Abstract : A lossless compression algorithm often applies the same coding scheme on the whole sequence to be compressed. Therefore, some factors of the sequence are shortened while others are lengthened. In this work, we propose an optimization algorithm of compression methods which breaks off the coding where it is not profitable, so that some segments of the initial sequence are copied as they are instead of being coded. The achieved compression is said modular, meaning that the compressed sequence is a sequel of compressed segments and copied segments. Under specific hypotheses, our algorithm computes an optimal modular compression in time O(n log n) where n is the length of the sequence. We show that our optimization method can be advantageously used to analyze data, and particularly genetic sequences. The Kolmogorov complexity theory brings to light the usefulness of compression when analyzing sequences. The work consists of three parts. The first one introduces the classical concepts of compression and coding, as well as the new concept of ICL codes for the integers. The second one presents the compression optimization algorithm by liftings that uses ICL codes. Finally, the third part presents applications of the compression optimization by liftings, especially in the context of genetic sequence analysis. With the specific problem of the localization of approximate tandem repeats, we show how the compression optimization algorithm by liftings can be used to localize regular segments and irregular segments of a sequence in a precise and optimal way. This comeback to experimentation makes it possible to analyze sequences that contain several thousands of symbols within the space of a few seconds. /Résumé : Une méthode de compression sans perte d'informations applique souvent le même schéma de codage d'un bout à l'autre de la séquence à comprimer. Certains facteurs de la séquence sont ainsi raccourcis mais malheureusement d'autres sont rallongés. Dans ce travail, nous proposons un algorithme d'optimisation de compression qui rompt le codage là ou il n'est pas intéressant en recopiant des morceaux de la séquence initiale. La compression obtenue est dite modulaire : la séquence comprimée est une succession de morceaux comprimés et de morceaux recopiés tels quels. Sous certaines hypothèses, notre algorithme fournit une compression modulaire optimale en temps O(n log n) où n est la longueur de la séquence. Nous montrons que notre méthode de compression peut avantageusement être utilisée pour analyser des données et plus particulièrement des séquences génétiques. La théorie de la complexité de Kolmogorov éclaire l'idée d'analyse de séquences par compression. Le travail comporte trois parties. La première introduit les concepts classiques de compression et de codage, ainsi que le concept nouveau de codage ICL d'entiers. La seconde développe l'algorithme d'optimisation de compression par liftings qui utilise les codes ICL. La dernière partie présente des applications de l'optimisation de compression par liftings, plus particulièrement dans le domaine de l'analyse de séquences génétiques. Nous montrons, à l'aide du problème spécifique de localisation de répétitions en tandem approximatives, comment l'algorithme d'optimisation par liftings peut être utilisé pour localiser précisément et de manière optimale les segments réguliers et les segments non réguliers des séquences. Il s'agit d'un retour à l'expérience qui permet l'analyse de séquences de plusieurs centaines de milliers de bases en quelques secondes.

Of the many waveforms the bowed string can assume, theso-called "Helmholtz motion" (Helmholtz 1862) gives the fullestsound in terms of power and overtone richness. The developmentof this steady-state oscillation pattern can take manydifferent paths, most of which would include noise caused bystick-slip irregularities of the bow-string contact. Of thefive papers included in the thesis, the first one shows, notsurprisingly, that tone onsets are considered superior when theattack noise has a very limited duration. It was found,however, that in this judgment thecharacterof the noise plays an important part, as thelistener’s tolerance of noise in terms of duration isalmost twice as great for "slipping noise" as for "creaks" or"raucousness" during the tone onsets. The three followingpapers contain analyses focusing on how irregular slip-sticktriggering may be avoided, as is quite often the case inpractical playing by professionals. The fifth paper describesthe triggering mechanism of a peculiar tone production referredto as "Anomalous Low Frequencies" (ALF). If properly skilled, aplayer can achieve pitches below the normal range of theinstrument. This phenomenon is related to triggering wavestaking "an extra turn" on the string before causing thestring’s release from the bow-hair grip. Since transverseand torsional propagation speeds are both involved, twodifferent sets of "sub-ranged" notes can be produced this way.In the four last papers wave patterns are analysed andexplained through the use of computer simulations. Key words: Key words: Bowed string, violin, musicalacoustics, musical transient, anomalous low frequencies,Helmholtz motion

The appearance in string theory of higher-dimensional objects known as D-branes has been a source of much of the interesting developements in the subject during the past ten years. A very interesting phenomenon occurs when several of these D-branes are made to coincide: The abelian gauge theory living on each brane is enhanced to a non-abelian gauge theory living on the stack of coincident branes. This gives rise to interesting effects like the natural appearance of non-commutative geometry. The theory governing the dynamics of these coincident branes is still poorly understood however and only hints of the underlying structure have been seen. This thesis focuses on an attempt to better this understanding by writing down actions for coincident branes using so-called boundary fermions, originating in considerations of open strings, instead of matrices to describe the non-abelian fields. It is shown that by gauge-fixing and by suitably quantizing these boundary fermions the non-abelian action that is known, the Myers action, can be reproduced. Furthermore it is shown that under natural assumptions, unlike the Myers action, the action formulated using boundary fermions also posseses kappa-symmetry, the criterion for being the correct supersymmetric action for coincident D-branes. Another aspect of string theory discussed in this thesis is that of tensionless strings. These are of great interest for example because of their possible relation to higher spin gauge theories via the AdS/CFT-correspondence. The tensionless superstring in a plane wave background, arising as a particular limit of the near-horizon geometry of a stack of D3-branes, is considered and compared to the tensile case.

The main topic of this doctoral thesis is D-branes in string theory, expressed in the language of conformal field theory. The purpose of string theory is to describe the elementary particles and the fundamental interactions of nature, including gravitation as a quantum theory. String theory has not yet reached the status to make falsifiable predictions, thus it is not certain that string theory has any direct relevance to physics. On the other hand, string theory related research has led to progress in mathematics. We begin with a short introduction to conformal field theory and some of its applications to string theory. We also introduce vertex algebras and discuss their relevance to conformal field theory. Some classes of conformal field theories are introduced, and we discuss the relevant vertex algebras, as well as their interpretation in terms of string theory. In string theory, a D-brane specifies where the endpoint of the string lives. Many aspects of string theory can be described in terms of a conformal field theory, which is a field theory that lives on a two-dimensional space. The conformal field theory counterpart of a D-brane is a boundary state, which in some cases has a natural interpretation as constraining the string end point. The main focus of this thesis is on the interpretation of boundary states in terms of D-branes in curved target spaces.

In the study of the Degasperis-Procesi dierential equation, an eigenvalue problem called the cubic string occurs. This is a third order generalization of the second order problem describing the eigenmodes of a vibrating string. In this thesis we study the eigenfunctions of the cubic string for discrete and continuous mass distributions, using the theory of total positivity, via a combinatorial approach with planar networks.

Denna undersökning handlar om hur videofilm används i undervisningen. Med videofilm avser jag TV, DVD, VHS och filmklipp från Internet eller andra källor. Jag utgick från tre möjligheter med användandet av videofilm i undervisningen: •   videofilm som eleverna kan öva till när de kommer hem, till exempel instruktionsfilmer • filmning av eleverna • förevisning av skickliga musikerFör att ta reda på olika stråklärares tankar och erfarenheter av mediet genomförde jag nio intervjuer. Jag ville också veta efterfrågan på instruktionsvideos bland stråklärare och kontaktade olika producenter och distributörer.    Trots att det inte var vanligt att använda olika medier i undervisningen bland mina respondenter, såg de positivt på videofilm som hjälpmedel. Men det fanns också en rädsla för att mötet mellan lärare och elever skulle kunna upphöra. Det var svårt att se ett samband mellan lärarnas repertoar/metodik och användandet av videofilm. Både lärare och läromedels-förlag trodde att det var en generationsfråga och att användandet av multimedia i undervis-ningen kommer att öka inom de närmaste åren. / This study is about how video films are used in teaching. By video film, I am referring to TV, DVD, VHS and film clips from the Internet or other sources. I imagined three areas of usage in which video films could be used for educational purposes: • video films for the students to bring home to assist with their practising, for example a tutorial video • filming the students • showing skilful musicians I made nine interviews to discover different string teachers’ thoughts and experiences of the medium, and their student’s reactions. I also wanted to know the demand for tutorial videos among string teachers and contacted producers and distributors.   Though media wasn’t frequently used in teaching among my respondents, they saw video films as a helpful aid. But there was also a fear that the interaction between teachers and students would disappear. It was hard to see a connection between teachers’ different repertoire and methods, and their use of video film. Teachers, and companies that produce teaching media, believed that the use of multimedia in education was indicative of the generation, and that we could expect an increase of multimedia use in teaching.

We establish several new results about the ( n )-solvable filtration, [Special characters omitted.] , of the string link concordance group [Special characters omitted.] . We first establish a relationship between ( n )-solvability of a link and its Milnor's μ-invariants. We study the effects of the Bing doubling operator on ( n )-solvability. Using this results, we show that the "other half" of the filtration, namely [Special characters omitted.] , is nontrivial and contains an infinite cyclic subgroup for links with sufficiently many components. We will also show that links modulo (1)-solvability is a nonabelian group. Lastly, we prove that the Grope filtration, [Special characters omitted.] of [Special characters omitted.] is not the same as the ( n )-solvable filtration.

We study two aspects of the problem of a particle moving on a lattice while subject to dissipation, often called the "Schmid model." First, a correspondence between the Schmid model and boundary sine-Gordon field theory is explored, and a new method is applied to the calculation of the partition function for the theory. Second, a traditional condensed matter formulation of the problem in one spatial dimension is extended to the case of an arbitrary two-dimensional Bravais lattice. A well-known mathematical analogy between one-dimensional dissipative quantum mechanics and string theory provides an equivalence between the Schmid model at the critical point and boundary sine-Gordon theory, which describes a free bosonic field subject to periodic interaction on the boundaries. Using the tools of conformal field theory, the partition function is calculated as a function of the temperature and the renormalized coupling constants of the boundary interaction. The method pursues an established technique of introducing an auxiliary free boson, fermionizing the system, and constructing the boundary state in fermion variables. However, a different way of obtaining the fermionic boundary conditions from the bosonic theory leads to an alternative renormalization for the coupling constants that occurs at a more natural level than in the established approach. Recent renormalization group analyses of the extension of the Schmid model to a two-dimensional periodic potential have yielded interesting new structure in the phase diagram for the mobility. We extend a classic one-dimensional, finite temperature calculation to the case of an arbitrary two-dimensional Bravais lattice. The duality between weak-potential and tightbinding lattice limits is reproduced in the two-dimensional case, and a perturbation expansion in the potential strength used to verify the change in the critical dependence of the mobility on the strength of the dissipation. With a triangular lattice the possibility of third order contributions arises, and we obtain some preliminary expressions for their contributions to the mobility.

We study two aspects of the problem of a particle moving on a lattice while subject to dissipation, often called the "Schmid model." First, a correspondence between the Schmid model and boundary sine-Gordon field theory is explored, and a new method is applied to the calculation of the partition function for the theory. Second, a traditional condensed matter formulation of the problem in one spatial dimension is extended to the case of an arbitrary two-dimensional Bravais lattice. A well-known mathematical analogy between one-dimensional dissipative quantum mechanics and string theory provides an equivalence between the Schmid model at the critical point and boundary sine-Gordon theory, which describes a free bosonic field subject to periodic interaction on the boundaries. Using the tools of conformal field theory, the partition function is calculated as a function of the temperature and the renormalized coupling constants of the boundary interaction. The method pursues an established technique of introducing an auxiliary free boson, fermionizing the system, and constructing the boundary state in fermion variables. However, a different way of obtaining the fermionic boundary conditions from the bosonic theory leads to an alternative renormalization for the coupling constants that occurs at a more natural level than in the established approach. Recent renormalization group analyses of the extension of the Schmid model to a two-dimensional periodic potential have yielded interesting new structure in the phase diagram for the mobility. We extend a classic one-dimensional, finite temperature calculation to the case of an arbitrary two-dimensional Bravais lattice. The duality between weak-potential and tightbinding lattice limits is reproduced in the two-dimensional case, and a perturbation expansion in the potential strength used to verify the change in the critical dependence of the mobility on the strength of the dissipation. With a triangular lattice the possibility of third order contributions arises, and we obtain some preliminary expressions for their contributions to the mobility.

A number of models of nature incorporate dimensions beyond our observed four. In this thesis we examine some examples and consequences of classical instabilities that emerge in the higher-dimensional theories of gravity which can describe their low energy phenomenology. <br /><br /> We first investigate a gravitational instability for black strings carrying momentum along an internal direction. We argue that this implies a new type of solution that is nonuniform along the extra dimension and find that there is a boost dependent critical dimension for which they are stable. Our analysis implies the existence of an analogous instability for the five-dimensional black ring. We construct a simple mode of the black ring to aid in applying these results and argue that such rings should exist in any number of space-time dimensions. <br /><br /> Next we consider a recently constructed class of nonsupersummetric solutions of type IIB supergravity which are everywhere smooth and have no horizon. We demonstrate that these solutions are all classically unstable. The instability is a generic feature of horizonless geometries with an ergoregion. We consider the endpoint of this instability and argue that the solutions decay to supersymmetric configurations. We also comment on the implications of the ergoregion instability for Mathur's 'fuzzball' proposal. <br /><br /> Finally, we consider an interesting braneworld cosmology in the Randall-Sundrum scenario constructed using a bulk space-time which corresponds to a charged AdS black hole. In particular, these solutions appear to 'bounce', making a smooth transition from a contracting to an expanding phase. By considering the space-time geometry more carefully, we demonstrate that generically in these solutions the brane will encounter a singularity in the transition region.