Cette dissertation se divise en deux parties, distinctes mais connexes, qui sont le reflet de la cotutelle. Nous étudions et résolvons des problèmes concernant d'une part la combinatoire des mots dans un contexte abélien et d'autre part des problèmes de couverture dans des graphes. Chaque question fait l'objet d'un chapitre. En combinatoire des mots, le premier problème considéré s'intéresse à la régularité des suites au sens défini par Allouche et Shallit. Nous montrons qu'une suite qui satisfait une certaine propriété de symétrie est 2-régulière. Ensuite, nous appliquons ce théorème pour montrer que les fonctions de complexité 2-abélienne du mot de Thue--Morse ainsi que du mot appelé ''period-doubling'' sont 2-régulières. Les calculs et arguments développés dans ces démonstrations s'inscrivent dans un schéma plus général que nous espérons pouvoir utiliser à nouveau pour prouver d'autres résultats de régularité. Le deuxième problème poursuit le développement de la notion de mot de retour abélien introduite par Puzynina et Zamboni. Nous obtenons une caractérisation des mots sturmiens avec un intercepte non nul en termes du cardinal (fini ou non) de l'ensemble des mots de retour abélien par rapport à tous les préfixes. Nous décrivons cet ensemble pour Fibonacci ainsi que pour Thue--Morse (bien que cela ne soit pas un mot sturmien). Nous étudions la relation existante entre la complexité abélienne et le cardinal de cet ensemble. En théorie des graphes, le premier problème considéré traite des codes identifiants dans les graphes. Ces codes ont été introduits par Karpovsky, Chakrabarty et Levitin pour modéliser un problème de détection de défaillance dans des réseaux multiprocesseurs. Le rapport entre la taille optimale d'un code identifiant et la taille optimale du relâchement fractionnaire d'un code identifiant est comprise entre 1 et 2 ln(|V|)+1 où V est l'ensemble des sommets du graphe. Nous nous concentrons sur les graphes sommet-transitifs, car nous pouvons y calculer précisément la solution fractionnaire. Nous exhibons des familles infinies, appelées quadrangles généralisés, de graphes sommet-transitifs pour lesquelles les solutions entière et fractionnaire sont de l'ordre |V|^k avec k dans {1/4, 1/3, 2/5}. Le second problème concerne les (r,a,b)-codes couvrants de la grille infinie déjà étudiés par Axenovich et Puzynina. Nous introduisons la notion de 2-coloriages constants de graphes pondérés et nous les étudions dans le cas de quatre cycles pondérés particuliers. Nous présentons une méthode permettant de lier ces 2-coloriages aux codes couvrants. Enfin, nous déterminons les valeurs exactes des constantes a et b de tout (r,a,b)-code couvrant de la grille infinie avec |a-b|>4. Il s'agit d'une extension d'un théorème d'Axenovich. / This dissertation is divided into two (distinct but connected) parts that reflect the joint PhD. We study and we solve several questions regarding on the one hand combinatorics on words in an abelian context and on the other hand covering problems in graphs. Each particular problem is the topic of a chapter. In combinatorics on words, the first problem considered focuses on the 2-regularity of sequences in the sense of Allouche and Shallit. We prove that a sequence satisfying a certain symmetry property is 2-regular. Then we apply this theorem to show that the 2-abelian complexity functions of the Thue--Morse word and the period-doubling word are 2-regular. The computation and arguments leading to these results fit into a quite general scheme that we hope can be used again to prove additional regularity results. The second question concerns the notion of return words up to abelian equivalence, introduced by Puzynina and Zamboni. We obtain a characterization of Sturmian words with non-zero intercept in terms of the finiteness of the set of abelian return words to all prefixes. We describe this set of abelian returns for the Fibonacci word but also for the Thue-Morse word (which is not Sturmian). We investigate the relationship existing between the abelian complexity and the finiteness of this set. In graph theory, the first problem considered deals with identifying codes in graphs. These codes were introduced by Karpovsky, Chakrabarty and Levitin to model fault-diagnosis in multiprocessor systems. The ratio between the optimal size of an identifying code and the optimal size of a fractional relaxation of an identifying code is between 1 and 2 ln(|V|)+1 where V is the vertex set of the graph. We focus on vertex-transitive graphs, since we can compute the exact fractional solution for them. We exhibit infinite families, called generalized quadrangles, of vertex-transitive graphs with integer and fractional identifying codes of order |V|^k with k in {1/4,1/3,2/5}. The second problem concerns (r,a,b)-covering codes of the infinite grid already studied by Axenovich and Puzynina. We introduce the notion of constant 2-labellings of weighted graphs and study them in four particular weighted cycles. We present a method to link these labellings with covering codes. Finally, we determine the precise values of the constants a and b of any (r,a,b)-covering code of the infinite grid with |a-b|>4. This is an extension of a theorem of Axenovich.

While translation can be studied with a view to throwing light on a number of aspects in life, in this thesis translation has been researched with a view to outlining the development of written Zulu from its earliest stages, using twelve texts of the Book of Matthew. The Book of Matthew has been chosen in this undertaking because it was the first book of the Bible to be translated into Zulu and was thought to be the most apposite instrument with which the development of written Zulu could be measured. The polysystem theory and the descriptive approach to translation studies are the theoretical models that inform the arguments presented in this study. Polysystem theory sees translated literature as a system operating in the larger social, literary and historical systems of the target culture, while with the descriptive approach translations are regarded as facts of the target culture. Against this premise the focus of this study is mainly on the twelve translations of the Book of Matthew and no comparisons between source and target texts are undertaken here. Corpus-based research provided tools such as WordSmith Tools 3.0 for linguistic analysis. Biblical texts were obtained, scanned and presented in electronic format ready to be analysed. From the findings drawn, written Zulu developed all the way through Bible translation, with some translations revealing slight developments and others showing enormous ones. As the findings of this study reveal, Zulu developed gradually, as evidenced by the change to conjunctive writing which occurred over a considerable period, along with the appropriate representation of Zulu speech sounds and grammar conventions. It could also be established at what point during the development of the language, processes such as consonantalisation and palatalisation were introduced into the written language. It is also clear that words of Greek and Hebrew origin were brought into the Zulu language through Bible translation. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that it is feasible to use corpus-based research for analysis in the indigenous languages of South Africa. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (Linguistics)

Text in English with abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Tswana. / Academics in social sciences are increasingly conducting research in multilingual contexts. Researchers in the field of cross-language research agree that issues on the role of translators and translation are often neglected and even omitted in research reports, which may affect the trustworthiness of such a study. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of translators in cross-language qualitative research from the views of master’s and doctoral students who conducted cross-language qualitative research in psychology at a selected South African university. Exploratory qualitative research and methodology were deemed suitable for this study. Key participants were sampled through snowball sampling. Five postgraduates availed themselves to participate. Data were collected by semi-structured e-mail, telephone and/or face-to-face interviews. Semi-structured interviews were audio recorded and transcribed by the researcher after the interviews. As the number of available participants was limited, the researcher also sampled unpublished dissertations (5) and doctoral theses (2) to conduct document analysis. Transcripts were imported into ATLAS.ti™, whereafter the qualitative data were analysed by means of thematic data analysis. Five main themes emerged from the data. Themes from the transcripts as well as notes in the researcher’s reflective journal and relevant literature findings were collated. Finally, a critical discussion was provided. Key participants believed that translators may play a significant role in several stages of a cross-language qualitative study. Participants reported experiencing several translation challenges, namely: language barriers between them and their research participants; difficulty translating subject terminology from English into Afrikaans; and outdated bilingual scientific dictionaries. Findings also revealed that the credentials of the translator hired may have an impact, whether positive or negative, on the translation product. Reasons why translators may be excluded from a cross-language qualitative study were also highlighted. Firstly, although some of the participants reported that translators may be valuable in a cross-language study, all of them strongly asserted that they possessed high language competency, and therefore they deemed the inclusion of translators unnecessary. v It also emerged that qualitative researchers may need to be cognisant of ethical issues that may arise in a cross-language study. Translators may further be excluded as translation may not be suitable for the specific research design (for example, phenomenology). Finally, researchers may not have the financial means to hire translators. None of the key participants reported the language/translation challenges they experienced during their studies and the possible impact it may have had on the methodology or quality of data. They did not deem it an important aspect of their studies. In some of the dissertations and theses sampled, only the mother tongue of participants was often indicated but, in most cases, was discussed very superficially. These researchers mostly mentioned (as part of the biographic information) the language profile of their participants; that the data for that study were collected in either Afrikaans or English; and that the data were translated and analysed. Finally, although some of the sampled research reports were edited by professional language practitioners, translation and grammatical errors were clear throughout in the manuscripts. From this research it was clear that including translators in cross-language qualitative research in psychology is not a common practice in the South African context, and matters relating to translation and how challenges in this regard were dealt with are grossly neglected and mostly omitted in postgraduate research reports. To conclude, limitations of this study were highlighted, and recommendations for future translation research and practice were made. Keywords:; / Navorsing in sosiale wetenskappe word toenemend in veeltalige kontekste uitgevoer. Kruistaal kwalitatiewe navorsers is dit eens dat vraagstukke rondom die rol van vertalers en vertaling gereeld oor die hoof gesien word en selfs in navorsingsverslae uitgelaat word, wat uiteindelik die vetrouenswaardigheid van so ʼn studie mag affekteer. Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om ondersoek in te stel na die rol van vertalers in kruistaal kwalitatiewe navorsing vanuit die oogpunt van meestersgraad- en doktorale studente wat kruistaal kwalitatiewe navorsing in sielkunde aan ʼn gekose Suid-Afrikaanse universiteit uitgevoer het. Eksploratiewe kwalitatiewe navorsing en metodologie is as geskik geag vir hierdie studie. Sleuteldeelnemers is deur middel van sneeubalsteekproefneming gekies. Vyf nagraadse studente het hulleself beskikbaar gestel om aan die navorsing deel te neem. Data is deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde e-pos-, telefoon- en aangesig-tot-aangesig-onderhoude ingesamel. Die aantal deelnemers wat aan die studie kon deelneem was beperk en daarom het die navorser ook ongepubliseerde verhandelings (5) en proefskrifte (2) ingesamel ten einde dokumentanalise uit te voer. Transkripsies is in ATLAS.ti™ ingevoer, waarna die kwalitatiewe data deur middel van tematiese data-analise ontleed is. Vyf hooftemas het uit die data gespruit. Temas uit die transkripsies sowel as die navorser se notas uit haar reflektiewe joernaal en relevante literatuurbevindinge is saamgevat, waarna ʼn bespreking gevolg het. Sleuteldeelnemers was van mening dat vertalers ʼn belangrike rol kan speel in verskeie fases van ʼn kruistaal kwalitatiewe studie. Volgens deelnemers het hulle verskeie vertaaluitdagings ervaar, naamlik: taalhindernisse tussen hulle (die navorser) en hul navorsingsdeelnemers; uitdagings om vakterminologie van Engels in Afrikaans te vertaal; en verouderde tweetalige vakwoordeboeke. Bevindinge het ook getoon dat die aangestelde vertaler se kwalifikasies ʼn impak mag hê, hetsy positief óf negatief, op die vertaalproduk. Redes waarom vertalers van ʼn kruistaal kwalitatiewe studie uitgesluit kan wees, is ook uitgelig. Ten eerste, hoewel enkele deelnemers meegedeel het dat vertalers in ʼn kruistaal kwalitatiewe studie waardevol kan wees, het alle deelnemers sterk benadruk dat hulle oor hoë taalvaardigheid beskik, en daarom het hulle die insluiting van vertalers in hul studies vii onnodig geag. Dit blyk ook dat kwalitatiewe navorsers bewus moet wees van etiese vraagstukke wat in ʼn kruistaal studie mag onstaan. Vertalers kan voorts uitgesluit word indien vertaling nie geskik is vir die spesifieke navorsingsontwerp nie (byvoorbeeld, fenomenologie). Laastens, navorsers beskik moontlik nie oor die finansiële middele om vertalers aan te stel nie. Geeneen van die sleuteldeelnemers het die taal- of vertaaluitdagings wat hulle in hul studies ervaar het, genoem nie en het ook nie gemeld wat die moontlike impak op die metodologie of kwaliteit van die data mag wees nie. Hulle het dit nie in hulle studies belangrik geag nie. In enkele gekose verhandelings en proefskrifte is die moedertaal van navorsingsdeelnemers in daardie studies aangedui, maar is meestal baie simplisties bespreek. Hierdie navorsers het grotendeels slegs die taalprofiel van hulle deelnemers genoem (as deel van die biografiese inligting); dat data in hulle studies in óf Engels óf Afrikaans ingesamel is; en dat die data vertaal en ontleed is. Laastens, hoewel sommige van die navorsingsverslae deur professionele taalpraktisyns geredigeer is, is vertaal- en grammatiese foute steeds deurgaans in die manuskripte opgemerk. Dit blyk duidelik uit dié navorsing dat die insluiting van vertalers in kruistaal kwalitatiewe navorsing in sielkunde nie algemene praktyk in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks is nie, en sake wat verband hou met vertaling en hoe uitdagings in dié verband hanteer is, word grootliks nagelaat en meestal in nagraadse navorsingsverslae uitgelaat. Ten laaste is beperkings van die studie uitgelig, en aanbevelings is gemaak vir toekomstige vertaalnavorsing en -praktyk. / Batlhatlheledi mo dithutong tsa maaranyana a dikgolagano gareng ga batho ba ba dirang patlisiso ka ga bopuontsi, ba ntse ba oketsega go feta. Babatlisisi mo tikologong ya dipuo tse di fapaaneng ba dumela gore mabaka a a ka ga karolo e e tsewang ke baranodi le diphetolelo, mo nakong e ntsi e tlogelwa kwa morago mme le gone ga e akaretswe gotlhelele mo dipegong tsa patlisiso. Seno, se ka ama boikanyego jwa serutwa. Maikaelelo a serutwa seno e ne e le go batlisisa karolo e e tsewang ke baranodi mo patlisisong ya dipuo tse fapaaneng e e itsegeng ka la ‘qualitative’, go tswa mo dikakanyong tsa baithuti ba dithuto tsa Masetase le tsa Bongaka, ba ba dirileng patlisiso tsa dipuo tse di fapaaneng mo patlisisong e e itsegeng ka la ‘qualitative’, mo go saekholoji mo yunibesiting e e kgethilweng mo Aforikaborwa. Patlisiso e e ka ga ditlhaloso tsa mabaka a a batlisisiwang, ya go utulola mmogo le mokgwa wa go batla tshedimosetso, di fitlhetswe e le tse di siametseng serutwa seno. Batsayakarolobagolo ba patlisiso ba ne ba kgethiwa mme ba ne ba tshwanetse go batla batsayakarolo bangwe ba go tla dirwang diteko ka bone. Batsholadidikerii tsa dithuto tse dikgolwane ba le batlhano ba ne ba ithaopa go tsaya karolo. Tshedimosetso e kgobokantswe ka imeile ya seka-thulaganyo, mogala le/kgotsa dipuisano tsa go lebelana ka matlho. Ditherisano tsa seka-thulaganyo di ne tsa gatisiwa mme tsa kwalololwa ke mmatlisisi morago ga dipuisano. Ka ntlha ya fa palo ya batsayakarolo e ne e le e nnye, mmatlisisi o ne a kgobokanya dikao di le 5 go tswa mo dithutong tsa Masetase, le tse 2 go tswa mo go tsa Bongaka, tse di sa phasaladiwang di kanoka. Dikgatiso di ile tsa tsengwa mo teng ga ATLAS.ti™, mme morago tshedimosetso e e ka ga ditlhaloso e ne ya kanokwa ka mokgwa wa kanoko ya dithitokgang. Go tswa mo tshedimosetsong, go ne tlhagelela dithitokgang di le tlhano. Dithitokgang go tswa mo dikgatisong mmogo le dikwalwa go tswa mo jenaleng ya dikakanyo tsa mmatlisisi le diphitlhelelo go tswa mo dipuisong tsa patlisiso, di ne tsa kgobokanngwa. Mo bokhutlong, go ne ga nna le puisano e e nang le dikakanyo tse di farologaneng. Batsayakarolo-bagolo ba na ba dumela gore baranodi ba ka tsaya karolo e e botlhokwa thata mo thutong ya ditlhaloso e e ka ga dipuo tse di fapaaneng. Batsayakarolo ba begile fa ba nnile dikgwetlho tsa diphetolelo, e leng: dikganedi tsa puo magareng a bone le batsayakarolo ba bone mo patlisisong; bothata jwa go fetolela mareo a serutwa go tswa mo Seesimaneng go ya kwa Seaforikanseng; le dibukantswe tse dipuopedi tsa bonetetshi tsa bogologolo. Diphitlhelelo di supile gape gore bokgoni jwa moranodi yo o hirilweng bo nnile le tshusumetso, E ka ne e le e e siameng kgotsa e e sa siamang, mo go lereng phetolelo. Mabaka a goreng baranodi ba ka tlogelwa kwa morago mo serutweng se se ka ga dipuo tse di fapaaneng, le one a ne a tlhagisiwa. Sa ntlha, le fa ba bangwe ba batsayakarolo ba begile gore baranodi ba ka nna botlhokwa thata mo serutweng se se ka ga dipuo tse di fapaaneng, botlhe ba ne ba dumela gore ba na le bokgoni jwa maemo a a kwa godimo jwa puo, mme ka lebaka leo, ba bone gore go akaretsa baranodi ga go tlhokege. Go ne ga tlhagelela gape gore babatlisisi ba dipatlisiso tse di ka ga ditlhaloso, ba ka tshwanela go ela tlhoko mabaka a a amogelegang ka sengwe se tsewang se siame kgotsa se se siama, a a ka tlhagelelang mo serutweng se se ka ga dipuo tse di fapaaneng. E bile baranodi ba ka nna ba se akarediwe ka gonne diphetolelo di ka fitlhelwa se nne matshwanedi mo mekgweng le mefuta e e dirisiwang go kgobokanya le go kanoka tshedimosetso ka ga dipatlisiso (sekao, serutwa se se ka ga kakanyo kgotsa maitemogelo). Mo bokhutlong, gongwe babatlisisi ba ka se nne le madi a go thapa baranodi. Ga go ope wa batsayakarolo bagolo yo o begileng dikgwetlho tsa puo/phetolelo tse ba kgatlhaneng le tsona mo dithutong tsa bone le le seabe se di nnileng le sona mo mokgweng wa go batla tshedimosetso kgotsa boleng jwa tshedimosetso. Ga ba a bona seno e le ntlha e e botlhokwa mo dithutong tsa bone. Mo dithutong tsa masetase le tsa bongaka tse di kgobokantsweng, go ne ga tlhagisiwa fela puogae ya batsayakarolo, mme mo mabakeng a le mantsi, puisano ka ga yona e ne e se boteng. Babatlisisi bano ba kaile go le gantsi (jaaka karolo ya tshedimosetso ka ga motho) ka ga puo e e buiwang ke batsayakarolo; gore tshedimosetso ka ga serutwa seo e kgobokantswe ka puo ya Seaforikanse kgotsa Seesimane; le gore tshedimosetso e ne ya fetolelwa mme ya kanokwa. Mo bokhutlong, le fa diphoso tse di ka puo mo go tse dingwe tsa dipegelo tsa dipatlisiso di ne tsa baakanngwa ke baitseanape ba ba dirang ka puo, diphoso tsa phetolelo le thutapuo di nnile teng mo dikwalweng. Go tswa mo patlisisong eno, go ne ga itshupa gore go akaretsa baranodi mo patlisisong ya dithuto tse di ka tlhaloganyo, e e ka ga ditlhaloso mo dipuong tse di fapaaneng, ga se se se diriwang ka tlwaelo go ya ka Seaforikaborwa. Le gona, mabaka a a amanang le phetolelo le mokgwa o dikgwetlho di neng tsa rarabololwa ka teng, di kgatolositswe e bile ga di akarediwe mo dipegelong tsa dipatlisiso tsa dithuto tse di kgolwane. Go konosetsa, dikganedi tsa serutwa seno di ne tsa supiwa mme ga newa dikgakololo ka ga dipatlisiso le tiriso ya phetolelo mo isagong. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A.(Linguistics)

Electronic contracts in the new technological age and electronic commerce have brought about world-wide legal uncertainty. When compared to the traditional paper-based method of writing and signing, the question has arisen whether contracts concluded by electronic means should be recognised as valid and enforceable agreements in terms of the functional equivalence approach. This study will examine the law regulating e-commerce from a South African perspective in contrast to international trends and e-commerce law from the perspective of the United States. The research investigates various aspects of contract formation such as time and place, validity of electronic agreements, electronic signatures, attribution of electronic data messages and signatures, automated transaction as well as select aspects of e-jurisdiction from a South African and United States viewpoint. / Mercantile Law / LLM

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:44:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2929.pdf: 11352418 bytes, checksum: 28d64060a63b9aea98de01a8294ef436 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-03-01 / Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais / Acquisitions of verbal functions in prelingually deaf children have shown progress in the listener s behavior, but less significant gains in the speaker s behavior. The aim of this study was to develop and assess the effectiveness of teaching procedures designed to develop listening comprehension and speech intelligibility in this population. Three studies were conducted. In the first one, subjects were taught conditional auditory-visual relations between dictated words and pictures, and between dictated words and printed words, along three successive learning problems. Two teenage girls with extensive sensory deprivation periods and late cochlear implants learned the auditory-visual relations and showed the emergence of equivalence relations, progressing from the learning relations with conventional words to learning relations between pseudo-words and abstract pictures. Study 2 investigated the effects of a curriculum of conditional discriminations between dictated words and pictures and between dictated and printed words to preschoolers and children acquiring literacy, thus extending the amount of experience with successive sets of words, in relation to Study 1. A multiple baseline design among word sets assessed the curriculum effects. Five of the seven participants learned the conditional discrimination and presented the emergence of equivalence relations, echoic behavior and naming pictures and printed words. Speech production scores, however, lag behind scores in matching tasks. In Study 3 participants learned conditional discriminations between dictated sentences and videoclip scenes. Different sentences were dictated, warranting overlapping of sentence elements, seeking to engender recombinative repertoires (in identifying new scenes formed by recombination of subject, verb and object of previous sentences). Participants demonstrated recombinative generalization and produced intelligible sentences. Results indicate the potential of the teaching procedures for the (re)habilitation of implant users. The persistence of the imbalance between speech production and auditory comprehension suggests important issues concerning the ontogenesis of the listener and speaker s repertoire. / As aquisições de funções verbais em crianças com surdez pré-lingual usuárias de implante coclear têm mostrado progressos no comportamento de ouvinte e poucos ganhos no comportamento de falante. O presente estudo teve por objetivo desenvolver e avaliar procedimentos de ensino para ampliar a compreensão e a inteligibilidade nessa população. Foram conduzidos três estudos. No primeiro foram ensinadas relações condicionais auditivo-visuais entre palavras ditadas e figuras e entre palavras ditadas e palavras impressas, em três problemas sucessivos de aprendizagem. Duas adolescentes com longo período de privação sensorial e implante tardio aprenderam as relações auditivo-visuais e formaram classes de estímulos equivalentes, progredindo da aprendizagem de palavras convencionais até a de relações entre pseudo-palavras e figuras abstratas. O Estudo 2 investigou os efeitos do ensino de um currículo de discriminações condicionais entre palavras ditadas e figuras e entre palavras ditadas e impressas para pré-escolares e crianças em alfabetização. Foram empregados vários conjuntos de estímulos, cada um com três elementos; um delineamento de linha de base múltipla entre os conjuntos avaliou os efeitos do ensino. Cinco dos sete participantes aprenderam as relações condicionais e mostraram emergência de novas relações (formação de classes, comportamento ecóico e nomeação de figuras e de palavras impressas) em tarefas de seleção e na produção de fala (com escores mais baixos). No Estudo 3 foram ensinadas discriminações condicionais entre sentenças ditadas e vídeos. As sentenças apresentavam sujeito, verbo e objeto. O ensino de diferentes sentenças envolveu combinações entre elementos com sobreposição, buscando favorecer a generalização recombinativa. Os participantes aprenderam as relações condicionais, demonstraram generalização recombinativa e produziram fala compreensível com sentenças. Os resultados indicam o potencial dos procedimentos de ensino para a (re)habilitação de usuários de implante. A persistência da defasagem na produção de fala em relação à compreensão sugere questões importantes sobre a ontogenia dos repertórios de ouvinte e de falante.

Cette thèse traite de l’étude des objets reliés au codage de Bowen-Series du flot géodésiquepour des surfaces hyperboliques de volume fini. On démontre d’abord que le billard géodésiqueassocié à domaine fondamental even corners d’un groupe fuchsien cofini est conjuguéà une bijection du tore, appelée codage étendu, dont l’un des facteurs est la transformationde Bowen-Series. L’intérêt principal de cette conjugaison est qu’elle ne fait toujours intervenirqu’un nombre fini d’objets. On retrouve ensuite des résultats classiques sur le codage deBowen-Series : il est orbite-équivalent au groupe, ses points périodiques sont denses, et ses orbitespériodiques sont en bijection avec les classes d’équivalence d’hyperboliques primitifs dugroupe ; ce qui permet finalement de relier sa fonction zeta de Ruelle à la fonction zeta de Selberg.Les preuves de ces résultats s’appuient sur un lemme combinatoire qui abstrait la propriétéd’orbite-équivalence à des familles de relations qui peuvent être définies sur tout ensemble surlequel agit le groupe. Il est aussi possible de conjuguer le codage étendu à un sous-shift detype fini, sauf pour un ensemble dénombrable de points. Enfin, on prouve que les distributionspropres pour la valeur propre 1 de l’opérateur de transfert sont les distributions de Helgason defonctions propres du laplacien sur la surface, puis que l’on peut associer à toute telle distributionpropre une fonction propre non triviale de l’opérateur de transfert et que ce procédé admet uninverse dans certains cas. / This thesis focuses on the study of the objects linked to the Bowen-Series coding of the geodesicflow for hyperbolic surfaces of finite volume. It is first proved that the geodesic billiardassociated with an even corners fundamental domain for a cofinite fuchsian group is conjugatedwith a bijection of the torus, called extended coding, one factor of which is the Bowen-Seriestransform. The sharpest property of that conjugacy is that it always only involves a finite numberof objects. Some classical results about the Bowen-Series coding are then rediscovered : itis orbit-equivalent with the group, its periodic points are dense, and its periodic orbits are inbijection with conjugacy classes of primitive hyperbolic isometries ; which eventually links itsRuelle zeta function to the Selberg zeta function. The proofs of those results use a combinatoriallemma that abstracts the orbit-equivalence property to families of relations that can be definedon every set on which the group acts. The extended coding is also proved to be conjugated witha subshift of finite type, except for a countable set of points. Finally, it is shown that eigendistributionsof the transfer operator for the eigenvalue 1 are the Helgason boundary values ofeigenfunction of laplacian on the surface, plus that one can associate to each such eigendistributiona non-trivial eigenfunction of the transfer operator and that this process has a reciprocalin some cases.

Cette thèse s'intéresse à la modélisation et à l'analyse dessystèmes temps-réel distribués.Un système distribué est constitué de plusieurs composantsqui évoluent de manière partiellement indépendante. Lorsque des actionsexécutables par différentscomposants sont indépendantes, elles sont dites concurrentes.Dans ce cas, elles peuvent être exécutées dans n'importe quel ordre, sanss'influencer, et l'état atteint après ces actions ne dépend pas de leur ordred'exécution.Dans les systèmes temps-réel distribués, les contraintes de temps créent desdépendances complexes entre les composants et les événements qui ont lieu surces composants. Malgré l'omniprésence et l'aspect critique de ces systèmes,beaucoup de leurs propriétés restent encore à étudier.En particulier, la nature distribuée de ces systèmes est souvent laissée de côté.Notre travail s'appuie sur deux formalismesde modélisation: les réseaux de Petri temporels et les réseaux d'automatestemporisés, et est divisé en deux parties.Dans la première partie, nous mettons en évidence les différences entre lessystèmes temporisés centralisés et les systèmes temporisés distribués. Nouscomparons les formalismes principaux et leurs extensions, avec une approcheoriginale qui considère la concurrence.En particulier, nous montrons comment transformer un réseau de Petri temporelen un réseau d'automates temporisés qui a le même comportement distribué.Nous nous intéressons ensuite aux horloges partagées dans lesréseaux d'automates temporisés. Les horloges partagées sont problématiqueslorsque l'on envisage d'implanter ces modèles sur des architecturesdistribuées. Nous montrons comment se passer des horloges partagées, touten préservant le comportement distribué, lorsque cela est possible.Dans la seconde partie, nous nous attachons à formaliser les dépendancesentre les événements dans les représentations en ordre partieldes exécutions des réseaux de Petri (temporels ou non).Les réseaux d'occurrence sont une de ces représentations, et leur structuredonne directement les relations de causalité, conflit et concurrence entreles événements. Cependant, nous montrons que, même dans le cas non temporisé,certaines relations logiques entre les événements nepeuvent pas être directement décrites par ces relations structurelles.Après avoir formalisé les relations logiques en question, nous résolvons leproblème de synthèse suivant: étant donnée une formule logique qui décrit unensemble d'exécutions, construire un réseau d'occurrence associé,quand celui-ci existe.Nous étudions ensuite les relations logiques dans un cadre temporisé simplifié,et montrons que le temps crée des dépendances complexes entre les événements.Ces dépendances peuvent être utilisées pour définir des dépliages canoniques deréseaux de Petri temporels, dans ce cadre simplifié. / This thesis is concerned with the modeling and the analysis of distributedreal-time systems. In distributed systems, components evolve partlyindependently: concurrent actions may be performed in any order, withoutinfluencing each other and the state reached after these actions does notdepends on the order of execution. The time constraints in distributed real-timesystems create complex dependencies between the components and the events thatoccur. So far, distributed real-time systems have not been deeply studied, andin particular the distributed aspect of these systems is often left aside. Thisthesis explores distributed real-time systems. Our work on distributed real-timesystems is based on two formalisms: time Petri nets and networks of timedautomata, and is divided into two parts.In the first part, we highlight the differences between centralized anddistributed timed systems. We compare the main formalisms and their extensions,with a novel approach that focuses on the preservation of concurrency. Inparticular, we show how to translate a time Petri net into a network of timedautomata with the same distributed behavior. We then study a concurrency relatedproblem: shared clocks in networks of timed automata can be problematic when oneconsiders the implementation of a model on a multi-core architecture. We showhow to avoid shared clocks while preserving the distributed behavior, when thisis possible.In the second part, we focus on formalizing the dependencies between events inpartial order representations of the executions of Petri nets and time Petrinets. Occurrence nets is one of these partial order representations, and theirstructure directly provides the causality, conflict and concurrency relationsbetween events. However, we show that, even in the untimed case, some logicaldependencies between event occurrences are not directly described by thesestructural relations. After having formalized these logical dependencies, wesolve the following synthesis problem: from a formula that describes a set ofruns, we build an associated occurrence net. Then we study the logicalrelations in a simplified timed setting and show that time creates complexdependencies between event occurrences. These dependencies can be used to definea canonical unfolding, for this particular timed setting.

La compensation écologique, envisagée dans le respect de la séquence éviter-réduire-compenser les impacts, cherche à apporter des réponses à la crise actuelle d’érosion de la biodiversité. L’objectif de la thèse est de comprendre quels sont les enjeux organisationnels et institutionnels de la mise en œuvre du principe de compensation écologique pour les impacts sur les écosystèmes aquatiques marins et continentaux en Europe et aux Etats-Unis. La thèse mobilise le cadre théorique de l’économie néo-institutionnelle. Les organisations de type hiérarchique (compensation au cas par cas) ont pour principales limites d’avoir une efficacité écologique discutable et de ne pas permettre le suivi et le contrôle des mesures compensatoires ce qui conduit souvent à ce que la compensation ne soit pas ou peu mise en œuvre. Aux Etats-Unis, les banques de compensation consistent en une réponse anticipée et mutualisée aux dommages à l’environnement. Il s’agit d’une forme organisationnelle alternative hybride fortement régulée à mi-chemin entre la hiérarchie et le marché. Cependant, les acteurs ont des stratégies collectives et individuelles qui engendrent des négociations ayant des conséquences sur les enjeux de développement économique et de maintien des objectifs de conservation de la biodiversité. Le système des banques de compensation crée un double phénomène de redistribution des coûts de transaction et de diminution de ceux-ci mais il semble que l’évolution de l’ensemble du cadre d’application de la compensation écologique américain permet aujourd’hui une complémentarité institutionnelle entre ces deux formes organisationnelles plutôt qu’une disparition des formes hiérarchiques. / Biodiversity offset, as the last step of the mitigation hierarchy (avoid/reduce/offset), aims to address the current biodiversity loss crisis. The main goal of this PhD, which relies on the new institutional economics approach as a theoretical framework, is to understand the organizational and institutional issues of implementing biodiversity offsets policies for impacts on continental and offshore wetlands in Europe and the United-States. Hierarchical organizations (i.e. permittee responsible mitigation) often lead to little to no implementation of biodiversity offsets because the ecological effectiveness of case-by-case compensatory measures is unproven and the monitoring and control of numerous measures are difficult. In the United-States, the mitigation banking system aims to compensate for multiple small impacts on wetlands by carrying out restoration projects on fewer but larger wetland areas in order to reach the goal of no net loss of biodiversity. This hybrid organizational form is highly regulated and therefore stands halfway between hierarchical and market organizations. However, actors have individual and collective strategies that generate negotiations with consequences on economic development and biodiversity conservation stakes. The mitigation banking system leads to a decrease of transaction costs and a change of the actors bearing them. It seems that the evolution of the whole framework of biodiversity offsets policy implementation in the United-States leans toward an institutional complementarity between these two organizational forms rather than a disappearance of hierarchical organizations.

This thesis deals with low level DC voltage measurement by three methods. First part of this thesis describes each method. It is about potentiometric method, reference step method and direct method. This thesis also describes Josephson voltage standard which was used for calibration nanovoltmeter and Zener reference. The theoretical part of this thesis also deals with the evaluation of key comparison data. The main goal of this thesis is the comparison of methods used to measure low level DC voltage. The practical part of the thesis deals with the implementation of measurement with all methods in cooperation with Czech metrology institute. The measured values are processed including uncertainty evaluations. The final part of this thesis focuses on comparison of measurement methods. The key comparison reference value and the degree of equivalence of the measurement of each method are determined. Next part of comparison consisted of graphic comparison of methods. The end of the thesis contains evaluation of the achieved results.

Opportunities that we have in today's world are sharply evolving, and the world is changing all together with these changes. This development is noticeably observed within the topic of global movement of (not only) population, which has changed fundamentally, both economically, politically and socially. Today's so much diversified form of migration, which has lost its transparency it used to has, is a very up to date and debated topic currently almost all over the world. Because of high importance of the topic "migration" it is often subject of research and number of surveys. One of the most examined area within the topic migration is attitudes of people towards immigration and immigrant, oftentimes together with investigating cause leading to particular attitude. Due to the international reach of the topic, these attitudes are often subject of cross-national research or national research, which, however, use data from international surveys. There is a clear disparity across European states in these attitudes towards immigration and, above all, the immigrants themselves. Given this nature of cross-national surveys measuring attitudes towards immigrants, it is important to focus on the measurement quality, which is becoming increasingly complex in the perspective of international research. It is...