Classical properties of an open quantum system emerge through its interaction with other degrees of freedom (decoherence). We treat the case where this interaction produces a Markovian master equation for the system. We derive the corresponding distinguished local basis (pointer basis) by three methods. The first demands that the pointer states mimic as closely as possible the local nonunitary ...

The evolution of physical and gauge degrees of freedom in the Einstein and Yang-Mills theories are separated in a gauge-invariant manner. We show that the equations of motion of these theories can always be written in fluxconservative first-order symmetric hyperbolic form. This dynamical form is ideal for global analysis, analytic approximation methods such as gaugeinvariant perturbation theory...

A new method is described for determining the effect of original learning (or any other variable) on forgetting. The major question is, How much forgetting time is required for memory performance to fall from any given level to some lower level? If this time is the same for different degrees of original learning, then forgetting is not affected by degree of original learning. If this time is gr...

Within the harmonic approximation to transition state theory, the biggest challenge involved in finding the mechanism or rate of transitions is the location of the relevant saddle points on the multidimensional potential energy surface. The saddle point search is particularly challenging when the final state of the transition is not specified. In this article we report on a comparison of severa...

This paper gives an improved lower bound on the degrees d such that for general points p1, . . . , pn ∈ P 2 and m > 0 there is a plane curve of degree d vanishing at each pi with multiplicity at least m.

We present some new results, and survey some old results, on the structure of honest elementary degrees. This paper should be a suitable first introduction to the honest elementary degrees.

The Kaluza-Klein spectrum of N=2, D=4 supergravity compactified on AdS2×S is found and shown to consist of two infinite towers of SU(1, 1|2) representations. In addition to ‘pure gauge’ modes living on the boundary of AdS which are familiar from higher dimensional cases, in two dimensions there are modes (e.g. massive gravitons) which enjoy no gauge symmetry yet nevertheless have no on-shell de...

We review the recent progress made in understanding instantons at finite temperature (calorons) with non-trivial holonomy, and their monopole constituents as relevant degrees of freedom for the confined phase.