@article{PornsawadBoeckmann2016, author = {Pornsawad, Pornsarp and B{\"o}ckmann, Christine}, title = {Modified Iterative Runge-Kutta-Type Methods for Nonlinear Ill-Posed Problems}, series = {Numerical functional analysis and optimization : an international journal of rapid publication}, volume = {37}, journal = {Numerical functional analysis and optimization : an international journal of rapid publication}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Philadelphia}, issn = {0163-0563}, doi = {10.1080/01630563.2016.1219744}, pages = {1562 -- 1589}, year = {2016}, abstract = {This work is devoted to the convergence analysis of a modified Runge-Kutta-type iterative regularization method for solving nonlinear ill-posed problems under a priori and a posteriori stopping rules. The convergence rate results of the proposed method can be obtained under a Holder-type sourcewise condition if the Frechet derivative is properly scaled and locally Lipschitz continuous. Numerical results are achieved by using the Levenberg-Marquardt, Lobatto, and Radau methods.}, language = {en} } @article{ChangViahmoudiSchulze2016, author = {Chang, D. -C. and Viahmoudi, M. Hedayat and Schulze, Bert-Wolfgang}, title = {PSEUDO-DIFFERENTIAL ANALYSIS WITH TWISTED SYMBOLIC STRUCTURE}, series = {Journal of nonlinear and convex analysis : an international journal}, volume = {17}, journal = {Journal of nonlinear and convex analysis : an international journal}, publisher = {Yokohama Publishers}, address = {Yokohama}, issn = {1345-4773}, pages = {1889 -- 1937}, year = {2016}, abstract = {This paper is devoted to pseudo-differential operators and new applications. We establish necessary extensions of the standard calculus to specific classes of operator-valued symbols occurring in principal symbolic hierarchies of operators on manifolds with singularities or stratified spaces.}, language = {en} } @article{BlanchardFlaskaHandyetal.2016, author = {Blanchard, Gilles and Flaska, Marek and Handy, Gregory and Pozzi, Sara and Scott, Clayton}, title = {Classification with asymmetric label noise: Consistency and maximal denoising}, series = {Electronic journal of statistics}, volume = {10}, journal = {Electronic journal of statistics}, publisher = {Institute of Mathematical Statistics}, address = {Cleveland}, issn = {1935-7524}, doi = {10.1214/16-EJS1193}, pages = {2780 -- 2824}, year = {2016}, abstract = {In many real-world classification problems, the labels of training examples are randomly corrupted. Most previous theoretical work on classification with label noise assumes that the two classes are separable, that the label noise is independent of the true class label, or that the noise proportions for each class are known. In this work, we give conditions that are necessary and sufficient for the true class-conditional distributions to be identifiable. These conditions are weaker than those analyzed previously, and allow for the classes to be nonseparable and the noise levels to be asymmetric and unknown. The conditions essentially state that a majority of the observed labels are correct and that the true class-conditional distributions are "mutually irreducible," a concept we introduce that limits the similarity of the two distributions. For any label noise problem, there is a unique pair of true class-conditional distributions satisfying the proposed conditions, and we argue that this pair corresponds in a certain sense to maximal denoising of the observed distributions. Our results are facilitated by a connection to "mixture proportion estimation," which is the problem of estimating the maximal proportion of one distribution that is present in another. We establish a novel rate of convergence result for mixture proportion estimation, and apply this to obtain consistency of a discrimination rule based on surrogate loss minimization. Experimental results on benchmark data and a nuclear particle classification problem demonstrate the efficacy of our approach.}, language = {en} } @article{LevyJimenezPaycha2016, author = {Levy, Cyril and Jimenez, Carolina Neira and Paycha, Sylvie}, title = {THE CANONICAL TRACE AND THE NONCOMMUTATIVE RESIDUE ON THE NONCOMMUTATIVE TORUS}, series = {Transactions of the American Mathematical Society}, volume = {368}, journal = {Transactions of the American Mathematical Society}, publisher = {American Mathematical Soc.}, address = {Providence}, issn = {0002-9947}, doi = {10.1090/tran/6369}, pages = {1051 -- 1095}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Using a global symbol calculus for pseudodifferential operators on tori, we build a canonical trace on classical pseudodifferential operators on noncommutative tori in terms of a canonical discrete sum on the underlying toroidal symbols. We characterise the canonical trace on operators on the noncommutative torus as well as its underlying canonical discrete sum on symbols of fixed (resp. any) noninteger order. On the grounds of this uniqueness result, we prove that in the commutative setup, this canonical trace on the noncommutative torus reduces to Kontsevich and Vishik's canonical trace which is thereby identified with a discrete sum. A similar characterisation for the noncommutative residue on noncommutative tori as the unique trace which vanishes on trace-class operators generalises Fathizadeh and Wong's characterisation in so far as it includes the case of operators of fixed integer order. By means of the canonical trace, we derive defect formulae for regularized traces. The conformal invariance of the \$ \zeta \$-function at zero of the Laplacian on the noncommutative torus is then a straightforward consequence.}, language = {en} } @article{Tarkhanov2016, author = {Tarkhanov, Nikolai Nikolaevich}, title = {Deformation quantization and boundary value problems}, series = {International journal of geometric methods in modern physics : differential geometery, algebraic geometery, global analysis \& topology}, volume = {13}, journal = {International journal of geometric methods in modern physics : differential geometery, algebraic geometery, global analysis \& topology}, publisher = {World Scientific}, address = {Singapore}, issn = {0219-8878}, doi = {10.1142/S0219887816500079}, pages = {176 -- 195}, year = {2016}, abstract = {We describe a natural construction of deformation quantization on a compact symplectic manifold with boundary. On the algebra of quantum observables a trace functional is defined which as usual annihilates the commutators. This gives rise to an index as the trace of the unity element. We formulate the index theorem as a conjecture and examine it by the classical harmonic oscillator.}, language = {en} } @article{EichmairMetzger2016, author = {Eichmair, Michael and Metzger, Jan}, title = {JENKINS-SERRIN-TYPE RESULTS FOR THE JANG EQUATION}, series = {Journal of differential geometry}, volume = {102}, journal = {Journal of differential geometry}, publisher = {International Press of Boston}, address = {Somerville}, issn = {0022-040X}, doi = {10.4310/jdg/1453910454}, pages = {207 -- 242}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Let (M, g, k) be an initial data set for the Einstein equations of general relativity. We show that a canonical solution of the Jang equation exists in the complement of the union of all weakly future outer trapped regions in the initial data set with respect to a given end, provided that this complement contains no weakly past outer trapped regions. The graph of this solution relates the area of the horizon to the global geometry of the initial data set in a non-trivial way. We prove the existence of a Scherk-type solution of the Jang equation outside the union of all weakly future or past outer trapped regions in the initial data set. This result is a natural exterior analogue for the Jang equation of the classical Jenkins Serrin theory. We extend and complement existence theorems [19, 20, 40, 29, 18, 31, 11] for Scherk-type constant mean curvature graphs over polygonal domains in (M, g), where (M, g) is a complete Riemannian surface. We can dispense with the a priori assumptions that a sub solution exists and that (M, g) has particular symmetries. Also, our method generalizes to higher dimensions.}, language = {en} } @article{ShtrakovKoppitz2016, author = {Shtrakov, Slavcho and Koppitz, J{\"o}rg}, title = {Stable varieties of semigroups and groupoids}, series = {Algebra universalis}, volume = {75}, journal = {Algebra universalis}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Basel}, issn = {0002-5240}, doi = {10.1007/s00012-015-0359-7}, pages = {85 -- 106}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The paper deals with Sigma-composition and Sigma-essential composition of terms which lead to stable and s-stable varieties of algebras. A full description of all stable varieties of semigroups, commutative and idempotent groupoids is obtained. We use an abstract reduction system which simplifies the presentations of terms of type tau - (2) to study the variety of idempotent groupoids and s-stable varieties of groupoids. S-stable varieties are a variation of stable varieties, used to highlight replacement of subterms of a term in a deductive system instead of the usual replacement of variables by terms.}, language = {en} } @article{AcevedoReichCubasch2016, author = {Acevedo, Walter and Reich, Sebastian and Cubasch, Ulrich}, title = {Towards the assimilation of tree-ring-width records using ensemble Kalman filtering techniques}, series = {Climate dynamics : observational, theoretical and computational research on the climate system}, volume = {46}, journal = {Climate dynamics : observational, theoretical and computational research on the climate system}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {0930-7575}, doi = {10.1007/s00382-015-2683-1}, pages = {1909 -- 1920}, year = {2016}, abstract = {This paper investigates the applicability of the Vaganov-Shashkin-Lite (VSL) forward model for tree-ring-width chronologies as observation operator within a proxy data assimilation (DA) setting. Based on the principle of limiting factors, VSL combines temperature and moisture time series in a nonlinear fashion to obtain simulated TRW chronologies. When used as observation operator, this modelling approach implies three compounding, challenging features: (1) time averaging, (2) "switching recording" of 2 variables and (3) bounded response windows leading to "thresholded response". We generate pseudo-TRW observations from a chaotic 2-scale dynamical system, used as a cartoon of the atmosphere-land system, and attempt to assimilate them via ensemble Kalman filtering techniques. Results within our simplified setting reveal that VSL's nonlinearities may lead to considerable loss of assimilation skill, as compared to the utilization of a time-averaged (TA) linear observation operator. In order to understand this undesired effect, we embed VSL's formulation into the framework of fuzzy logic (FL) theory, which thereby exposes multiple representations of the principle of limiting factors. DA experiments employing three alternative growth rate functions disclose a strong link between the lack of smoothness of the growth rate function and the loss of optimality in the estimate of the TA state. Accordingly, VSL's performance as observation operator can be enhanced by resorting to smoother FL representations of the principle of limiting factors. This finding fosters new interpretations of tree-ring-growth limitation processes.}, language = {en} } @article{HackHanischSchenkel2016, author = {Hack, Thomas-Paul and Hanisch, Florian and Schenkel, Alexander}, title = {Supergeometry in Locally Covariant Quantum Field Theory}, series = {Communications in mathematical physics}, volume = {342}, journal = {Communications in mathematical physics}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {0010-3616}, doi = {10.1007/s00220-015-2516-4}, pages = {615 -- 673}, year = {2016}, abstract = {In this paper we analyze supergeometric locally covariant quantum field theories. We develop suitable categories SLoc of super-Cartan supermanifolds, which generalize Lorentz manifolds in ordinary quantum field theory, and show that, starting from a few representation theoretic and geometric data, one can construct a functor U : SLoc -> S*Alg to the category of super-*-algebras, which can be interpreted as a non-interacting super-quantum field theory. This construction turns out to disregard supersymmetry transformations as the morphism sets in the above categories are too small. We then solve this problem by using techniques from enriched category theory, which allows us to replace the morphism sets by suitable morphism supersets that contain supersymmetry transformations as their higher superpoints. We construct superquantum field theories in terms of enriched functors eU : eSLoc -> eS*Alg between the enriched categories and show that supersymmetry transformations are appropriately described within the enriched framework. As examples we analyze the superparticle in 1 vertical bar 1-dimensions and the free Wess-Zumino model in 3 vertical bar 2-dimensions.}, language = {en} } @article{SchroeterRitterHolschneideretal.2016, author = {Schroeter, M-A and Ritter, M. and Holschneider, Matthias and Sturm, H.}, title = {Enhanced DySEM imaging of cantilever motion using artificial structures patterned by focused ion beam techniques}, series = {Journal of micromechanics and microengineering}, volume = {26}, journal = {Journal of micromechanics and microengineering}, publisher = {IOP Publ. Ltd.}, address = {Bristol}, issn = {0960-1317}, doi = {10.1088/0960-1317/26/3/035010}, pages = {7}, year = {2016}, abstract = {We use a dynamic scanning electron microscope (DySEM) to map the spatial distribution of the vibration of a cantilever beam. The DySEM measurements are based on variations of the local secondary electron signal within the imaging electron beam diameter during an oscillation period of the cantilever. For this reason, the surface of a cantilever without topography or material variation does not allow any conclusions about the spatial distribution of vibration due to a lack of dynamic contrast. In order to overcome this limitation, artificial structures were added at defined positions on the cantilever surface using focused ion beam lithography patterning. The DySEM signal of such high-contrast structures is strongly improved, hence information about the surface vibration becomes accessible. Simulations of images of the vibrating cantilever have also been performed. The results of the simulation are in good agreement with the experimental images.}, language = {en} } @article{BaerenzungHolschneiderLesur2016, author = {B{\"a}renzung, Julien and Holschneider, Matthias and Lesur, Vincent}, title = {constraints}, series = {Journal of geophysical research : Solid earth}, volume = {121}, journal = {Journal of geophysical research : Solid earth}, publisher = {American Geophysical Union}, address = {Washington}, issn = {2169-9313}, doi = {10.1002/2015JB012464}, pages = {1343 -- 1364}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Prior information in ill-posed inverse problem is of critical importance because it is conditioning the posterior solution and its associated variability. The problem of determining the flow evolving at the Earth's core-mantle boundary through magnetic field models derived from satellite or observatory data is no exception to the rule. This study aims to estimate what information can be extracted on the velocity field at the core-mantle boundary, when the frozen flux equation is inverted under very weakly informative, but realistic, prior constraints. Instead of imposing a converging spectrum to the flow, we simply assume that its poloidal and toroidal energy spectra are characterized by power laws. The parameters of the spectra, namely, their magnitudes, and slopes are unknown. The connection between the velocity field, its spectra parameters, and the magnetic field model is established through the Bayesian formulation of the problem. Working in two steps, we determined the time-averaged spectra of the flow within the 2001-2009.5 period, as well as the flow itself and its associated uncertainties in 2005.0. According to the spectra we obtained, we can conclude that the large-scale approximation of the velocity field is not an appropriate assumption within the time window we considered. For the flow itself, we show that although it is dominated by its equatorial symmetric component, it is very unlikely to be perfectly symmetric. We also demonstrate that its geostrophic state is questioned in different locations of the outer core.}, language = {en} } @article{CattiauxFradonKuliketal.2016, author = {Cattiaux, Patrick and Fradon, Myriam and Kulik, Alexei M. and Roelly, Sylvie}, title = {Long time behavior of stochastic hard ball systems}, series = {Bernoulli : official journal of the Bernoulli Society for Mathematical Statistics and Probability}, volume = {22}, journal = {Bernoulli : official journal of the Bernoulli Society for Mathematical Statistics and Probability}, publisher = {International Statistical Institute}, address = {Voorburg}, issn = {1350-7265}, doi = {10.3150/14-BEJ672}, pages = {681 -- 710}, year = {2016}, abstract = {We study the long time behavior of a system of n = 2, 3 Brownian hard balls, living in R-d for d >= 2, submitted to a mutual attraction and to elastic collisions.}, language = {en} } @article{Benini2016, author = {Benini, Marco}, title = {Optimal space of linear classical observables for Maxwell k-forms via spacelike and timelike compact de Rham cohomologies}, series = {Journal of mathematical physics}, volume = {57}, journal = {Journal of mathematical physics}, publisher = {American Institute of Physics}, address = {Melville}, issn = {0022-2488}, doi = {10.1063/1.4947563}, pages = {1249 -- 1279}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Being motivated by open questions in gauge field theories, we consider non-standard de Rham cohomology groups for timelike compact and spacelike compact support systems. These cohomology groups are shown to be isomorphic respectively to the usual de Rham cohomology of a spacelike Cauchy surface and its counterpart with compact support. Furthermore, an analog of the usual Poincare duality for de Rham cohomology is shown to hold for the case with non-standard supports as well. We apply these results to find optimal spaces of linear observables for analogs of arbitrary degree k of both the vector potential and the Faraday tensor. The term optimal has to be intended in the following sense: The spaces of linear observables we consider distinguish between different configurations; in addition to that, there are no redundant observables. This last point in particular heavily relies on the analog of Poincare duality for the new cohomology groups. Published by AIP Publishing.}, language = {en} } @article{HolschneiderLesurMauerbergeretal.2016, author = {Holschneider, Matthias and Lesur, Vincent and Mauerberger, Stefan and Baerenzung, Julien}, title = {Correlation-based modeling and separation of geomagnetic field components}, series = {Journal of geophysical research : Solid earth}, volume = {121}, journal = {Journal of geophysical research : Solid earth}, publisher = {American Geophysical Union}, address = {Washington}, issn = {2169-9313}, doi = {10.1002/2015JB012629}, pages = {3142 -- 3160}, year = {2016}, abstract = {We introduce a technique for the modeling and separation of geomagnetic field components that is based on an analysis of their correlation structures alone. The inversion is based on a Bayesian formulation, which allows the computation of uncertainties. The technique allows the incorporation of complex measurement geometries like observatory data in a simple way. We show how our technique is linked to other well-known inversion techniques. A case study based on observational data is given.}, language = {en} } @article{HermannHumbert2016, author = {Hermann, Andreas and Humbert, Emmanuel}, title = {About the mass of certain second order elliptic operators}, series = {Advances in mathematics}, volume = {294}, journal = {Advances in mathematics}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {San Diego}, issn = {0001-8708}, doi = {10.1016/j.aim.2016.03.008}, pages = {596 -- 633}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Let (M, g) be a closed Riemannian manifold of dimension n >= 3 and let f is an element of C-infinity (M), such that the operator P-f := Delta g + f is positive. If g is flat near some point p and f vanishes around p, we can define the mass of P1 as the constant term in the expansion of the Green function of P-f at p. In this paper, we establish many results on the mass of such operators. In particular, if f := n-2/n(n-1)s(g), i.e. if P-f is the Yamabe operator, we show the following result: assume that there exists a closed simply connected non-spin manifold M such that the mass is non-negative for every metric g as above on M, then the mass is non-negative for every such metric on every closed manifold of the same dimension as M. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{KistnerVollmeyerBurnsetal.2016, author = {Kistner, Saskia and Vollmeyer, Regina and Burns, Bruce D. and Kortenkamp, Ulrich}, title = {Model development in scientific discovery learning with a computer-based physics task}, series = {Computers in human behavior}, volume = {59}, journal = {Computers in human behavior}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0747-5632}, doi = {10.1016/j.chb.2016.02.041}, pages = {446 -- 455}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Based on theories of scientific discovery learning (SDL) and conceptual change, this study explores students' preconceptions in the domain of torques in physics and the development of these conceptions while learning with a computer-based SDL task. As a framework we used a three-space theory of SDL and focused on model space, which is supposed to contain the current conceptualization/model of the learning domain, and on its change through hypothesis testing and experimenting. Three questions were addressed: (1) What are students' preconceptions of torques before learning about this domain? To do this a multiple-choice test for assessing students' models of torques was developed and given to secondary school students (N = 47) who learned about torques using computer simulations. (2) How do students' models of torques develop during SDL? Working with simulations led to replacement of some misconceptions with physically correct conceptions. (3) Are there differential patterns of model development and if so, how do they relate to students' use of the simulations? By analyzing individual differences in model development, we found that an intensive use of the simulations was associated with the acquisition of correct conceptions. Thus, the three-space theory provided a useful framework for understanding conceptual change in SDL.}, language = {en} } @article{KretschmerCoumouDongesetal.2016, author = {Kretschmer, Marlene and Coumou, Dim and Donges, Jonathan and Runge, Jakob}, title = {Using Causal Effect Networks to Analyze Different Arctic Drivers of Midlatitude Winter Circulation}, series = {Journal of climate}, volume = {29}, journal = {Journal of climate}, publisher = {American Meteorological Soc.}, address = {Boston}, issn = {0894-8755}, doi = {10.1175/JCLI-D-15-0654.1}, pages = {4069 -- 4081}, year = {2016}, abstract = {In recent years, the Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes have suffered from severe winters like the extreme 2012/13 winter in the eastern United States. These cold spells were linked to a meandering upper-tropospheric jet stream pattern and a negative Arctic Oscillation index (AO). However, the nature of the drivers behind these circulation patterns remains controversial. Various studies have proposed different mechanisms related to changes in the Arctic, most of them related to a reduction in sea ice concentrations or increasing Eurasian snow cover. Here, a novel type of time series analysis, called causal effect networks (CEN), based on graphical models is introduced to assess causal relationships and their time delays between different processes. The effect of different Arctic actors on winter circulation on weekly to monthly time scales is studied, and robust network patterns are found. Barents and Kara sea ice concentrations are detected to be important external drivers of the midlatitude circulation, influencing winter AO via tropospheric mechanisms and through processes involving the stratosphere. Eurasia snow cover is also detected to have a causal effect on sea level pressure in Asia, but its exact role on AO remains unclear. The CEN approach presented in this study overcomes some difficulties in interpreting correlation analyses, complements model experiments for testing hypotheses involving teleconnections, and can be used to assess their validity. The findings confirm that sea ice concentrations in autumn in the Barents and Kara Seas are an important driver of winter circulation in the midlatitudes.}, language = {en} } @article{Becker2016, author = {Becker, Christian}, title = {Cheeger-Chern-Simons Theory and Differential String Classes}, series = {Annales de l'Institut Henri Poincar{\~A}©}, volume = {17}, journal = {Annales de l'Institut Henri Poincar{\~A}©}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Basel}, issn = {1424-0637}, doi = {10.1007/s00023-016-0485-6}, pages = {1529 -- 1594}, year = {2016}, abstract = {We construct new concrete examples of relative differential characters, which we call Cheeger-Chern-Simons characters. They combine the well-known Cheeger-Simons characters with Chern-Simons forms. In the same way as Cheeger-Simons characters generalize Chern-Simons invariants of oriented closed manifolds, Cheeger-Chern-Simons characters generalize Chern-Simons invariants of oriented manifolds with boundary. We study the differential cohomology of compact Lie groups G and their classifying spaces BG. We show that the even degree differential cohomology of BG canonically splits into Cheeger-Simons characters and topologically trivial characters. We discuss the transgression in principal G-bundles and in the universal bundle. We introduce two methods to lift the universal transgression to a differential cohomology valued map. They generalize the Dijkgraaf-Witten correspondence between 3-dimensional Chern-Simons theories and Wess-Zumino-Witten terms to fully extended higher-order Chern-Simons theories. Using these lifts, we also prove two versions of a differential Hopf theorem. Using Cheeger-Chern-Simons characters and transgression, we introduce the notion of differential trivializations of universal characteristic classes. It generalizes well-established notions of differential String classes to arbitrary degree. Specializing to the class , we recover isomorphism classes of geometric string structures on Spin (n) -bundles with connection and the corresponding spin structures on the free loop space. The Cheeger-Chern-Simons character associated with the class together with its transgressions to loop space and higher mapping spaces defines a Chern-Simons theory, extended down to points. Differential String classes provide trivializations of this extended Chern-Simons theory. This setting immediately generalizes to arbitrary degree: for any universal characteristic class of principal G-bundles, we have an associated Cheeger-Chern-Simons character and extended Chern-Simons theory. Differential trivialization classes yield trivializations of this extended Chern-Simons theory.}, language = {en} } @article{LyuSchulze2016, author = {Lyu, Xiaojing and Schulze, Bert-Wolfgang}, title = {Mellin Operators in the Edge Calculus}, series = {Complex analysis and operator theory}, volume = {10}, journal = {Complex analysis and operator theory}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Basel}, issn = {1661-8254}, doi = {10.1007/s11785-015-0511-6}, pages = {965 -- 1000}, year = {2016}, abstract = {A manifold M with smooth edge Y is locally near Y modelled on X-Delta x Omega for a cone X-Delta := ( (R) over bar (+) x X)/({0} x X) where Xis a smooth manifold and Omega subset of R-q an open set corresponding to a chart on Y. Compared with pseudo-differential algebras, based on other quantizations of edge-degenerate symbols, we extend the approach with Mellin representations on the r half-axis up to r = infinity, the conical exit of X-boolean AND = R+ x X (sic) (r, x) at infinity. The alternative description of the edge calculus is useful for pseudo-differential structures on manifolds with higher singularities.}, language = {en} } @article{KistnerBurnsVollmeyeretal.2016, author = {Kistner, Saskia and Burns, Bruce D. and Vollmeyer, Regina and Kortenkamp, Ulrich}, title = {The importance of understanding: Model space moderates goal specificity effects}, series = {The quarterly journal of experimental psychology}, volume = {69}, journal = {The quarterly journal of experimental psychology}, publisher = {Optical Society of America}, address = {Abingdon}, issn = {1747-0218}, doi = {10.1080/17470218.2015.1076865}, pages = {1179 -- 1196}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The three-space theory of problem solving predicts that the quality of a learner's model and the goal specificity of a task interact on knowledge acquisition. In Experiment 1 participants used a computer simulation of a lever system to learn about torques. They either had to test hypotheses (nonspecific goal), or to produce given values for variables (specific goal). In the good- but not in the poor-model condition they saw torque depicted as an area. Results revealed the predicted interaction. A nonspecific goal only resulted in better learning when a good model of torques was provided. In Experiment 2 participants learned to manipulate the inputs of a system to control its outputs. A nonspecific goal to explore the system helped performance when compared to a specific goal to reach certain values when participants were given a good model, but not when given a poor model that suggested the wrong hypothesis space. Our findings support the three-space theory. They emphasize the importance of understanding for problem solving and stress the need to study underlying processes.}, language = {en} }