Quantum General Relativity and the Meaning of (R + R2) Theories

It is argued that, due to the cut-off lengths arising in Quantum General Relativity, R2 corrections of Einstein's theory cannot be interpreted as quantum corrections.     

Stochastic Visual Interactive Simulation Models

Many writers and practitioners have mentioned the difficulties that result from randomness in visual interactive simulation or animated simulation modelling. This paper discusses the use of VIS to model transient system behaviour, and proposes some approaches to stochastic VIS modelling which may be helpful in overcoming the difficulties.     

The two-dimensional quantum Euclidean algebra

The algebra dual to Woronowicz's deformation of the two-dimensional Euclidean group is constructed. The same algebra is obtained from SU _q (2) via contraction on both the group and algebra levels.     

Boundedness and Dissipativity of Truncated Rotations on Uniform Planar Lattices

The finiteness of computer arithmetic can lead to some dramatic differences between the behaviour of a continuous dynamical system and a computer simulation. A thorough rigorous theoretical analysis of what may or what does happen is usually extremely difficult and to date little has been done even in relatively simple contexts. The comparative behaviour of a rotation mapping in the plane and on a uniform lattice in the plane is one such example. Simulations show that the rounding operator applied to a planar rotation mapping more or less preserves the qualitative behaviour of the original mapping, whereas the application of the truncation operator to a planar rotation can lead to quite different dynamical features. In this paper a theoretical justification of the properties of the planar rotation mappings under truncation to a, uniform integer lattice is provided, in particular properties of boundedness and dissipativity are investigated.     

A Repeated Matching Heuristic for the Vehicle Routeing Problem

A new heuristic for the vehicle routeing problem which makes use of repeated matching is described. The numerical results are comparable to or better than the best published for most of the 14 benchmark problems commonly used to evaluate VRP heuristics.     

3D molecular imaging SIMS

Thin monolayer and bilayer films of spin cast poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA), poly(lactic) acid (PLA) and PLA doped with several pharmaceuticals have been analyzed by dynamic SIMS using SF₅⁺ polyatomic primary ion bombardment. Each of these systems exhibited minimal primary beam-induced degradation under cluster ion bombardment allowing molecular depth profiles to be obtained through the film. By combing secondary ion imaging with depth profiling, three-dimensional molecular image depth profiles have been obtained from these systems. In another approach, bevel cross-sections are cut in the samples with the SF₅⁺ primary ion beam to produce a laterally magnified cross-section of the sample that does not contain the beam-induced damage that would be induced by conventional focussed ion beam (FIB) cross-sectioning. The bevel surface can then be examined using cluster SIMS imaging or other appropriate microanalysis technique.