Dynamic programming in cricket: optimizing batting order for a sticky wicket

In cricket, a rain-affected pitch can make batting more difficult than normal. Several other conditions such as poor light or an initially lively pitch, may also result in difficulties for the batsmen. In this note, we refer to all of them as ‘sticky wickets’. On sticky wickets, lower order batsmen are often sent into ‘hold the fort’ until conditions improve. In this paper, a stochastic dynamic programming model is used to examine the appropriateness of this policy. The model suggests that the tactic is often optimal when the sticky wicket persists until the end of the day's play, but not often when the sticky wicket is transitory. In some circumstances, it is worthwhile, on a normal wicket near the end of the day, to send in a lower order batsman to hold the fort (a night watchman): when the wicket is sticky, this tactic is even more worthwhile.     

The critical group from a cryptographic perspective

The critical group of a graph is an abelian group that arisesin several contexts, and there are some similarities with thegroups that are used in cryptography. We construct a familyof graphs with critical groups that are cyclic, and discussthe associated computational problems using algorithms basedon the theory of ‘chip-firing’.     

Zeeman transitions in deuterium atoms induced by ultra-relativistic electrons

We present data showing hyperfine transitions in an atomic deuterium beam induced by the (476 MHz) radio-frequency field of a 704 MeV electron beam in a storage ring. A polarized deuterium beam, produced in an atomic beam source, was crossed with a stored electron beam and analyzed with a Breit--Rabi polarimeter. Electron-beam induced transitions were singled out by injecting different combinations of hyperfine states. Transition probabilities as high as 70% were measured at large currents (~ 100 mA). All possible deuterium transitions for a radio-frequency of 476 MHz were observed. In addition, a 1--6 transition resulting from the first harmonic (952 MHz) was observed. The effects of these transitions are of general importance for the polarized internal target technique applied in nuclear and particle physics experiments. The data are reasonably described by numerical estimates. The observed mechanism can be exploited to create nuclear polarized atoms when injecting electron polarized atoms with no net nuclear polarization into a storage cell. However, when nuclear polarized atoms are injected, care should be taken to avoid this mechanism, since it would result in depolarization of the atoms. The studies enabled us to choose the magnetic guide field during our spin-dependent electron--deuteron scattering experiments, such that electron-beam induced depolarizing effects were avoided. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Translation planes of large dimension admitting nonsolvable groups

In this article, the question is considered whether there exist finite translation planes with arbitrarily small kernels admitting nonsolvable collineation groups. For any integerN, it is shown that there exist translation planes of dimension >N and orderq ³ admittingGL(2,q) as a collineation group.     

Dependence of slow crack growth in polyethylene on butyl branch density: Morphology and theory

A theoretical equation has been developed to described the rate of slow crack growth in an ethylene-hexene copolymer in terms of the basic morphological parameters. These parameters are spacing of the butyl branches, number of tie molecules, and the thickness of the lamellar crystal. Experimentally, the thickness of the lamellae and the long period were determined as functions of the branch density. The calculation of the number of tie molecules is based on the values of the molecular weight and the long period. The model of slow crack growth is based on the rate of disentanglement of the tie molecules. The rate of disentanglement varies inversely with the number of tie molecules and directly with the number of tie molecules that are not pinned by the branches.     

The weak pigeonhole principle for function classes in S 12

It is well known that S ¹₂ cannot prove the injective weak pigeonhole principle for polynomial time functions unless RSA is insecure. In this note we investigate the provability of the surjective (dual) weak pigeonhole principle in S ¹₂ for provably weaker function classes. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

New polaron effect in magnetooptic phenomena in a quantum well

It is predicted that resonance coupling between two discrete electron energy levels corresponding to different size-quantization quantum numbers and different Landau quantum numbers can occur in a quantum well in a quantizing magnetic field. The resonance coupling is due to the interaction of an electron with LO phonons and results in the formation of polaron states of a new type. It is shown that for a certain value of the magnetic field, which depends on the splitting of the electron size-quantization levels, the absorption peak and the two-phonon resonance Raman scattering peak split into two components, the separation between which is determined by the electron-phonon coupling constant. The resonance coupling between size-quantization levels with the same Landau quantum numbers is also studied. The splitting of the peaks in this case is virtually independent of the magnetic field and can be observed in much weaker fields. The experimental observation of the effect will make it possible to determine the relative position of the electronic levels and the electron-phonon coupling constant. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 65, No. 7, 511–515 (10 April 1997)