arXiv subjects

Robert S. Maier

Publications and source records attributed to Robert S. Maier.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Sheffer Polynomials and the s-ordering of Exponential Boson Operators

The s-ordered form of any product of single-mode boson creation and annihilation operators, containing only a single annihilator, is computed explicitly. The s-ordering concept originated in quantum optics, but subsumes normal, symmetric (Weyl), and anti-normal ordering for any two operators satisfying a canonical commutation relation. Because the s-ordering map can be viewed as producing a function of a complex variable, its inverse is a quantization map that takes such "classical" functions to quantum operators. The explicit s-ordered expressions are derived with the aid of a parametric family of Sheffer polynomial sequences (or equivalently a parametric exponential Riordan array of polynomial coefficients), called the Hsu-Shiue family. To yield orderings interpolating between normal and anti-normal, this family must be extended.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Boson Operator Ordering Identities from Generalized Stirling and Eulerian Numbers

Ordering identities in the Weyl-Heisenberg algebra generated by single-mode boson operators are investigated. A boson string composed of creation and annihilation operators can be expanded as a linear combination of other such strings, the simplest example being a normal ordering. The case when each string contains only one annihilation operator is already combinatorially nontrivial. Two kinds of expansion are derived: (i) that of a power of a string $Ω$ in lower powers of another string $Ω'$, and (ii) that of a power of $Ω$ in twisted versions of the same power of $Ω'$. The expansion coefficients are shown to be, respectively, generalized Stirling numbers of Hsu and Shiue, and certain generalized Eulerian numbers. Many examples are given. These combinatorial numbers are binomial transforms of each other, and their theory is developed, emphasizing schemes for computing them: summation formulas, Graham-Knuth-Patashnik (GKP) triangular recurrences, terminating hypergeometric series, and closed-form expressions. The results on the first type of expansion subsume a number of previous results on the normal ordering of boson strings.

math.CO↗

arXiv2023

Triangular Recurrences, Generalized Eulerian Numbers, and Related Number Triangles

Many combinatorial and other number triangles are solutions of recurrences of the Graham-Knuth-Patashnik (GKP) type. Such triangles and their defining recurrences are investigated analytically. They are acted on by a transformation group generated by two involutions: a left-right reflection and an upper binomial transformation, acting row-wise. The group also acts on the bivariate exponential generating function (EGF) of the triangle. By the method of characteristics, the EGF of any GKP triangle has an implicit representation in terms of the Gauss hypergeometric function. There are several parametric cases when this EGF can be obtained in closed form. One is when the triangle elements are the generalized Stirling numbers of Hsu and Shiue. Another is when they are generalized Eulerian numbers of a newly defined kind. These numbers are related to the Hsu-Shiue ones by an upper binomial transformation, and can be viewed as coefficients of connection between polynomial bases, in a manner that generalizes the classical Worpitzky identity. Many identities involving these generalized Eulerian numbers and related generalized Narayana numbers are derived, including closed-form evaluations in combinatorially significant cases.

math.CO↗

arXiv2019

Extensions of the Classical Transformations of 3F2

It is shown that the classical quadratic and cubic transformation identities satisfied by the hypergeometric function ${}_3F_2$ can be extended to include additional parameter pairs, which differ by integers. In the extended identities, which involve hypergeometric functions of arbitrarily high order, the added parameters are nonlinearly constrained: in the quadratic case, they are the negated roots of certain orthogonal polynomials of a discrete argument (dual Hahn and Racah ones). Specializations and applications of the extended identities are given, including an extension of Whipple's identity relating very well poised ${}_7F_6(1)$ series and balanced ${}_4F_3(1)$ series, and extensions of other summation identities.

math.CA↗

arXiv2018

Associated Legendre Functions and Spherical Harmonics of Fractional Degree and Order

Trigonometric formulas are derived for certain families of associated Legendre functions of fractional degree and order, for use in approximation theory. These functions are algebraic, and when viewed as Gauss hypergeometric functions, belong to types classified by Schwarz, with dihedral, tetrahedral, or octahedral monodromy. The dihedral Legendre functions are expressed in terms of Jacobi polynomials. For the last two monodromy types, an underlying `octahedral' polynomial, indexed by the degree and order and having a non-classical kind of orthogonality, is identified, and recurrences for it are worked out. It is a (generalized) Heun polynomial, not a hypergeometric one. For each of these families of algebraic associated Legendre functions, a representation of the rank-2 Lie algebra so(5,C) is generated by the ladder operators that shift the degree and order of the corresponding solid harmonics. All such representations of so(5,C) are shown to have a common value for each of its two Casimir invariants. The Dirac singleton representations of so(3,2) are included.

math.CA↗

arXiv2018

Machine Learning-based Brokers for Real-time Classification of the LSST Alert Stream

The unprecedented volume and rate of transient events that will be discovered by the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) demands that the astronomical community update its followup paradigm. Alert-brokers -- automated software system to sift through, characterize, annotate and prioritize events for followup -- will be critical tools for managing alert streams in the LSST era. The Arizona-NOAO Temporal Analysis and Response to Events System (ANTARES) is one such broker. In this work, we develop a machine learning pipeline to characterize and classify variable and transient sources only using the available multiband optical photometry. We describe three illustrative stages of the pipeline, serving the three goals of early, intermediate and retrospective classification of alerts. The first takes the form of variable vs transient categorization, the second, a multi-class typing of the combined variable and transient dataset, and the third, a purity-driven subtyping of a transient class. While several similar algorithms have proven themselves in simulations, we validate their performance on real observations for the first time. We quantitatively evaluate our pipeline on sparse, unevenly sampled, heteroskedastic data from various existing observational campaigns, and demonstrate very competitive classification performance. We describe our progress towards adapting the pipeline developed in this work into a real-time broker working on live alert streams from time-domain surveys.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2017

Algebraic Generating Functions for Gegenbauer Polynomials

It is shown that several of Brafman's generating functions for the Gegenbauer polynomials are algebraic functions of their arguments, if the Gegenbauer parameter differs from an integer by one-fourth or one-sixth. Two examples are given, which come from recently derived expressions for associated Legendre functions with octahedral or tetrahedral monodromy. It is also shown that if the Gegenbauer parameter is restricted as stated, the Poisson kernel for the Gegenbauer polynomials can be expressed in terms of complete elliptic integrals. An example is given.

math.CA↗

arXiv2016

Legendre Functions of Fractional Degree: Transformations and Evaluations

Associated Legendre functions of fractional degree appear in the solution of boundary value problems in wedges or in toroidal geometries, and elsewhere in applied mathematics. In the classical case when the degree is half an odd integer, they can be expressed using complete elliptic integrals. In this study, many transformations are derived, which reduce the case when the degree differs from an integer by one-third, one-fourth or one-sixth to the classical case. These transformations, or identities, facilitate the symbolic manipulation and evaluation of Legendre and Ferrers functions. They generalize both Ramanujan's transformations of elliptic integrals and Whipple's formula, which relates Legendre functions of the first and second kinds. The proofs employ algebraic coordinate transformations, specified by algebraic curves.

math.CA↗

arXiv2015

Integrals of Lipschitz-Hankel Type, Legendre Functions, and Table Errata

The complete Lipschitz-Hankel integrals (LHIs) include the Laplace transforms of the Bessel functions, multiplied by powers. Such Laplace transforms can be evaluated using associated Legendre functions. It is noted that there are errors in published versions of these evaluations, and a merged and emended list of seven transforms is given. Errata for standard reference works, such as the table of Gradshteyn and Ryzhik, are also given. Most of the errors are attributable to inconsistent normalization of the Legendre functions. These transforms can be viewed as limits of incomplete LHIs, which find application in communication theory.

math.CA↗

arXiv2015

A Comparative Analysis of the Supernova Legacy Survey Sample with ΛCDM and the $R_{\rm h}=ct$ Universe

The use of Type~Ia SNe has thus far produced the most reliable measurement of the expansion history of the Universe, suggesting that $Λ$CDM offers the best explanation for the redshift--luminosity distribution observed in these events. But the analysis of other kinds of source, such as cosmic chronometers, gamma ray bursts, and high-$z$ quasars, conflicts with this conclusion, indicating instead that the constant expansion rate implied by the $R_{\rm h}=ct$ Universe is a better fit to the data. The central difficulty with the use of Type~Ia SNe as standard candles is that one must optimize three or four nuisance parameters characterizing supernova luminosities simultaneously with the parameters of an expansion model. Hence in comparing competing models, one must reduce the data independently for each. We carry~out such a comparison of $Λ$CDM and the $R_{\rm h}=ct$ Universe, using the Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS) sample of 252 SN~events, and show that each model fits its individually reduced data very well. But since $R_{\rm h}=ct$ has only one free parameter (the Hubble constant), it follows from a standard model selection technique that it is to be preferred over $Λ$CDM, the minimalist version of which has three (the Hubble constant, the scaled matter density and either the spatial curvature constant or the dark-energy equation-of-state parameter). We estimate by the Bayes Information Criterion that in a pairwise comparison, the likelihood of $R_{\rm h}=ct$ is $\sim 90\%$, compared with only $\sim 10\%$ for a minimalist form of $Λ$CDM, in which dark energy is simply a cosmological constant. Compared to $R_{\rm h}=ct$, versions of the standard model with more elaborate parametrizations of dark energy are judged to be even less likely.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

The Uniformization of Certain Algebraic Hypergeometric Functions

The hypergeometric functions ${}_nF_{n-1}$ are higher transcendental functions, but for certain parameter values they become algebraic, because the monodromy of the defining hypergeometric differential equation becomes finite. It is shown that many algebraic ${}_nF_{n-1}$'s, for which the finite monodromy is irreducible but imprimitive, can be represented as combinations of certain explicitly algebraic functions of a single variable; namely, the roots of trinomials. This generalizes a result of Birkeland, and is derived as a corollary of a family of binomial coefficient identities that is of independent interest. Any tuple of roots of a trinomial traces out a projective algebraic curve, and it is also determined when this so-called Schwarz curve is of genus zero and can be rationally parametrized. Any such parametrization yields a hypergeometric identity that explicitly uniformizes a family of algebraic ${}_nF_{n-1}$'s. Many examples of such uniformizations are worked out explicitly. Even when the governing Schwarz curve is of positive genus, it is shown how it is sometimes possible to construct explicit single-valued or multivalued parametrizations of individual algebraic ${}_nF_{n-1}$'s, by parametrizing a quotiented Schwarz curve. The parametrization requires computations in rings of symmetric polynomials.

math.AC↗

arXiv2013

Information Criteria for Deciding between Normal Regression Models

Regression models fitted to data can be assessed on their goodness of fit, though models with many parameters should be disfavored to prevent over-fitting. Statisticians' tools for this are little known to physical scientists. These include the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), a penalized goodness-of-fit statistic, and the AICc, a variant including a small-sample correction. They entered the physical sciences through being used by astrophysicists to compare cosmological models; e.g., predictions of the distance-redshift relation. The AICc is shown to have been misapplied, being applicable only if error variances are unknown. If error bars accompany the data, the AIC should be used instead. Erroneous applications of the AICc are listed in an appendix. It is also shown how the variability of the AIC difference between models with a known error variance can be estimated. This yields a significance test that can potentially replace the use of `Akaike weights' for deciding between such models. Additionally, the effects of model misspecification are examined. For regression models fitted to data sets without (rather than with) error bars, they are major: the AICc may be shifted by an unknown amount. The extent of this in the fitting of physical models remains to be studied.

stat.ME↗

arXiv2013

Cosmic Chronometers in the R_h=ct Universe

The use of luminous red galaxies as cosmic chronometers provides us with an indispensable method of measuring the universal expansion rate H(z) in a model-independent way. Unlike many probes of the cosmological history, this approach does not rely on integrated quantities, such as the luminosity distance, and therefore does not require the pre-assumption of any particular model, which may bias subsequent interpretations of the data. We employ three statistical tools -- the Akaike, Kullback, and Bayes Information Criteria (AIC, KIC and BIC) -- to compare the LCDM model and the R_h=ct Universe with the currently available measurements of H(z), and show that the R_h=ct Universe is favored by these model selection criteria. The parameters in each model are individually optimized by maximum likelihood estimation. The R_h=ct Universe fits the data with a reduced chi^2_dof=0.745 for a Hubble constant H_0=63.2+/-2.5 km/s/Mpc, and H_0 is the sole parameter in this model. By comparison, the optimal LCDM model, which has three free parameters (including H_0=68.9+/-2.4 km/s/Mpc, Omega_m=0.32, and a dark-energy equation of state p_de=-rho_de), fits the H(z) data with a reduced chi^2_dof=0.777. With these chi^2_dof values, the AIC yields a likelihood of about 82 per cent that the distance--redshift relation of the R_h=ct Universe is closer to the correct cosmology, than is the case for LCDM. If the alternative BIC criterion is used, the respective Bayesian posterior probabilities are 91.2 per cent (R_h=ct) versus 8.8 per cent (LCDM). Using the concordance LCDM parameter values, rather than those obtained by fitting LCDM to the cosmic chronometer data, would further disfavor LCDM.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2012

The Integration of Three-Dimensional Lotka-Volterra Systems

The general solutions of many three-dimensional Lotka-Volterra systems, previously known to be at least partially integrable, are constructed with the aid of special functions. Examples include certain ABC and May-Leonard systems. The special functions used are incomplete beta and elliptic functions. In some cases the solution is parametric, with the independent and dependent variables expressed as functions of a `new time' variable. This auxiliary variable satisfies a nonlinear third-order differential equation of a generalized Schwarzian type, and results of Carton-LeBrun on such equations are exploited. Several difficult Lotka-Volterra systems are successfully integrated in terms of Painleve transcendents. An appendix on incomplete beta functions is included.

nlin.SI↗

arXiv2012

Quadratic Differential Systems and Chazy Equations, I

Generalized Darboux-Halphen (gDH) systems, which form a versatile class of three-dimensional homogeneous quadratic differential systems (HQDS's), are introduced. They generalize the Darboux-Halphen (DH) systems considered by other authors, in that any non-DH gDH system is affinely but not projectively covariant. It is shown that the gDH class supports a rich collection of rational solution-preserving maps: morphisms that transform one gDH system to another. The proof relies on a bijection between (i) the solutions with noncoincident components of any `proper' gDH system, and (ii) the solutions of a generalized Schwarzian equation (gSE) associated to it, which generalizes the Schwarzian equation (SE) familiar from the conformal mapping of hyperbolic triangles. The gSE can be integrated parametrically in terms of the solutions of a Papperitz equation, which is a generalized Gauss hypergeometric equation. Ultimately, the rational gDH morphisms come from hypergeometric transformations. A complete classification of proper non-DH gDH systems with the Painleve property (PP) is also carried out, showing how some are related by rational morphisms. The classification follows from that of non-SE gSE's with the PP, due to Garnier and Carton-LeBrun. As examples, several non-DH gDH systems with the PP are integrated explicitly in terms of elementary and elliptic functions.

math.CA↗

arXiv2010

Nonlinear Differential Equations Satisfied by Certain Classical Modular Forms

A unified treatment is given of low-weight modular forms on Γ_0(N), N=2,3,4, that have Eisenstein series representations. For each N, certain weight-1 forms are shown to satisfy a coupled system of nonlinear differential equations, which yields a single nonlinear third-order equation, called a generalized Chazy equation. As byproducts, a table of divisor function and theta identities is generated by means of q-expansions, and a transformation law under Γ_0(4) for the second complete elliptic integral is derived. More generally, it is shown how Picard-Fuchs equations of triangle subgroups of PSL(2,R) which are hypergeometric equations, yield systems of nonlinear equations for weight-1 forms, and generalized Chazy equations. Each triangle group commensurable with Γ(1) is treated.

math.NT↗

arXiv2008

On Rationally Parametrized Modular Equations

Many rationally parametrized elliptic modular equations are derived. Each comes from a family of elliptic curves attached to a genus-zero congruence subgroup $Γ_0(N)$, as an algebraic transformation of elliptic curve periods, parametrized by a Hauptmodul (function field generator). The periods satisfy a Picard-Fuchs equation, of hypergeometric, Heun, or more general type; so the new modular equations are algebraic transformations of special functions. When N=4,3,2 they are modular transformations of Ramanujan's elliptic integrals of signatures 2,3,4. This gives a modern interpretation to his theories of integrals to alternative bases: they are attached to certain families of elliptic curves. His anomalous theory of signature 6 turns out to fit into a general Gauss-Manin rather than a Picard-Fuchs framework.

math.NT↗

arXiv2007

P-symbols, Heun Identities, and 3F2 Identities

The usefulness of Riemann P-symbols in deriving identities involving the parametrized special function Hl is explored. Hl is the analytic local solution of the Heun equation, the canonical second-order differential equation on the Riemann sphere with four regular singular points. The identities discussed include ones coming from Moebius automorphisms and F-homotopies, and also quadratic and biquadratic transformations. The case when Hl is identical to a generalized hypergeometric function of 3F2 type is examined, and Pfaff and Euler transformations of 3F2(a1,a2,e+1;b1,e;x) are derived. They extend several 3F2 identities of Bailey and Slater.

math.CA↗