermediate mass-ratio coalescence searches with advanced detectors
The coalescence of a stellar-mass compact object into an intermediate-mass
black hole (intermediate mass-ratio coalescence; IMRAC) is an important
astrophysical source for ground-based gravitational-wave interferometers in the
so-called advanced configuration. However, the ability to carry out effective
matched-filter based searches for these systems is limited by the lack of
reliable waveforms. Here we consider binaries in which the intermediate-mass
black hole has mass in the range 24 - 200 solar masses with a stellar-mass
companion having masses in the range 1.4 - 18.5 solar masses. In addition, we
constrain the mass ratios, q, of the binaries to be in the range 1/140 < q <
1/10 and we restrict our study to the case of circular binaries with
non-spinning components. We investigate the relative contribution to the
signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the three different phases of the coalescence:
inspiral, merger and ringdown. We show that merger and ringdown contribute to a
substantial fraction of the total SNR over a large portion of the mass
parameter space, although in a limited portion the SNR is dominated by the
inspiral phase. We further identify three regions in the IMRAC mass-space in
which: (i) inspiral-only searches could be performed with losses in detection
rates L in the range 10% < L < 27%, (ii) searches based on inspiral-only
templates lead to a loss in detection rates in the range 27% < L < 50%$, and
(iii) templates that include merger and ringdown are essential to prevent
losses in detection rates greater than 50%. We investigate the effectiveness
with which the inspiral-only portion of the IMRAC waveform space is covered by
comparing several existing waveform families in this regime. Our results
reinforce the importance of extensive numerical relativity simulations of
IMRACs and the need for further studies of suitable approximation schemes in
this mass range.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure
BDDC and FETI-DP under Minimalist Assumptions
The FETI-DP, BDDC and P-FETI-DP preconditioners are derived in a particulary
simple abstract form. It is shown that their properties can be obtained from
only on a very small set of algebraic assumptions. The presentation is purely
algebraic and it does not use any particular definition of method components,
such as substructures and coarse degrees of freedom. It is then shown that
P-FETI-DP and BDDC are in fact the same. The FETI-DP and the BDDC
preconditioned operators are of the same algebraic form, and the standard
condition number bound carries over to arbitrary abstract operators of this
form. The equality of eigenvalues of BDDC and FETI-DP also holds in the
minimalist abstract setting. The abstract framework is explained on a standard
substructuring example.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, also available at
http://www-math.cudenver.edu/ccm/reports
The "analysis of competing hypotheses" in intelligence analysis
The intelligence community uses ‘structured analytic techniques’ to help analysts think critically and avoid cognitive bias. However, little evidence exists of how techniques are applied and whether they are effective. We examined the use of the Analysis of Competing Hypotheses (ACH) – a technique designed to reduce ‘confirmation bias’. Fifty intelligence analysts were randomly assigned to use ACH or not when completing a hypothesis testing task that had probabilistic ground truth. Data on analysts’ judgment processes and conclusions was collected using written protocols that were then coded for statistical analyses. We found that ACH-trained analysts did not follow all of the steps of ACH. There was mixed evidence for ACH’s ability to reduce confirmation bias, and we observed that ACH may increase judgment inconsistency and error. It may be prudent for the intelligence community to consider the conditions under which ACH would prove useful, and to explore alternatives
Towards Rapid Parameter Estimation on Gravitational Waves from Compact Binaries using Interpolated Waveforms
Accurate parameter estimation of gravitational waves from coalescing compact
binary sources is a key requirement for gravitational-wave astronomy.
Evaluating the posterior probability density function of the binary's
parameters (component masses, sky location, distance, etc.) requires computing
millions of waveforms. The computational expense of parameter estimation is
dominated by waveform generation and scales linearly with the waveform
computational cost. Previous work showed that gravitational waveforms from
non-spinning compact binary sources are amenable to a truncated singular value
decomposition, which allows them to be reconstructed via interpolation at fixed
computational cost. However, the accuracy requirement for parameter estimation
is typically higher than for searches, so it is crucial to ascertain that
interpolation does not lead to significant errors. Here we provide a proof of
principle to show that interpolated waveforms can be used to recover posterior
probability density functions with negligible loss in accuracy with respect to
non-interpolated waveforms. This technique has the potential to significantly
increase the efficiency of parameter estimation.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure
Report on the first round of the Mock LISA Data Challenges
The Mock LISA Data Challenges (MLDCs) have the dual purpose of fostering the development of LISA data analysis tools and capabilities, and demonstrating the technical readiness already achieved by the gravitational-wave community in distilling a rich science payoff from the LISA data output. The first round of MLDCs has just been completed: nine challenges consisting of data sets containing simulated gravitational-wave signals produced either by galactic binaries or massive black hole binaries embedded in simulated LISA instrumental noise were released in June 2006 with deadline for submission of results at the beginning of December 2006. Ten groups have participated in this first round of challenges. All of the challenges had at least one entry which successfully characterized the signal to better than 95% when assessed via a correlation with phasing ambiguities accounted for. Here, we describe the challenges, summarize the results and provide a first critical assessment of the entries
Gaussian-State Theory of Two-Photon Imaging
Biphoton states of signal and idler fields--obtained from spontaneous
parametric downconversion (SPDC) in the low-brightness, low-flux regime--have
been utilized in several quantum imaging configurations to exceed the
resolution performance of conventional imagers that employ coherent-state or
thermal light. Recent work--using the full Gaussian-state description of
SPDC--has shown that the same resolution performance seen in quantum optical
coherence tomography and the same imaging characteristics found in quantum
ghost imaging can be realized by classical-state imagers that make use of
phase-sensitive cross correlations. This paper extends the Gaussian-state
analysis to two additional biphoton-state quantum imaging scenarios: far field
diffraction-pattern imaging; and broadband thin-lens imaging. It is shown that
the spatial resolution behavior in both cases is controlled by the nonzero
phase-sensitive cross correlation between the signal and idler fields. Thus,
the same resolution can be achieved in these two configurations with
classical-state signal and idler fields possessing a nonzero phase-sensitive
cross correlation.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure
Radiative coupling and weak lasing of exciton-polariton condensates
In spite of having finite life-time exciton-polaritons in microcavities are
known to condense at strong enough pumping of the reservoir. We present an
analytical theory of such Bose-condensates on a set of localized one-particle
states: condensation centers. To understand physics of these arrays one has to
supplement the Josephson coupling by the radiative coupling caused by the
interference of the light emitted by different centers. Combination of these
couplings with the one-site interaction between the bosons leads to a rich
nonlinear dynamics. In particular, a new regime of radiation appears. We call
it weak lasing: the centers have macroscopic occupations and radiate
coherently, but the coupling alone is sufficient for stabilization. The system
can have several stable states and switch between them. Moreover, the time
reversal symmetry in this regime is, as a rule, broken. A number of existing
experimental puzzles find natural interpretation in the framework of this
theory.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure
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