A finite data set is consistent with infinitely many alternative theories. Scientific realists recommend that we prefer the simplest one. Anti-realists ask how a fixed simplicity bias could track the truth when the truth might be complex. It is no solution to impose a prior probability distribution biased toward simplicity, for such a distribution merely embodies the bias at issue without expla...

We discuss V.P. Belavkin’s approach to the measurement problem encapsulated in his theory of eventum mechanics (as presented in his 2007 survey). In particular, we show its relation to ideas based on superselection and interaction with the environment developed by N.P. Landsman (1995, and more recent papers). Landsman writes “those believing that the classical world exists intrinsically and abs...

To evade blacklisting, the vast majority of spam email is sent from exploited MTAs (i.e., botnets) and with forged “From” addresses. In response, the anti-spam community has developed a number of domain-based authentication systems – such as SPF and DKIM – to validate the binding between individual domain names and legitimate mail sources for those domains. In this paper, we explore an alternat...

Occam’s razor is the principle that, given two hypotheses consistent with the observed data, the simpler one should be preferred. Many machine learning algorithms follow this principle and search for a small hypothesis within the version space. The principle has been the subject of a heated debate with theoretical and empirical arguments both for and against it. Earlier empirical studies lacked...

The high efficiency of monocoque cylindrical shells in carrying axial loads is curtailed by their extreme sensitivity to imperfections. For practical applications, this issue has been alleviated by introducing closely stiffened shells which, however, require expensive manufacturing. Here we present an alternative approach that provides a fundamentally different solution. We design symmetry-brea...

In engineering applications, especially in the field of modern military defence, the cylindrical shells, conical shells and coupled conical-cylindrical shells are basically simplified models of many types of weapons and equipment, such as aircraft, missiles, and submarines. The study of free vibrational characteristics of cylindrical shells is comprehensive. Initially, researchers1-5 investigat...