bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interlanguage Variability in Narrative Discourse: Style Shifting in the Use of the Past Tense
Authors: Ellis Rod
Published: November 2008

This study examines style shifting in the use of three past tense morphemes (regular past, irregular past, and past copula) by 17 intermediate L2 learners of English. It differs from previous studies in that style shifting is examined within a single discourse mode—narrative discourse—according to the amount of planning time made available. Data were collected under three conditions: (a) planned writing, (b) planned speech, and (c) unplanned speech. Different patterns of style shifting were observed for three morphemes, suggesting that the nature of the linguistic feature under investigation is a determining factor. For regular past, greatest accuracy was most evident in planned writing and least evident in unplanned speech, with planned speech intermediate. Little style shifting took place in irregular past, whereas style shifting for past copula occurred only between planned speech and unplanned speech. The three conditions produced different accuracy orders for regular and irregular past, suggesting that the so-called “natural” order may not be a stable phenomenon. The paper concludes with a number of important questions requiring further investigation.
Zero Anaphora in Second Language Acquisition:A Comparison among Three Varieties of English
Authors: Williams Jessica
Published: November 2008

This study examines the use of zero anaphora in the English production of three speaker groups: native speakers, second language learners, and speakers of a non-native institutionalized variety. General discourse function for zero anaphora is found to be similar across speaker groups, although in many cases, ungrammatical by prescriptive standards. In addition, there are important quantitative and structural differences between the native speakers and non-native speakers in how this device is used. The results suggest that the relationship between performance data and second language acquisition needs to be reexamined. In particular, it cannot be assumed that spontaneous production of a given form isa direct indicator of acquisition and conversely, that non-production is necessarily proof of non-acquisition.
Avoidance
Authors: Hulstijn Jan H. , Marchena Elaine
Published: November 2008

This article follows up on a study by Dagut and Laufer (1985), who found that Hebrew learners of English avoid phrasal verbs, such as ‘let down’, while preferring one-word verbs, such as ‘;disappoint’, since phrasal verbs do not exist in Hebrew. A corollary derived from Dagut and Laufer's study is that Dutch learners of English would tend not to avoid English phrasal verbs, since phrasal verbs also exist in Dutch. It was hypothesized, however, that Dutch learners of English as a second language (ESL) would avoid phrasal verbs, too, not for structural, but for semantic reasons. Three tests (multiple choice, memorization, and translation) were administered to intermediate and advanced Dutch learners of English. Each test contained 15 sentences, eliciting preference for either a phrasal verb or an equivalent one-word verb. The results show that, as expected, Dutch learners of English do not avoid phrasal verbs categorically. However, they seem to avoid those idiomatic phrasal verbs that they perceive as too Dutch-like (lack of contrast between the first and second language). Furthermore, they exhibit a tendency to adopt a play-it-safe strategy, preferring one-word verbs with general, multi-purpose meanings over phrasal verbs with specific, sometimes idiomatic, meanings. It is argued that this semantic play-it-safe strategy may have also played a causal role in the avoidance behavior of the Hebrew ESL learners observed by Dagut and Laufer.
The Interpretation of English Reflexive Pronouns by Non-Native Speakers
Authors: Thomas Margaret
Published: November 2008

Ninety-six second language learners of English responded to a 30-item multiple-choice questionnaire requiring them to identify the antecedent of a reflexive pronoun. Their judgments differ from those of a native-speaker control group in that they do not require that a reflexive take a clause mate antecedent, but both groups share a preference for subject over non-subject antecedents. The second language learners do not seem to transfer first language (L1) grammar into the second language (L2), nor do they recapitulate the course of L1 acquisition. An extension of Wexler and Manzini's (1987) parameter-setting model of L1 acquisition to L2 data may account for some of these results, but the high incidence of long-distance binding of reflexives remains problematic: these second language learners have set the governing category parameter too widely without positive evidence.
Planning and Interlanguage Variation
Authors: Crookes Graham
Published: November 2008

Having focused previously on attention, cognitively oriented investigations of interlanguage variation and development are turning toward other possible explanatory variables, such as planning. The present study reports on an experiment in which two groups of 20 Japanese learners of English as a second language performed two monologic production tasks with and without time for planning. It was found that providing learners with time to plan their utterances results in interlanguage productions which are more complex in the short run.
What You Don't Know Can't Help You
Authors: Long Donna Reseigh
Published: November 2008

A number of recent studies in L1 listening comprehension have shown that background knowledge plays a crucial role in the comprehension process. The purpose of the present article is threefold: (a) to review the literature on background knowledge, (b) to present the findings of pertinent L1 and L2 research, and (c) to report the results of a preliminary study of L2 listening comprehension and background knowledge.
All of the Above
Authors: Andersen Roger W.
Published: November 2008

Universals—everybody wants them! After all, explanation is superior to description in science, or so they say, and something called universals stands a good chance of providing a principled explanation for observable linguistic phenomena, whether cross-linguistically valid generalizations about properties of language, about linguistic performance, or about first or second language acquisition. For some time, generative theoreticians have had a de facto patent on universals as they apply to language and its use and acquisition, with Greenbergian linguistic typologists as well as functionalists and psycholinguists of various persuasions in close competition. A special issue on universals and second language acquisition must pay serious attention to the case for universals as they might apply to second language acquisition (SLA) within each of these traditions. It is for this reason that this issue includes as many different representative perspectives as is possible, given the limitations of space.
Universals and Second Language Acquisition
Authors: Carroll Susanne , Meisel Jürgen M.
Published: November 2008

On the basis of a critical analysis of the articles in this issue, we argue for a shift in emphasis in the investigation of universals in second language acquisition (SLA). To construct a psycholinguistically plausible theory of acquisition, research must proceed simultaneously on a number of different fronts: the elaboration of (a) a theory of computationconsistent with human biology, (b) a theory of structural universals and variation, (c) a theory of meaning, and (d) a theory of pragmatics which must tie in with both a theory of cognitive development and a theory of sociocultural knowledge. None of the theories popular at present address all of these issues. We suggest that there is much room for consensus, but that achieving it will require keeping an eye firmly focused on the long-term objectives.
A Theory of Language Acquisition Is Not So Easy
Authors: Klein Wolfgang
Published: November 2008

The first part of this commentary discusses the minimal requirements that any serious theory of language acquisition must meet. It must take into account the particular properties of the human language processor and the (linguistic and nonlinguistic) input, as well as the specific motivation which causes the learner to apply the former to the latter. Neglecting, or even not keeping constant, some of these factors leads to a very distorted picture of the nature of language acquisition. In particular, claims about the difference between first (L1) and second language (L2) acquisition that ignore major variation in one of these components go astray.
The Structural Conformity Hypothesis and the Acquisition of Consonant Clusters in the Interlanguage of ESL Learners
Authors: Eckman Fred R.
Published: November 2008

The validity of two implicational universals regarding consonant clusters was tested in an analysis of the interlanguage of 11 subjects who were native speakers of Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. The results were strongly supportive of the two universals, suggesting the possibility that primary language universals hold also for nonprimary languages.
Feedback on Writing
Authors: Cohen Andrew D.
Published: November 2008

The article first calls attention to research on learner strategies and to the significant role that verbal report data have played in such research. While various research methods have been used to describe such strategies, verbal report measures are being used more and more as a means for describing cognitive processes in such areas as communicating, translating, test taking, and language learning. The article focuses just on the use of verbal report in describing learner strategies in language learning and language using. It is noted that information on learner strategies has evolved from partially intuited lists of strategies to empirically derived taxonomies that have as their ultimate purpose that of training learners to be more successful at language learning. Second, the controversy regarding the use of verbal report measures is discussed. Finally, the article describes a study that employed a variety of verbal report measures in an effort to understand better the strategies that teachers use in giving feedback on compositions and the strategies that learners use in handling this feedback in the English-foreign-languge and Portuguese-native-language classrooms, respectively.
Second Language Instruction Does Make a Difference
Authors: Doughty Catherine
Published: November 2008

A number of studies on second language (SL) instruction point to the hypothesis that instruction is effective, but determining the effect experimentally has been problematic. Overall, three difficulties with previous attempts to demonstrate a causal relationship between SL instruction and second language acquisition can be identified: (a) inappropriate or inadequate research design, (b) failure to operationalize or even to describe the instructional treatment, and (c) choice of SL assessment measures. This article presents the findings of a recent empirical study which (a) show that SL instruction is effective; (b) show that attention to form, either via detailed analysis of structure or highlighting of target language (TL) structures in context, promotes acquisition of interlanguage (IL) grammar, but that only the latter comes hand-in-hand with comprehension of input; and (c) replicate earlier findings suggesting an important role for markedness theory in instructed IL development.
L2 Working Memory Capacity and L2 Reading Skill
Authors: Harrington Michael , Sawyer Mark
Published: November 2008

Working memory capacity refers to the ability to store and process information simultaneously in real time and has been shown to correlate highly with first language (L1) reading skill. This study examines the sensitivity of second language (L2) working memory capacity to differences in reading skill among advanced L2 learners. The index of working memory capacity used was the reading span test (Daneman & Carpenter, 1980). Subjects with larger working memory capacities scored higher on measures of reading skill, in contrast with the lack of strong correlations between measures of passive short-term storage (memory for strings of random words or digits) and the same reading measures. This result is consistent with an interpretation of the reading span test as an index of working memory capacity, in which capacity is defined functionally in terms of a trade-off between active processing and storage. Issues involved in investigating working memory capacity are discussed and the role of capacity limitations in models of L2 comprehension is considered.
Social Psychological Factors Related to the Study of Arabic Among Israeli High School Students
Authors: Kraemer Roberta
Published: November 2008

This study investigated the generalizability of Gardner's socioeducational model for second language learning to a highly different social context from that in which the model was developed. Specifically, the study examined Jewish high school students in Israel learning Arabic as a foreign language in a setting characterized by a high degree of intergroup conflict. Four tenets were identified as forming the essential core of Gardner's theory. These we would expect to apply across widely differing contexts in order to support the generalizability of the model. Other elements in the model, as well as the degree of relationship between variables, may be specific to the social context. The main hypothesis posited an expanded version of Gardner's model that included additional constructs—both general and context specific.

The subjects for this study were 484 pupils studying Arabic in the 10th grade in regular high school programs. The instruments consisted of written questionnaires that were administered during two regular class periods. Teachers' marks were collected at the end of the school year. The hypothesis was tested using linear structural relations (or LISREL) causal modeling techniques. Regarding each of the four core elements in Gardner's theory, we concluded that the model was indeed generalizable to the context of this study. Other relationships between variables in the model are interpreted in light of the specific language learning context.
On Explicit and Negative Data Effecting and AffectingCompetenceandLinguistic Behavior
Authors: Schwartz Bonnie D.
Published: November 2008

Psychologically speaking, all linguistic behavior is the overt manifestation of some type of underlying knowledge that is represented in the mind/brain of an individual. Exposure to linguistic data is necessary forgrowthof the system of knowledge. On the basis of only overt linguistic behavior, how can we ascertain whether the native and nonnative knowledge systems that people have are of distinct or similar types? Is there a (necessary) relationship betweentype of knowledgeandtype of linguistic exposure?

The hypothesis to be defended is that negative data and explicit data result in a type of knowledge that is not to be equated withlinguistic competence. The claim is not that negative and explicit data cannot give rise to knowledge; rather, the specific claim is that only positive data can effect the construction of aninterlanguage grammarthat is comparable to the knowledge system that characterizes the result of first language acquisition.
Input Enhancement in Instructed SLA
Authors: Smith Michael Sharwood
Published: November 2008

The concept of input to the language learner is examined with reference to some current theorizing about language processing and the idea of modular systems of knowledge. The question of what this can tell us about the actions taken by teachers and textbook writers is addressed specifically with regard to manipulating, or “enhancing,” the input ideally so that it will affect learner knowledge and thereby learner behavior. The logic of the argumentation is that, in exposing the learner to the second language, we are engaging a whole battery of different processing mechanisms. Input enhancement research and the conclusions drawn from it have to be set within the context of a modular view of language and language learning.
Positive Evidence and Preemption in the Second Language Classroom
Authors: Trahey Martha , White Lydia
Published: November 2008

In this paper we show that supplying positive evidence in the second language (L2) classroom does not necessarily trigger the appropriate L2 value of a parameter of Universal Grammar. The parameter we investigate is the verb movement parameter of Pollock (1989), which accounts for the fact that English and French adverbs differ as to where they occur in relation to the verb: In French the verb raises past the adverb, allowing the order SVAO but not SAV, whereas in English the verb does not raise, allowing SAV but not SVAO. Fifty-four francophone children (aged 11) in intensive English-as-a-second-language programs in Quebec, Canada, were exposed to a 2-week input flood of specially prepared materials containing English adverbs used naturalistically. No form-focused instruction or negative evidence on adverb placement was provided. Subjects were pretested immediately prior to the input flood, posttested immediately afterward, and again 3 weeks later, on four different tasks. On all tasks there is a change between pretest and posttest behavior, namely, a dramatic increase in use of the English SAV order but little or no decline in incorrect usage of SVAO. Results are also compared to groups reported in White (1991a, 1991b); the subjects in the present study differ from both groups in the previous studies. The results of the present study suggest that positive evidence does not serve to preempt the first language parameter setting in this case; acquiring the correct English SAV order did not lead to loss of incorrect SVAO. Implications of this result for theories of preemption and parameter setting in L2 acquisition are discussed.
Explicit Instruction and Input Processing
Authors: VanPatten Bill , Cadierno Teresa
Published: November 2008

In this paper we describe an experiment in explicit instruction that compares traditional form-focused instruction and what we call processing instruction. Traditional instruction involves explanation and output practice of a grammatical point. Processing instruction involves explanation and practice/experience processing input data, taking learner strategies in input processing as the starting point for determining what explicit instruction should look like. Pretest and posttest measures involving both a sentence-level interpretation (comprehension) task and a sentence-level production task were submitted to an analysis of variance. Results reveal significant gains in both comprehension and production for subjects who experienced processing instruction. For those experiencing traditional instruction, significant gains were made in production only.
Learning the Rules of Academic Talk
Authors: Bardovi-Harlig Kathleen , Hartford Beverly S.
Published: November 2008

This paper is a longitudinal study of the acquisition of pragmatic competence. Advanced adult nonnative speakers of English were taped in advising sessions over the course of a semester. Two speech acts, suggestions and rejections, were analyzed according to their frequency, form, and successfulness and compared with similar data gathered for native speakers. The nonnative speakers showed change toward the native speaker norms in their ability to employ appropriate speech acts, moving toward using more suggestions and fewer rejections, and became more successful negotiators. However, they changed less in their ability to employ appropriate forms of the speech acts, continuing to use fewer mitigators than the native speakers. Furthermore, unlike native speakers, they also used aggravators. We claim that these results may be explained by the availability of input: Learners receive positive and negative feedback from the advisor regarding the desirability and outcome of particular speech acts, but they do not receive such feedback regarding the appropriateness of the forms of such speech acts.
Explicit and Implicit Negative Feedback
Authors: Carroll Susanne , Swain Merrill
Published: November 2008

The relative effects of various types of negative feedback on the acquisition of the English dative alternation by 100 adult Spanish-speaking learners of English as a second language were investigated. Our objective was to determine empirically whether feedback can help learners learn the appropriate abstract constraints on an overgeneral rule. All subjects were trained on the alternation, which was presented in terms of a simple structural change. Subjects were divided into groups according to the type of feedback they received when they made an error. Specifically, upon making an error, Group A subjects were given explicit metalinguistic information about the generalization we hoped they would learn. Group B subjects were told that their response was wrong. Group C subjects were corrected when they erred, giving them a model of the response desired along with implicit negative evidence that their response was incorrect. Group D subjects, having made an error, were asked if they were sure about their response. The comparison group received no feedback.
The Effects of Induced Anxiety on Three Stages of Cognitive Processing in Computerized Vocabulary Learning
Authors: MacIntyre Peter D. , Gardner R. C.
Published: November 2008

Language anxiety is a prevalent phenomenon in second language learning. This experiment examines the arousal of anxiety caused by the introduction of a video camera at various points in a vocabulary learning task. Seventy-two students of 1st-year university French were randomly assigned to one of four groups: (a) one group who had anxiety aroused during their initial exposure to the stimuli, (b) a second group who had anxiety aroused when they began to learn the meanings of the words, (c) a third group who had anxiety aroused when they were asked to produce the French word (when prompted with the English), and (d) a control group who did not experience anxiety arousal. Significant increases in state anxiety were reported in all three groups when the video camera was introduced, and concomitant deficits in vocabulary acquisition were observed. It is concluded that the stage at which anxiety arises has implications for any remedial action taken to reduce the effects of language anxiety.
Japanese Learners' Acquisition of the Locality Requirement of English Reflexives
Authors: Matsumura Masanori
Published: November 2008

This paper focuses on the process of Japanese learners' acquisition ofthe locality requirement of English reflexives. Previous studies seem to agree that the initial hypothesis of learners is an overgeneral one that allows nonlocal binding. Research findings diverge, however, as to whether or not learners can approximate the target grammar without the help of negativeevidence as their overall proficiency in English increases. This paper provides evidence of a successful retreat from the initial overgeneral hypothesis. In an attempt to explain the observed progress, it is suggested that a nonsyntactic aspect of language plays a role here, that is,viewpointin sentence processing. This notion may help us to specify the type of evidence that can trigger learners' progress in the acquisition of the English reflexive.
Analysis and Control in the Development of Second Language Proficiency
Authors: Bialystok Ellen
Published: November 2008

This paper describes a cognitive framework for explaining the acquisition and use of a second language. The framework is based on the identification of two cognitive processing components, calledanalysis of knowledgeandcontrol of processing, that jointly function to develop proficiency in the language. The framework is explained briefly and then applied to five issues in second language acquisition: the similarity of first and second language learning, the starting point for second language acquisition, consciousness, variability, and instruction.
Attention in Cognitive Science and Second Language Acquisition
Authors: Tomlin Russell S. , Villa Victor
Published: November 2008

This paper examines how the cognitive notion of attention has been employed in SLA and how it is understood in cognitive science. It summarizes recent research on attention from cognitive and neuroscience approaches. Some reformulations of problems raised in SLA research related to attention are proposed. Current research offers detailed ideas about attention and its component processes. These ideas, elaborated theoretically and empirically in cognitive neuroscience, may help untangle some important but difficult issues in SLA. Early, coarse-grained conceptions of attention, such as the limited-capacity metaphor or the automatic versus controlled processing dichotomy, are recast into an integrated human attention system with three separate yet interrelated networks: alertness, orientation, and detection. This finer grained analysis of attention is employed in a model of the role of attention in SLA.
Comprehensible Input and Second Language Acquisition
Authors: Loschky Lester
Published: November 2008

This study attempts to test aspects of the input hypothesis (Krashen, 1980, 1983, 1985) and Long's modification of it (Long, 1980, 1983a, 1985). Specifically, it experimentally tests the hypothesis that both input and interactional modifications facilitate second language acquisition, using Japanese as the target language. Three experimental groups were differentiated in terms of input and interaction conditions: (1) unmodified input with no interaction, (2) premodified input with no interaction, and (3) unmodified input with the chance for negotiated interaction. The groups were compared in terms of (a) their degree of comprehension of the input and (b) their subsequent retention of vocabulary items and acquisition of two Japanese locative structures. The results indicated that moment-to-moment comprehension was highest for the negotiated interaction group, whereas there was no significant difference between the two noninteraction groups. Furthermore, there was no correlation found between differences in moment-to-moment comprehension and gains in vocabulary recognition and acquisition of structures, though significant gains on both measures were found for all three groups. Discussion of these findings centers on the relationship between comprehension and acquisition.
Learning Second Language Grammar Rules
Authors: DeKeyser Robert M.
Published: November 2008

This is a report on a computerized experiment with a miniature linguistic system, consisting of five morphological rules and a lexicon of 98 words. Two hypotheses derived from the literature in cognitive psychology and psycholinguistics were tested: that explicit-deductive learning would be better than implicit-inductive learning for straightforward (“categorical”) rules, and that implicit-inductive learning would be better than explicit-deductive learning for fuzzy rules (“prototypicality patterns”). Implicit-inductive learning was implemented by pairing sentences with color pictures; explicit-deductive learning was implemented by means of traditional grammar rule presentation, followed by picture-sentence pairing. The findings were in the expected direction for both hypotheses, but only the first one could be confirmed through statistically significant results.
Syntactic Acquisition in Bilingual Children
Authors: Paradis Johanne , Genesee Fred
Published: November 2008

Recent research on pragmatic and syntactic development in bilingual 2-year-olds has shown that these children have differentiated language systems. However, it remains to be shown whether their grammars develop autonomously or interdependently from 2 years onward. The present study investigates the potential interference between the grammars of French-English bilingual children, aged 2–3 years. We examined their acquisition of functional categories, specifically the properties of INFL (finiteness and agreement) and negation, as these grammatical properties differ in both adult French and English and child French and English. Our results indicate that the bilingual children show no evidence of transfer, acceleration, or delay in acquisition, and support the hypothesis that their grammars are acquired autonomously. Some implications of these findings for the debate on continuity in the emergence of functional categories are discussed.
Learning Simple and Complex Second Language Rules Under Implicit, Incidental, Rule-Search, and Instructed Conditions
Authors: Robinson Peter
Published: November 2008

This study examines the generalizability of claims by Reber (1989, 1993) about the implicit learning of artificial grammars to the context of adult second language acquisition (SLA). In the field of SLA Krashen (1981, 1982, 1985, 1994) has made claims parallel to those of Reber regarding the differential effectiveness of conscious learning of rules and unconscious incidental acquisition of rules. Specifically addressed are Reber's and Krashen's claims that (a) implicit learning is more effective than explicit learning when the stimulus domain is complex, and (b) explicit learning of simple and complex stimulus domains is possible if the underlying rules are made salient. One hundred four adult learners of English as a second language were randomly assigned to implicit, incidental, rule-search, or instructed computerized training conditions. Speed and accuracy of judgments of novel tokens of easy and hard rule sentence types presented during training were used as dependent measures. Results do not support the first of Reber's and Krashen's claims but do support the second. Implicit learners do not outperform other learners on complex rules, but instructed learners outperform all others in learning simple rules. Analyses of the effect of sentence type and grammaticality on learning suggest a transfer-appropriate processing account of the relationship among consciousness, rule awareness, training, and transfer task performance.
Developmental Issues in Interlanguage Pragmatics
Authors: Kasper Gabriele , Schmidt Richard
Published: November 2008

Unlike other areas of second language study, which are primarily concerned with acquisitional patterns of interlanguage knowledge over time, most studies in interlanguage pragmatics have focused on second language use rather than second language learning. The aim of this paper is to profile interlanguage pragmatics as an area of inquiry in second language acquisition research, by reviewing existing studies with a focus on learning, examining research findings in interlanguage pragmatics that shed light on some basic questions in SLA, exploring cognitive and social-psychological theories that might offer explanations of different aspects of pragmatic development, and proposing a research agenda for the study of interlanguage pragmatics with a developmental perspective that will tie it more closely to other areas of SLA.
Developing Pragmatic Fluency in English as a Foreign Language:Routines and Metapragmatic Awareness
Authors: House Juliane
Published: November 2008

This study explores whether pragmatic fluency can best be acquired in the classroom by provision of input and opportunity for communicative practice alone, or whether learners profit more when additional explicit instruction in the use of conversational routines is provided. It is hypothesized that such instruction raises learners' awareness of the functions and contextual distributions of routines, enabling them to become more pragmatically fluent.

Two versions of a communication course taught to advanced German learners of English for 14 weeks are examined, one version providing explicit metapragmatic information, the other withholding it. Samples of tape-recorded conversations at various stages of the courses are used to assess how students' pragmatic fluency developed and whether and how the development of fluency benefits from metapragmatic awareness.
Explanation versus Structured Input in Processing Instruction
Authors: VanPatten Bill , Oikkenon Soile
Published: November 2008

This study replicates VanPatten and Cadierno (1993) in an attempt to determine whether or not explicit information given to learners receiving processing instruction is responsible for the beneficial effects of instruction. Fifty-nine subjects were divided into three groups: (1) one receiving processing instruction in object pronouns and word order in Spanish as in VanPatten and Cadierno (1993), (2) another receiving explanation only with no activities or practice, (3) and another receiving only the structured input activities with no explanation. A pretest/post-test assessment was used involving two tests, an interpretation test and a sentence-level production test. Results showed that the beneficial effects of instruction were due to the structured input activities and not to the explicit information (explanation) provided to learners.
Angular Momentum and Electron Impact
Authors: Blackett P. M. S.
Published: November 2008

1. There seems to be little doubt that the detailed mechanism of ionisation or excitation by electron impact will not admit of description, even to a first approximation, by the system of classical mechanics. However the experimental work of Franck and Horton and their collaborators, has shown that, within the limits of the error of experiment, an electron is able to impart the whole or part of its kinetic energy to the atom it excites. When its initial energy is greater than the excitation energy, the electron, instead of being brought to rest, retains the excess as kinetic energy.
Mixture catastrophes and Bayes decision theory
Authors: Smith J. Q.
Published: November 2008

To make a Bayes decision we choose the infimum of an expected loss function. Catastrophe theory classifies a wide class of functions locally in terms of their critical values. Firstly we will show how this local classification relates globally to some mixtures of symmetric expected loss functions. Secondly we shall indicate how such mixtures can arise and how the above classification can be usefully applied to the qualitative study of the behaviour of a Bayes decision-maker.
Lattice-valued random walks with Markov chain dependent steps
Authors: Daley D. J.
Published: November 2008

The probability of ever returning to the origin and the mean square displacement afternsteps are studied for some lattice-valued random walks, whose successive steps constitute a Markov chain on a finite state space with transition probabilities of a simple kind, and such that the returns to the origin form a regenerative phenomenon. The case of walks on a diamond lattice with no immediate reversals is included: this example is relevant as a polymer chain building model. The numerical evaluation of the return probabilities of some three-dimensional walks is discussed and examples given.
On operators of class (N, k)
Authors: Ramanujan P. B.
Published: November 2008

Istrăţescu (2) has introduced a class of operators on a Banach space called operators of class (N, k). An operator T (a bounded linear transformation) on a Banach space X is said to be an operator of class (N, k), k = 2, 3,…, if ‖Tx‖k ≤ ‖Tkx‖ for all x ∈ X such that ‖x‖ = 1. If k = 2, such an operator is called an operator of class (N)(3). If X is a Hilbert space, then the class of operators of class (N) on X is an extension of the class of hyponormal operators on X (3). The object of this note is to generalize to operators of class (N, k) on a Banach space X, some results which are known to be true for normal operators on a Hilbert space, particularly with regard to their ascent and descent.
On the analyticity of stationary vacuum solutions of Einstein's equation
Authors: Hagen H. Müller zum
Published: November 2008

It is shown that a stationary C3 vacuum space-time has an analytic structure with respect to which the metric gab is an analytic tensor field.
Yet another short proof of the Riesz representation theorem
Authors: Ross David
Published: November 2008

F. Riesz's ‘Representation Theorem’ has been proved by methods classical [11, 12], category-theoretic [7], and functional-analytic [2, 9]. (Garling's remarkable proofs [5, 6] owe their brevity to the combined strength of these and other methods.) These proofs often reveal a connection between the Riesz theorem and some unexpected area of mathematics.
Decomposing the complexity quotient category
Authors: Benson D. J.
Published: November 2008

In the modular representation theory of finite groups, much recent effort has gone into describing cohomological properties of the category of finitely generated modules. In recent joint work of the author with Jon Carlson and Jeremy Rickard[3], it has become clear that for some purposes the finiteness restriction is undesirable. In particular, in the quotient category ofkG-modules by the subcategory of modules of less than maximal complexity, it turns out that finitely generated modules can have infinitely generated summands, and that including these summands in the category repairs the lack of Krull–Schmidt property.
Discontinuous homomorphisms from Banach *-algebras
Authors: Runde Volker
Published: November 2008

The long open problem raised by I. Kaplansky if, for an infinite compact Hausdorff spaceX, there is a discontinuous homomorphism from(X) into a Banach algebra was settled in the 1970s, independently, by H. G. Dales and J. Esterle.Ifthe continuum hypothesis is assumed, then there is a discontinuous homomorphism from(X) (see [8] for a survey of both approaches and [9] for a unified exposition). The techniques developed by Dales and Esterle are powerful enough to yield discontinuous homomorphisms from commutative Banach algebras other than(X). In fact, every commutative Banach algebra with infinitely many characters is the domain of a discontinuous homomorphism ([7]).
The law of the iterated logarithm for certain power series and generalized Nörlund methods
Authors: Kiesel Rüdiger
Published: November 2008

Let (pn) be a sequence of real numbers with pn ~ R(n), R(.) a regulary varying function with index greater than −1/2. We prove the Hartman–Wintner law of the iterated logarithm for the corresponding (Jp) power series transform and generalized Nörlund transforms (Nβp) of sequences (Xn) of i.i.d. random variables with mean-zero and variance 1. We also identify the cluster sets.
The Meromorphisms of an Elliptic Function-Field
Authors: Davenport H.
Published: November 2008

1. Hasse's second proof of the truth of the analogue of Riemann's hypothesis for the congruence zeta-function of an elliptic function-field over a finite field is based on the consideration of the normalized meromorphisms of such a field. The meromorphisms form a ring of characteristic 0 with a unit element and no zero divisors, and have as a subring the natural multiplications n (n = 0, ± 1, …). Two questions concerning the nature of meromorphisms were left open, first whether they are commutative, and secondly whether every meromorphism μ satisfies an algebraic equation

with rational integers n0, … not all zero. I have proved that except in the case (which is equivalent to |N−q|=2 √q, where N is the number of solutions of the Weierstrassian equation in the given finite field of q elements), both these results are true. This proof, of which I give an account in this paper, suggested to Hasse a simpler treatment of the subject, which throws still more light on the nature of meromorphisms. Consequently I only give my proof in full in the case in which the given finite field is the mod p field, and indicate briefly in § 4 how it generalizes to the more complicated case.
Transient Oscillations in a Loud-Speaker Horn
Authors: McLachlan N. W. , Mckay A. T.
Published: November 2008

The steady state theory of sound propagation in exponential loud-speaker horns is well known. The problem of transients, however, has not been treated hitherto, so in this paper it is proposed to consider what happens when the air particles at the throat of the horn are suddenly set in motion. To avoid difficulties which arise in treating sound propagation in the horn when the linear dimensions of the cross-section are comparable with the wave-length of the sound, the following

artifice is postulated. The axis of the horn is linear and the air column is divided up into a large number of frictionless conduits by very thin rigid partitions as indicated in Fig. 1. The cross-section of each conduit expands exponentially from the throat towards the mouth of the horn. The major linear dimension of the section of a conduit at the mouth is small in comparison with the wave-length of the highest frequency to be reproduced.
A Remark on Fourier Transforms
Authors: Zygmund A.
Published: November 2008

1. Let f(x) be a complex function belonging to LP (−∞, ∞); i.e. let f(x) be measurable, and |f(x)|p integrable, over (−∞, ∞). The function

is called the Fourier transform of f(x), if the integral on the right exists, in some sense, for almost every value of y. It is well known that, if 1 ≤ p ≤ 2, the integral (1) converges in mean, with index p′ = p/(p – l)† i.e. that

where
The circular plate condenser at small separations
Authors: Hutson V.
Published: November 2008

The problem considered is the oppositely charged, circular disk condenser when the disks are very close together. An integral equation due to Love(5) is used as the governing equation of the problem. This equation is solved asymptotically for small separations by splitting the field into regions, one being an annulus containing the edges, the other being the rest of the domain, and combining these solutions. Bounds for the error in the solution of the integral equation are obtained rigorously; the error is shown to approach zero as the separation approaches zero. The capacity of the system is deduced from this solution. The problem of finding the capacity has previously been attempted by various authors, whose results have differed. The present treatment establishes which of these results is correct.
Scattering of plane elastic waves at rough surfaces. II
Authors: Abubakar Iya
Published: November 2008

This is a continuation of (1) on the two-dimensional problem of the diffraction of elastic waves by irregular surfaces. The effect of an irregular surface with an isolated irregularity like a trough or ditch on incident plane harmonic P- and SV-waves is discussed. The maximum depth of the ditch is assumed small compared to the wavelength of the incident wave.

It is found that, when either a P- or an SV-wave is incident on such a boundary, besides the specularly reflected P- and SV-waves whose amplitudes are independent of the curvature of the surface there exist scattered waves travelling in various directions. In particular the diffracted zone contains the following second wave-types whose amplitudes are proportional to the depth of the ditch: (i) direct reflected P- and SV-waves, which at large distances appear to diverge from the point of intersection of the axis of symmetry of the ditch and the horizontal plane asymptotic to the boundary if the ratio of the wavelength of the incident wave to the half-width of the ditch is large. If the ratio is small these waves are reflected in the specular directions, (ii) A ‘secondary S-wave’ which finishes as P having travelled most of the way as an SV-wave. Its energy is confined to the neighbourhood of the free surface, (iii) A secondary P-wave which travels along the surface and finally emerges into the medium as an SV-wave at the critical angle for the medium, (iv) Rayleigh waves whose particle motion is in elliptic orbits.
The Equation of State of a Gas
Authors: Jones J. E.
Published: November 2008

§ 1. Most of the methods which have been devised to give an equation of state of more generality than that of Van der Waals differ from the original method used by him in that they refer only to the uniform conditions in the interior of the gas while his had special reference to the conditions at the boundary. In fact, one of the corrections to the perfect gas law introduced by him is due entirely to the existence of a boundary field of force. The question arises as to what physical interpretation is to be given to the more general equation. The methods previously employed leave the interpretation obscure. In this note two new methods of obtaining the equation of state are given, one applicable to the interior of a gas, the other to the boundary. These methods seem to have certain advantages over those previously given in that they lend themselves to a very simple physical interpretation. While the pressure at the boundary of a gas is the same as that in the interior, the word pressure has a different meaning in the two cases. At the boundary, it is due entirely to the motion of the molecules, whereas in the interior part only is due to the motion of the molecules; this part is the same whatever the nature of the molecules and is in fact given by the perfect gas law. The remaining part is due to the stress set up by the existence of intermolecular fields and, although at any given point it is a fluctuating function of the time, it has everywhere within the gas the same statistical mean value. In this paper, it is referred to as the statical pressure to distinguish it from the more usually understood dynamical or momentum pressure.
The Electromagnetic Equations as Basis of Einstein's Quadratic Form
Authors: Hargreaves R.
Published: November 2008

§ 1. The groundwork of the present paper is a general transformation of Maxwell's equations. As relativist speculation had its origin in a simple transformation, it was to be expected that something more would result when the general transformation was explored: the determining influence has proved stronger than I had anticipated.
The solution of boundary value problems for a general hodograph equation
Authors: Mackie A. G.
Published: November 2008

In this paper the solution is found of certain boundary value problems appropriate to the flow of an invisoid, compressible fluid past a wedge-shaped profile. The most general hodograph equation in the form

is used. Expressions are found for the position coordinates and the drag. The resulting solutions are then discussed for functions k(σ) appropriate to Chaplygin's equation, Tricomi's equation and the equation of Tomotika and Tamada. The case of Helmholtz flow past a wedge with sonic velocity upstream is treated in detail, and the resulting expressions for the drag enable an estimate to be made of the error which results in using approximations to Chaplygin's equation.
Integrals developable about a singular point of a Hamiltonian system of differential equations. Part II
Authors: Cherry T. M.
Published: November 2008

This paper completes an investigation, of which the first part has already been published, into the integrals of a Hamiltonian system which are formally developable about a singular point of the system. Let

be a system of differential equations of which the origin is a singular point of the first type, i.e. a point at which H is developable in a convergent Taylor series, but at which its first derivatives all vanish. We suppose that H does not involve t, and we consider only integrals not involving t. Let the exponents of this singular point be ± λ1, ± λ2,…±λn. In Part I, I considered the case in which the constants λ1,…λn are connected by no relation of commensurability, i.e. a relation of the form

where A1…An are integers (positive, negative or zero) not all zero, and showed that the equations (1) possess n, and only n, integrals not involving t which are formally developable as power series in the xk, yk. In this paper I consider the case in which λ1 … λn are connected by one or more relations of commensur-ability. Suppose that there are p, and only p, such relations linearly independent (p > 0): it will be shown that the equations (1) possess (n − p) independent integrals not involving t, formally developable about the origin and independent of H.