本論文以「美元霸權」為核心，討論美國做為貨幣霸權對於國際金融體系的影響。首先介紹霸權穩定論之理論內涵與發展，經過重新檢視霸權穩定論的思想內涵後，筆者發現霸權穩定論有許多缺陷並提出修正。其次，討論美元霸權在布列敦森林體系瓦解之後的形成與運作。美元霸權的起源是1971年尼克森將美元與黃金脫鉤，之後，經由1974年「石油-美元計價機制」與金融全球化進一步鞏固美元的霸權地位。最後，以「石油金融化」現象為例，說明美國是如何結合「石油-美元計價機制」與「金融全球化」來鞏固美元霸權地位，最後也導致國際金融體系的不穩定。 本文認為，美國將石油市場變成了一個大型賭場。石油價格暴漲暴跌將對世界經濟，尤其是發展中國家帶來不利影響。「石油-美元計價機制」是一種「誘捕」，它強化了從屬國家對美元的依賴。憑著不對稱的金融相互依賴，美國穩居霸權地位。然而，一個穩定的國際金融體系不能只靠主導國家權力的使用，一個階層狀態的國際關係，還必須有從屬國家配合的意願。隨著「二次大戰效應」的消失，美國無法再以國內市場的龐大需求滿足發展中國家的出口導向政策，因此，身為主導國家的美國必須運用國際金融發展的不對稱性，提供從屬國家支持美元霸權的誘因，此種不對稱性的互賴關係也是美元霸權的權力來源。此外，霸權權力具有自我毀滅的傾向。在金融全球化的過程中，政府的權威不斷被削弱，導致政治反應能力遠遠落後於經濟力量的發展。若美國不採取行動管理國際金融體系，取得主導國家的正當性，則衰落是不可避免。

In this dissertation, we present several main research thrusts involving thermodynamic stabilization via energy dissipating hybrid controllers and nonlinear control of network systems. Specifically, a novel class of fixed-order, energy-based hybrid controllers is presented as a means for achieving enhanced energy dissipation in Euler-Lagrange, lossless, and dissipative dynamical systems. These dynamic controllers combine a logical switching architecture with continuous dynamics to guarantee that the system plant energy is strictly decreasing across switching. In addition, we construct hybrid dynamic controllers that guarantee that the closed-loop system is consistent with basic thermodynamic principles. In particular, the existence of an entropy function for the closed-loop system is established that satisfies a hybrid Clausius-type inequality. Special cases of energy-based hybrid controllers involving state-dependent switching are described, and the framework is applied to aerospace system models. The overall framework demonstrates that energy-based hybrid resetting controllers provide an extremely efficient mechanism for dissipating energy in nonlinear dynamical systems. Next, we present finite-time coordination controllers for multiagent network systems. Recent technological advances in communications and computation have spurred a broad interest in autonomous, adaptable vehicle formations. Distributed decision-making for coordination of networks of dynamic agents addresses a broad area of applications including cooperative control of unmanned air vehicles, microsatellite clusters, mobile robotics, and congestion control in communication networks. In this part of the dissertation we focus on finite-time consensus protocols for networks of dynamic agents with undirected information flow. The proposed controller architectures are predicated on the recently developed notion of system thermodynamics resulting in thermodynamically consistent continuous controller architectures involving the exchange of information between agents that guarantee that the closed-loop dynamical network is consistent with basic thermodynamic principles.

Ce travail tente d'analyser la réponse d'une jet axisymétrique turbulent à une excitation fluidique stationnaire et instationnaire lorsque le contenu fréquentiel et aziumutal (!,m) de la perturbation est maîtrisé. Le dispositif de contrôle utilisé est composé de 16 microjets ronds répartis sur le bord de fuite de la tuyère. L'utilisation des microjets provoque une réduction du champ acoustique rayonné (particulièrement pour le cas de contrôle stationnaire). Le champ aérodynamique est ensuite sondé grâce à des mesures fil chaud et PIV stéréoscopique résolue en temps. L'excitation instationnaire permet d'utiliser les moyennes de phase afin d'effectuer une décomposition triple du champ de vitesse. L'étude de la composante cyclique de la “réponse du jet” montre une synchronisation spatio-temporelle importante sur une grande étendue spatiale. En d'autres mots, le forçage a une grande autorité déterministe sur l'écoulement. De plus, la comparaison de la composante cyclique de la réponse du jet avec la théorie de la stabilité linéaire indique qu'il existe des ondes d'instabilité hydrodynamique au sein du jet. L'analyse du jet contrôlé par injection fluidique stationnaire montre ensuite comment l'effet du contrôle peut être expliqué par la déformation du champ moyen conduisant à la réduction du taux de croissance des ondes d'instabilité dans le jet. Cette déformation est dûe à l'introduction d'un couple de paramètre (nombre d'onde/fréquences) pour lequel le champ moyen de l'écoulement est stable. La réponse du jet étant turbulente, cela implique que les tensions de Reynolds déforment le champ moyen de manière à ce que les modes les plus instables aient des taux de croissance plus faibles. / This work investigates the response of an axisymetric turbulent jet to steady and unsteady fluidic florcing where the azimuthal wavenumber-frequency (!,m) content of the perturbation is well known. The control setup is composed of 16 round microjets azimutally distributed around the nozzle lip. Such actuation can lead to a decrease in the acoustic energy radiated by the jet (especially for the steady case). The aerodynamic fied is investigated using hotwire measurements and time-resolved stereoscopic PIV. Using the unsteady forcing, phase-averaging is possible, and this allows the implementation of a triple decomposition of the measurements. Examination of the cyclic component of the flow response shows that a non-negligible phase-locked fluctuation is obtained over a large spatial extent, in other words, the actuation has good deterministic control authority over the flow. Furthermore, comparison of the cyclic component of the flow response with Linear Stability Theory supports the idea that the jet response comprises linear hydrodynamic instability waves. Subsequent analysis of jets controlled by steady fluidic actuation shows how the control effect can be explained by a mean-flow modification that leads to the reduction of instability-wave growth rates ; the mean flow modification is argued to be due to the introduction of azimuthal wavenumber-frequency pairs to which the mean flow is stable. The response is therefore turbulent, and involves Reynolds stresses which deform the mean-field such that the most unstable modes have lower growth rates.

Israel have been a particularly war-ridden state, since its inception in 1948 the Israelis had already fought five different wars in its first 30 years of existence. This essay aims to investigate the cause of two of these wars that had both been fought with Egypt. The 1967 six-days war and the Yom-Kippur war of 1973.To try and answer this question this essay uses Stephen Van Everas stability theory which tries to explain how states act when presented with a first move advantage. The study concludes that the main causes of these wars was hasty and truncated diplomacy combined with a lucrative first-strike advantage. The six-day war started as a result of Egyptian posturing turned to dreams of conquest and the Yom-kippur as a result of bitter resentment for the new status quo and total lack of diplomatic negotiations.