Riemannian questions with a fundamental differential system

Introduzimos o leitor ao estudo de um sistema diferencial exterior fundamental, descoberto anteriormente pelo autor, que se pode sempre associar a qualquer dada variedade riemanniana M de dimensão n+1. Depois de recordarmos a geometria do fibrado de esferas tangente SM--->M com a métrica de Sasaki, apresentamos o sistema de formas diferencias de grau n que complementa a conhecida estrutura de contacto de SM. A partir daí vemos como o sistema diferencial se aplica ao estudo de problemas métricos em hipersuperfícies de M, bem como a outros que são próprios de SM, e as diversas questões que se podem colocar neste novo contexto.

Cognitive Assessment System (CAS): Psychometric studies with Portuguese children from 7 to 15 years.

The Cognitive Assessment System (CAS) is a new measure of cognitive abilities based on the Planning, Attention, Simultaneous and Successive (PASS) Theory. This theory is derived from research in neuropsychological and cognitive Psychology with particular emphasis on the work of Luria (1973). According to Naglieri (1999) and Naglieri and Das (1997), the PASS cognitive processes are the basic building blocks of human intellectual functioning. Planning processes provide cognitive control, utilization of processes and knowledge, intentionality, and self-regulation to achieve a desired goal; Attention processes provide focused, selective cognitive activity and resistance to distraction; and, Simultaneous and Successive processes are the two forms of operating on information. The PASS theory has had a strong empirical base prior to the publication of the CAS (see Das, Naglieri & Kirby, 1994), and its research foundation remains strong (see Naglieri, 1999; Naglieri & Das, 1997). The four basic psychological processes can be used to (1) gain an understanding of how well a child thinks; (2) discover the child’s strengths and needs, which can then be used for effective differential diagnosis; (3) conduct fair assessment; and (4) select or design appropriate interventions. Compared to the traditional intelligence tests, including IQ tests, the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS) has the great advantage of relying on a modern theory of cognitive functioning, linking theory with practice.