Mathematics Commons^™

Foundations And Interpretations Of Quantum Mechanics, Cory Johnson

Honors Theses

The first famous thought experiment of Einstein gives rise to his theories of relativity, the bedrock of modern astrophysics and cosmology. His second famous thought experiment begins the investigation into the foundations of quantum mechanics. It leads to a paradox, inspiring various 'no-go' theorems proven by Bell, Kochen, and Specker. Physicists and philosophers worldwide become increasingly dissatisfied with the probabilistic complementarity interpretation (Born-Bohr) and eventually offer their own accounts of the theory. By the end of the 20th century two alternative approaches stand out as the best candidates: Both the hidden variables interpretation (de Broglie-Bohm) and the many worlds interpretation …

Effects Of Context Of Natural And Artifactual Objects On Categorization, Linsey Walker

Honors Theses

Categorization of animals and vehicles in different contexts was investigated in three experiments using event related potentials (ERPs). The presence of a background and congruency of the background in relation to the object were both manipulated in order to determine the effects of context on visual processing. In Experiment 1, adults were presented with images of animals and vehicles in two conditions: situated in a congruent context (e.g. an animal in a field) and in the absence of a context (an animal in a white homogeneous background). In experiment 2, adults were presented with images of animals and vehicles in …

Crossover Property Of The Nonperiodic Autocorrelation Of Quaternary Sequences, Michael Pohl

Honors Theses

Sequences with identical nonperiodic autocorrelation functions have recently been used to construct Golay sequences different than the Davis-Jedwab construction. In this thesis, we construct infinite families of quaternary sequences with identical non periodic autocorrelation functions. These results demonstrate that current con­ structions for quaternary families are not all encompassing and need further study.

World Bank -Cpa Conflict: The Struggle To Define Human Rights And Development In The Philippines, Adam B. Robbins

Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes the interactions between the World Bank (hereafter, the Bank) and the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA), an indigenous and environmental advocacy group based in the Cordillera region of Luzon, in the Philippines. Using data gathered through both text-based and participatory research methods, I analyze the discursive relationship and violent confrontations between the two organizations. Conflicting development and human rights values cause the majority of these conflicts. I focus on how each organization enacts development and human rights, and how this leads to conflict. Ultimately, I intend for this thesis to offer practical guidance for the reader involved in …

Boundary Behavior Of Laplace Transforms, Timothy Ferguson

Honors Theses

In this thesis, we examine the boundary behavior of Laplace transforms (as analytic functions on the right and left half planes) of certain bounded functions. The types of bounded functions we consider are Fourier transforms of measures and almost periodic functions.

On Conway's Generalization Of The 3x + 1 Problem, Robin M. Givens

Honors Theses

This thesis considers a variation of the 3x+1, or Collatz, Problem involving a function we call the Conway function. The Conway function is defined by letting C3(n)=2k for n=3k and C3(n)=4k±1 for n=3k±1, where n is an integer. The iterates of this function generate a few 'short' cycles, but the s' tructural dynamics are otherwise unknown. We investigate properties of the Conway function and other related functions. We also discuss the possibility of using the Conway function to generate keys for cryptographic use based on a fast, efficient binary implemenation of the function. Questions related to the conjectured tree-like structure …

Change Bell Ringing And Mathematics: A High School Student Excursion Into Graph Theory And Group Theory, Kristi Carlson

Honors Theses

This unit was created as a way to introduce higher level mathematics concepts to advanced high school students. All five of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Process Standards are found in this unit. For most of the unit, students work within small groups

Relative Difference Sets In 2-Groups : A Group Cohomological Viewpoint, Brian Wyman

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Ecological Niching In An Interactive Simulation, Ryan T. Webb

Honors Theses

Our goal is to create a simulation platform for the study of ecological niching that can be extended to suit the needs of biological research. Ecological niching and the accompanying evolutionary process of speciation are difficult to observe in situ, which makes them prime candidates for study via the methods of computer simulation. To this end, we have created an interactive, real-time ecosystem simulation based on the standard predator/prey interaction model, in which interacting populations of organisms exhibit swarming behavior. We hope to provide the basic simulation components necessary to bring about niching and speciation, that may be extended for …

Factorization Of Polynomials And Real Analytic Function, Radoslaw L. Stefanski

Honors Theses

In this project, we address the question: When can a polynomial p(x, y) of two variables be factored as p(x, y) = f(x)g(y), where f and g are polynomials of one variable. We answer this question, using linear algebra, and create a Mathematica program which carries out this factorization. For example,

3+3x-5x^3+y+xy-5/3x^3y+y^2+xy^2-5/3x^3y^2 = (1+x-5/3x^3)(3+y+y^2)

We then generalize this concept and ask: When can p(x,y) can be written as

p(x,y) = f1(x)g2(y)+f2(x)g2(y)+...+fr(x)gr(y)

where fj,gj are polynomials. This can certainly be done (for large enough r). Which is the minimum such r? Again, we have a Mathematica program which carries out this …

Discovering The Potential For Advancements In Intrusion Detection Systems, Kenneth J. Buonforte

Honors Theses

An intrusion detection system (IDS) is a collection of monitors strategically placed on a network or individual host in order to detect anomalous behavior. Since James Anderson introduced one of the first frameworks for an intrusion detection system in [1]. researchers have extended the capabilities of these systems. IDSs take many forms, from systems as basic as command line audit logs to those that emulate the defense mechanisms of the human immune system. However, as intrusion detection has evolved, scientists and administrators alike are beginning to question the need for this technology due to its lack of quantifiable performance and …

Securing Distributed Computations : In Search Of Reliable Large-Scale Compute Power And Refreshed Redundancy, Edward P. Kenney

Honors Theses

The Internet may be the single largest technological advance or significant societal change in the last century. Not only does it allow access to more information than any human could ever hope to digest, but it produces the potential of having millions of computers combining their computational forces for the betterment of a single cause .. Tl is is the fundamental goal of distributed computing. A distributed system is defined to be a network of machines with some degree of centralized direction. In a distributed computational system each machine will accept computational tasks from a supervisor in a master-slave relationship. …

Sedimentological And Plant Taphonomic Evaluation Of The Early Middle Devonian Trout Valley Formation, Jonathan Allen

Honors Theses

The Trout Valley Formation of Emsian-Eifelian age, outcropped in Baxter State Park, Maine, consists offluvial and coastal deposits preserving early land plants. Massive, crudely bedded conglomerate represents deposits of proximal braided channels on an alluvial fan complex. Lithic sandstone bodies in channel-form geometries represent deposits of river channels draining the Acadian highlands whereas associated siltstones represent overbank deposits, intertidal flats, and tidal channels. Localized lenticular quartz arenites represent nearshore shelf bar deposits that were storm influenced. The majority of plant assemblages preserved mainly in siltstone lithologies are allochthonous and parautochthonous, with only one autochthonous assemblage identified in the sequence. Plant …

Communicator-In-Chief: Presidential Use Of Television Past, Present, And Future, Jenna Wasson

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to determine how television has changed as a communication medium for presidents over the past half century. An evaluation of the evolving ways presidents use television to communicate with and to build support from the American people has been conducted. Presidential communication strategies have been identified by drawing primarily from primary sources written by presidents and White House staff. Television technology and the television audience have changed over the years. Presidents have taken a more pro-active, aggressive role in their efforts to harness television for their own purposes. Why have these changes occurred? What impact have these …

Self-Similarity In Network Traffic, Francisco Chinchilla

Honors Theses

It is critical to properly understand the nature of network traffic in order to effectively design models describing network behavior. These models are usually used to simulate network traffic, which in turn are used to construct congestion control techniques, perform capacity planning studies, and/or evaluate the behavior of new protocols. Using the wrong models could lead to potentially serious problems such as delayed packet transmissions or an increase in packet drop rates.

Traditionally, packet arrivals were assumed to follow a Poisson arrival process. Although Poisson processes have several properties that make them easy to work with, they do not accurately …

Shout With The Largest Mob : Toward A Model For Primitive Communication In Mobile Automata, Rebecca A. Weber

Honors Theses

We consider the problem of simulating communication between independent, autonomous agents, or machines, using only local rules with no global control over the agents' behavior. First, we construct an algorithm by which the machines will avoid collisions with each other and with boundaries or obstacles. Noting that collision avoidance alone will not result in higher-level behavior, and with the goal of creating agents which would self-organize, we begin to develop a signalling system by which agents can communicate. This leads to a new method for modeling agent motion in the plane. Throughout, we are motivated by possible linkages between our …

Method For Identification Of Origins Of Replication And Genes Regulated By Dnaa In Bacteria, Olga G. Troyanskaya

Honors Theses

The study is focused on developing computer programs to identify origin of DNA replication based on analysis of total bacterial genomes, scoring regions for number of DnaA binding sites, AT content, DNA adenine methylase boxes, and integration host factors binding sites. The programs were tested on cyanobacterium Synechocystis, and several potential origins were identified. However, no one definite region could be located. Currently, software is being developed to analyze common motifs around the origins of all bacteria with known origins. Genes whose transcription could be regulated by DnaA were identified by searching for DnaA boxes preceding promoter regions.

The Dirichlet Problem And Its Physical Motivations, Andrew E. Pitts

Honors Theses

In this work, we explore the basics of harmonic function theory and its relationship to problems in the theory of heat diffusion. In particular, we will focus on the classical Dirichlet problem.

Problems In Harmonic Function Theory, Ronald A. Walker

Honors Theses

Harmonic Function Theory is a field of differential mathematics that has both many theoretical constructs and physical connections, as well as its store of classical problems.

One such problem is the Dirichlet Problem. While the proof of the existence of a solution is well-founded on basic theory, and general methods for polynomial solutions have been well studied, much ground is still yet to be overturned. In this paper we focus on the examination, properties and computation methods and limitations, of solutions for rational boundary functions.

Another area that we shall study is the properties and generalizations of the zero sets …

Celluloid Blackness : Race, Modernity, And The Conflicted Roots Of American Cinema (1915-1939), Lincoln Farr

Honors Theses

Introduction: "The Problem of the Twentieth Century" In a full page interview in the New York Times on May 29, 1912, the Swiss psychiatrist Dr. Carl G. Jung told the American people, "It seems to me that you are about to discover yourselves. You have discovered everything else-all the land of this continent; all the resources, all the hidden things of nature."Jung used the interview to address the American people, at a moment which he somehow recognized as crucial in the development of human civilization. America, the "tragic" country which he struggled to comprehend, would soon become the harbinger of …

On Some New Constructions Of Difference Sets, Sarah Agnes Spence

Honors Theses

Difference sets are mathematical structures which arise in algebra and combinatorics, with applications in coding theory. The fundamental question is when and how one can construct difference sets. This largely expository paper looks at standard construction methods and describes recent findings that resulted in new families of difference sets. This paper provides explicit examples of difference sets that arise from the recent constructions. By gaining a thorough understanding of these new techniques, it may be possible to generalize the results to find additional new families of difference sets. The paper also introduces partial and relative difference sets and discusses how …

Temporal Flocking And Cacophony Simulating Agent Communication In A Noisy Environment, Jessica R. Crawford

Honors Theses

Realistic communication is one of the most difficult aspects of simulating group behavior because the patterns produced by group communication are complex and not easily definable. In this paper, we present a model, developed using artificial life methodology, for creating simulations of group communication. Our model employs autonomous, artificial agents to produce emergent group behavior that resembles the communication patterns of a group, specifically, a flock of birds. Each agent collects information about its environment and its neighbors and follows a set of rules designed to meet both group goals and individual agent goals. Because we seek to establish emergent …

On The Automatic Generation Of Network Protocol Simulators, Andrew Chen

Honors Theses

Computers communicate with each other over various communication networks via a language known as a protocol. The design of the protocol can have a significant impact on the efficiency (and effectiveness) of the network. Because building an actual network to test the performance (and reliability) of a new protocol is rather expensive and time consuming, there is an interest in simulating network protocols in order to determine how efficient the communication network is. We are therefore interested in automatically generating simulators that could measure the performance of the new protocols. There are two main parts to this project. The first …

Parallel Programming, Peter Dailey

Honors Theses

The speed of technology is always increasing, especially in the field of computing. Unfortunately, the size of the problems needing to be solved are also growing in many areas. In order to keep up with this, parallel computing has become an important research area. The term parallel computing essentially refers to using multiple processors cooperating to solve a problem. For certain problems this can speed up the solution by a factor ofN, the number of processors being used. There are algorithms, for which there is no speed increase due to certain dependencies.

Irreducible K-To-1 Maps Onto Grids, Susan M. Parker

Honors Theses

In this paper we explore the existence of exactly k-to-1 continuous functions between graphs, and more specifically 2-to-1 continuous function between graphs that are irreducibly 2-to-1, meaning that no restriction of the function to a subgraph is 2-to-l. We show how to construct such functions in some general cases, and then more specifically onto rectangular grids. We have in mind an application to distributed networks and signal verification.

Communication Games, Kimberly I. Noonan

Honors Theses

A communication game combines traditional n-person game theory with graph theory. The result is a model of a bargaining situation where communication is restricted. The game's multilinear extension (MLE), a polynomial that summarizes the solutions of the game, is well known for the case where the graph is a tree or simple cycle. This paper simplifies the computation of MLE of the communication game in the case when the graph is a series of simple cycles. The results are then applied to studying the power of each Canadian province in passing an amendment to the constitution, taking geographic location into …

Ideals Of The Lipschitz Class, Konstantin G. Kulev

Honors Theses

In this paper, a classification of the closed ideals of the Little Oh Lipschitz class of functions on the interval [0,1] is provided. The technique used to classify the ideals of the class of continuous functions is modified and applied to the Little Oh Lipschitz class. It is shown that every ideal of these two classes has the form I = {f : flE = 0} for some closed set E C [0, 1]. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the same technique cannot be successfully applied to the classification of the closed ideals of the Big Oh Lipschitz class.

Banach Spaces Of Analytic Functions, Michael T. Nimchek

Honors Theses

In this paper, we explore certain Banach spaces of analytic functions. In particular, we study the space A-1, demonstrating some of its basic properties including non-separability. We ask the question: given a class C of analytic functions on the unit disk D and a sequence [Zn] = 0 for all n? Finally, we explore Mz invariant subspaces of A-1, demonstrating that they may possess the codimension-2 property.

The Use Of Non-Commutative Algebra In Cryptographically Secure Pseudo-Random Number Generators, Brian M. Mckeever

Honors Theses

This thesis begins with a general overview of pseudo-random number generators and some of their applications. This thesis then describes their applications to cryptography, and some additional requirements imposed by cryptography. This thesis then provides an introduction to the ring of quaternions, and discusses how they can be included in pseudo-random number generators. Finally, this thesis provides a description of the performance of these generators.

Transitions In Masculinity And Hemingway's Developed "Code", Daniel Polk

Honors Theses

The "Hemingway Code" is much more than two words that fit nicely together for a scholar's usage; the words signify a much deeper championing of masculinity, almost a haunting presence. For Ernest Hemingway living life every day, every moment with its fullest masculine fervor, became an obsession, a never-ending quest to be at one with the attitude of never complaining, never crying out, panicking, thinking too much, or regretting. To live a manly life in a series of tactical victories, performed with steadfast ritualistic mannerisms, is to embody masculinity, and therefore the "Hemingway Code."