Stability of vertices in random boolean cellular automata

Based on computer simulations, Kauffman (Physica D, 10, 145-156, 1984) made several generalizations about a random Boolean cellular automaton which he invented as a model of cellular metabolism. Here we give the first rigorous proofs of two of Kauffman's generalizations: a large fraction of vertices stabilize quickly, consequently the length of cycles in the automaton's behavior is small compared to that of a random mapping with the same number of states; and reversal of the states of a large fraction of the vertices does not affect the cycle to which the automaton moves.     

Radiochemistry in chemistry and chemistry related undergraduate programmes in Argentina

Summary The evolution of education in Argentina at the university level is described. The detailed search of the educational offer shows that less than half of the universities (35 out of 92) include chemistry and chemistry related undergraduate programmes in their curriculum. The revision of the position of radiochemistry in these programmes reveals that only seven courses on radiochemistry are currently offered. Radiochemistry is included only in few programmes in chemistry and biochemistry. With respect to the programmes in chemical engineering the situation is worse. This offer is strongly concentrated in Buenos Aires and its surroundings.     

Local self-similarity and the Hausdorff dimension

Let X be a locally self-similar stochastic process of index 0<H<1 whose sample paths are a.s. C^H?ε for all ε>0. Then the Hausdorff dimension of the graph of X is a.s. 2?H. To cite this article: A. Benassi et al., C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 336 (2003).     

A shock tube study of the reaction of methyl radicals with hydroxyl radicals

The reaction of CH₃ with OH has been studied near 1200 K and 1 atmosphere pressure in shock tube experiments in which UV absorption was used to monitor [OH]. A rate coefficient of (1.1 ± 0.3) × 10¹³ cm³/mol-s was measured for removal of OH by CH₃. This measured value is compared with previous experimental data and calculations. Several possible reaction channels are discussed, and although products were not monitored, it seems probable, on the basis of other work and theoretical estimates, that the primary mechanism (?75%) for the removal of OH by CH₃ at these conditions is their combination to form CH₃OH. Rate coefficients of (5.3 ± 0.8) × 10¹² and (9.0 ± 1.4) × 10¹² cm³/mol-s were measured for the reactions of OH with acetone and ethane, respectively, at the same temperature and pressure.     

Sums of Two Exact Powers

An asymptotic formula is obtained for the number of representations of an element of a finite field as a weighted sum of two prescribed powers of primitive elements. This generalises previous work on sums of primitive elements, including that relating to some conjectures of Golomb.     

Fully adaptive multiresolution finite volume schemes for conservation laws

The use of multiresolution decompositions in the context of finite volume schemes for conservation laws was first proposed by A. Harten for the purpose of accelerating the evaluation of numerical fluxes through an adaptive computation. In this approach the solution is still represented at each time step on the finest grid, resulting in an inherent limitation of the potential gain in memory space and computational time. The present paper is concerned with the development and the numerical analysis of fully adaptive multiresolution schemes, in which the solution is represented and computed in a dynamically evolved adaptive grid. A crucial problem is then the accurate computation of the flux without the full knowledge of fine grid cell averages. Several solutions to this problem are proposed, analyzed, and compared in terms of accuracy and complexity.

     

Institutional results of the Argentine Graduate Programme in Radiochemistry

Summary The evolution of radiochemistry at the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) in Argentina is analyzed. The antecedents of the establishment, in 1998, of the Master Programme in Radiochemistry, jointly organized by CNEA and the Buenos Aires Regional Faculty of the National Technological University are revised, and the structure of the Programme is described. On the basis of the thesis works, the initial trends are discussed. Finally, the institutional results of the Programme are described.     

Windmill polynomials over fields of characteristic two

Chambers andSmeets [3] have designed a windmill arrangement of linear feedback shift registers (LFSRs) to generate pn-sequences overGF(2) with high speed. When the windmill hasv vanes, the associated minimal feedback polynomial (having degreen, relatively prime tov) can be taken to have the shapef ₁(x ^v )+x ⁿ f ₂(x ^–v ), where the polynomialsf ₁ andf ₂ have degree [n/v]. Their numerical evidence, whenv is divisible by 4, suggests that, surprisingly, there areno such windmill polynomials which are irreducible ifn±3 (mod 8), while about twice as many irreducible and primitive windmill polynomials as they expected occur ifn±1 (mod 8). A discussion of this behaviour is presented here with proofs. The brief explanation is that the Galois group of the underlying generic windmill polynomial overGF (4) is equal to the alternating groupA _n .