@phdthesis{Meyerhoefer2003, author = {Meyerh{\"o}fer, Wolfram}, title = {Was testen Tests? Objektiv-hermeneutische Analysen am Beispiel von TIMSS und PISA}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-12848}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, year = {2003}, abstract = {Als ich anfing, ein Thema f{\"u}r meine Promotion zu erarbeiten, fand ich Massentests ziemlich beeindruckend. TIMSS: {\"u}ber 500000 Sch{\"u}ler getestet. PISA: 180000 Sch{\"u}ler getestet. Ich wollte diese Datenbasis nutzen, um Erkenntnisse f{\"u}r die Gestaltung von Unterricht zu gewinnen. Leider kam ich damit nicht weit. Je tiefer ich mich mit den Tests und den dahinterstehenden Theorien befasste, desto deutlicher sch{\"a}lte sich heraus, dass mit diesen Tests keine neue Erkenntnis generiert werden kann. Fast alle Schlussfolgerungen, die aus den Tests gezogen werden, konnten gar nicht aus den Tests selbst gewonnen werden. Ich konzentrierte mich zunehmend auf die Testaufgaben, weil die Geltung der Aussage eines Tests an der Aufgabe erzeugt wird: In der Aufgabe gerinnt das, was die Tester als „mathematische Leistungsf{\"a}higkeit" konstruieren. Der Sch{\"u}ler wiederum hat nur die Aufgabe vor sich. Es gibt nur „gel{\"o}st" (ein Punkt) und „ungel{\"o}st" (kein Punkt). Damit der Sch{\"u}ler den Punkt bekommt, muss er an der richtigen Stelle ankreuzen, oder er muss etwas hinschrei-ben, wof{\"u}r der Auswerter einen Punkt gibt. In der Dissertation wird untersucht, was die Aufgaben testen, was also alles in das Konstrukt von „mathematischer Leistungsf{\"a}higkeit" einfließt, und ob es das ist, was der Test testen soll. Es stellte sich durchaus erstaunliches heraus: - Oftmals gibt es so viele M{\"o}glichkeiten, zur gew{\"u}nschten L{\"o}sung (die nicht in jedem Fall die richtige L{\"o}sung ist) zu gelangen, dass man nicht benennen kann, welche F{\"a}higkeit die Aufgabe eigentlich misst. Das Konstrukt „mathematische Leistungsf{\"a}higkeit" wird damit zu einem zuf{\"a}lligen. - Es werden Komponenten von Testf{\"a}higkeit mitgemessen: Viele Aufgaben enthalten Irritationen, welche von testerfahrenen Sch{\"u}lern leichter {\"u}berwunden werden k{\"o}nnen als von testunerfahrenen. Es gibt Aufgaben, die gel{\"o}st werden k{\"o}nnen, ohne dass man {\"u}ber die F{\"a}higkeit verf{\"u}gt, die getestet werden soll. Umgekehrt gibt es Aufgaben, die man eventuell nicht l{\"o}sen kann, obwohl man {\"u}ber diese F{\"a}higkeit verf{\"u}gt. Als Kernkompetenz von Testf{\"a}higkeit stellt sich heraus, weder das gestellte mathematische Problem noch die angeblichen realen Proble-me ernst zu nehmen, sondern sich statt dessen auf das zu konzentrieren, was die Tester angekreuzt oder hinge-schrieben sehen wollen. Prinzipiell erweist es sich als g{\"u}nstig, mittelm{\"a}ßig zu arbeiten, auf intellektuelle Tiefe in der Auseinandersetzung mit den Aufgaben also zu verzichten. - Man kann bei Multiple-Choice-Tests raten. Die PISA-Gruppe behauptet zwar, dieses Problem technisch {\"u}ber-winden zu k{\"o}nnen, dies erweist sich aber als Fehleinsch{\"a}tzung. - Sowohl bei TIMSS als auch bei PISA stellt sich heraus, dass die vorgeblich verwendeten didaktischen und psychologischen Theorien lediglich theoretische M{\"a}ntel f{\"u}r eine theoriearme Testerstellung sind. Am Beispiel der Theorie der mentalen Situationsmodelle (zur Bearbeitung von realit{\"a}tsnahen Aufgaben) wird dies ausf{\"u}hrlich exemplarisch ausgearbeitet. Das Problem reproduziert sich in anderen Theoriefeldern. Die Tests werden nicht durch Operationalisierungen von Messkonstrukten erstellt, sondern durch systematisches Zusammenst{\"u}ckeln von Aufgaben. - Bei PISA sollte „Mathematical Literacy" getestet werden. Verk{\"u}rzt sollte das die F{\"a}higkeit sein, „die Rolle, die Mathematik in der Welt spielt, zu erkennen und zu verstehen, begr{\"u}ndete mathematische Urteile abzugeben und sich auf eine Weise mit der Mathematik zu befassen, die den Anforderungen des gegenw{\"a}rtigen und k{\"u}nftigen Lebens einer Person als eines konstruktiven, engagierten und reflektierten B{\"u}rgers entspricht" (PISA-Eigendarstellung). Von all dem kann angesichts der Aufgaben keine Rede sein. - Bei der Untersuchung des PISA-Tests dr{\"a}ngte sich ein mathematikdidaktischer Habitus auf, der eine separate Untersuchung erzwang. Ich habe ihn unter dem Stichwort der „Abkehr von der Sache" zusammengefasst. Er ist gepr{\"a}gt von Zerst{\"o}rungen des Mathematischen bei gleichzeitiger {\"U}berbetonung des Fachsprachlichen und durch Verwerfungen des Mathematischen und des Realen bei realit{\"a}tsnahen Aufgaben. Letzteres gr{\"u}ndet in der Nicht-beachtung der Authentizit{\"a}t sowohl des Realen als auch des Mathematischen. Die Arbeit versammelt neben den Untersuchungen zu TIMSS und PISA ein ausf{\"u}hrliches Kapitel {\"u}ber das Prob-lem des Testens und eine Darstellung der Methodologie und Praxis der Objektiven Hermeneutik.}, language = {de} } @phdthesis{Hanisch2011, author = {Hanisch, Florian}, title = {Variational problems on supermanifolds}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-59757}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, year = {2011}, abstract = {In this thesis, we discuss the formulation of variational problems on supermanifolds. Supermanifolds incorporate bosonic as well as fermionic degrees of freedom. Fermionic fields take values in the odd part of an appropriate Grassmann algebra and are thus showing an anticommutative behaviour. However, a systematic treatment of these Grassmann parameters requires a description of spaces as functors, e.g. from the category of Grassmann algberas into the category of sets (or topological spaces, manifolds). After an introduction to the general ideas of this approach, we use it to give a description of the resulting supermanifolds of fields/maps. We show that each map is uniquely characterized by a family of differential operators of appropriate order. Moreover, we demonstrate that each of this maps is uniquely characterized by its component fields, i.e. by the coefficients in a Taylor expansion w.r.t. the odd coordinates. In general, the component fields are only locally defined. We present a way how to circumvent this limitation. In fact, by enlarging the supermanifold in question, we show that it is possible to work with globally defined components. We eventually use this formalism to study variational problems. More precisely, we study a super version of the geodesic and a generalization of harmonic maps to supermanifolds. Equations of motion are derived from an energy functional and we show how to decompose them into components. Finally, in special cases, we can prove the existence of critical points by reducing the problem to equations from ordinary geometric analysis. After solving these component equations, it is possible to show that their solutions give rise to critical points in the functor spaces of fields.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Vu2014, author = {Vu, Dinh Phuong}, title = {Using video study to investigate eighth-grade mathematics classrooms in Vietnam}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-72464}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {273}, year = {2014}, abstract = {The International Project for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) was formed in the 1950s (Postlethwaite, 1967). Since that time, the IEA has conducted many studies in the area of mathematics, such as the First International Mathematics Study (FIMS) in 1964, the Second International Mathematics Study (SIMS) in 1980-1982, and a series of studies beginning with the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) which has been conducted every 4 years since 1995. According to Stigler et al. (1999), in the FIMS and the SIMS, U.S. students achieved low scores in comparison with students in other countries (p. 1). The TIMSS 1995 "Videotape Classroom Study" was therefore a complement to the earlier studies conducted to learn "more about the instructional and cultural processes that are associated with achievement" (Stigler et al., 1999, p. 1). The TIMSS Videotape Classroom Study is known today as the TIMSS Video Study. From the findings of the TIMSS 1995 Video Study, Stigler and Hiebert (1999) likened teaching to "mountain ranges poking above the surface of the water," whereby they implied that we might see the mountaintops, but we do not see the hidden parts underneath these mountain ranges (pp. 73-78). By watching the videotaped lessons from Germany, Japan, and the United States again and again, they discovered that "the systems of teaching within each country look similar from lesson to lesson. At least, there are certain recurring features [or patterns] that typify many of the lessons within a country and distinguish the lessons among countries" (pp. 77-78). They also discovered that "teaching is a cultural activity," so the systems of teaching "must be understood in relation to the cultural beliefs and assumptions that surround them" (pp. 85, 88). From this viewpoint, one of the purposes of this dissertation was to study some cultural aspects of mathematics teaching and relate the results to mathematics teaching and learning in Vietnam. Another research purpose was to carry out a video study in Vietnam to find out the characteristics of Vietnamese mathematics teaching and compare these characteristics with those of other countries. In particular, this dissertation carried out the following research tasks: - Studying the characteristics of teaching and learning in different cultures and relating the results to mathematics teaching and learning in Vietnam - Introducing the TIMSS, the TIMSS Video Study and the advantages of using video study in investigating mathematics teaching and learning - Carrying out the video study in Vietnam to identify the image, scripts and patterns, and the lesson signature of eighth-grade mathematics teaching in Vietnam - Comparing some aspects of mathematics teaching in Vietnam and other countries and identifying the similarities and differences across countries - Studying the demands and challenges of innovating mathematics teaching methods in Vietnam - lessons from the video studies Hopefully, this dissertation will be a useful reference material for pre-service teachers at education universities to understand the nature of teaching and develop their teaching career.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Angwenyi2019, author = {Angwenyi, David}, title = {Time-continuous state and parameter estimation with application to hyperbolic SPDEs}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-43654}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-436542}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {xi, 101}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Data assimilation has been an active area of research in recent years, owing to its wide utility. At the core of data assimilation are filtering, prediction, and smoothing procedures. Filtering entails incorporation of measurements' information into the model to gain more insight into a given state governed by a noisy state space model. Most natural laws are governed by time-continuous nonlinear models. For the most part, the knowledge available about a model is incomplete; and hence uncertainties are approximated by means of probabilities. Time-continuous filtering, therefore, holds promise for wider usefulness, for it offers a means of combining noisy measurements with imperfect model to provide more insight on a given state. The solution to time-continuous nonlinear Gaussian filtering problem is provided for by the Kushner-Stratonovich equation. Unfortunately, the Kushner-Stratonovich equation lacks a closed-form solution. Moreover, the numerical approximations based on Taylor expansion above third order are fraught with computational complications. For this reason, numerical methods based on Monte Carlo methods have been resorted to. Chief among these methods are sequential Monte-Carlo methods (or particle filters), for they allow for online assimilation of data. Particle filters are not without challenges: they suffer from particle degeneracy, sample impoverishment, and computational costs arising from resampling. The goal of this thesis is to:— i) Review the derivation of Kushner-Stratonovich equation from first principles and its extant numerical approximation methods, ii) Study the feedback particle filters as a way of avoiding resampling in particle filters, iii) Study joint state and parameter estimation in time-continuous settings, iv) Apply the notions studied to linear hyperbolic stochastic differential equations. The interconnection between It{\^o} integrals and stochastic partial differential equations and those of Stratonovich is introduced in anticipation of feedback particle filters. With these ideas and motivated by the variants of ensemble Kalman-Bucy filters founded on the structure of the innovation process, a feedback particle filter with randomly perturbed innovation is proposed. Moreover, feedback particle filters based on coupling of prediction and analysis measures are proposed. They register a better performance than the bootstrap particle filter at lower ensemble sizes. We study joint state and parameter estimation, both by means of extended state spaces and by use of dual filters. Feedback particle filters seem to perform well in both cases. Finally, we apply joint state and parameter estimation in the advection and wave equation, whose velocity is spatially varying. Two methods are employed: Metropolis Hastings with filter likelihood and a dual filter comprising of Kalman-Bucy filter and ensemble Kalman-Bucy filter. The former performs better than the latter.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Mera2017, author = {Mera, Azal Jaafar Musa}, title = {The Navier-Stokes equations for elliptic quasicomplexes}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-398495}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {101}, year = {2017}, abstract = {The classical Navier-Stokes equations of hydrodynamics are usually written in terms of vector analysis. More promising is the formulation of these equations in the language of differential forms of degree one. In this way the study of Navier-Stokes equations includes the analysis of the de Rham complex. In particular, the Hodge theory for the de Rham complex enables one to eliminate the pressure from the equations. The Navier-Stokes equations constitute a parabolic system with a nonlinear term which makes sense only for one-forms. A simpler model of dynamics of incompressible viscous fluid is given by Burgers' equation. This work is aimed at the study of invariant structure of the Navier-Stokes equations which is closely related to the algebraic structure of the de Rham complex at step 1. To this end we introduce Navier-Stokes equations related to any elliptic quasicomplex of first order differential operators. These equations are quite similar to the classical Navier-Stokes equations including generalised velocity and pressure vectors. Elimination of the pressure from the generalised Navier-Stokes equations gives a good motivation for the study of the Neumann problem after Spencer for elliptic quasicomplexes. Such a study is also included in the work.We start this work by discussion of Lam{\´e} equations within the context of elliptic quasicomplexes on compact manifolds with boundary. The non-stationary Lam{\´e} equations form a hyperbolic system. However, the study of the first mixed problem for them gives a good experience to attack the linearised Navier-Stokes equations. On this base we describe a class of non-linear perturbations of the Navier-Stokes equations, for which the solvability results still hold.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{LopezValencia2023, author = {Lopez Valencia, Diego Andres}, title = {The Milnor-Moore and Poincar{\´e}-Birkhoff-Witt theorems in the locality set up and the polar structure of Shintani zeta functions}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-59421}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-594213}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {147}, year = {2023}, abstract = {This thesis bridges two areas of mathematics, algebra on the one hand with the Milnor-Moore theorem (also called Cartier-Quillen-Milnor-Moore theorem) as well as the Poincar{\´e}-Birkhoff-Witt theorem, and analysis on the other hand with Shintani zeta functions which generalise multiple zeta functions. The first part is devoted to an algebraic formulation of the locality principle in physics and generalisations of classification theorems such as Milnor-Moore and Poincar{\´e}-Birkhoff-Witt theorems to the locality framework. The locality principle roughly says that events that take place far apart in spacetime do not infuence each other. The algebraic formulation of this principle discussed here is useful when analysing singularities which arise from events located far apart in space, in order to renormalise them while keeping a memory of the fact that they do not influence each other. We start by endowing a vector space with a symmetric relation, named the locality relation, which keeps track of elements that are "locally independent". The pair of a vector space together with such relation is called a pre-locality vector space. This concept is extended to tensor products allowing only tensors made of locally independent elements. We extend this concept to the locality tensor algebra, and locality symmetric algebra of a pre-locality vector space and prove the universal properties of each of such structures. We also introduce the pre-locality Lie algebras, together with their associated locality universal enveloping algebras and prove their universal property. We later upgrade all such structures and results from the pre-locality to the locality context, requiring the locality relation to be compatible with the linear structure of the vector space. This allows us to define locality coalgebras, locality bialgebras, and locality Hopf algebras. Finally, all the previous results are used to prove the locality version of the Milnor-Moore and the Poincar{\´e}-Birkhoff-Witt theorems. It is worth noticing that the proofs presented, not only generalise the results in the usual (non-locality) setup, but also often use less tools than their counterparts in their non-locality counterparts. The second part is devoted to study the polar structure of the Shintani zeta functions. Such functions, which generalise the Riemman zeta function, multiple zeta functions, Mordell-Tornheim zeta functions, among others, are parametrised by matrices with real non-negative arguments. It is known that Shintani zeta functions extend to meromorphic functions with poles on afine hyperplanes. We refine this result in showing that the poles lie on hyperplanes parallel to the facets of certain convex polyhedra associated to the defining matrix for the Shintani zeta function. Explicitly, the latter are the Newton polytopes of the polynomials induced by the columns of the underlying matrix. We then prove that the coeficients of the equation which describes the hyperplanes in the canonical basis are either zero or one, similar to the poles arising when renormalising generic Feynman amplitudes. For that purpose, we introduce an algorithm to distribute weight over a graph such that the weight at each vertex satisfies a given lower bound.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Branding2012, author = {Branding, Volker}, title = {The evolution equations for Dirac-harmonic Maps}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-64204}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, year = {2012}, abstract = {This thesis investigates the gradient flow of Dirac-harmonic maps. Dirac-harmonic maps are critical points of an energy functional that is motivated from supersymmetric field theories. The critical points of this energy functional couple the equation for harmonic maps with spinor fields. At present, many analytical properties of Dirac-harmonic maps are known, but a general existence result is still missing. In this thesis the existence question is studied using the evolution equations for a regularized version of Dirac-harmonic maps. Since the energy functional for Dirac-harmonic maps is unbounded from below the method of the gradient flow cannot be applied directly. Thus, we first of all consider a regularization prescription for Dirac-harmonic maps and then study the gradient flow. Chapter 1 gives some background material on harmonic maps/harmonic spinors and summarizes the current known results about Dirac-harmonic maps. Chapter 2 introduces the notion of Dirac-harmonic maps in detail and presents a regularization prescription for Dirac-harmonic maps. In Chapter 3 the evolution equations for regularized Dirac-harmonic maps are introduced. In addition, the evolution of certain energies is discussed. Moreover, the existence of a short-time solution to the evolution equations is established. Chapter 4 analyzes the evolution equations in the case that the domain manifold is a closed curve. Here, the existence of a smooth long-time solution is proven. Moreover, for the regularization being large enough, it is shown that the evolution equations converge to a regularized Dirac-harmonic map. Finally, it is discussed in which sense the regularization can be removed. In Chapter 5 the evolution equations are studied when the domain manifold is a closed Riemmannian spin surface. For the regularization being large enough, the existence of a global weak solution, which is smooth away from finitely many singularities is proven. It is shown that the evolution equations converge weakly to a regularized Dirac-harmonic map. In addition, it is discussed if the regularization can be removed in this case.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Koh2008, author = {Koh, Dennis}, title = {The evolution equation for closed magnetic geodesics}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}tsverlag Potsdam}, address = {Potsdam}, isbn = {978-3-940793-24-9}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-16647}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {60}, year = {2008}, abstract = {Orbits of charged particles under the effect of a magnetic field are mathematically described by magnetic geodesics. They appear as solutions to a system of (nonlinear) ordinary differential equations of second order. But we are only interested in periodic solutions. To this end, we study the corresponding system of (nonlinear) parabolic equations for closed magnetic geodesics and, as a main result, eventually prove the existence of long time solutions. As generalization one can consider a system of elliptic nonlinear partial differential equations whose solutions describe the orbits of closed p-branes under the effect of a "generalized physical force". For the corresponding evolution equation, which is a system of parabolic nonlinear partial differential equations associated to the elliptic PDE, we can establish existence of short time solutions.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{LindbladPetersen2017, author = {Lindblad Petersen, Oliver}, title = {The Cauchy problem for the linearised Einstein equation and the Goursat problem for wave equations}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-410216}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {108}, year = {2017}, abstract = {In this thesis, we study two initial value problems arising in general relativity. The first is the Cauchy problem for the linearised Einstein equation on general globally hyperbolic spacetimes, with smooth and distributional initial data. We extend well-known results by showing that given a solution to the linearised constraint equations of arbitrary real Sobolev regularity, there is a globally defined solution, which is unique up to addition of gauge solutions. Two solutions are considered equivalent if they differ by a gauge solution. Our main result is that the equivalence class of solutions depends continuously on the corre- sponding equivalence class of initial data. We also solve the linearised constraint equations in certain cases and show that there exist arbitrarily irregular (non-gauge) solutions to the linearised Einstein equation on Minkowski spacetime and Kasner spacetime. In the second part, we study the Goursat problem (the characteristic Cauchy problem) for wave equations. We specify initial data on a smooth compact Cauchy horizon, which is a lightlike hypersurface. This problem has not been studied much, since it is an initial value problem on a non-globally hyperbolic spacetime. Our main result is that given a smooth function on a non-empty, smooth, compact, totally geodesic and non-degenerate Cauchy horizon and a so called admissible linear wave equation, there exists a unique solution that is defined on the globally hyperbolic region and restricts to the given function on the Cauchy horizon. Moreover, the solution depends continuously on the initial data. A linear wave equation is called admissible if the first order part satisfies a certain condition on the Cauchy horizon, for example if it vanishes. Interestingly, both existence of solution and uniqueness are false for general wave equations, as examples show. If we drop the non-degeneracy assumption, examples show that existence of solution fails even for the simplest wave equation. The proof requires precise energy estimates for the wave equation close to the Cauchy horizon. In case the Ricci curvature vanishes on the Cauchy horizon, we show that the energy estimates are strong enough to prove local existence and uniqueness for a class of non-linear wave equations. Our results apply in particular to the Taub-NUT spacetime and the Misner spacetime. It has recently been shown that compact Cauchy horizons in spacetimes satisfying the null energy condition are necessarily smooth and totally geodesic. Our results therefore apply if the spacetime satisfies the null energy condition and the Cauchy horizon is compact and non-degenerate.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Bartels1999, author = {Bartels, Knut}, title = {Tests zur Modellspezifikation in der nichtlinearen Regression}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-0000171}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, year = {1999}, abstract = {Als Grundlage vieler statistischer Verfahren wird der Prozess der Entstehung von Daten modelliert, um dann weitere Sch{\"a}tz- und Testverfahren anzuwenden. Diese Arbeit befasst sich mit der Frage, wie diese Spezifikation f{\"u}r parametrische Modelle selbst getestet werden kann. In Erweiterung bestehender Verfahren werden Tests mit festem Kern eingef{\"u}hrt und ihre asymptotischen Eigenschaften werden analysiert. Es wird gezeigt, dass die Bestimmung der kritischen Werte mit mehreren Stichprobenwiederholungsverfahren m{\"o}glich ist. Von diesen ist eine neue Monte-Carlo-Approximation besonders wichtig, da sie die Komplexit{\"a}t der Berechnung deutlich verringern kann. Ein bedingter Kleinste-Quadrate-Sch{\"a}tzer f{\"u}r nichtlineare parametrische Modelle wird definiert und seine wesentlichen asymptotischen Eigenschaften werden hergeleitet. S{\"a}mtliche Versionen der Tests und alle neuen Konzepte wurden in Simulationsstudien untersucht, deren wichtigste Resultate pr{\"a}sentiert werden. Die praktische Anwendbarkeit der Testverfahren wird an einem Datensatz zur Produktwahl dargelegt, der mit multinomialen Logit-Modellen analysiert werden soll.}, language = {de} }