Relationship of causal effects in a causal chain and related inference

This paper discusses the relationship among the total causal effect and local causal effects in a causal chain and identifiability of causal effects. We show a transmission relationship of causal effects in a causal chain. According to the relationship, we give an approach to eliminating confounding bias through controlling for intermediate variables in a causal chain.     

Meaning explanations at higher dimension

Martin-Löf’s intuitionistic type theory is a widely-used framework for constructive mathematics and computer programming. In its most popular form, type theory consists of a collection of inference rules inductively defining formal proofs. These rules are justified by Martin-Löf’s meaning explanations, which extend the Brouwer–Heyting–Kolmogorov interpretation of connectives to a rich collection of types, and therefore provide a constructive realizability interpretation of formal proofs.Around 2005, researchers noticed that the rules of type theory also admit homotopy-theoretic models, and subsequently extended type theory with constructs inspired by these models: higher inductive types and Voevodsky’s univalence axiom. Although the resulting homotopy type theory has proved useful for homotopy-theoretic reasoning, it lacks a constructive interpretation. In this overview, we discuss a cubical generalization of the meaning explanations of type theory that constitutes an inherently constructive account of higher-dimensional structure in types.     

Adult learners' criteria for explanations

This article explores adult learners’ preferences for explanations of mathematical statements in terms of kinds of reasoning and formats of presentation. Based on data from questionnaires and interviews it is concluded thatfamiliarity andclarity influenced students’ preferences more than the format or reasoning used. A contrast between the factors influencing students’ choices and those of instructors is also reported. Implications for teaching and research are drawn from the study.     

Identifiability of causal effect for a simple causal model

Counterfactual model is put forward to discuss the causal inference in the directed acyclic graph and its corresponding identifiability is thus studied with the ancillary information based on conditional independence. It is shown that the assumption of ignorability can be expanded to the assumption of replaceability,under which the causal efiects are identifiable.     

Structuring causal trees

Models of complex phenomena often consist of hypothetical entities called “hidden causes,” which cannot be observed directly and yet play a major role in understanding those phenomena. This paper examines the computational roles of these constructs, and addresses the question of whether they can be discovered from empirical observations. Causal models are treated as trees of binary random variables where the leaves are accessible to direct observation, and the internal nodes—representing hidden causes—account for interleaf dependencies. In probabilistic terms, every two leaves are conditionally independent given the value of some internal node between them. We show that if the mechanism which drives the visible variables is indeed tree structured, then it is possible to uncover the topology of the tree uniquely by observing pairwise dependencies among the leaves. The entire tree structure, including the strengths of all internal relationships, can be reconstructed in time proportional to n log n, where n is the number of leaves.     

Quadratic integral games and causal synthesis

The game problem for an input-output system governed by a Volterra integral equation with respect to a quadratic performance functional is an untouched open problem. In this paper, it is studied by a new approach called projection causality. The main result is the causal synthesis which provides a causal feedback implementation of the optimal strategies in the saddle point sense. The linear feedback operator is determined by the solution of a Fredholm integral operator equation, which is independent of data functions and control functions. Two application examples are included. The first one is quadratic differential games of a linear system with arbitrary finite delays in the state variable and control variables. The second is the standard linear-quadratic differential games, for which it is proved that the causal synthesis can be reduced to a known result where the feedback operator is determined by the solution of a differential Riccati operator equation.

     

Compact causal data interpolation

Consider a Hilbert space equipped with a time-structure, i.e., a resolution E of the identity on defined on subsets of some linearly ordered set Λ. For which x and y in is it possible to find a causal (time respecting) compact operator T, so that Tx = y? When T is required to be a Hilbert-Schmidt operator and (Λ, E) is sufficiently regular, this question is answered in terms of the “time-densities” of x and y. The condition is that the integral ∝_gLμ_x({s t})⁻¹ dμ_y(t) should be finite, where μ_x and μ_y are the measures on Λ given by μ_x(Ω) = ¦|E(Ω)x¦|² and μ_y(Ω) = ¦|E(Ω)y¦|². Further a solution is given for the related problem of minimizing the sum of ¦|Tx − y¦|² and the squared Hilbert-Schmidt norm ¦|R¦|₂² of T.     

Moral coherence,moral worth and explanations of moral motivation

Moral internalism and moral externalism compete over the best explanation of the link between judgment and relevant motivation but, it is argued, they differ at best only verbally. The internalist rational-conceptual nature of the link’ as accounted by M. Smith in The Moral Problem is contrasted to the externalist, also rational, link that requires in addition support from the agent’s psychological-dispositional profile; the internalist link, however, is found to depend crucially on a, similarly to the externalist, psychologically ‘loaded’ profile. It is also argued that the differentiation of the two competing explanations is insufficient partly because they both fail to consider crucial quantitative parameters of the judgment-motivation link. Such parameters become very important particularly in the light of Smith’s claim that this link is grounded on the observable “striking fact” where changes in the set of one’s moral beliefs systematically bring about changes in one’s moral behavior. Examples of algorithms measuring moral coherence and moral worth are provided to serve as evidence for what it comes down to, vis-à-vis the alleged fact, only a verbal dispute between the two camps. Finally, the ‘misfiring’ of these explanations is understood in connection to the irreducibility of concepts such as ‘moral worth’, and/or, ‘moral sensitivity’.     

Most probable explanations in Bayesian networks: Complexity and tractability

One of the key computational problems in Bayesian networks is computing the maximal posterior probability of a set of variables in the network, given an observation of the values of another set of variables. In its most simple form, this problem is known as the MPE-problem. In this paper, we give an overview of the computational complexity of many problem variants, including enumeration variants, parameterized problems, and approximation strategies to the MPE-problem with and without additional (neither observed nor explained) variables. Many of these complexity results appear elsewhere in the literature; other results have not been published yet. The paper aims to provide a fairly exhaustive overview of both the known and new results.     

Stretching,sliding and strategy: indexicality in algebraic explanations

In this study, we describe the linguistic expression of strategy in explanations of algebraic procedures. Stating the steps of an algebraic procedure does not require a student to indicate the relationship between different mathematical actions, but describing algebraic strategy does. The coordinated nature of strategic proficiency suggests that linguistic forms known as indexical language, “pointing words” that link speech to context, may be fundamental resources for expressing this type of competence. A class of first-year university mathematics students developed a habit of reporting procedures that we consider a speech genre. The classroom genre emphasised procedural explanations, but when students expressed strategic competence, they often relied on indexical language. Indexical verbs of motion like slide and drop proved to be a particularly efficient means of expressing algebraic strategies. This informal speech style extended the communicative capacity of the classroom speech genre, and allowed classmates to participate better in strategic mathematical reasoning.     

The effect of explanations on mathematical reasoning tasks

Studies in mathematics education often point to the necessity for students to engage in more cognitively demanding activities than just solving tasks by applying given solution methods. Previous studies have shown that students that engage in creative mathematically founded reasoning to construct a solution method, perform significantly better in follow up tests than students that are given a solution method and engage in algorithmic reasoning. However, teachers and textbooks, at least occasionally, provide explanations together with an algorithmic method, and this could possibly be more efficient than creative reasoning. In this study, three matched groups practiced with either creative, algorithmic, or explained algorithmic tasks. The main finding was that students that practiced with creative tasks did, outperform the students that practiced with explained algorithmic tasks in a post-test, despite a much lower practice score. The two groups that got a solution method presented, performed similarly in both practice and post-test, even though one group got an explanation to the given solution method. Additionally, there were some differences between the groups in which variables predicted the post-test score.     

Minimization of a functional over the set of causal operators of causal Hilbert space

The minimization problem for a quadratic functional defined on the set of nonwarning (causal) operators acting in a causal Hilbert space can be regarded as an abstrat analog of the Wiener problem on constructing the optimal nonwarning filter. A similar problem also arises in the linear control problem with the quadratic performance criterion (in this case the transfer operators of a closed control system serve as causal ones). The introduction of causal operators in filtering theory and control theory is a mathematical expression of the causality principle, which must be taken into account for a number of problems. In the present paper we attempt to systematize the mathematical foundations of the abstract linear filtering theory, for which its basic results are expressed in terms of operators describing the filtering problem. We introduce and study a class of finite operators, a natural generalization of the class of causal operators, and give a solution of the minimization problem for a quadratic positive functional defined on the set of causal operators acting in a “discrete” causal space. Bibliography: 54 titles. Translated fromProblemy Matematicheskogo Analiza, No. 14, 1995. pp. 143–187.     

New construction of causal tensors

We study the problem of constructing tensors satisfying the dominant property, a generalization of the dominant energy condition T_ab u^a v^b ≥ 0 for all future directed causal vectors u, v. The construction is done on the paravector subspace of the r-fold Euclidean Clifford algebra and is a generalization of the representation of superenergy tensors with complex 2-spinors. Especially, as with 2-spinors, we are able to construct causal tensors of arbitrary rank, contrary to earlier constructions using tensors or the r-fold Lorentzian Clifford algebra that only produce causal tensors of even rank. An advantage of the construction in is that several algebraic properties become trivial due to the Euclidean norm on it.     

Relational properties, causal powers and psychological laws

This paper argues that Twin Earth twins belong to the same psychological natural kind, but that the reason for this is not that the causal powers of mental states supervene on local neural structure. Fodor’s argument for this latter thesis is criticized and found to rest on a confusion between it and the claim that Putnamian and Burgean type relational psychological properties do not affect the causal powers of the mental states that have them. While it is true that Putnamian and Burgean type relational psychological properties do not affect causal powers, it is false that no relational psychological properties do. Examples of relational psychological properties that do affect causal powers are given and psychological laws are sketched that subsume twins in virtue of them instantiating these relational properties rather than them sharing the narrow contents of their thoughts.     

Dynamic investigation of loci with surprising outcomes and their mathematical explanations

The locus is a very important concept in Euclidean geometry since it serves as a tool for solving different problems, and allows geometric constructions to be carried out. The teaching of the subject of loci in various mathematics courses includes solution of different exercises in which the student is required to find the locus in accordance with the data of the question. The present paper offers a different view of the subject of loci, which brings about conceptual understanding of the subject with identification of conserved properties and suitable generalizations obtained through investigation that includes the use of dynamic geometric software (GeoGebra). General formulas were developed for the equation of the locus in two cases. In the article, there are links to geometric applets which allow one to demonstrate the loci formed in some cases.     

Exploring two explanations of loyalty in application service provision

While the application service provider (ASP) market continues to grow, it is fiercely competitive, and ASPs encounter difficulties in retaining customers and achieving long-term profitability. One stream of prior literature suggests that customer loyalty is driven by service quality, while another argues that loyalty is driven by partnerships between the firms. However, to date these competing explanations have not been tested together in the ASP context. This empirical study contributes to the literature by unifying these two previously separate streams of research on customer loyalty. Using a survey of 135 ASP clients, we find a significant relationship between the service quality perspective and the partnership perspective. We thus argue that service loyalty models ought to include both of these constructs in order to effectively explain service loyalty.     

Boundary value problems with causal operators

In this paper, we apply the monotone iterative method for nonlinear two-point boundary value problems with causal operators. We formulate sufficient conditions under which such problems have extremal or quasisolutions in a corresponding sector. We also investigate differential inequalities.