This thesis concerns infinite words over finite alphabets. It contributes to two topics in this area: critical exponents and stabilizers. Let w be a right-infinite word defined over a finite alphabet. The critical exponent of w is the supremum of the set of exponents r such that w contains an r-power as a subword. Most of the thesis (Chapters 3 through 7) is devoted to critical exponents. Chapter 3 is a survey of previous research on critical exponents and repetitions in morphic words. In Chapter 4 we prove that every real number greater than 1 is the critical exponent of some right-infinite word over some finite alphabet. Our proof is constructive. In Chapter 5 we characterize critical exponents of pure morphic words generated by uniform binary morphisms. We also give an explicit formula to compute these critical exponents, based on a well-defined prefix of the infinite word. In Chapter 6 we generalize our results to pure morphic words generated by non-erasing morphisms over any finite alphabet. We prove that critical exponents of such words are algebraic, of a degree bounded by the alphabet size. Under certain conditions, our proof implies an algorithm for computing the critical exponent. We demonstrate our method by computing the critical exponent of some families of infinite words. In particular, in Chapter 7 we compute the critical exponent of the Arshon word of order n for n ≥ 3. The stabilizer of an infinite word w defined over a finite alphabet Σ is the set of morphisms f: Σ*→Σ* that fix w. In Chapter 8 we study various problems related to stabilizers and their generators. We show that over a binary alphabet, there exist stabilizers with at least n generators for all n. Over a ternary alphabet, the monoid of morphisms generating a given infinite word by iteration can be infinitely generated, even when the word is generated by iterating an invertible primitive morphism. Stabilizers of strict epistandard words are cyclic when non-trivial, while stabilizers of ultimately strict epistandard words are always non-trivial. For this latter family of words, we give a characterization of stabilizer elements. We conclude with a list of open problems, including a new problem that has not been addressed yet: the D0L repetition threshold.

The pedagogical debates within language learning and language teaching have emphasized motivation as one of the key factors. Conversely, the broadness of motivation and its complexity has been acknowledged as a challenging concept which is difficult to grasp. This study aims at examining motivation as a concept determined by different internal and external factors which also shape individuals’ attitudes towards language learning. With the aim of understanding the existence of motivation and attitudes in a variety of contexts, individuals’ level of language knowledge is the point of departure in this study. Motivation and attitudes in language learning are examined in the light of individuals’ learning experiences, personal beliefs, self-determination and personal goals.

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Most of Peter Ackroyd&rsquo / s work takes place in London, and the city can be said to be a unifying element in his work. Even those of his novels that do not use London as a setting are about London and Londoners, in history and in the present. London, in Ackroyd&rsquo / s work, is represented by multiple points of view &ndash / firstly that of a historical personage and secondly of a researcher in the present day. Through the use of such a structure, Ackroyd parodies biography writing (by rewriting and distorting the life of a historical Londoner), and detective fiction (by making the contemporary researcher ineffectual and underqualified). These narratives, while being clearly separate and linear in themselves, focus on London, which acts as a bridge between the characters and themes in the separate centuries, culminating in their merge at the end. Thus, methods of rewriting in Ackroyd&rsquo / s work come together in the ulterior aim of rewriting the city of London. The main aim of this dissertation is to account for the various types of rewriting and parody that becomes evident in Ackroyd&rsquo / s fiction. In the light of the discussions on parody of detective fiction and biography in each chapter, this dissertation will attempt to view Ackroyd&rsquo / s fiction as a chronological metamorphosis of London itself, through rewriting its artists and their texts as productions of London.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1983.

published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Chinese / Master / Master of Philosophy

No description available.

Zhang, Lucy Chen, Master of Public Policy, Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan, Canada, 2013. Policy Evaluation: A Case Study of Genome Canada Programming, 2000-2011. Supervisor: Dr. Peter W. B. Phillips The policy evaluation literature on research programing generally focuses on the cost-benefit of different choices in research systems. This thesis applies evaluation tools to assess the fit between project allocations and the strategic goals of Genome Canada, a major research funding organization in Canada. Genome Canada (GC) was established in April, 2000, to provide funding and information resources related to genomics research. The research targets many key areas, such as health, agriculture, environment, forestry, energy, mining and fisheries. Since then the scientific community has partnered with government, the private sector, and international organizations to fund research projects on genomics related subjects. Four open competitions (I, II, III and Applied Genomics in Bio-products and Crops or ABC), combined with a wide array of more targeted projects, have collectively been allocated more than C$2 billion in total investment for the 2000-2014 period. This study assesses how well these research projects fit the stated goals of Genome Canada. The study assesses the fit between the goals and research investment decisions of GC. As a first step in this research, we conducted a review of Genome Canada operations to develop the background understanding of the system and its structure. After reviewing the goals, structure, selection processes and progress reports, we found that there was no explicit assessment of the fit between the stated goals and resource allocation decisions. This study targets to fill this area. Second, we investigated the methods used by GC to develop and implement their goals. Once we understood these methods, we developed a research approach to assess the fit between the goals and the outputs. The model was built to test each project against the stated overall program objectives, namely to: develop and implement a coordinated strategy for the technology in Canada; bring together industry, governments, universities, research hospitals and the public to support large-scale genomics and proteomics research projects; provide accessibility to science & technology platforms to researchers; and assist in attracting co-funding for projects from both domestic and international investors. Third, we determined that the review processes contain scientific, financial and management criteria. By using the STATA tool, we tested the relationship between the stated goals of the organization and the share of funds allocated to specific projects both in the total pool of investments and the open competitions. The analysis revealed that the overall fit for the entire investment program between 2001 and 2011 was about 35%, which is quite reasonable for such an analysis. We found the most important variable affecting resource allocation was the quality of the principal investigator. Other stated goals of GC were either less important or insignificant. By segmenting the analysis into the open-competition investments alone, we discovered the fit deteriorated (R2 of 34% dropped to 22%), which suggests the directed investments are a stronger fit with the goals. While we could not conclusively determine the cause, it might be attributed to either weaknesses in the competitive process or a particularly effective and strategic effort by Genome Canada staff. Further analysis would be needed to determine this.