Skeletal Version Research Articles

A New Logic, a New Information Measure, and a New Information-Based Approach to Interpreting Quantum Mechanics.

The new logic of partitions is dual to the usual Boolean logic of subsets (usually presented only in the special case of the logic of propositions) in the sense that partitions and subsets are category-theoretic duals. The new information measure of logical entropy is the normalized quantitative version of partitions. The new approach to interpreting quantum mechanics (QM) is showing that the mathematics (not the physics) of QM is the linearized Hilbert space version of the mathematics of partitions. Or, putting it the other way around, the math of partitions is a skeletal version of the math of QM. The key concepts throughout this progression from logic, to logical information, to quantum theory are distinctions versus indistinctions, definiteness versus indefiniteness, or distinguishability versus indistinguishability. The distinctions of a partition are the ordered pairs of elements from the underlying set that are in different blocks of the partition and logical entropy is defined (initially) as the normalized number of distinctions. The cognate notions of definiteness and distinguishability run throughout the math of QM, e.g., in the key non-classical notion of superposition (=ontic indefiniteness) and in the Feynman rules for adding amplitudes (indistinguishable alternatives) versus adding probabilities (distinguishable alternatives).

Dig That Lick (DTL): Analyzing Large-Scale Data for Melodic Patterns in Jazz Performances

Dig That Lick (DTL): Analyzing Large-Scale Data for Melodic Patterns in Jazz Performances

Ellis, Brannon. Calvin, Classical Trinitarianism, and the Aseity of the Son. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. 260 pp. $135.00 (cloth).

Ellis, Brannon. <i>Calvin, Classical Trinitarianism, and the Aseity of the Son</i>. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. 260 pp. $135.00 (cloth).

Skeletal chemical mechanism of high-temperature TEOS oxidation in hydrogen–oxygen environment

This paper improves the tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) oxidation mechanism proposed by Nurkowski et al. (2015) [17] by refining the rate parameters of the key reaction channels in the mechanism. A skeletal version of the mechanism is proposed for hydrogen–oxygen environment. The rates of ethylene-loss from (tetra-, tri-, di- and dimethyldi-) ethoxysilane are computed using transition state theory. The energetics of the main pathways are refined by performing detailed ab initio calculations using the CBS-Q technique. An analysis of ethanol formation via silicates is also performed resulting in the addition of 27 new silica species to the model. Thermodynamic properties for these species are calculated via the balanced reactions method. Reasonably good agreement between the improved model and available experimental data is observed. The subsequent elimination of unimportant species and reactions is achieved via a three-stage reduction procedure. The first and second stages involve the Direct Relation Graph with Error Propagation (DRGEP) method, whereas the third stage analyses rate of progress of each reaction. The investigated conditions are taken from the experimental studies of TEOS oxidation in oxygen–hydrogen flames. The final skeletal mechanism comprises 70 species and 457 reactions and retains good reproduction of the key model properties across the chosen operating conditions as compared to the full mechanism.

The Effect of CO2 Dilution on the Laminar Burning Velocity of Premixed Methane/Air Flames

The effect of CO2 dilution on the laminar flame speed of methane/air mixture was studied by means of experimentation and kinetic modelling. Experiments were conducted using a flat-flame burner at atmospheric pressure and 298K over the methane/air equivalence ratio range of 0.8 to 1.4. Kinetic modelling was performed using Chemkin Pro, with the skeletal version of Le Cong et al's kinetic mechanisms. It was found that the laminar flame speeds measured using the flat flame method were accurate, supported and validated by the literature data. The laminar flame speed of CH4/air decreased with increasing CO2 dilution. The increase in CO2 concentration reduced the reactants’ concentrations, decreasing the net reaction rate (and thus the flame speed). In addition, CO2 also acts as a heat sink, causing a drop in the reaction temperature and thus lowering the ability to overcome the activation energy for reactions to occur. This study contributes to the understandings of the effect of inert gas on the flammability characteristics of methane.

Comparative Analysis of Chemical Kinetic Models Using the Alternate Species Elimination Approach

A major thrust in combustion research is the development of chemical kinetic models for computational analysis of various combustion processes. Significant deviations can be seen when comparing predictions of these models against experimentally determined combustion properties over a wide range of operating conditions and mixture strengths. However, these deviations vary from one model to another. It would be insightful in such circumstances to elucidate the species and subchemistry models which lead to the varying prediction ability in various models. In this work, we apply the alternate species elimination (ASE) method to selected mechanisms in order to analyze their predictive ability with respect to propane and syngas combustion. ASE is applied to a homogeneous reactor undergoing ignition. The ranked species of each model are compared based on their normalized changes. We further provide skeletal versions of the various models for propane and syngas combustion analysis. It is observed that this approach provides an easy way to determine the chemical species which are central to the predictive performance of a model in their order of importance. It also provides a direct way to compare the relative importance of chemical species in the models under consideration. Further development and in-depth analysis could provide more information and guidance for model improvement.

An assessment of chemical kinetics for bio-syngas combustion

The present work was devoted to assess the chemical kinetic modelling of bio-syngas combustion. Three reaction mechanisms (the Gas Research Institute-mechanism GRI 3.0, its skeletal version DRM22 and Heghes’ C1–C4 mechanism) were considered for that purpose along with series of ignition delay measurements relevant to the burning of bio-syngas. For experiments involving methane with and without considerably smaller quantities of added hydrogen, the measurements are generally overpredicted by Heghes’ mechanism but underpredicted by the GRI and DRM mechanisms. Experiments involving various blends of the bio-syngas constituents were also simulated. The strong discrepancies present for high pressures and temperatures and low pressures and temperatures could be correlated to five reactions which are only influential under those conditions, four of which involving HO2. The effects of variations in the bio-syngas composition on combustion were numerically investigated by using the GRI-mechanism. Globally it was found that an increase in any of the constituents goes hand in hand with higher amount of CO released. The ignition delay is either shortened or left unchanged as the initial concentration is increased except in the case of methane where it is raised. The results were in good agreement with experimental observations made elsewhere.

An experimental and reduced modeling study of the laminar flame speed of jet fuel surrogate components

The laminar flame speed is an essential combustion parameter used in the validation of chemical kinetic mechanisms. In recent years, mechanisms tailored for jet fuel surrogate components have been partially validated using the laminar flame speeds of pure components, which were derived using both linear and non-linear extrapolation techniques. However, there remain significant deviations between the results from different studies that motivate further investigation. In this study, laminar, atmospheric pressure, premixed stagnation flames are investigated for the surrogate fuels n-decane, methylcyclohexane and toluene, which are representative of the alkane, cycloalkane and aromatic components of conventional aviation fuel, respectively. Numerical simulations are directly compared to velocity profile measurements to assess the predictive capabilities of the recently proposed JetSurF 2.0 chemical kinetic mechanism. Simulations of each experiment are carried out using the CHEMKIN-PRO software package together with the detailed mechanism, with accurate specification of the necessary boundary conditions from experimental measurements. Furthermore, a skeletal version of the detailed mechanism is deduced for improved computational speed using a species sensitivity reduction method, here referred to as Alternate Species Elimination (ASE). Toluene experimental data are further compared to a detailed toluene mechanism, termed the Stanford mechanism. The experimental and numerical reference flame speeds are used to infer the true laminar flame speed of the compounds following a recently proposed direct comparison technique that is similar to a non-linear extrapolation to zero flame stretch. JetSurF 2.0 and the skeletal ASE mechanisms demonstrate excellent overall agreement with experiment for n-decane and methylcyclohexane flames, for which the original model was optimized, but poor agreement for toluene, which was not an optimization target. Improved agreement for toluene is observed between the Stanford mechanism and experiment. Results confirm that the direct comparison method yields consistent laminar flame speed data irrespective of the reactivity accuracy of the chemical kinetic model employed. The laminar flame speed results from this study are essential for the further development of chemical kinetic mechanisms and contribute to the surrogate modeling of jet fuel combustion.

Novel Simplification Approach for Large-Scale Structural Models of Coal: Three-Dimensional Molecules to Two-Dimensional Lattices. Part 1: Lattice Creation

The utility of complex structural models of coal could be expanded for enhanced structural visualization, and behavioral studies of liquefaction and pyrolysis chemistry if three-dimensional (3D) models and two-dimensional (2D) lattice manipulation could be linked: lattices can be used to describe thermolysis reactions through practical and inexpensive statistical approaches. A computational tool was created that enables a systematic simplification of complex 3D structural models of coal into corresponding 2D lattice representations via atom typing, pattern recognition, and graph theory. The simplification is performed via a Perl script that modifies the 3D model through manipulation of the text in InsightII molecular files. The tool scans the original model file and generates a 3D skeletal version consisting of nodes that are representative of unreactive coal fragments (assumed here to be aromatic entities). We use a novel coarse-graining-like approach to identify these ring structures, collapsing conjuga...

Context, Compositionality and Amity: A Response to Rett

In an insightful and provocative paper, Jessica Rett (2006) claims that attempts to locate the (non-indexical, non-demonstrative) semantic contributions of context in syntax run into problems respecting compositionality. This is an especially biting problem for hidden indexical theorists such as Stanley (2000, 2002) who deploy hidden variables to provide a compositional theory of semantic interpretation. Fortunately for the hidden indexical theorists, her attack fails, albeit in interesting and subtle ways.The following paper is divided into four sections. Section I presents a skeletal version of Rett's argument. Those already familiar with Rett (2006) can skip ahead without shame. Section II offers a defense to the hidden indexical theorists.

A comparison of Bayesian models for daily ozone concentration levels

Recently, there has been a surge of interest in Bayesian space–time modeling of daily maximum eight-hour average ozone concentration levels. Hierarchical models based on well known time series modeling methods such as the dynamic linear models (DLM) and the auto-regressive (AR) models are often used in the literature. The DLM, developed as a result of the popularity of Kalman filtering methods, provide a dynamical state-space system that is thought to evolve from a pair of state and observation equations. The AR models, on the other hand, cast in a Bayesian hierarchical setting, have recently been developed through a pair of models where a measurement error model is formulated at the top level and an AR model for the true ozone concentration levels is postulated at the next level. Each of the modeling scenarios is set in an appropriate multivariate setting to model the spatial dependence. This paper compares these two methods in hierarchical Bayesian settings. A simplified skeletal version of the DLM taken from Dou et al. (2010) [5] is compared theoretically with a matching hierarchical AR model. The comparisons reveal many important differences in the induced space–time correlation structures. Further comparisons of the variances of the predictive distributions by conditioning on different sets of data for each model show superior performances of the AR models under certain conditions. These theoretical investigations are followed up by a simulation study and a real data example implemented using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods for modeling daily maximum eight-hour average ozone concentration levels observed in the state of New York in the months of July and August, 2006. The hierarchical AR model is chosen using all the model choice criteria considered in this example.

From a logical point of view: an illuminating perspective in teaching statistical inference

Offering perspectives in the teaching of statistics assists students, immersed in the study of detail, to see the leading principles of the subject more clearly. Especially helpful can be a perspective on the logic of statistical inductive reasoning. Such a perspective can bring to prominence a broad principle on which both interval estimation and hypothesis testing are designed, and so can unify these seemingly disparate techniques in students’ minds. In this paper it is shown how to construct an illuminating perspective over this unifying principle, that experience shows is valued by intellectually lively students. To aid readers attracted by the idea of employing this perspective in their teaching, the paper includes a skeletal version of a recommended line of presentation.

What's the Point of Partnering?

The ecosystem approach to managing the environment requires significant changes to our current environmental management system. However in many cases, financial and political realities may prevent full adoption of the approach. It is important to consider what partial implementation can contribute to improved coordination of management efforts. This article examines the effectiveness of a voluntary coordinating body as a first step toward ecosystem management. The Darby Partnership is a decade-old ecosystem management institution that brings together representatives of government, industry, and the public to protect one of the most pristine stream systems in Ohio. The partnership has no explicit goals, formal planning process, independent funding, or authority. Thus, it is an extremely skeletal version of ecosystem management. This article analyzes the accomplishments of this coordinating institution and explores how the partnership might become more effective in the future.

Process Reliabilism and Cartesian Scepticism

I will be concerned here with a theory of doxastic justification that was first proposed by Alvin Goldman in 1979.1 This theory, which is generally known as process reliabilism, has in recent years gone through a number of changes, and each change has added significantly to its complexity and subtlety. However, for present purposes it suffices to consider a skeletal version of the theory that is similar to the version that was unveiled in Goldman's original advertisement. This version runs as follows: where S is any subject, and p is any proposition, S is justified in believing that p if and only if (i) S believes that p, (ii) S has this belief as the result of a cognitive process that is highly reliable, (iii) S is not in possession of any reliably formed beliefs that imply either that p is false or that the process mentioned in (ii) is unreliable, and (iv) S could not easily come into possession of any beliefs of the sorts mentioned in (iii).2 As is usual, I am here using epistemically

Geometric decompositions, algebraic models and rigidity theorems

We explore the (co)formality and (co)spherical generation of a space and the relationship between them. As a consequence of general rigidity results we obtain a linear obstruction theory for these properties. We also show that the skeletal versions of these properties are in fact characterized by this linearization.

An improved parallel algorithm for thinning digital patterns

An improved algorithm for extracting a simplified skeletal version of digital patterns is proposed in this paper. Experimental results show that this method compares favorably with the one proposed by Abdulla-Saleh-Morad.

A preprocessing algorithm for hand-written character recognition

This paper describes an efficient algorithm for extracting a simplified skeletal version of hand-written characters. In this version, curvatures are represented by straight lines connecting tree-, edge- and endpoints in the right sequence. These three basic feature points are detected using an efficient algorithm.

RICARDO'S MANTLE*

This paper analyzes the recent debate over Ricardian economics and assesses its implications for both the history of thought and modern economics. It is argued that Mantle is worth fighting for because lineages in ideas form the implicit bedrock of assumptions which condition the framing of explicit models. The methodological chasms involved in interpretation are explored by developing skeletal versions of the traditional model and S. Hollander's new view. The importance ascribed to the Corn Laws debate in forming Ricardo's system is seen to be central and Hollander 's unfamiliar Ricardo is argued to rest on a methodological revolution in interpretation. Copyright 1986 by Blackwell Publishers Ltd/University of Adelaide and Flinders University of South Australia

What kind of minimal instruction manual is the most effective

An empirical study examined the effectiveness of four different versions of a self-instruction manual for a word processing system: a Skeletal version that explicitly states only the essential information, an Inferential version that has the users infer some of the essential information, a Rehearsal version that is like the Skeletal manual, but adds opportunities to rehearse the explicitly stated information, and a Lengthy version that adds nonessential explanatory and descriptive information to the Skeletal version. The best learning performance was obtained with the inferential approach, particularly for more realistic tasks.

What kind of minimal instruction manual is the most effective

An empirical study examined the effectiveness of four different versions of a self-instruction manual for a word processing system: a Skeletal version that explicitly states only the essential information, an Inferential version that has the users infer some of the essential information, a Rehearsal version that is like the Skeletal manual, but adds opportunities to rehearse the explicitly stated information, and a Lengthy version that adds nonessential explanatory and descriptive information to the Skeletal version. The best learning performance was obtained with the inferential approach, particularly for more realistic tasks.