A Dynamic Epistemic Logic with Finite Iteration and Parallel Composition

Existing dynamic epistemic logics combine standard epistemic logic with a restricted version of dynamic logic. Instead, we here combine a restricted epistemic logic with a rich version of dynamic logic. The epistemic logic is based on `knowing-whether' operators and basically disallows disjunctions and conjunctions in their scope; it moreover captures `knowing-what'. The dynamic logic has not only all the standard program operators of Propositional Dynamic Logic, but also parallel composition as well as an operator of inclusive nondeterministic composition; its atomic programs are assignments of propositional variables. We show that the resulting dynamic epistemic logic is powerful enough to capture several kinds of sequential and parallel planning, and so both in the unbounded and in the finite horizon version.

On the Left-/Right-Branching Asymmetry in Mandarin Tone 3 Sandhi

In Mandarin, a left-/right-branching asymmetry is observed when the Tone 3 Sandhi (T3S) process interacts with the syntactic structure of an expression: while expressions that have a left-branching syntactic structure only have a non-alternating sandhi pattern in which all but the rightmost T3 is changed to the sandhi tone, for expressions that have a right-branching syntactic structure various sandhi patterns are possible. This paper proposes that T3S applies cyclically bottom-up on a prosodic structure matched from the syntactic structure of an expression, along the lines of the Match Theory of syntactic-prosodic constituency correspondence (Selkirk 2011). The interaction of Match Phrase constraints and Strong Strong Start, which is a more restricted version of Selkirk’s (2011) Strong Start constraint, predicts that different prosodic structures are possible outputs for a right-branching expression, while for a left-branching expression the only possible output is a left-branching prosodic structure. The various possible sandhi patterns for a right-branching expression and the non-alternating sandhi pattern for a left-branching expression are derived when T3S applies cyclically bottom-up on the proposed prosodic structures.

Watson–Crick Jumping Finite Automata: Combination, Comparison and Closure

A new model of computation called Watson–Crick jumping finite automata was introduced by Mahalingam et al., and the authors study the computing power and closure properties of the variants of the model. There are four variants of the model: no state, 1-limited, all-final and simple Watson–Crick jumping finite automata. In this paper, we introduce a restricted version that is a combination of variants of the existing model. It becomes essential to explore the computing power and closure properties of these combinations. The combination variants are extensively compared with Chomsky hierarchy, general jumping finite automata family and among themselves. We also explore the closure properties of such restricted automata.

Islam and the Modern Period

The development and rapid spread of Islam in the 7th century AD laid the groundwork for the modern Near East. Islam’s early thinkers attempted to position their new religion as superior by threading the needle between Christianity and Judaism. Islam adopted a much more restricted version of the food taboos laid out in the Torah. The taboo on pork was one of the few the Quran, and it ultimately spelled the end of pig husbandry in much of the Near East. Nevertheless, pig husbandry and pork consumption have continued to this day, especially among Christian communities. The taboo also became increasingly tied to ethnoreligious intolerance and acts of hatred in the medieval and modern periods. The weaponization of pork, which can be traced at its earliest to the Classical period, became increasingly prevalent, as did the pejorative association of Christians with swine.

Selective Unification in (Constraint) Logic Programming*

Concolic testing is a well-known validation technique for imperative and object oriented programs. In a previous paper, we have introduced an adaptation of this technique to logic programming. At the heart of our framework lies a specific procedure that we call “selective unification”. It is used to generate appropriate run-time goals by considering all possible ways an atom can unify with the heads of some program clauses. In this paper, we show that the existing algorithm for selective unification is not complete in the presence of non-linear atoms. We then prove soundness and completeness for a restricted version of the problem where some atoms are required to be linear. We also consider concolic testing in the context of constraint logic programming and extend the notion of selective unification accordingly.

On the restricted Jordan plane in odd characteristic

In positive characteristic the Jordan plane covers a finite-dimensional Nichols algebra that was described by Cibils et al. and we call the restricted Jordan plane. In this paper, the characteristic is odd. The defining relations of the Drinfeld double of the restricted Jordan plane are presented and its simple modules are determined. A Hopf algebra that deserves the name of double of the Jordan plane is introduced and various quantum Frobenius maps are described. The finite-dimensional pre-Nichols algebras intermediate between the Jordan plane and its restricted version are classified. The defining relations of the graded dual of the Jordan plane are given.

Finding Minimum-Weight Link-Disjoint Paths with a Few Common Nodes

Network survivability has drawn certain interest in network optimization. However, the demand for full protection of a network is usually too restrictive. To overcome the limitation of geographical environments and to save network resources, we turn to establish backup networks allowing a few common nodes. It comes out the problem of finding k link-disjoint paths between a given pair of source and sink in a network such that the number of common nodes shared by at least two paths is bounded by a constant and the total link weight of all paths is minimized under the above constraints. For the case k = 2, where we have only one backup path, several fast algorithms have been developed in the literature. For the case k > 2, little results are known. In this paper, we first establish the NP-hardness of the problem with general k. Motivated by the situation that each node in a network may have a capability of multicasting, we also study a restricted version with one more requirement that each node can be shared by at most two paths. For the restricted version, we build an ILP model and design a fast algorithm by using the techniques of augmenting paths and splitting nodes. Furthermore, experimental results on synthetic and real networks show that our algorithm is effective in practice.

Justificação, Probabilidade e Independência

Epistemic justification has been widely accepted as both a gradational and relational notion. Given those properties, a natural thought is to take degrees of epistemic justification to be probabilities. In this paper, we present a simple Bayesian framework for justification. In the first part, after putting the model in an evidentialist form, we distinguish different senses of “being evidence for” and “confirming”. Next, we argue that this conception should accommodate the two relevant kinds of qualitative confirmation or evidential support. In the second part of the paper, we discuss the claim that this view is unable to satisfy the modified version of the conjunction closure for beliefs in probabilistically independent propositions. We defend that the underlying assumption on which this objection depends leads to an improper reading of the concept of epistemic probability. After providing a better interpretation of it, we put forward a rationale, which is based on the notion of conditional uncertainty, in support of a more plausible and restricted version of the closure of justification under conjunction.

Why We Should be Negative about Positive Egalitarianism

The article assesses recent attempts to deflect two persistent objections to Positive Egalitarianism (PE), the view that equality adds to the goodness of a state of affairs. The first says that PE entails bringing into existence individuals who are equal to each other in leading horrible lives, such that they are worth not living. I assess three strategies for deflecting this objection: offering a restricted version of PE; biting the bullet; and pressing a levelling out counter-objection. The second objection points out that for any world A containing many individuals all leading very satisfying lives, and in perfect equality, PE prefers a much larger, perfectly equal population Z with much lower (yet positive) well-being. I review two main strategies for avoiding this Repellent Conclusion: a Capped Model and making egalitarianism sensitive to welfare levels. Both solutions, I show, are worse than the problems they are meant to solve.