Search Results (7)

Antilogies, or pairs of symmetrically opposed speeches or arguments, were generally ignored by Plato, Isocrates, Aristotle, Cicero, and Diogenes Laertius, and, later, by Eduard Norden, Hermann Diels, and most modern scholars of antiquity. As a consequence, until the end of the twentieth century CE, antilogies have been ignored or, at best, treated as a minor literary device to be mentioned only with reference to individual writings. Nevertheless, during the second half of the fifth century, antilogies were a crucially important form of argument and persuasion in ‘sophistic’ thought, philosophy, historiography, comedy and tragedy, and other fields. In order to redress the historical neglect of the art of antilogy, this essay provides an inventory (doubtless incomplete) of some 30 antilogies composed by playwrights such as Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes, historians such as Herodotus and Thucydides, and, most importantly, ‘sophists’ such as Protagoras, Gorgias, Prodicus and Antiphon (in addition to a few other writers of the same period). Building on this inventory, the second part of the essay seeks to establish identifying features of antilogy and assess its cultural significance in the Athenian context (in the second half of the fifth century BCE). Full article

The Curve Number (CN) rainfall–runoff model is a widely used method for estimating the amount of rainfall and runoff, but its accuracy in predicting runoff has been questioned globally due to its failure to produce precise predictions. The model was developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Soil Conservation Services (SCS) in 1954, but the data and documentation about its development are incomplete, making it difficult to reassess its validity. The model was originally developed using a 1954 dataset plotted by the USDA on a log–log scale graph, with a proposed linear correlation between its two key variables (I_a and S), given by I_a = 0.2S. However, instead of using the antilog equation in the power form (I_a = S^0.2) for simplification, the I_a = 0.2S correlation was used to formulate the current SCS-CN rainfall–runoff model. To date, researchers have not challenged this potential oversight. This study reevaluated the CN model by testing its reliability and performance using data from Malaysia, China, and Greece. The results of this study showed that the CN runoff model can be formulated and improved by using a power correlation in the form of I_a = S^λ. Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency (E) indexes ranged from 0.786 to 0.919, while Kling–Gupta Efficiency (KGE) indexes ranged from 0.739 to 0.956. The I_a to S ratios (I_a/S) from this study were in the range of [0.009, 0.171], which is in line with worldwide results that have reported that the ratio is mostly 5% or lower and nowhere near the value of 0.2 (20%) originally suggested by the SCS. Full article

This essay aims to reveal the relationship between sophistry and law in a twofold direction: on one side, how the development of ancient Greek law influenced sophistry’s production, and on the other, how and to what extent the knowledge and skills developed by sophists contributed to the development of legal expertise in classical Athens. The essay will initially focus on the historiographical category of the sophists to identify a line that connects these intellectuals to the new vision of society, the democratic polis, and the community that presides over legal and judicial life. This section will show that we can indeed speak of a “sophistic movement” in light of the structuring role of antilogies (antilogiae, or antithetical arguments) in forensic rhetoric. The rest of the essay will examine, from a theoretical point of view, sophistic methods of argument that contributed to the development of ancient Greek law. Touching on the issues of opposition, the debate, the reductio ad absurdum, and the principle of non-contradiction, the essay will highlight the relevance of sophistic thought to the judicial field and, more generally, the legal arena, in ancient Athens, so much so that one can think of the sophists as advocates of a particular legal culture. Full article

This research is concerned with extracting the approximate solutions of a controlled mass-damper-spring model via the harmonic balance method. The stability of these solutions was checked with the aid of Floquet theory. A nonlinear saturation controller (NSC), a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) and a servo-controlled linear actuator (SCLA), were applied to suppress the undesired oscillations of the harmonically-excited car. 2D and 3D graphical plots are included based upon the equations resulting from the harmonic balance method. Moreover, a numerical simulation was established using the fourth order Rung–Kutta technique in order to confirm the overall controlled behavior of the studied model. Full article

The fuzzy logic reasoning based on the “If... then...” rule is not the inaccurate reasoning of AI against ambiguity because fuzzy reasoning is antilogical. In order to solve this problem, a redundancy theory for discriminative weight filtering containing six theorems and one M(1,2,3) model was proposed and the approximate reasoning process was shown, the system logic of AI handling ambiguity as an extension of the classical logic system was proposed. The system is a generalized dynamic logic system characterized by machine learning, which is the practical-application logic system of AI, and can effectively deal with practical problems including conflict, noise, emergencies and various unknown uncertainties. It is characterized by combining approximate reasoning and computing for specific data conversion through machine learning. Its core is data and calculations and the condition is “sufficient” high-quality training data. The innovation is that we proposed a discriminative weight filtering redundancy theory and designed a computable approximate reasoning logic system that combines approximate reasoning and calculation through machine learning to convert specific data. It is a general logic system for AI to deal with uncertainty. The study has significance in theory and practice for AI and logical reasoning research. Full article

Research Highlights: this study developed additive biomass equations respectively from nonlinear regression (NLR) on original data and linear regression (LR) on a log-transformed scale by nonlinear seemingly unrelated regression (NSUR). To choose appropriate regression form, the error structures (additive vs. multiplicative) of compatible biomass equations were determined on the use of the multivariate likelihood function which extended the method of likelihood analysis to the general occasion of a contemporaneously correlated set of equations. Background and Objectives: both NLR and LR could yield the expected predictions for allometric scaling relationship. In recent studies, there are vigorous debates on which regression (NLR or LR) should apply. The main aim of this paper is to analyze the error structure of a compatible system of biomass equations to choose more appropriate regression. Materials and Methods: based on biomass data of 270 trees for three tree species, additive biomass equations were developed respectively for NLR and LR by NSUR. Multivariate likelihood functions were computed to determine the error structure based on the multivariate probability density function. The anti-log correction factor which kept the additive property was obtained separately using the arithmetic and weighted average of basic correction factors from each equation to assess two model specifications on the comparably original scale. Results: the assumption of additive error structure was well favored for an additive system of three species based on the joint likelihood function. However, the error structure of each component equation calculated from the conditional likelihood function for compatible equations might be different. The performance of additive equations corrected by a weighted average of basic correction factor from each component equation performed better than that of the arithmetic average and held good property of compatibility after corrected. Conclusions: NLR provided a better fit for additive biomass equations of three tree species. Additive equations which confirmed the responding assumption of error structure performed better. The joint likelihood function on the use of the multivariate likelihood function could be used to analyze the error structure of the additive system which was a result of a tradeoff for each component equation. Based on the average of correction factors from each component equation to correct the bias of additive equations was feasible for the hold of additive property, which might lead to a poor correction effect for some component equation. Full article

Romanian Wild Carpathia constitutes the ultimate pristine wilderness of the old European continent. Carpathian Mountains landscape experiences and outdoor recreation represents quite unique cultural ecosystem services. The new annotations to the Forest Law are restricting any public access in the woods without authorities’ pre-approval for organised sport, leisure and tourism activities. However, off road vehicle (ORV) recreation is a popular activity and a growing transparency concern of National Forest Administration Authorities that is not managed accordingly. Here we show that our ORV recreation frame model can securely allow public access and protect all Romanian mountains. Our results demonstrate how growing ORV recreation popularity can be used in an honest and open way if it is well organized and controlled. We anticipate our assay to be a starting point for a regional and national forest administration sustainable development plan. Furthermore, stopping illegal forest activities is a major target of the anti-logging movement. A well-defined assay for the ORV recreation frame model will be relevant for such developments. Full article