Formal Framework Research Articles

Spherical accretion onto higher-dimensional Reissner–Nordström black hole

Abstract We obtain relativistic solutions of spherically symmetric accretion by a dynamical analysis of a generalised Hamiltonian for higher-dimensional Reissner–Nordström (RN) Black Hole (BH). We consider two different fluids namely, an isotropic fluid and a non-linear polytropic fluid to analyse the critical points in a higher-dimensional RN BH. The flow dynamics of the fluids are studied in different spacetime dimensions in the framework of Hamiltonian formalism. The isotropic fluid is found to have both transonic and non-transonic flow behaviour, but in the case of polytropic fluid, the flow behaviour is found to exhibit only non-transonic flow, determined by a critical point that is related to the local sound speed. The critical radius is found to change with the spacetime dimensions. Starting from the usual four dimensions it is noted that as the dimension increases the critical radius decreases, attains a minimum at a specific dimension (D > 4) and thereafter increases again. The mass accretion rate for isotropic fluid is determined using Hamiltonian formalism. The maximum mass accretion rate for RN BH with different equations of state parameters is studied in addition to spacetime dimensions. The flow behaviour and mass accretion rate for a change in BH charge is also studied analytically. It is noted that the maximum mass accretion rate in a higher-dimensional Schwarzschild BH is the lowest, which however, increases with the increase in charge parameter in a higher-dimensional RN BH.

Constraint Realization‐Based Hamel Field Integrator for Geometrically Exact Planar Euler–Bernoulli Beam Dynamics

ABSTRACTIn this article, we first introduce a Hamel field integrator designed for a geometrically exact Euler–Bernoulli beam with infinite‐dimensional holonomic constraints, constructed using a Lagrange multiplier. This method addresses the complexities introduced by constraints, but the additional multiplier introduces a new degree of freedom and hence results in a system with mixed‐type partial differential equations. To address this issue, we further propose a constraint realization method based on perturbation theory for infinite‐dimensional mechanical systems within the framework of Hamel's formalism. This method circumvents the use of additional Lagrange multiplier, significantly reducing the computational complexity of modeling problems. Building on this, we construct a perturbed Hamel field integrator optimized for parallel computing and incorporate artificial viscosity to accelerate constraint convergence. While applicable to three dimensions, our method is demonstrated in a simplified context using planar Euler–Bernoulli beam examples to illustrate the effectiveness of the unified mathematical framework.

The Garrison and the Jamaican State: A Model for Co-optation

The informal system that is present in communities called garrisons in Jamaica often operate outside of the law. Under the leadership of dons, who were initially appointed to carry out the dictates of politicians, the operations of the garrison accounts for approximately 40% of Jamaica’s homicide and is perceived as a socially disorganized space. Research done on these communities suggests that dismantling these communities will ameliorate the high incidence of crime. The main question of this study is, are these communities socially disorganized spaces? The major argument is, the ineptitude of the Jamaican state has resulted in the institution of various mechanisms by non-state actors within these communities to address their justice concerns, and there is an implicit reliance on their services by the Jamaican state. The problem of crime in Jamaica is complex and requires a multi-dimensional approach to addressing the issue. In this paper, I use a Foucauldian lens to highlight the utility of this instituted informal system and suggest that any strategies geared towards addressing crime and violence that occur in these communities should explore coalescing these informal structures into Jamaica’s formal framework.

Beyond Words: Enhancing Clinical Guideline Comprehension with Icons

Abstract Background The GRADE (Grading Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations) framework is widely applied in clinical guidelines to facilitate transparent evidence evaluation. While developing Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines on the management of patients with COVID-19, panel members suggested developing and implementing a visual aid to enable quicker identification of key information by providers at bedside seeking guidance. Methods We conducted a mixed-method study evaluating the usability of a newly designed infographic/icon using a survey and focus groups. The survey incorporated a simulated COVID-19 IDSA guideline with and without the icon, followed by comprehension questions. Focus group discussions provided qualitative feedback on the GRADE methodology and icon usability. Results The survey was returned by 289 healthcare providers. There was no statistical difference in the correct response rates between icon-aided and non-icon-aided guideline questions (McNemar’s Chi-squared test, p>0.1 for both questions). Interactions with the icon notably increased the time taken and number of clicks required to respond to the first question (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p<0.01). In contrast, response time didn’t differ between versions for the second question (p=0.38). Most subjects (85%) indicated that the icon improved the readability of the guidelines. A focus group follow-up suggested alternative designs for the icon. Conclusion The study highlights the promise of iconography in clinical guidelines, although the specific icons tested did not measurably improve usability metrics. Future research should focus on icon design and testing within a formal usability framework, considering the impact of GRADE language on user experience.

LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE INDONESIAN CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW THE ENFORCER’S CONSCIENCE

The purpose of this research is to analyze and evaluate the role of law enforcement in the Indonesian constitutional system, specifically focusing on how the enforcement of laws aligns with the personal conscience and ethical judgment of law enforcers. The study utilizes secondary data gathered through literature reviews, drawing from primary, secondary, and tertiary legal materials, such as legislation, books, journals, and articles. The collected data is analyzed following the Miles and Huberman (2014) model, which includes processes of data reduction, data display, and data verification, to derive conclusions pertinent to the research questions. It sheds light on how ethical considerations influence decision-making, offering insights into the moral dimensions of the law enforcement beyond formal legal frameworks. Furthermore, this study contributes to discussions on judicial integrity and accountability, providing a foundation for evaluating how personal conscience impacts the fairness and effectiveness of law enforcing. It also offers practical recommendations for strengthening the ethical standards and professional judgment of judicial officials in Indonesia. Comparative studies on how different countries' judicial systems integrate human rights and democratic values into their law enforcement structures could provide valuable insights for reforming Indonesia's judicial system to meet global standards of justice and fairness.

Adminisztratív státussal nem rendelkező települések helyi közösségként való működésének vizsgálata

This paper presents the findings of a one-year group DOMUS research programme conducted among settlements without administrative status. Data collection was based on on-site fieldwork and interviews conducted among 25 villages in the Szeklerland region. The Research Group examined how these villages continue to function as local communities, also the presence and function of traditional community knowledge typical to the regional villages, the strength and impact of local identity, the operation of formal and informal local organizational frameworks and initiatives, and the organization of local events. This research program can be seen as a continuation of previous data collection efforts covering similar settlements in the region (Biró – Sárosi-Blága 2023).

A Model for the Gene Regulatory Network Along the Arabidopsis Fruit Medio-Lateral Axis: Rewiring the Pod Shatter Process.

Different convergent evolutionary strategies adopted by angiosperm fruits lead to diverse functional seed dispersal units. Dry dehiscent fruits are a common type of fruit, characterized by their lack of fleshy pericarp and the release of seeds at maturity through openings (dehiscence zones, DZs) in their structure. In previous decades, a set of core players in DZ formation have been intensively characterized in Arabidopsis and integrated in a gene regulatory network (GRN) that explains the morphogenesis of these tissues. In this work, we compile all the experimental data available to date to build a discrete Boolean model as a mechanistic approach to validate the network and, if needed, to identify missing components of the GRN and/or propose new hypothetical regulatory interactions, but also to provide a new formal framework to feed further work in Brassicaceae fruit development and the evolution of seed dispersal mechanisms. Hence, by means of exhaustive in-silico validations and experimental evidence, we are able to incorporate both the NO TRANSMITTING TRACT (NTT) transcription factor as a new additional node, and a new set of regulatory hypothetical rules to uncover the dynamics of Arabidopsis DZ specification.

Synthesizing Formal Semantics from Executable Interpreters

Program verification and synthesis frameworks that allow one to customize the language in which one is interested typically require the user to provide a formally defined semantics for the language. Because writing a formal semantics can be a daunting and error-prone task, this requirement stands in the way of such frameworks being adopted by non-expert users. We present an algorithm that can automatically synthesize inductively defined syntax-directed semantics when given (i) a grammar describing the syntax of a language and (ii) an executable (closed-box) interpreter for computing the semantics of programs in the language of the grammar. Our algorithm synthesizes the semantics in the form of Constrained-Horn Clauses (CHCs), a natural, extensible, and formal logical framework for specifying inductively defined relations that has recently received widespread adoption in program verification and synthesis. The key innovation of our synthesis algorithm is a Counterexample-Guided Synthesis (CEGIS) approach that breaks the hard problem of synthesizing a set of constrained Horn clauses into small, tractable expression-synthesis problems that can be dispatched to existing SyGuS synthesizers. Our tool Synantic synthesized inductively-defined formal semantics from 14 interpreters for languages used in program-synthesis applications. When synthesizing formal semantics for one of our benchmarks, Synantic unveiled an inconsistency in the semantics computed by the interpreter for a language of regular expressions; fixing the inconsistency resulted in a more efficient semantics and, for some cases, in a 1.2x speedup for a synthesizer solving synthesis problems over such a language.

On the Expressive Power of Languages for Static Variability

Variability permeates software development to satisfy ever-changing requirements and mass-customization needs. A prime example is the Linux kernel, which employs the C preprocessor to specify a set of related but distinct kernel variants. To study, analyze, and verify variational software, several formal languages have been proposed. For example, the choice calculus has been successfully applied for type checking and symbolic execution of configurable software, while other formalisms have been used for variational model checking, change impact analysis, among other use cases. Yet, these languages have not been formally compared, hence, little is known about their relationships. Crucially, it is unclear to what extent one language subsumes another, how research results from one language can be applied to other languages, and which language is suitable for which purpose or domain. In this paper, we propose a formal framework to compare the expressive power of languages for static (i.e., compile-time) variability. By establishing a common semantic domain to capture a widely used intuition of explicit variability, we can formulate the basic, yet to date neglected, properties of soundness, completeness, and expressiveness for variability languages. We then prove the (un)soundness and (in)completeness of a range of existing languages, and relate their ability to express the same variational systems. We implement our framework as an extensible open source Agda library in which proofs act as correct compilers between languages or differencing algorithms. We find different levels of expressiveness as well as complete and incomplete languages w.r.t. our unified semantic domain, with the choice calculus being among the most expressive languages.

Formalising the Double-Pushout Approach to Graph Transformation

In this paper, we utilize Isabelle/HOL to develop a formal framework for the basic theory of double-pushout graph transformation. Our work includes defining essential concepts like graphs, morphisms, pushouts, and pullbacks, and demonstrating their properties. We establish the uniqueness of derivations, drawing upon Rosens 1975 research, and verify the Church-Rosser theorem using Ehrigs and Kreowskis 1976 proof, thereby demonstrating the effectiveness of our formalisation approach. The paper details our methodology in employing Isabelle/HOL, including key design decisions that shaped the current iteration. We explore the technical complexities involved in applying higher-order logic, aiming to give readers an insightful perspective into the engaging aspects of working with an Interactive Theorem Prover. This work emphasizes the increasing importance of formal verification tools in clarifying complex mathematical concepts.

Digital Advocacy Strategies with Data Analytics Framework: A Case Study for Effective Campaigns

This paper presents a case study of a digital campaign on social media to formulate an extensive novel framework using data analytics method to measure the effectiveness of a social media campaign. The Social Media Impact Discovery (SMID) framework is built from the concept of digital advocacy strategies and data analytics techniques, which will provide a systematic approach in both domains to carry-out an effective advocacy campaign. Since the advent of social media such as Twitter in providing platforms for freedom of speech, digital advocacy has become the new approach for delivering campaigns to a wider range of targeted audiences. The use of digital advocacy has generated interest among politicians and advocators to spread their messages across. Despite the numerous and widespread use of digital advocacy, there is still no formal framework that study the success of the technique as end outcomes in terms of the technological aspect of knowledge and the data analytic. The impact of the campaign is evaluated in terms of its effectiveness using deep machine learning methods on the acquired data on social media of a digital campaign. The results have shown that continuous loops using Support Vector Machine (SVM) and the Naïve Bayes classifier support the dynamic approach in the SMID framework to increase campaign effect and is in line with the iterative structure. The loop's cyclical structure is in tune with the shifting user trends and social media user behaviours. The framework's ability to include fresh data and modify models as advocacy campaigns change over time provides a tactical advantage responsive to shifting conditions. Thus, the overall processes of the campaign should be supported with accurate and reliable data to build trust among its audiences. A case study of sexual harassment on Twitter is used to assess the SMID framework’s practicality. It centred on a young Malaysian advocate named Ain Husniza, whose notable catchphrase is #MakeSchoolASaferPlace. For the first time, digital advocacy for sexual harassment campaigns has been used and analysed in this study. It has demonstrated its contribution by amplifying survivors’ voices and fostering online solidarity, with the aim of raining public awareness of the issue and promoting informed policy.

Correction to “A formal framework for the RBV: Resource dynamics as a Markov process”

Correction to “A formal framework for the RBV: Resource dynamics as a Markov process”

Public attention and “Environmental Disclosure Greenwashing”: pressure from oversight or incentive from legitimacy

PurposeThis study aims to investigate whether public attention influences corporate decisions on environmental disclosure, thereby revealing how society perceives and understands environmental issues and how corporations respond to these expectations.Design/methodology/approachWe selected publicly listed Chinese firms as our sample. An “Environmental Disclosure Greenwashing” (EDG) Index was developed through textual analysis of their annual reports using natural language processing. Financial data were obtained from the CSMAR database, and multivariate regression was used for analysis.FindingsThe impact of public attention on EDG primarily manifests as an oversight pressure effect rather than a legitimacy incentive effect. As public attention intensifies, firms tend to adopt more substantial environmental actions instead of merely symbolic environmental disclosures. Formal regulatory frameworks might inadvertently trigger corporate EDG, but public attention can correct the adverse effects possibly introduced by formal regulations. Notably, in firms facing lower institutional pressure, the influence of public attention is more pronounced.Practical implicationsThe evidence suggests that public attention reduces corporate EDG. These findings have significant implications for the regulation of environmental disclosures among firms in emerging economies.Originality/valueThe study integrates research in environmental disclosure with the concept of “greenwashing”, unveiling the limitations of the “disclosure as governance” viewpoint. It elucidates the impact of an informal external oversight mechanism (i.e. public attention) on complex corporate environmental disclosure decisions.

Population Growth and Resource Scarcity: Implications for Conflict and Cooperation in Taraba State, Nigeria

Population growth has profound effects on resource availability and social dynamics in many regions across the globe. In Taraba State, Nigeria, the rapid increase in population has intensified resource scarcity, leading to heightened conflicts among communities, particularly those reliant on land and water for their livelihoods. This study examines how population growth intersects with resource depletion, conflict, and cooperation in Taraba State. A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving the analysis of questionnaire data from 294 respondents and qualitative insights from interviews with 10 local leaders, agriculturalists, and herders. The findings reveal that population growth significantly exacerbates the depletion of essential resources, such as land and water, with 72.8% of respondents indicating that population increases directly impact resource availability. This scarcity has led to a 78.3% occurrence of conflicts in areas experiencing severe resource depletion. The study also shows that resource scarcity forces communities into competition, often escalating tensions into violent disputes. However, the research accentuates the critical role of traditional governance structures, which were acknowledged by 64.3% of the respondents as key to fostering cooperation and mitigating conflicts in the state. The study concludes that integrating traditional governance systems with formal frameworks is essential for sustainable resource management and conflict reduction in Taraba State. Policymakers should prioritize these strategies to address the challenges posed by rapid population growth and resource scarcity, ensuring the long-term stability and well-being of communities in the state.

Combining Probabilities with Full Beliefs

AbstractOne of the major problems in formal epistemology is the difficulty of combining probabilistic and dichotomous (all-or-nothing) beliefs in one and the same formal framework. Based on the properties of actual human belief systems, a set of ten desiderata is proposed for belief system models that contain both probabilistic and full beliefs. Previously proposed combined belief systems are shown to fall short of these desiderata. A proof of concept is provided to show that they can be satisfied in a formal model. In the proposed model, the amnesia problem of probabilistic updating is solved by introducing infinitesimal probabilities as carriers of memories of beliefs that have been given up. In the resulting system of probability revision, contingent propositions can be transferred in both directions between full beliefs and beliefs held to a lower degree, in a way that mirrors real-life acquisitions and losses of full beliefs. The subsystem consisting of full beliefs has a pattern of change that constitutes a credible system of dichotomous belief change.

A Conceptualisation of Irreversibility for Sustainable Development

ABSTRACT The concept of irreversibility is central in several disciplines, from physics to biology and economics, as well as in many philosophical disputes. Yet, it is seldom clearly defined. In this article, it is argued that the thermodynamic framework with its concept of entropy – allegedly the hallmark of irreversibility – offers a formal framework for a thorough conceptualisation of irreversibility based on three (generic) parameters: (1) the openness of the systems and the possible interventions, (2) the (acceptable) equivalence of the final state, and (3) the timeframe. Its usefulness for socio-ecological systems, and hence for sustainable development and sustainability science, will be shown by presenting how these generic parameters can be applied and interpreted in topics such as the precautionary principle, climate change mitigation and environmental aesthetics.

When Populism Meets the Constitutional Dimension: A Formal Framework for Facilitating Comparative Constitutional Studies

Abstract In this article, a systematic framework has been developed that identifies the key conceivable formal relationships that form the interface between populism and the constitution. It is concluded that while populist constitutionalism is a dead-end category because populism itself does not respect limitations on power, constitutional populism is possible. The various manifestations of constitutional populism are then broken down according to whether populism is capable of effectively influencing the content of a constitution. In the case of genuinely populist content, the various degrees of this influence are illustrated, all the way up to the almost impossible realization of a populist constitution. After a comparative application of these findings to Hungary and Bolivia and their constitutional reforms, the layers and scales at which populism can affect the state are explained using a three-dimensional representation. The article concludes by cautioning against the risks of the common practice among scholars of adjectivizing the noun ‘constitutionalism’, as in the case of ‘populist constitutionalism’, without defining the point at which the adjective corrupts the noun.

Hopf bifurcation and stability analysis for a delayed equation with φ-Laplacian

A formal framework for the analysis of Hopf bifurcations for a kind of delayed equation with $\varphi$-Laplacian and with a discrete time delay is presented, thus generalizing known results for the sunflower equation given by Somolinos in 1978. Also, under appropriate assumptions we prove the gradient-like behavior of the equation which, in turn, implies the non-existence of nonconstant periodic solutions. Our conditions improve previous results known in the literature for the standard case $\varphi(x)=x$.

Scaling Learning based Policy Optimization for Temporal Logic Tasks by Controller Network Dropout

This paper introduces a model-based approach for training feedback controllers for an autonomous agent operating in a highly nonlinear (albeit deterministic) environment. We desire the trained policy to ensure that the agent satisfies specific task objectives and safety constraints, both expressed in Discrete-Time Signal Temporal Logic (DT-STL). One advantage for reformulation of a task via formal frameworks, like DT-STL, is that it permits quantitative satisfaction semantics. In other words, given a trajectory and a DT-STL formula, we can compute the robustness , which can be interpreted as an approximate signed distance between the trajectory and the set of trajectories satisfying the formula. We utilize feedback control, and we assume a feed forward neural network for learning the feedback controller. We show how this learning problem is similar to training recurrent neural networks (RNNs), where the number of recurrent units is proportional to the temporal horizon of the agent's task objectives. This poses a challenge: RNNs are susceptible to vanishing and exploding gradients, and naïve gradient descent-based strategies to solve long-horizon task objectives thus suffer from the same problems. To tackle this challenge, we introduce a novel gradient approximation algorithm based on the idea of dropout or gradient sampling. One of the main contributions is the notion of controller network dropout , where we approximate the NN controller in several time-steps in the task horizon by the control input obtained using the controller in a previous training step. We show that our control synthesis methodology, can be quite helpful for stochastic gradient descent to converge with less numerical issues, enabling scalable backpropagation over long time horizons and trajectories over high dimensional state spaces. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach on various motion planning applications requiring complex spatio-temporal and sequential tasks ranging over thousands of time-steps.

Partial Imaginary Transition State (ITS) Graphs: A Formal Framework for Research and Analysis of Atom-to-Atom Maps of Unbalanced Chemical Reactions and Their Completions

Atom-to-atom maps (AAMs) are bijections that establish the correspondence of reactant and product atoms across chemical reactions. They capture crucial features of the reaction mechanism and thus play a central role in modeling chemistry at the level of graph transformations. AAMs are equivalent to so-called “imaginary transition state” (ITS) graphs, making it possible to reduce tasks such as the computational comparison of AAMs to testing graph isomorphisms. In many application scenarios, nonetheless, only partial information is available, i.e., only partial maps or, equivalently, only subgraphs of the ITS graphs, are known. Here, we investigate whether and how, and to what extent, such partial chemical data can be completed and compared. The focus of this contribution is entirely on the development of a solid mathematical foundation for the analysis of partial AAMs and their associated partial ITS graphs.