Dissipative flow equations

We generalize the theory of flow equations to open quantum systems focusing on Lindblad master equations. We introduce and discuss three different generators of the flow that transform a linear non-Hermitian operator into a diagonal one. We first test our dissipative flow equations on a generic matrix and on a physical problem with a driven-dissipative single fermionic mode. We then move to problems with many fermionic modes and discuss the interplay between coherent (disordered) dynamics and localized losses. Our method can also be applied to non-Hermitian Hamiltonians.

A Computational Theory of Flow

Flow is a coveted psychological state characterized by immersion and engagement in one’s current task. The benefits of flow for productivity and health are well-documented, but a rigorous description of the flow-generating process remains elusive. To achieve a deeper understanding of flow, we developed and empirically tested a theory of its computational substrates — the informational theory of flow. At the heart of our theory is the concept of mutual information, a fundamental quantity in information theory that quantifies the strength of association between two variables. Our central claim is that the mutual information between desired end states and means of attaining them — I(M;E) — gives rise to flow. We obtained support for this prediction across three experiments (two preregistered): increasing the value of I(M;E) in a computer game reliably increased the level of flow that the game evoked. Increasing I(M;E) also had important downstream benefits. It enhanced attention, as revealed by faster and less variable response times, and made the game more enjoyable. These findings could not be attributed to any of seven alternative constructs, including alternative metrics of associative strength, psychological constructs previously shown to predict flow, and various forms of instrumental value. In fact, I(M;E) was the only construct that reliably predicted flow across all three experiments, suggesting that it plays a central role in the flow-generating process. By supporting the informational theory of flow, our findings shed light on the computational substrates of task immersion and engagement and reveal a novel means of enhancing enjoyment and attention.

To the Question of Determining Laws of Communication General Mathematical Theory of Plasticity

The paper discusses the question of the reliability and applicability of the general laws of the mathematical theory of plasticity. In a new direction of the theory of plasticity (the theory of elastic-plastic deformation processes) the isotropy postulate is given, which establishes the invariance of the connection between stresses and strains. However, this invariance during orthogonal transformations of the image of the process and its vectors in the linear coordinate space can be violated due to a change in the invariants of the form of the stress-strain state. However, numerous experiments show that the influence of these invariants is weak and can be neglected. In the theory of flow, the main hypothesis is the assumption of the decomposition of total deformations into elastic and plastic parts. Such decomposition under complex loading is impossible and contradicts the concept of the complete and incomplete plastic states of the material. This article shows that the flow theory is a special case of the theory of processes. An extended version of the theory of flow is obtained, which can be used for medium-curvature deformation trajectories, and which makes it possible to use the hypothesis of decomposition of total deformations in the theory of flow.

Flow in Rap Music: Sources of Confusion and a Strategy for Clarity

Artists, fans, critics, and scholars define “flow” in rap music in a variety of ways. Among the disputes are the proper scope of flow and the musical features that comprise it. This chapter begins by examining several sources of confusion: the many meanings of flow in rap lyrics, the proffered equivalence of flow with the purely musical musical, and the debate as to whether a theory of flow ought to describe or prescribe expressive practice. The chapter then identifies which features constitute flow by examining instances where artists call out flow within their lyrics, specifically when they announce in the midst of a verse that the flow has “flipped” or changed. This result is a definition of flow that arises not from what scholars say flow is, but what artists do when they (flip the) flow.