In dieser Arbeit wurden mit Hilfe von Transportmessungen – vor allem mit thermischem Transport bei sehr tiefen Temperaturen – intermetallische Seltenerdverbindungen untersucht. Diese Materialien sind oft durch starke elektronische Korrelationen gekennzeichnet, die zu neuartigen Eigenschaften führen. Um die Wechselwirkungen in den untersuchten Systemen zu beeinflussen, führten wir ein Magnetfeld als zusätzlichen Parameter ein. Damit untersuchten wir drei Fragestellungen. Im ersten Teil überprüften wir die Gültigkeit des Wiedemann-Franz-Gesetzes in YbRh2Si2. Dieses Material zeigt einen durch ein kleines Magnetfeld induzierten quantenkritischen Punkt, für dessen unkonventionelle Eigenschaften es noch keine allgemein etablierte mikroskopische Theorie gibt. Mit Hilfe des Wiedemann-Franz-Gesetzes haben wir untersucht, ob eine solche Theorie im Rahmen des Quasiteilchenbildes formuliert werden kann. Während wir eine Bestätigung für Magnetfelder abseits des quantenkritischen Punktes zeigen, ergibt unsere Analyse direkt am quantenkritischen Punkt eine Verletzung des Weidemann-Franz-Gesetzes. Dies hat weitreichende physikalische Folgen, da eine Verletzung den Zusammenbruch des Konzeptes von Quasiteilchen impliziert. In der zweiten Studie untersuchten wir die Kondogittersysteme YbRh2Si2 und CeRu2Si2 in Magnetfeldern mit Energien von der Größenordnung der Kondotemperatur. Beide Systeme zeigen bislang ungeklärte feldinduzierte Übergänge mit sehr unterschiedlichen Signaturen jedoch den selben Vorschlägen für deren Ursache: ein abrupter Zusammenbruch des Kondoeffekts oder ein Lifshitzübergang. Mit Thermokraft- und Widerstandsmessungen konnten wir für CeRu2Si2 zeigen, dass auch der thermische Transport kompatibel mit einem Lifshitzübergang ist. Ein globales Modell, das thermodynamische Größen mit einschließt, ist jedoch weiterhin nicht vorhanden. In YbRh2Si2 detektierten wir anstatt eines einzelnen, insgesamt drei Übergänge in höheren Magnetfeldern. Mithilfe einer sehr guten Übereinstimmung von renormalisierten Bandstrukturrechnungen mit unseren und früheren Experimenten, können wir die Entwicklung von YbRh2Si2 im Magnetfeld als Superposition von einer stetigen Unterdrückung des Kondoeffekts und drei Lifshitzübergängen beschreiben. Im dritten Projekt untersuchten wir den supraleitenden Ordnungsparameter von LaPt4Ge12. Während frühere Experimente auf konventionelle Supraleitung hindeuten, wird für das eng verwandte PrPt4Ge12 unkonventionelle und/oder Multiband-Supraleitung diskutiert. Resultate an der Substitutionsreihe LaxPr1-xPt4Ge12 suggerieren jedoch kompatible Ordnungsparameter für beide Verbindungen. Unsere Ergebnisse der spezifischen Wärme und der temperatur- und feldabhängigen Wärmeleitfähigkeit an LaPt4Ge12 sind kompatibel mit dem Modell konventioneller Supraleitung ohne Nullstellen im der supraleitenden Bandlücke. Die Abhängigkeit der Wärmeleitfähigkeit vom Feldwinkel zeigt unerwartet umfangreiche Oszillationsmuster. Während solche Oszillationen oft als Zeichen von Nullstellen in der Bandlücke interpretiert werden, konnten wir die meisten Frequenzen anderen Ursachen zuordnen. Eine sehr genaue Analyse von winkelabhängigen Messungen ist daher unabdingbar, um daraus Schlussfolgerungen für den Ordnungsparameter ziehen zu können.

I denna studie undersöktes regionala policydokument utifrån ett fokus på hållbar utveckling och förhållandet mellan hög tillväxt och förbättrad miljö. Det empiriska material utgjordes av Region Skånes tre regionala utvecklingsprogram, vilka behandlar hur myndigheten såg på regionens utveckling åren 1999–2004, 2004–2009 och 2009–2016. Studiens mål var att studera den diskursiva omdefinieringsprocessen av begreppet hållbar utveckling, genom att analysera hur detta relateras till och används i programmen. Metoden som användes var kritisk diskursanalys. Studien syftade till att synliggöra programmens diskursiva sammanhang och utveckla en förståelse för vilka synsätt och föreställningar som kan ses ligga till grund för dokumentens innehåll och utformning.Studien kom fram till att det fanns ingen tydlig förståelse kring hållbar utveckling i programmen utan det förekom yttringar av både starka och svaga hållbarhetsdiskurser. Resonemang kring ekologisk modernisering är dominerande, baserade på föreställningar om att miljöproblem kan lösas utan några stora samhällsförändringar. Denna diskurs presenterar attraktiva lösningar på eventuella motsättningar mellan hög tillväxt och förbättrad miljö, vilket möjliggör policydokument med visionära målbilder tillsammans med breda lösningar där målkonflikter och eventuella avvägningar inte belyses nämnvärt.Studiens teoretiska ramverk och metoden kritisk diskursanalys gav möjlighet att lyfta fram och belysa hur ekologisk moderniseringsdiskursen inkorporerar resonemang från tillväxtkritiska hållbarhetsdiskurser samtidigt som den marginaliserar och tar udden av dem. På så vis kan studien bidra till en vidare diskussion om olika sätt att förhålla sig till hållbar utveckling och konsekvenser av den ekologiska moderniseringens diskursiva dominans. / This study investigates regional policy documents with a focus on sustainable development and the relationship between high economic growth and an improved environment. The study’s empirical material is based on Region Skåne’s three regional development programs which put forward how the authority viewed development in the region for the years 1999–2004, 2004– 2009 and 2009–2016. The objective was to study the discursive process of redefining the concept of sustainable development by analysing how it is referred to and used in the programs. The method utilised was critical discourse analysis. The study aimed towards exposing the2programs’ discursive context and developing an understanding of the viewpoints underlying the documents’ contents.The study concluded that there was no clear understanding around sustainable development in the programs and there were statements of both strong and weak sustainable development discourse. Goal conflicts and eventually trade-offs were not particularly highlighted. Ecological modernisation was the dominating discourse as per the reasoning that environmental problems can be solved without any major societal changes. This discourse presents attractive solutions to potential conflicts which enables the policy document to provide visionary goals along with broad solutions. The study’s theoretical framework and the method critical discursive analysis allowed for the bringing forward and highlighting of how ecological modernisation incorporates reasonings from sustainable discourses critical of economic growth, at the same time marginalising and neutralising them. As a result, this study can contribute to the discussion of different ways of achieving sustainable development and the consequence of the domination of ecological modernisation discourse.

La thèse est portée essentiellement sur la stabilisation indirecte d’un système de deux équations des ondes couplées et sur la stabilisation frontière de poutre de Rayleigh.Dans le cas de la stabilisation d’un système d’équations d’onde couplées, le contrôle est introduit dans le système directement sur le bord du domaine d’une seule équation dans le cas d’un domaine borne ou à l’intérieur d’une seule équation mais dans le cas d’un domaine non borné. La nature du système ainsi couplé dépend du couplage des équations et de la nature arithmétique des vitesses de propagations, et ceci donne divers résultats pour la stabilisation polynomiale ainsi la non stabilité.Dans le cas de la stabilisation de poutre de Rayleigh, l’équation est considérée avec un seul contrôle force agissant sur bord du domaine. D’abord, moyennant le développement asymptotique des valeurs propres et des vecteurs propres du système non contrôlé, un résultat d’observabilité ainsi qu’un résultat de bornétude de la fonction de transfert correspondant sont obtenus. Alors, un taux de décroissance polynomial de l’énergie du système est établi. Ensuite, moyennant une étude spectrale combinée avec une méthode fréquentielle, l’optimalité du taux obtenu est assurée. / The thesis is driven mainly on indirect stabilization system of two coupled wave equations and the boundary stabilization of Rayleigh beam equation. In the case of stabilization of a coupled wave equations, the Control is introduced into the system directly on the edge of the field of a single equation in the case of a bounded domain or inside a single equation but in the case of an unbounded domain. The nature of thus coupled system depends on the coupling equations and arithmetic Nature of speeds of propagation, and this gives different results for the polynomial stability and the instability. In the case of stabilization of Rayleigh beam equation, we consider an equation with one control force acting on the edge of the area. First, using the asymptotic expansion of the eigenvalues and vectors of the uncontrolled system an observability result and a result of boundedness of the transfer function are obtained. Then a polynomial decay rate of the energy of the system is established. Then through a spectral study combined with a frequency method, optimality of the rate obtained is assured.

This essay examines and analyzes the debate between David Chalmers and Daniel Dennett about the nature of consciousness and how to proceed to explain its existence. They are two of the biggest names of philosophy of mind today and have been on opposite sides of the debate since the nineties. Chalmers has long advocated a modern dualistic view of consciousness while Dennett's theories move in a more physicalist and functionalist direction. Today, Chalmers calls himself a realist as a clear opposite to Dennett's illusionism. The essay begins with a short summary of the history of modern philosophy of mind and a presentation of Chalmers and Dennett. Then it goes into some of their most noted older theories and arguments and move on to two of the most famous thought experiments of philosophy of mind before going into their most recent theories and work. It concludes with summary of their development and with an analysis of the sustainability and significance of their theories for the development of the debate today together with some personal reflections.

This paper deals about AdaBoost algorithm, which is used to create a strong classification function using a number of weak classifiers. We familiarize ourselves with modifications of AdaBoost, namely Real AdaBoost, WaldBoost, FloatBoost and TCAcu. These modifications improve some of the properties of algorithm AdaBoost. We discuss some properties of feature and weak classifiers. We show a class of tasks for which AdaBoost algorithm is applicable. We indicate implementation of the library containing that method and we present some tests performed on the implemented library.

A standard problem in mathematical finance is the calculation of the price of some financial derivative such as various types of options. Since there exists analytical solutions in only a few cases it will often boil down to estimating the price with Monte Carlo simulation in conjunction with some numerical discretization scheme. The upside of using what we can call standard Monte Carlo is that it is relative straightforward to apply and can be used for a wide variety of problems. The downside is that it has a relatively slow convergence which means that the computational cost or complexity can be very large. However, this slow convergence can be improved upon by using Multilevel Monte Carlo instead of standard Monte Carlo. With this approach it is possible to reduce the computational complexity and cost of simulation considerably. The aim of this thesis is to introduce the reader to the Multilevel Monte Carlo method with applications to European and Asian call options in both the Black-Scholes-Merton (BSM) model and in the Heston model. To this end we first cover the necessary background material such as basic probability theory, estimators and some of their properties, the stochastic integral, stochastic processes and Ito’s theorem. We introduce stochastic differential equations and two numerical discretizations schemes, the Euler–Maruyama scheme and the Milstein scheme. We define strong and weak convergence and illustrate these concepts with examples. We also describe the standard Monte Carlo method and then the theory and implementation of Multilevel Monte Carlo. In the applications part we perform numerical experiments where we compare standard Monte Carlo to Multilevel Monte Carlo in conjunction with the Euler–Maruyama scheme and Milsteins scheme. In the case of a European call in the BSM model, using the Euler–Maruyama scheme, we achieved a cost O(ε-2(log ε)2) to reach the desired error in accordance with theory in comparison to the O(ε-3) cost for standard Monte Carlo. When using Milsteins scheme instead of the Euler–Maruyama scheme it was possible to reduce the cost in terms of the number of simulations needed to achieve the desired error even further. By using Milsteins scheme, a method with greater order of strong convergence than Euler–Maruyama, we achieved the O(ε-2) cost predicted by the complexity theorem compared to the standard Monte Carlo cost of order O(ε-3). In the final numerical experiment we applied the Multilevel Monte Carlo method together with the Euler–Maruyama scheme to an Asian call in the Heston model. In this case, where the coefficients of the Heston model do not satisfy a global Lipschitz condition, the study of strong or weak convergence is much harder. The numerical experiments suggested that the strong convergence was slightly slower compared to what was found in the case of a European call in the BSM model. Nevertheless, we still achieved substantial savings in computational cost compared to using standard Monte Carlo.

This work presents an overview of several different methods for construct- ing ultrafilters. The first part contains constructions not needing additional assumptions beyond the usual axioms of Set Theory. K. Kunen's method using independent systems for constructing weak P-points is presented. This is followed by a presentation of its application in topology (the proof of the existence of sixteen topological types due to J. van Mill). Finally a new con- struction due to the author is presented together with a proof of his result, the existence of a seventeenth topological type: ω∗ contains a point which is discretely untouchable, is a limit point of a countable set and the countable sets having it as its limit point form a filter. The second part looks at constructions which use additional combina- torial axioms and/or forcing. J. Ketonen's construction of a P-point and A. R. D. Mathias's construction of a Q-point are presented in the first two sections. The next sections concentrate on strong P-points introduced by C. Laflamme. The first of these contains a proof of a new characterization theorem due jointly to the author, A. Blass and M. Hrušák: An ultrafilter is Canjar if and only if it is a strong P-point. A new proof of Canjar's the- orem on the existence of non-dominating filters (Canjar filters) which uses...

Strongly correlated systems on geometrically frustrated lattices can stabilize a large number of interesting phases that includes a wide array of novel Mott insulators in both bosonic and electronic systems. Charge fluctuations in a Mott insulator are suppressed due to strong mutual interaction among the particles. The presence of frustration is of particular importance as the physics it offers is often rich, unexpectedly complicated, and continues to raise many open questions. The thesis elucidates some of these issues on a kagome lattice where strong interactions among the particles in the Mott phase impose non-trivial local constraints depending on the filling fraction on the lattice. These Mott insulators, in addition to featuring unusual magnetic and/or charge ordering, can also harbor topologically ordered states of quantum matter, e.g., resonating valence bond liquids realized in certain quantum dimer models on non-bipartite lattices. The dimer models can be regarded as low-energy effective theories for different types of bosonic models in the strong-coupling limit. Exploring this connection is a central theme of this thesis with the aim of realizing novel strongly correlated ground states. Past studies of these models have revealed the existence of various ordered and disordered phases with distinct signatures. Among these low-energy phases, the presence of a stable topological liquid at a particular point, known as Rokhsar-Kivelson point, in the phase diagram is notable. The classical versions of the dimer model are also known to have garnered a vast interest in various fields ranging from problems of pure mathematical origin to ones in physical chemistry as well as statistical physics. Pioneered by Kasteleyn, several analytical works came forward to exactly calculate the partition function of the problem from which other physical observables can be derived. Classical numerical methods are extensively applied to these models to verify the analytical predictions. We introduce a new classical algorithm here to compute the correlation functions of a classical dimer model on a square (bipartite) and a triangular (non-bipartite) lattice based on a tensor network construction. The method, called tensor network renormalization group, turns out to be a powerful tool for simulating short-ranged gapped systems as inferred from our results benchmarked against the classical Monte-Carlo technique and compared with past analytical studies. One should note that the quantum dimer model at the Rokhsar-Kivelson point can also be described as an infinite temperature canonical ensemble of classical dimers because of the particular structure of the ground state which is an equal weight superposition in the configuration manifold. The geometry of the lattice plays a pivotal role in deciding the nature of the phases that arise in the dimer models. Many physical properties of the dimer liquid phase can be extracted in the simple classical setting which certainly allows for a deep understanding of the classical models to be developed. The liquid phase is gapped on non-bipartite lattices and gapless on bipartite lattices, which is reflected in the decay of correlation functions with spatial distances. In general on non-bipartite lattices, the topological nature of the dimer liquid is characterized by a Z2 topological order which survives even when the model is perturbed away from the Rokhsar-Kivelson point. Stability of this liquid phase not only depends on the lattice geometries but notably on dimer concentrations also. In this context, we focus on a particular variant of the dimer model on a triangular lattice which is known as the quantum fully packed loop model. The model is composed of nonintersecting closed loops made of dimers and governed by the same Hamiltonian as the quantum dimer model. The loop model provides an effective low-energy description of a strongly correlated bosonic system at 1/3 filling on the kagome lattice. The corresponding Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian consists of nearest-neighbor hopping and all possible repulsive interactions within a hexagonal plaquette. Conspicuous features of the zero-temperature phase diagram for this model include (i) presence of a stable Z2 liquid even without any Rokhsar-Kivelson potential term (in distinction to the standard quantum dimer model), and (ii) an unconventional phase transition from the liquid phase to a novel crystalline phase that has nematic order (dubbed lattice nematic). For a deeper understanding of the physics, a mapping to an Ising gauge theory is presented. The gauge theoretic description provides a useful way to predict the nature of the quantum phase transition to lie in the O(3) universality class. Finally a fermionic model at the same 1/3 filling is considered in which the ground state exhibits a number of exotic local orderings resulting from the spin-charge interplay of electrons. The Hamiltonian comprises nearest-neighbor hopping, strong on-site Coulomb interaction, and repulsive interaction terms only between nearest-neighbors. In the strong correlation limit, this fermionic problem maps to a two-color fully packed loop model – a model in which the loop segments carry an additional quantum number as color on a honeycomb lattice. The effective theory is governed by coherent three-particle ring exchanges and nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic spin exchanges. The competition between these two leads to a phase diagram composed of a novel plaquette ordered state (known as the plaquette phase) that undergoes phase transition to a new kind of charge ordered state which we call a short loop phase. From our numerical analysis, we conclude that the plaquette phase features an unusual antiferromagnetic order with gapless spin excitations while the charge-ordered state is subjugated by spin fluctuations of localized electrons arranged in small hexagonal loops on the kagome lattice.

This thesis deals with the influence of TV series and their strong heroines on female audience. The aim of this work is to find out whether selected female characters influence the general view of the femine beauty ideal, whether the viewers were in any way inspired by strong female characters and whether these series have opened up some social issues. These goals were formulated into three research questions, which will be answered in the conclusion. The work is divided into three main parts - theoretical, methodological and practical. The theoretical part aims to acquaint the reader with the theoretic basis needed to understand the researched issues. The methodological part presents research methods with all its advantages and disadvantages. The last practical part is focused on research and interpretation of the obtained data. A qualitative method is used to achieve the results, specifically the grounded theory, which is used for the analysis and subsequent interpretation of data obtained from interviews.

The goal of the original research presented in this thesis is to study the strong coupling regime of Quantum Field Theories (QFTs) with different methods, making concrete predictions about the phase structure and the dynamics of these theories, and on their observables. The focus is on (gauge) field theories in three spacetime dimensions, which are an interesting laboratory to understand the properties of strong coupling in setups that are usually simpler than in the more familiar case of gauge theories in four dimensions. Importantly, topological effects play a relevant role in three dimensions, thanks to the presence of the so-called Chern-Simons term.The thesis contains a short introduction to QFTs in 3d, principles and applications of infrared dualities, large N techniques, and holography. Indeed, the web of infrared dualities, the large N expansion, and the holographic correspondence between QFT and gravity are the main tools which we use to investigate the strongly coupled regimes of 3d QFTs.Then, the original material is presented. In a first line of research, we focus on the study of the phase diagram of a 3d gauge theory making use of conjectured infrared dualities, extending such dualities to the case where more than one mass parameter can be dialed. In a second line of research, we study a class of 3d gauge theories by engineering their gravity dual in a string theory setup. We prove the existence of multiple phase transitions between phases characterized by both massless particles and topological sectors. In a third line of research, we use holography as a tool to explore the interplay between the physics of 4d QCD and 3d gauge theories. In particular, we analyze the properties of 3d domain walls, which appear as soliton-like solutions of 4d QCD in specific parametric regimes. Finally, we propose a boundary construction of 3d large N vector models, which appear as critical points of theories obtained by coupling degrees of freedom localized on a 3d boundary to a 4d bulk theory. This construction allows to prove new dualities and uncovers a new computational tool for 3d vector models. / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished