EXPRESS: People’s Preferences for Different Types of Rational Numbers in Linguistic Contexts

2022 ◽  
pp. 174702182210763
Author(s):  
Xiaoming Yang ◽  
Yunqi Wang

Rational numbers, like fractions, decimals, and percentages, differ in the concepts they prefer to express and the entities they prefer to describe as previously reported in display-rational number notation matching tasks and in math word problem compiling contexts. On the one hand, fractions and percentages are preferentially used to express a relation between two magnitudes, while decimals are preferentially used to represent a magnitude. On the other hand, fractions and decimals tend to be used to describe discrete and continuous entities, respectively. However, it remains unclear whether these reported distinctions can extend to more general linguistic contexts. It also remains unclear which factor, the concept to be expressed (magnitudes vs. relations between magnitudes) or the entity to be described (countable vs. continuous), is more predictive of people’s preferences for rational number notations. To explore these issues, two corpus studies and a number notation preference experiment were administered. The news and conversation corpus studies detected the general pattern of conceptual distinctions across rational number notations as observed in previous studies; the number notation preference experiment found that the concept to be expressed was more predictive of people’s preferences for number notations than the entity to be described. These findings indicate that people’s biased uses of rational numbers are constrained by multiple factors, especially by the type of concepts to be expressed, and more importantly, these biases are not specific to mathematical settings but are generalizable to broader linguistic contexts.

1977 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis Dutton

If a catalogue were made of terms commonly used to affirm the adequacy of critical interpretations of works of art, one word certain to be included would be “plausible.” Yet this term is one which has received precious little attention in the literature of aesthetics. This is odd, inasmuch as I find the notion of plausibility central to an understanding of the nature of criticism. “Plausible” is a perplexing term because it can have radically different meanings depending on the circumstances of its employment. ln the following discussion, I will make some observations about the logic of this concept in connection with its uses in two rather different contexts: the context of scientific inquiry on the one hand, and that of aesthetic interpretation on the other. In distinguishing separate senses of “plausible,” I shall provide reason to resist the temptation to imagine that because logical aspects of two different types of inquiry—science and criticism—happen to be designated by the same term, they may to that extent be considered to have similar logical structures.


2013 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Skowron

AbstractRecent discussions (especially in the Internet) about the question whether Nietzsche was a Transhumanist or at least a forerunner of the Transhumanist movement have drawn new attention to Nietzsche’s concept of the Overhuman and the relation to the Posthuman. The article is taking a critical stance by turning suggested analogies between education and genetic manipulation of humans into an argument against the latter, by relating self-education to self-overcoming and eternal recurrence of the same (which is excluded by Transhumanists), and by reminding of Nietzsche’s distinction between ‘Overhuman’ and ‘last human’ as two different ways to the future. Linguistic analysis of the epitheta used in speaking of the different ‘types’ in question as well as structural analogies between critical considerations in Michael Sandel and Jürgen Habermas on the one hand, Nietzsche on the other are also evidence that Nietzsche would not have endorsed the technological path to perfection of the human but would emphasize his own way of self-overcoming instead.


Author(s):  
Elisa Benetti ◽  
Gianluca Mazzini

Computer science and telecommunications are increasingly important in society and this leads also public administrations to take advantage of ICT, in order to communicate with citizens in a more rapid and simpler way than the complex and paper-based bureaucracy of the past. While on the one hand the use of these technologies responds to the duty of any public institution to involve the largest number of addressees, on the other hand, society must also consider the limitations of these technologies. Firstly not everybody is so familiar in their use. Moreover, the digital administration thus becomes virtual, accessible only through technological devices and not present in a physical location, and is therefore essential to ensure full coverage of the territory, which is currently not always possible. The main novelty of this paper is the implementation of an automated system capable of adapting different types of government services to multiple communication media. The joint exploitation of multiple technologies allows to use the strengths of one of them when are found the limits of another, making this multichannel modality the solution to the requirement of ICT in public administration.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (03) ◽  
pp. 445-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonin Riffaut

We treat two different equations involving powers of singular moduli. On the one hand, we show that, with two possible (explicitly specified) exceptions, two distinct singular moduli [Formula: see text] such that the numbers [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are linearly dependent over [Formula: see text] for some positive integers [Formula: see text], must be of degree at most [Formula: see text]. This partially generalizes a result of Allombert, Bilu and Pizarro-Madariaga, who studied CM-points belonging to straight lines in [Formula: see text] defined over [Formula: see text]. On the other hand, we show that, with obvious exceptions, the product of any two powers of singular moduli cannot be a non-zero rational number. This generalizes a result of Bilu, Luca and Pizarro-Madariaga, who studied CM-points belonging to a hyperbola [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text].


1956 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 197-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kornelius Lems

This paper presents data and observations concerning Chamaedaphne calyculata (L.) Moench. (Ericaceae). The branching pattern, the longevity of different types of leaves, and features of flowering are shown to be correlated. The relationship between this complex of features and the habitat is studied, and a few speculations are advanced to explain the physiological basis for the behavior of Chamaedaphne. This study is essentially autecological, and it is hoped that it may constitute a link between the study of soil conditions and the response of plant hormones on the one hand, and phytosociological work in peat bogs on the other hand.


2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 258-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter D. England ◽  
Richard J. Verrall ◽  
Mario V. Wüthrich

AbstractWe consider the Bayesian over-dispersed Poisson (ODP) model for claims reserving in general insurance. We choose two different types of prior distributions for the parameters and then study the different Bayesian predictors. This study leads, on the one hand, to the classical chain ladder predictor and, on the other hand, to Bornhuetter & Ferguson predictors. We highlight (either analytically or numerically) how these predictors are obtained and how their prediction uncertainty can be determined.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-327
Author(s):  
Paweł Pruski

In modern science, the theory of probability is one of the basic tools. Scientists using probability often refer to its objective interpretation. They emphasize that their probabilistic hypotheses concern objective facts, not degrees of belief. Accordingly, the following questions arise: What is the meaning of this type of probabilistic hypothesis? Is the assumption of objectivity necessary? The paper addresses these questions by analyzing objective probability in the context of the scientific debate on determinism. Two types of arguments will be presented. On the one hand, there is the assertion that objective probability can exist only in an indeterministic world. Then, on the other hand — I analyze the assertions of those who believe in the co‑existence of objective probability and determinism. As a result I show that the acceptance of deterministic and indeterministic fields as possible areas where objective probability can occur is extremely problematic. Depending on the chosen area we encounter different types of problems. Therefore, I show that a significant number of these problems are associated with the acceptance of incorrect metaphysical assumptions. And finally, I postulate that the objectivity of probability (and assumptions pertaining to it) can be reduced (without any losses) to the epistemic variant.


Sincronía ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol XXV (80) ◽  
pp. 160-175
Author(s):  
Celeste Florencia Ramirez ◽  

In the present work, in the light of the reading of the philosopher Santiago Castro-Gómez, we will try to elucidate his theory about the coloniality of power and the way in which such a device codified the bodies according to the discourse of blood cleansing. So, first, we will briefly develop two different types of theories about power: on the one hand, the theory of the coloniality of power, presented by the Peruvian sociologist Aníbal Quijano; on the other hand, the analytics of power, developed by Michel Foucault. Both theories, which seem incommensurable, are put into dialogue by our philosopher. In the second part of our work, we will prepare to present the practices and modus operandi corresponding to the coloniality of power to manifest its uniqueness in comparison to other types of powers. Likewise, we will show how a certain sector of the population, in an attempt to consolidate their family and personal interests, used these practices to limit corporality. Third, and by way of conclusion, we will make a brief sketch about the link between the coloniality of power and the political practices of current Colombia.


Author(s):  
Andrej L. Malchukov

The present chapter discusses patterns of differential case marking in ergative languages, focusing on differential subject marking, which is more prominent in ergative languages (in contrast to accusative languages, where differential object marking is more prominent). It is argued that patterns of (differential) case marking can be accounted two general constraints related to (role)-indexing, on the one hand, and distinguishability (or markedness) on the other hand. This approach correctly predicts asymmetries between differential object marking (DOM) and differential subject marking (DSM) with regard to animacy, definiteness, as well as discourse features. I also show how this approach can be extended to capture a relation between case and voice alternation, as well as briefly outline diachronic scenarios leading to different types of differential case marking in ergative and split intransitive languages.


2014 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Héctor Wittwer

AbstractThe fact that the topic of emergency situations has been neglected almost completely by ethical theory raises the question why normative ethics has had so little to say about extreme situations so far. One can assume that this disinterest is not due to the rarity of emergency situations but rather to their peculiar properties. All ethical theories rest on the premise that moral agents make the most of their decisions under normal circumstances. The aim of the paper is to answer the question whether or not normative ethics is able to adequately evaluate emergency situations. In order to do this, different types of extreme situations must be distinguished. It is argued that, on the one hand, self-defence and agreements by which all the participants refrain from certain of their rights in order to enable some of them to survive are morally unproblematic. On the other hand, there are emergency situations that do not allow for a solution which would be morally acceptable to all of the involved persons. Hence, morality itself can be unacceptable under extreme circumstances.


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