Comparison of the computational cost of a Monte Carlo and deterministic algorithm for computing bilinear forms of matrix powers

In this paper we consider bilinear forms of matrix polynomials and show that these polynomials can be used to construct solutions for the problems of solving systems of linear algebraic equations, matrix inversion and finding extremal eigenvalues. An almost Optimal Monte Carlo (MAO) algorithm for computing bilinear forms of matrix polynomials is presented. Results for the computational costs of a balanced algorithm for computing the bilinear form of a matrix power is presented, i.e., an algorithm for which probability and systematic errors are of the same order, and this is compared with the computational cost for a corresponding deterministic method.

‘Due libertie and proportiond equalitie’: Milton, democracy, and the republican tradition

John Milton’s political thought has been interpreted in strikingly divergent ways. This article argues that he should be seen as a classical republican, and locates key aspects of his political thought within an ancient Greek discourse critical of democracy or extreme democracy. Milton was clearly familiar with the ancient texts expounding this critique, and he himself deployed both the arguments and the characteristic discourse of the anti-democratic thinkers across the span of his writing. This vision of politics emphasized the rightly-ordered soul of the masculine republican citizen, in contrast to the unruly passions seen both in tyrants and in the democratic rabble.

Basic Income, Republican Freedom, and Effective Market Power

This article examines republican arguments for a basic income that turn on a right to exit the labour market. It gives criteria for the maintenance of republican freedom in markets, arguing that a right to exit or effective market power will guarantee republican freedom in markets. The article then considers whether a basic income is either sufficient or necessary to protect republican freedom both in labour markets and elsewhere. If a basic income is necessary to protect republican freedom in the labour market, I argue it is not sufficient to protect that freedom elsewhere. If citizens lack the means to maintain their republican freedom in the labour market, then there may be other spheres of life where they are vulnerable to subordination, whether or not they have a basic income. Some sociological evidence on cultural consumption patterns is presented.

Finality revived: powers and intentionality

Proponents of physical intentionality argue that the classic hallmarks of intentionality highlighted by Brentano are also found in purely physical powers. Critics worry that this idea is metaphysically obscure at best, and at worst leads to panpsychism or animism. I examine the debate in detail, finding both confusion and illumination in the physical intentionalist thesis. Analysing a number of the canonical features of intentionality, I show that they all point to one overarching phenomenon of which both the mental and the physical are kinds, namely finality. This is the finality of ‘final causes’, the long-discarded idea of universal action for an end to which recent proponents of physical intentionality are in fact pointing whether or not they realise it. I explain finality in terms of the concept of specific indifference, arguing that in the case of the mental, specific indifference is realised by the process of abstraction, which has no correlate in the case of physical powers. This analysis, I conclude, reveals both the strength and weakness of rational creatures such as us, as well as demystifying (albeit only partly) the way in which powers work.

After balance of powers diplomacy, globalization´s politics

The September 11th episode not only marked the end of the Cold War, but of the Balance of Powers Diplomacy, through which the nation-states defin e themselves as enemies, and solve their problems with war or war threat. Today the major countries do not have enemies among other nation-states. Slowly Globalization’s Politics replace the previous system, as long as globalization gets regulated, and the rule of law emerges at international level. In the global world we have three types of countries: the rich, the ones of intermediary development, and the poor. Globalization is inherently unjust to the latter. Unable to compete in a world where competition prevails everywhere, such countries are either just outside the system, or, frustrated, recur to terrorism. Interests, however, do not point out only in the direction of inequalities. Through politics, i.e., through debate and argument, it will be possible to create a less unjust international law system. And also though it, the hope in an international government ceases to be a mere utopia.

As normas de observância obrigatória nas Constituições Estaduais à luz do Supremo Tribunal Federal

Este trabalho objetiva verificar se o Supremo Tribunal Federal possui ou não posicionamento sedimentado sobre as normas de observância obrigatória da Constituição Federal nas Constituições Estaduais, quais são os temas mais recorrentes nos seus julgados e os princípios utilizados como fundamento dessas decisões. Inicialmente, há uma análise doutrinária sobre os princípios que procuram conceituar, estabelecer e classificar as normas de observância obrigatória. Adiante está a ampla pesquisa jurisprudencial sobre os temas mais recorrentes e que envolvem diretamente as normas de reprodução obrigatória. Por fim, foi feito um estudo doutrinário sobre os princípios constitucionais utilizados como principais argumentos pelos Ministros do Supremo Tribunal Federal para definir se uma norma é ou não de reprodução obrigatória.

Repercussão geral e súmula vinculante: os efeitos no controle difuso

Brazil since its first republican constitution has adopted systems of laws control. The review activity was given to three state powers or functions state, Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. However, it appears that in the country along the constitutional history, has stood considerably the jurisdictional control of the most important control. Initially, back in 1891, Brazil adopted the jurisdictional control of diffuse from U.S, whose role in monitoring of standards is delivered to all organs of the judiciary, which may face a case, put on trial, ascertain whether or not the possibility of applying a law, removing its impact in case of unconstitutionality. In 1969, entered in the second legal model of judicial review, the concentrated control of constitutionality, whose inspiration comes from the positivist theory of Hans Kelsen, and was adopted by the Austrian Constitution of 1920. According to the abstract control the supervision of law is given to a Court or Constitutional Court, responsible for the analysis of the legal constitutionality independent of its application to a specific case. In Brazil the role of concentrated control was handed over exclusively to the Supreme Court, which serves as the Constitutional Court, which accumulates that function with other constitutionally provided jurisdiction. Throughout this period, from 1891 until today, Brazil has maintained a dual system of judicial control of legal constitutionality, where they coexist and harmonize the diffuse control exercised by any organ of the Judiciary, and concentrated control of competence the Supreme Court. However, one must recognize that with the advent of the Federal Constitution of 1988, the concentrated control has emerged on the national stage due to two important factors: the expansion of the legal capacity to sue and the inclusion of other ways control, besides the already known Direct Claim of Unconstitutionality. This concentrated control and projection of the Supreme Court s attempt to become a true constitutional court, led to a relative weakening of diffuse control even when performed by the Brazilian Constitutional Court. In order to become a true constitutional court, all decisions handed down by the Supreme in the exercise of constitutional jurisdiction should have the same weight and the same measure, or at least bring improvement to similar effects, once is the responsible for the final word when it comes to constitutional interpretation. Thus, the writs of certiorari and stare decisis were responsible for profound changes in the diffuse control, allowing the Supreme Court can strengthen its decisions even in the diffuse control. These two institutions have substantially changed the legal status of diffuse control, allowing an extension of the effects of decisions handed down by the Supreme Court, so that you can no longer be said that the effects of this control to restrict the disputing parties in the process

Multidimensional polynomial powers of sigmoid (PPS) Wavelet neural networks

Wavelet functions have been used as the activation function in feedforward neural networks. An abundance of R&D has been produced on wavelet neural network area. Some successful algorithms and applications in wavelet neural network have been developed and reported in the literature. However, most of the aforementioned reports impose many restrictions in the classical backpropagation algorithm, such as low dimensionality, tensor product of wavelets, parameters initialization, and, in general, the output is one dimensional, etc. In order to remove some of these restrictions, a family of polynomial wavelets generated from powers of sigmoid functions is presented. We described how a multidimensional wavelet neural networks based on these functions can be constructed, trained and applied in pattern recognition tasks. As an example of application for the method proposed, it is studied the exclusive-or (XOR) problem.

Human face verification based on multidimensional Polynomial Powers of Sigmoid (PPS)

In this paper, we described how a multidimensional wavelet neural networks based on Polynomial Powers of Sigmoid (PPS) can be constructed, trained and applied in image processing tasks. In this sense, a novel and uniform framework for face verification is presented. The framework is based on a family of PPS wavelets,generated from linear combination of the sigmoid functions, and can be considered appearance based in that features are extracted from the face image. The feature vectors are then subjected to subspace projection of PPS-wavelet. The design of PPS-wavelet neural networks is also discussed, which is seldom reported in the literature. The Stirling Universitys face database were used to generate the results. Our method has achieved 92 % of correct detection and 5 % of false detection rate on the database.

Synthesis and thermal characterization of luminescent powers of terbium(III) with mixed ligands

This work deals with the synthesis and thermal decomposition of complexes of general formula: Ln(beta-dik)(3)L (where Ln=Tb(+3), beta-dik=4,4,4-trifluoro-1-phenyl-1,3butanedione(btfa) and L=1,10-fenantroline(phen) or 2,2-bipiridine(bipy). The powders were characterized by melting point, FTIR spectroscopy, LTV-visible, elemental analysis, scanning differential calorimeter(DSC) and thermogravimetry(TG). The TG/DSC curves were obtained simultaneously in a system DSC-TGA, under nitrogen atmosphere. The experimental conditions were: 0.83 ml.s(-1) carrier gas flow, 2.0 +/- 0.5 mg samples and 10 degrees C.min(-1) heating rate. The CHN elemental analysis of the Tb(btfa)(3)bipy and Tb(btfa)(3)phen complexes, are in good agreement with the expected values. The IR spectra evinced that the metal ion is coordinated to the ligands via C=O and C-N groups. The TG/DTG/DSC curves of the complexes show that they decompose before melting. The profiles of the thermal decomposition of the Tb(btfa)3phen and Tb(btfa)3bipy showed six and five decomposition stages, respectively. Our data suggests that the thermal stability of the complexes under investigation followed the order: Tb(btfa)(3)phen < Tb(btfa)(3)bipy.

Modernidade republicana e diocesanização do catolicismo no Brasil: a construção do bispado de Botucatu no sertão paulista (1890-1923)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)