Zugl.: Hamburg, Univ., Diss., 2005

Zugl.: Köln, University, Diss., 2006.

Thesis (M.S.)--Villanova University, 2008. / Psychology Dept. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1982. / Abstract. Typescript. Bibliography: leaves 130-136.

We consider a natural extension to the definition of M-automata which allows the automaton to make use of more of the structure of the monoid M, and by removing the reliance on an identity element, allows the definition of S-automata for S an arbitrary semigroup. In the case of monoids, the resulting automata are equivalent to valence automata with rational target sets which arise in the theory of regulated rewriting. We focus on the polycyclic monoids, and show that for polycyclic monoids of rank 2 or more they accept precisely the context-free languages. The case of the bicyclic monoid is also considered. In the process we prove a number of interesting results about rational subsets in polycyclic monoids; as a consequence we prove the decidability of the rational subset membership problem, and the closure of the class of rational subsets under intersection and complement. In the case of semigroups, we consider the important class of completely simple and completely 0-simple semigroups, obtaining a complete characterisation of the classes of languages corresponding to such semigroups, in terms of their maximal subgroups. In the process, we obtain a number of interesting results about rational subsets of Rees matrix semigroups.

No description available.

The architectural practice of Giuseppe Terragni (1904-1943) takes place during the twentieth century modern social movements, as architecture and urban form follow a major shift in the political conditions, in Italy and beyond. This dissertation is a demonstration of the quest for the rational in the architectural practice of Giuseppe Terragni. Furthermore, it sorts out the role of Terragni's practice in the dichotomous relationships between city and architecture as well as state and project. Initially, it is the obligation of this dissertation to address questions of principles, in order to build a plenum for the relationship between the city and architecture. It traces movements through translation and transformation of architectural impression, in form and type, and its meta in concinnity, in terms of legacy, legitimacy, and the rational in idea. THESIS. The implicit rational in architecture exists in hierarchical order that allows for it to form unity of the whole that any of its constituents cannot form individually. It should be the architect's duty to fully reconcile all the elements in action – for and against form – in architecture, and demonstrate that the resultant is not a mere compromise but a necessary optimal condition. Therefore, I start with a stance in which I attempt to show how Giuseppe Terragni, in his ratiocinium, explicates the implicit rational in architecture, against the sea of protean political conditions. Giuseppe Terragni can be understood in his convictions which we may be able to sort out through his words, works, and deeds. In his pursuit of the rational Giuseppe Terragni offers a clue to the time and actions taking place, as if he were to remind us of the Homeric song about the deeds of men with convictions under their destiny and their ironic tragicomedy. Terragni's Danteum is the one instance where destiny seems closer to fulfillment. Dante Alighieri's dream of the glorious empire seems to materialize in the signs of the monarchy and its savior – Mussolini. Since the fascist movement concerns itself with questions of legitimacy that in lineage shifts between histories of origins and middles, the shifting in language plays an important role in the sorting out of factum and verum. Languages that enter into this play shift laterally mainly between Greek, Latin, and Italian. And, at times Dardanian and Proto-Albanian, both Illyrian dialects, enter the play. METHOD. Many aspects of this inquiry demand specific research methods as shown through the general and specific instances of man's activity as work which results in that which is made (factum) and the pursuit of that which is true (verum). Therefore, method in the sense of search for the way concerning purpose in what is made is conducted through istoria and historiography. Meanwhile, the search for truth, as it does not concern itself with the same scope as factum, requires philosophy as means towards knowledge, to sort out questions regarding truth. This dissertation follows certain Italian philosophers as guides in the pursuit. Not the least among them is Giambattista Vico who proposes that universal laws of development of men and society can be traced through the union between verum and factum. So, verum and factum become characters of the same play. Philology, love for reason, as a subspecies of philosophy, is a means toward knowledge in unraveling of the layers of the rational in the making. Additionally, in this inquiry, I employ analogies, diagrams, ideograms, and images, which demonstrate the quest for the rational in the architectural practice of Giuseppe Terragni. / Doctor of Philosophy / The architectural practice of Giuseppe Terragni (1904-1943) takes place during the twentieth century modern social movements, as architecture and urban form follow a major shift in the political conditions, in Italy and beyond. This dissertation is a demonstration of the quest for the rational in the architectural practice of Giuseppe Terragni. Furthermore, it sorts out the role of Terragni's practice in the dichotomous relationships between city and architecture as well as state and project. Initially, it is the obligation of this dissertation to address questions of principles, in order to build a plenum for the relationship between the city and architecture. It traces movements through translation and transformation of architectural impression, in form and type, and its meta in concinnity, in terms of legacy, legitimacy, and the rational in idea. THESIS. The implicit rational in architecture exists in hierarchical order that allows for it to form unity of the whole that any of its constituents cannot form individually. It should be the architect's duty to fully reconcile all the elements in action – for and against form – in architecture, and demonstrate that the resultant is not a mere compromise but a necessary optimal condition. Therefore, I start with a stance in which I attempt to show how Giuseppe Terragni, in his ratiocinium, explicates the implicit rational in architecture, against the sea of protean political conditions. Giuseppe Terragni can be understood in his convictions which we may be able to sort out through his words, works, and deeds. In his pursuit of the rational Giuseppe Terragni offers a clue to the time and actions taking place, as if he were to remind us of the Homeric song about the deeds of men with convictions under their destiny and their ironic tragicomedy. Terragni's Danteum is the one instance where destiny seems closer to fulfillment. Dante Alighieri's dream of the glorious empire seems to materialize in the signs of the monarchy and its savior – Mussolini. Since the fascist movement concerns itself with questions of legitimacy that in lineage shifts between histories of origins and middles, the shifting in language plays an important role in the sorting out of factum and verum. Languages that enter into this play shift laterally mainly between Greek, Latin, and Italian. And, at times Dardanian and Proto-Albanian, both Illyrian dialects, enter the play. METHOD. Many aspects of this inquiry demand specific research methods as shown through the general and specific instances of man's activity as work which results in that which is made (factum) and the pursuit of that which is true (verum). Therefore, method in the sense of search for the way concerning purpose in what is made is conducted through istoria and historiography. Meanwhile, the search for truth, as it does not concern itself with the same scope as factum, requires philosophy as means towards knowledge, to sort out questions regarding truth. This dissertation follows certain Italian philosophers as guides in the pursuit. Not the least among them is Giambattista Vico who proposes that universal laws of development of men and society can be traced through the union between verum and factum. So, verum and factum become characters of the same play. Philology, love for reason, as a subspecies of philosophy, is a means toward knowledge in unraveling of the layers of the rational in the making. Additionally, in this inquiry, I employ analogies, diagrams, ideograms, and images, which demonstrate the quest for the rational in the architectural practice of Giuseppe Terragni.

A model reduction technique that is optimal in the H_∞-norm has long been pursued due to its theoretical and practical importance. We consider the optimal H_∞ model reduction problem broadly from an interpolation-based approach, and give a method for finding the approximation to a state-space symmetric dynamical system which is optimal over a family of interpolants to the full order system. This family of interpolants has a simple parameterization that simplifies a direct search for the optimal interpolant. Several numerical examples show that the interpolation points satisfying the Meier-Luenberger conditions for H₂-optimal approximations are a good starting point for minimizing the H_∞-norm of the approximation error. Interpolation points satisfying the Meier-Luenberger conditions can be computed iteratively using the IRKA algorithm [12]. We consider the special case of state-space symmetric systems and show that simple sufficient conditions can be derived for minimizing the approximation error when starting from the interpolation points found by the IRKA algorithm. We then explore the relationship between potential theory in the complex plane and the optimal H_∞-norm interpolation points through several numerical experiments. The results of these experiments suggest that the optimal H_∞ approximation of order r yields an error system for which significant pole-zero cancellation occurs, effectively reducing an order n+r error system to an order 2r+1 system. These observations lead to a heuristic method for choosing interpolation points that involves solving a rational Zolatarev problem over a discrete set of points in the complex plane. / Master of Science

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Politics and Public Administration / Master / Master of Philosophy