Rice and Rice‐Shapiro Theorems for transfinite correction grammars

Hay and, then, Johnson extended the classic Rice and Rice‐Shapiro Theorems for computably enumerable sets, to analogs for all the higher levels in the finite Ershov Hierarchy. The present paper extends their work (with some motivations presented) to analogs in the transfinite Ershov Hierarchy. Some of the transfinite cases are done for all transfinite notations in Kleene's important system of notations, $\mathcal {O}$. Other cases are done for all transfinite notations in a very natural, proper subsystem $\mathcal {O}_{\mathrm{Cantor}}$ of $\mathcal {O}$, where $\mathcal {O}_{\mathrm{Cantor}}$ has at least one notation for each constructive ordinal. In these latter cases it is open as to what happens for the entire set of transfinite notations in $(\mathcal {O} -\mathcal {O}_{\mathrm{Cantor}})$.     

Permanence as a principle of practice

The paper discusses Peano's argument for preserving familiar notations. The argument reinforces the principle of permanence, articulated in the early 19th century by Peacock, then adjusted by Hankel and adopted by many others. Typically regarded as a principle of theoretical rationality, permanence was understood by Peano, following Mach, and against Schubert, as a principle of practical rationality. The paper considers how permanence, thus understood, was used in justifying Burali-Forti and Marcolongo's notation for vectorial calculus, and in rejecting Frege's logical notation, and closes by considering Hahn's revival of Peano's argument against Pringsheim's reading of permanence as a logically necessary principle.     

微分流形上自然基底的记号问题

在微分流形的入门教学中,经常用同一个记号来表示定义在不同空间中的坐标函数．这个细小的问题给初学者造成不便．本文介绍了解决这一问题的几种做法并作了比较,主张严格仔细地区分有关记号以有利于对切向量的理解,同时保留传统的微分流形上自然基底的习惯记号．     

Systems of iterated projective ordinal notations and combinatorial statements about binary labeled trees

We introduce the appropriate iterated version of the system of ordinal notations from [G1] whose order type is the familiar Howard ordinal. As in [G1], our ordinal notations are partly inspired by the ideas from [P] where certain crucial properties of the traditional Munich' ordinal notations are isolated and used in the cut-elimination proofs. As compared to the corresponding impredicative Munich' ordinal notations (see e.g. [B1, B2, J, Sch1, Sch2, BSch]), our ordinal notations arearbitrary terms in the appropriate simple term algebra based on the notion of collapsing functions (which we would rather identify as projective functions). In Sect. 1 below we define the systems of ordinal notationsPRJ(), for any primitive recursive limit wellordering. In Sect. 2 we prove the crucial well-foundness property by using the appropriate well-quasi-ordering property of the corresponding binary labeled trees [G3]. In Sect. 3 we interprete inPRJ() the familiar Veblen-Bachmann hierarchy of ordinal functions, and in Sect. 4 we show that the corresponding Buchholz's system of ordinal notationsOT() is a proper subsystem ofPRJ(), although it has the same order type according to [G3] together with the interpretation from Sect. 2 in the terms of labeled trees. In Sect. 5 we use Friedman's approach in order to obtain an appropriate purely combinatorial statement which is not provable in the theory of iterated inductive definitions ID_< , for arbitrarily large limit ordinal. Formal theories, axioms, etc. used below are familiar in the proof theory of subsystems of analysis (see [BFPS, T, BSch]).     

The Mathematics Writer's Checklist: The Development of a Preliminary Assessment Tool for Writing in Mathematics

The use of writing as a pedagogical tool to help students learn mathematics is receiving increased attention at the college level ( Meier & Rishel, 1998 ), and the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 2000) built a strong case for including writing in school mathematics, suggesting that writing enhances students' mathematical thinking. Yet, classroom experience indicates that not all students are able to write well about mathematics. This study examines the writing of a two groups of students in a college‐level calculus class in order to identify criteria that discriminate “;successful” vs. “;unsuccessful” writers in mathematics. Results indicate that “;successful” writers are more likely than “;unsuccessful” writers to use appropriate mathematical language, build a context for their writing, use a variety of examples for elaboration, include multiple modes of representation (algebraic, graphical, numeric) for their ideas, use appropriate mathematical notation, and address all topics specified in the assignment. These six criteria result in The Mathematics Writer's Checklist, and methods for its use as an instructional and assessment tool in the mathematics classroom are discussed.     

Normalising geometrical figures: dynamic manipulation and construction of meanings for ratio and proportion

Enlarging-shrinking geometrical figures by 13 year-olds is studied during the implementation of proportional geometric tasks in the classroom. Students worked in groups of two using ‘Turtleworlds’, a piece of geometrical construction software which combines symbolic notation, through a programming language, with dynamic manipulation of geometrical objects by dragging on sliders representing variable values. In this paper we study the students’ normalising activity, as they use this kind of dynamic manipulation to modify ‘buggy’ geometrical figures while developing meanings for ratio and proportion. We describe students’ normative actions in terms of four distinct Dynamic Manipulation Schemes (Reconnaissance, Correlation, Testing, Verification). We discuss the potential of dragging for mathematical insight in this particular computational environment, as well as the purposeful nature of the task which sets up possibilities for students to appreciate the utility of proportional relationships.     

Computer-Assisted Statistics Education at Delft University of Technology

Abstract

At Delft University of Technology many students experience difficulties in mastering basic concepts of probability and statistics. In the past few years the lectures have undergone a radical change—the lecture notes now contain modern data analysis techniques, like kernel density estimation, simulation, and bootstrapping. In the TWI-Stat project, a computer-aided instruction course was developed to help students become more familiar with modern statistical analysis. The course presents itself as a dynamic, interactive, personal book. Highly interactive analysis tools are available. The software will be available for MS-Windows.     

The linear combination of vectors implies the existence of the cross and dot products

Given two vectors u and v, their cross product u × v is a vector perpendicular to u and v. The motivation for this property, however, is never addressed. Here we show that the existence of the cross and dot products and the perpendicularity property follow from the concept of linear combination, which does not involve products of vectors. For our proof we consider the plane generated by a linear combination of uand v. When looking for the coefficients in the linear combination required to reach a desired point on the plane, the solution involves the existence of a normal vector n = u × v. Our results have a bearing on the history of vector analysis, as a product similar to the cross product but without the perpendicularity requirement existed at the same time. These competing products originate in the work of two major nineteen-century mathematicians, W. Hamilton, and H. Grassmann. These historical aspects are discussed in some detail here. We also address certain aspects of the teaching of u × v to undergraduate students, which is known to carry some difficulties. This includes the algebraic and geometric denitions of u × v, the rule for the direction of u × v, and the pseudovectorial nature of u × v.     

On the computational complexity of cut-reduction

Using appropriate notation systems for proofs, cut-reduction can often be rendered feasible on these notations. Explicit bounds can be given. Developing a suitable notation system for Bounded Arithmetic, and applying these bounds, all the known results on definable functions of certain such theories can be reobtained in a uniform way.     

Logical form,mathematical practice,and Frege's Begriffsschrift

For over a century we have been reading Frege's Begriffsschrift notation as a variant of standard notation. But Frege's notation can also be read differently, in a way enabling us to understand how reasoning in Begriffsschrift is at once continuous with and a significant advance beyond earlier mathematical practices of reasoning within systems of signs. It is this second reading that I outline here, beginning with two preliminary claims. First, I show that one does not reason in specially devised systems of signs of mathematics as one reasons in natural language; the signs are not abbreviations of words. Then I argue that even given a system of signs within which to reason in mathematics, there are two ways one can read expressions involving those signs, either mathematically or mechanically. These two lessons are then applied to a reading of Frege's proof of Theorem 133 in Part III of his 1879 logic, a proof that Frege claims is at once strictly deductive and ampliative, a real extension of our knowledge. In closing, I clarify what this might mean, and how it might be possible.     

A Symbolic Dance: The Interplay Between Movement,Notation, and Mathematics on a Journey Toward Solving Equations

This article analyzes the use of the software Grid Algebra with a mixed ability class of 21 nine-to-ten-year-old students who worked with complex formal notation involving all four arithmetic operations. Unlike many other models to support learning, Grid Algebra has formal notation ever present and allows students to “look through” that notation and interpret it either in terms of physical journeys on a grid or in terms of mathematical operations. A dynamic fluidity was found between the formal notation, imagery of movements on a grid, and the process of mathematical operations. This fluidity is interpreted as a “dance” between these three. The significant way in which this dynamic took place reflects the scaffolding and fading offered by the software, which was crucial to the students’ fluency with formal notation well beyond what has been reported from students of that age.     

A Comparison of Programming Languages and Algebraic Notation as Expressive Languages for Physics

The purpose of the present work is to consider some of the implications of replacing, for the purposes of physics instruction, algebraic notation with a programming language. Whatis novel is that, more than previous work, I take seriously the possibility that a programming language can function as the principle representational system for physics instruction. This means treating programming as potentially having a similar status and performing a similar function to algebraic notation in physics learning. In order to address the implications of replacing the usual notational system with programming, I begin with two informal conjectures: (1) Programming-based representations might be easier for students to understand than equation-based representations, and (2) programming-based representations might privilege a somewhat different ``intuitive vocabulary.' If the second conjecture is correct, it means that the nature of the understanding associated with programming-physics might be fundamentally different than the understanding associated with algebra-physics.In order to refine and address these conjectures, I introduce a framework based around two theoretical constructs, what I callinterpretive devices and symbolic forms. A conclusion of this work is that algebra-physics can be characterized as a physics of balance and equilibrium, and programming-physics as a physics of processes and causation. More generally, this work provides a theoretical and empirical basis for understanding how the use of particular symbol systems affects students' conceptualization.This revised version was published online in September 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Secondary teachers’ meanings for function notation in the United States and South Korea

This study investigates what teachers in U.S. reveal about their meanings for function notation in their written responses to the Mathematical Meanings for Teaching secondary mathematics (MMTsm) items, with particular attention to how productive those meanings would be if conveyed to students in a classroom setting. We then report South Korean teachers’ responses to see whether the meanings U.S. teachers demonstrated are shared with South Korean teachers. The results show that many U.S. teachers use function notation to name rules instead of to represent relationships. The data from South Korean teachers indicates that the problematic meanings in U.S. teachers’ responses are shared with a minority of South Korean teachers. The results suggest a need for attention to ideas regarding function notation in teacher education for pre-service teachers and professional development programs for in-service teachers.     

On extension of continuity and application of countability axioms in topological tensor products

In this paper an attempt has been made to prove an analogue of the result¹ on the extension of linear and continuous mappings in topological vector spaces to the context of topological tensor products. We also prove that the topological tensor-product of two separable locally convex spaces is separable, and the projective tensor product of any two locally-convex 1st countable (2nd countable) spaces is 1st countable (2nd countable). For the terminology, and basic notations, we refer to Treves¹ and Jha.^2,3     

A lie group structure on the space of time-dependent vector fields

In this note we use a banal relation between flows of vector fields, a sort of time-dependent Campbell—Baker—Hausdorff formula, to obtain a non-linear version of the variation of constants formula. We employ this formula to calculate the tangent to the mapping which assigns to each time-dependent vector fieldV with compact support the diffeomorphism _t (V), where _t (V) is the global flow ofV. Afterwards we use these results to give a non-commutative Lie group structure to the space of time-dependent vector fields with compact support. We also treat of the Lie algebra of this group and we calculate the adjoint action and the exponential mapping. The setting is the same of [1] and we refer the reader to this book for notations.     

Unified analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">BMAP</Emphasis>/<Emphasis Type="Italic">G</Emphasis>/1 cyclic polling models

In this paper we present a unified analysis of the BMAP/G/1 cyclic polling model and its application to the gated and exhaustive service disciplines as examples. The applied methodology is based on the separation of the analysis into service discipline independent and dependent parts. New expressions are derived for the vector-generating function of the stationary number of customers and for its mean in terms of vector quantities depending on the service discipline. They are valid for a broad class of service disciplines and both for zero- and nonzero-switchover-times polling models. We present the service discipline specific solution for the nonzero-switchover-times model with gated and exhaustive service disciplines. We set up the governing equations of the system by using Kronecker product notation. They can be numerically solved by means of a system of linear equations. The resulting vectors are used to compute the service discipline specific vector quantities.     

Generalizing Swendsen–Wang for Image Analysis

Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods have been used in many fields (physics, chemistry, biology, and computer science) for simulation, inference, and optimization. In many applications, Markov chains are simulated for sampling from target probabilities π(X) defined on graphs G. The graph vertices represent elements of the system, the edges represent spatial relationships, while X is a vector of variables on the vertices which often take discrete values called labels or colors. Designing efficient Markov chains is a challenging task when the variables are strongly coupled. Because of this, methods such as the single-site Gibbs sampler often experience suboptimal performance. A well-celebrated algorithm, the Swendsen–Wang (SW) method, can address the coupling problem. It clusters the vertices as connected components after turning off some edges probabilistically, and changes the color of one cluster as a whole. It is known to mix rapidly under certain conditions. Unfortunately, the SW method has limited applicability and slows down in the presence of “external fields;” for example, likelihoods in Bayesian inference. In this article, we present a general cluster algorithm that extends the SW algorithm to general Bayesian inference on graphs. We focus on image analysis problems where the graph sizes are in the order of 10³–10⁶ with small connectivity. The edge probabilities for clustering are computed using discriminative probabilities from data. We design versions of the algorithm to work on multi grid and multilevel graphs, and present applications to two typical problems in image analysis, namely image segmentation and motion analysis. In our experiments, the algorithm is at least two orders of magnitude faster (in CPU time) than the single-site Gibbs sampler.     

Revisiting decimal misconceptions from a new perspective: The significance of whole number bias in the Chinese culture

The aim of this study was to investigate Hong Kong Grade 4 students’ understanding of the decimal notation system including their knowledge of decimal quantities. This is a unique study because most previous studies were conducted in Western cultural settings; therefore we were interested to see whether Chinese students have the same kinds of misconceptions as Western students given the Chinese number naming system is relatively transparent and explicit. Three hundred and forty-one students participated in a written test on decimal numbers. Thirty-two students were interviewed to further explore their mathematical reasoning. In summary, the results indicated that many students had mastered reasonable knowledge of decimal notation and quantities, which may be attributed to the Chinese linguistic clarity of decimal numbers. More importantly, the results showed that some students’ construction of decimal concepts have been adversely affected by persistent misconceptions arising from whole number bias. Two kinds of whole number misconceptions, namely “-ths suffix error” and “reversed place value progression error”, were revealed in this study. This paper suggests that a framework theory approach to conceptual change may be an alternative approach to addressing students’ learning difficulties in decimals.     

Optimality conditions for vector optimization problems with non-cone constraints in image space

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we employ the image space analysis method to investigate a vector optimization problem with non-cone constraints. First, we use the linear and nonlinear separation techniques to establish Lagrange-type sufficient and necessary optimality conditions of the given problem under convexity assumptions and generalized Slater condition. Moreover, we give some characterizations of generalized Lagrange saddle points in image space without any convexity assumptions. Finally, we derive the vectorial penalization for the vector optimization problem with non-cone constraints by a general way.