The robustness of contextuality and the contextuality cost of empirical models

In this paper, we introduce and discuss the robustness of contextuality (RoC) R_C(e) and the contextuality cost C(e) of an empirical model e. The following properties of them are proved. (i) An empirical model e is contextual if and only if R_C(e) > 0; (ii) the RoC function R_C is convex, lower semi-continuous and un-increasing under an affine mapping on the set EM of all empirical models; (iii) e is non-contextual if and only if C(e) = 0; (iv) e is contextual if and only if C(e) > 0; (v) e is strongly contextual if and only if C(e) = 1. Also, a relationship between R_C(e) and C(e) is obtained. Lastly, the RoC of three empirical models is computed and compared. Especially, the RoC of the PR boxes is obtained and the supremum 0.5 is found for the RoC of all no-signaling type (2, 2, 2) empirical models.     

A More Efficient Contextuality Distillation Protocol

Based on the fact that both nonlocality and contextuality are resource theories, it is natural to ask how to amplify them more efficiently. In this paper, we present a contextuality distillation protocol which produces an n-cycle box B ? B ^′ from two given n-cycle boxes B and B ^′. It works efficiently for a class of contextual n-cycle (n ≥?4) boxes which we termed as “the generalized correlated contextual n-cycle boxes”. For any two generalized correlated contextual n-cycle boxes B and B ^′, B ? B ^′ is more contextual than both B and B ^′. Moreover, they can be distilled toward to the maximally contextual box C H _n as the times of iteration goes to infinity. Among the known protocols, our protocol has the strongest approximate ability and is optimal in terms of its distillation rate. What is worth noting is that our protocol can witness a larger set of nonlocal boxes that make communication complexity trivial than the protocol in Brunner and Skrzypczyk (Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 160403 2009), this might be helpful for exploring the problem that why quantum nonlocality is limited.     

Quantifying Contextuality of Empirical Models in Terms of Trace-Distance

In order to quantify contextuality of empirical models, the quantity of contextuality (QoC) of empirical models is introduced in terms of the trace-distance. Let Q C(e) denote the QoC of an empirical model e. The following conclusions are proved. (i) An empirical model e is non-contextual if and only if Q C(e)=0, and then it is contextual if and only if Q C(e)>0; (ii) the QoC function QC is convex, contractive and continuous. Finally, the QoC of some famous models is computed, including PM-isotropic boxes P M ^α , M-isotropic boxes M ^α , C H _n -isotropic boxes \(CH_{n}^{\alpha }\) as well as K box, where α∈[0,1]. Moreover, P M ^α is non-contextual if and only if \(\alpha \in [\frac {1}{6},\frac {5}{6}]\); M ^α is non-contextual if and only if \(\alpha \in [0,\frac {4}{5}]\); when n is even, \(CH_{n}^{\alpha }\) is non-contextual if and only if \(\alpha \in [\frac {1}{n},\frac {n-1}{n}]\), and when n is odd, \(CH_{n}^{\alpha }\) is non-contextual if and only if \(\alpha \in [0,\frac {n-1}{n}]\). The most important thing is that it is very easy to compare the QoC of any two isotropic boxes discussed in the above.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis><Subscript>2</Subscript>-Cofiniteness of the 2-Cycle Permutation Orbifold Models of Minimal Virasoro Vertex Operator Algebras

In this article, we give a sufficient and necessary condition for the C ₂-cofiniteness of \({\widetilde{V} = (V\otimes V)^\sigma}\) for a C ₂-cofinite vertex operator algebra V and the 2-cycle permutation σ of \({V\otimes V}\) . As an application, we show that the 2-cycle permutation orbifold model of the simple Virasoro vertex operator algebra L(c, 0) of minimal central charge c is C ₂-cofinite.     

Restricting Positive Energy Representations of Diff<Superscript>+</Superscript>(<Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis><Superscript>1</Superscript>) to the Stabilizer of <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis> Points

Let G _n ? Diff⁺(S ¹) be the stabilizer of n given points of S ¹. How much information do we lose if we restrict a positive energy representation \(U^c_h\) associated to an admissible pair (c, h) of the central charge and lowest energy, to the subgroup G _n ? The question, and a part of the answer originate in chiral conformal QFT. The value of c can be easily “recovered” from such a restriction; the hard question concerns the value of h. If c ≤ 1, then there is no loss of information, and accordingly, all of these restrictions are irreducible. In this work it is shown that \(U^c_{h}|_{G_n}\) is always irreducible for n =  1 and, if h =  0, it is irreducible at least up to n ≤  3. Moreover, an example is given for c >  2 and certain values of \(h \neq \tilde{h}\) such that \(U^c_{h}|_{G_1}\simeq U^c_{\tilde{h}}|_{G_1}\) . It is also concluded that for these values \(U^c_{h}|_{G_n}\) cannot be irreducible for n ≥  2. For further values of c, h and n, the question is left open. Nevertheless, the example already shows that, on the circle, there are conformal QFT models in which local and global intertwiners are not equivalent.     

More About Robustness of Coherence

Quantum coherence is an important physical resource in quantum computation and quantum information processing. In this paper, the distribution of the robustness of coherence in multipartite quantum system is considered. It is shown that the additivity of the robustness of coherence is not always valid for general quantum state, but the robustness of coherence is decreasing under partial trace for any bipartite quantum system. The ordering states with the coherence measures RoC, the l₁ norm of coherence \(C_{l_{1}}\) and the relative entropy of coherence C _r are also discussed.     

Congratulations to Akusticheskii Zhurnal on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. Vibrations of spherical inclusions in elastic solids

Variational principles are derived for the analysis of dynamical phenomena associated with spherical inclusions embedded in homogeneous isotropic elastic solids. The starting point is Hamilton’s principle, with the material properties assumed to vary only with the radial distance r from the origin. Attention is restricted to disturbances that are symmetric about the polar (z) axis, such that the nonzero displacement components in spherical coordinates, u _r and u_θ, are independent of the polar coordinate φ. The symmetry allows for a decoupling of the polar components, the nth of which is described by U _{r, n} (r, t)P _n (cosθ) and U_{θ, n}(r, t)dP _n /dθ. A variational principle is subsequently derived for the field quantities U _{r, n} and U_{θ, n}. Concepts analogous to those of the theory of matched asymptotic expansions are used to embellish the principle in order to allow for the damping associated with the outward radiation of elastic waves. Examples illustrating the use of the variational principle for formulating plausible lumped-parameter models are given for the cases of n = 0 and n = 1.     

Hybrids of carbyne and fullerene

A new class of quasi-linear carbon molecules [C₆₀] _n [C _m ]_n?1 consisting of n fullerenes C₆₀ linked by n?1 carbyne-type C _m fragments with a system of conjugated bonds is described. The possible geometric configurations of such molecules and crystals on their base are discussed. The structure optimization by the empirical (MM+), semiempirical (PM3), and ab initio (HF/6-21) methods showed that these molecules are energetically stable.     

Evolution of a Modified Binomial Random Graph by Agglomeration

In the classical Erd?s–Rényi random graph G(n, p) there are n vertices and each of the possible edges is independently present with probability p. The random graph G(n, p) is homogeneous in the sense that all vertices have the same characteristics. On the other hand, numerous real-world networks are inhomogeneous in this respect. Such an inhomogeneity of vertices may influence the connection probability between pairs of vertices. The purpose of this paper is to propose a new inhomogeneous random graph model which is obtained in a constructive way from the Erd?s-Rényi random graph G(n, p). Given a configuration of n vertices arranged in N subsets of vertices (we call each subset a super-vertex), we define a random graph with N super-vertices by letting two super-vertices be connected if and only if there is at least one edge between them in G(n, p). Our main result concerns the threshold for connectedness. We also analyze the phase transition for the emergence of the giant component and the degree distribution. Even though our model begins with G(n, p), it assumes the existence of some community structure encoded in the configuration. Furthermore, under certain conditions it exhibits a power law degree distribution. Both properties are important for real-world applications.     

On a Semiclassical Formula for Non-Diagonal Matrix Elements

Let H(?)=?? ²d²/dx ²+V(x) be a Schrödinger operator on the real line, W(x) be a bounded observable depending only on the coordinate and k be a fixed integer. Suppose that an energy level E intersects the potential V(x) in exactly two turning points and lies below V _∞=lim?inf?_|x|→∞ V(x). We consider the semiclassical limit n→∞, ?=? _n →0 and E _n =E where E _n is the nth eigenenergy of H(?). An asymptotic formula for 〈n|W(x)|n+k〉, the non-diagonal matrix elements of W(x) in the eigenbasis of H(?), has been known in the theoretical physics for a long time. Here it is proved in a mathematically rigorous manner.     

Generating Function for GL<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Subscript>-Invariant Differential Operators in the Skew Capelli Identity

Let Alt _n be the vector space of all alternating n × n complex matrices, on which the complex general linear group GL _n acts by \({x \mapsto gxg^t}\). The aim of this paper is to show that Pfaffian of a certain matrix whose entries are multiplication operators or derivations acting on polynomials on Alt _n provides a generating function for the GL _n -invariant differential operators that play an essential role in the skew Capelli identity, with coefficients the Hermite polynomials.     

A New Family of Solvable Pearson-Dirichlet Random Walks

An n-step Pearson-Gamma random walk in ? ^d starts at the origin and consists of n independent steps with gamma distributed lengths and uniform orientations. The gamma distribution of each step length has a shape parameter q>0. Constrained random walks of n steps in ? ^d are obtained from the latter walks by imposing that the sum of the step lengths is equal to a fixed value. Simple closed-form expressions were obtained in particular for the distribution of the endpoint of such constrained walks for any d≥d ₀ and any n≥2 when q is either \(q = \frac{d}{2} - 1 \) (d ₀=3) or q=d?1 (d ₀=2) (Le Caër in J. Stat. Phys. 140:728–751, 2010). When the total walk length is chosen, without loss of generality, to be equal to 1, then the constrained step lengths have a Dirichlet distribution whose parameters are all equal to q and the associated walk is thus named a Pearson-Dirichlet random walk. The density of the endpoint position of a n-step planar walk of this type (n≥2), with q=d=2, was shown recently to be a weighted mixture of 1+floor(n/2) endpoint densities of planar Pearson-Dirichlet walks with q=1 (Beghin and Orsingher in Stochastics 82:201–229, 2010). The previous result is generalized to any walk space dimension and any number of steps n≥2 when the parameter of the Pearson-Dirichlet random walk is q=d>1. We rely on the connection between an unconstrained random walk and a constrained one, which have both the same n and the same q=d, to obtain a closed-form expression of the endpoint density. The latter is a weighted mixture of 1+floor(n/2) densities with simple forms, equivalently expressed as a product of a power and a Gauss hypergeometric function. The weights are products of factors which depends both on d and n and Bessel numbers independent of d.     

On Probability Domains

Motivated by IF-probability theory (intuitionistic fuzzy), we study n-component probability domains in which each event represents a body of competing components and the range of a state represents a simplex S _n of n-tuples of possible rewards–the sum of the rewards is a number from [0,1]. For n=1 we get fuzzy events, for example a bold algebra, and the corresponding fuzzy probability theory can be developed within the category ID of D-posets (equivalently effect algebras) of fuzzy sets and sequentially continuous D-homomorphisms. For n=2 we get IF-events, i.e., pairs (μ,ν) of fuzzy sets μ,ν∈[0,1] ^X such that μ(x)+ν(x)≤1 for all x∈X, but we order our pairs (events) coordinatewise. Hence the structure of IF-events (where (μ ₁,ν ₁)≤(μ ₂,ν ₂) whenever μ ₁≤μ ₂ and ν ₂≤ν ₁) is different and, consequently, the resulting IF-probability theory models a different principle. The category ID is cogenerated by I=[0,1] (objects of ID are subobjects of powers I ^X ), has nice properties and basic probabilistic notions and constructions are categorical. For example, states are morphisms. We introduce the category S _n D cogenerated by \(S_{n}=\{(x_{1},x_{2},\ldots ,x_{n})\in I^{n};\:\sum_{i=1}^{n}x_{i}\leq 1\}\) carrying the coordinatewise partial order, difference, and sequential convergence and we show how basic probability notions can be defined within S _n D.     

Non-extensivity of the chemical potential of polymer melts

Following Flory’s ideality hypothesis, the chemical potential of a test chain of length n immersed into a dense solution of chemically identical polymers of length distribution P(N) is extensive in n . We argue that an additional contribution \( \delta\) \( \mu_{{{\rm c}}}^{}\)(n) ～ +1/\( \rho\) \( \sqrt{{n}}\) arises (\( \rho\) being the monomer density) for all P(N) if n ? 〈N〉 which can be traced back to the overall incompressibility of the solution leading to a long-range repulsion between monomers. Focusing on Flory-distributed melts, we obtain \( \delta\) \( \mu_{{{\rm c}}}^{}\)(n) \( \approx\) (1 - 2n/〈N〉)/\( \rho\) \( \sqrt{{n}}\) for n ? 〈N〉² , hence, \( \delta\) \( \mu_{{{\rm c}}}^{}\)(n) \( \approx\) -1/\( \rho\) \( \sqrt{{n}}\) if n is similar to the typical length of the bath 〈N〉 . Similar results are obtained for monodisperse solutions. Our perturbation calculations are checked numerically by analyzing the annealed length distribution P(N) of linear equilibrium polymers generated by Monte Carlo simulation of the bond fluctuation model. As predicted we find, e.g., the non-exponentiality parameter K _p \( \equiv\) 1 - 〈N ^p〉/p!〈N〉^p to decay as K _p \( \approx\) 1/\( \sqrt{{\langle N \rangle }}\) for all moments p of the distribution.     

Intuitionistic Quantum Logic of an <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-level System

A decade ago, Isham and Butterfield proposed a topos-theoretic approach to quantum mechanics, which meanwhile has been extended by Döring and Isham so as to provide a new mathematical foundation for all of physics. Last year, three of the present authors redeveloped and refined these ideas by combining the C*-algebraic approach to quantum theory with the so-called internal language of topos theory (Heunen et al. in arXiv:0709.4364). The goal of the present paper is to illustrate our abstract setup through the concrete example of the C*-algebra M _n (?) of complex n×n matrices. This leads to an explicit expression for the pointfree quantum phase space Σ _n and the associated logical structure and Gelfand transform of an n-level system. We also determine the pertinent non-probabilisitic state-proposition pairing (or valuation) and give a very natural topos-theoretic reformulation of the Kochen–Specker Theorem.In our approach, the nondistributive lattice ?(M _n (?)) of projections in M _n (?) (which forms the basis of the traditional quantum logic of Birkhoff and von Neumann) is replaced by a specific distributive lattice \(\mathcal{O}(\Sigma_{n})\) of functions from the poset \(\mathcal{C}(M_{n}(\mathbb{C}))\) of all unital commutative C*-subalgebras C of M _n (?) to ?(M _n (?)). The lattice \(\mathcal{O}(\Sigma_{n})\) is essentially the (pointfree) topology of the quantum phase space Σ _n , and as such defines a Heyting algebra. Each element of \(\mathcal{O}(\Sigma_{n})\) corresponds to a “Bohrified” proposition, in the sense that to each classical context \(C\in\mathcal{C}(M_{n}(\mathbb{C}))\) it associates a yes-no question (i.e. an element of the Boolean lattice ?(C) of projections in C), rather than being a single projection as in standard quantum logic. Distributivity is recovered at the expense of the law of the excluded middle (Tertium Non Datur), whose demise is in our opinion to be welcomed, not just in intuitionistic logic in the spirit of Brouwer, but also in quantum logic in the spirit of von Neumann.     

Screening of strongly charged macroparticles in liquid electrolyte solutions

A modified Poisson-Boltzmann model has been proposed which makes it possible to describe the screening of strongly charged macroparticles in liquid electrolyte Z: Z solutions in the case when parameter B= ZeQ₀/εRT?1(Q₀ is the surface electric charge, T is the temperature, ε is the solution permittivity, and Z is the valence of ions) provided that the solution is dilute: κR ≡ (8πZ²e²n_i0/εT)^1/2R?1 (n_i0 is the equilibrium number density of ions). It is assumed that the charge Q₀ of a macroparticle appears as a result of adsorption of ions of a certain polarity on its surface. Quantitative criteria of division of dissolved ions into capable and incapable of adsorption are formulated. For aqueous solutions, the adsorption mechanism always leads to values of B ? 1. It is shown that the charge inversion effect predicted by other authors on the basis of different models must be observed for such solutions for all Z ≥ 1. The effect of Brownian movement of macroparticles on their screening is considered. It is shown that viscous forces emerging during such movement lead to peripheral destruction (“washing out”) of the screening ionic shell of macroparticles and, as a result, to violation of their electroneutrality. This results in the emergence of two types of oppositely charged compound particles with small radii close to R and with radii much larger than R, the charge polarity of the latter being opposite to the polarity of Q₀. It is found that both types of ions of compound particles obey the “law of distribution” of the mean energy of their electric field, expressed by formula (29). The problem of ionic screening of gas bubbles accompanied by the formation of bubstons (bubbles stabilized by ions) is considered separately. It is shown that the bubston radius R in pure water and in aqueous solutions of electrolytes is equal to 14 nm irrespective of the ion number density n_i0. The value of n_i0 determines the number density n _b of bubstons themselves, which are formed spontaneously under equilibrium conditions.     

Temperature dependence of dark current-voltage characteristics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>InSb-<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>PbTe-<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>CdTe isotype structure

The temperature dependence of dark current-voltage characteristics of an nInSb-nPbTe-nCdTe structure is investigated. It is shown that in the temperature range from 115 K to 125 K an energy barrier exists for charge carriers through the InSb layer, which is strictly connected with different temperature dependences of electron concentrations in nInSb and nPbTe.     

Proton-proton interaction with high multiplicity at energy of 70 GeV (proposal)

The goal of the proposed experiment is to investigate the collective behavior of particles in the process of multiple hadron production in pp interaction pp → n _π π + 2N at the beam energy E_lab = 70 GeV. The domain of high multiplicity n _π = 30–40, or z = n/\(\bar n\) = 4–6, will be studied. Near the threshold of reaction n _π → 69, z → z_th = 8.2, all particles acquire small relative momentum Δq < 1/R, where R is the dimension of the particle production region. As a consequence of multiboson interference, a number of collective effects may show up: (a) a drastic increase in the partial cross section σ(n) of production of n identical particles is expected, compared with commonly accepted extrapolation; (b) the formation of jets consisting of identical particles may occur as a result of the multiboson Bose-Einstein correlation (BEC) effect; (c) a large fluctuation of charged n(π⁺,π^?) and neutral n(π⁰) components and onset of centauros or chiral condensate effects are anticipated; (d) an increase in the rate of direct γ as a result of the bremsstrahlung in the partonic cascade and annihilation of π⁺π^? → nγ in dense and cold pionic gas or condensate is expected. In the domain of high multiplicity z ≥ 5, a major part of the c.m. energy \(\sqrt s = 11.6\) GeV is materialized, leading to a high-density thermalized hadronic system. Under this condition, a phase transition to cold quark-gluon plasma (QGP) may occur. The search for QGP signatures like large intermittency in the phase-space particle distribution and an enhanced rate of direct photons will be performed. The experimental setup is designed for detection of rare high-multiplicity events. The experiment is to be carried out at the extracted proton beam of the IHEP U-70 accelerator. The required beam intensity is ～10⁷ s^?1. Under the assumption that the partial cross section σ(n _π = 35) = 10-1 nb, the anticipated counting rate is 10-1 events/h. The multiboson BEC enhancement may drastically increase the counting rate.     

Censored Glauber Dynamics for the Mean Field Ising Model

We study Glauber dynamics for the Ising model on the complete graph on n vertices, known as the Curie-Weiss Model. It is well known that at high temperature (β<1) the mixing time is Θ(nlog?n), whereas at low temperature (β>1) it is exp?(Θ(n)). Recently, Levin, Luczak and Peres considered a censored version of this dynamics, which is restricted to non-negative magnetization. They proved that for fixed β>1, the mixing-time of this model is Θ(nlog?n), analogous to the high-temperature regime of the original dynamics. Furthermore, they showed cutoff for the original dynamics for fixed β<1. The question whether the censored dynamics also exhibits cutoff remained unsettled.In a companion paper, we extended the results of Levin et al. into a complete characterization of the mixing-time for the Curie-Weiss model. Namely, we found a scaling window of order \(1/\sqrt{n}\) around the critical temperature β _c =1, beyond which there is cutoff at high temperature. However, determining the behavior of the censored dynamics outside this critical window seemed significantly more challenging.In this work we answer the above question in the affirmative, and establish the cutoff point and its window for the censored dynamics beyond the critical window, thus completing its analogy to the original dynamics at high temperature. Namely, if β=1+δ for some δ>0 with δ ² n→∞, then the mixing-time has order (n/δ)log?(δ ² n). The cutoff constant is (1/2+[2(ζ² β/δ?1)]^?1), where ζ is the unique positive root of g(x)=tanh?(β x)?x, and the cutoff window has order n/δ.