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As a novel virus, COVID introduced considerable uncertainty into the daily lives of people all over the globe since late 2019. Relying on twenty-three semi-structured interviews with parents whose children contracted COVID, we analyzed how the use of social media moderated parental uncertainty about the symptoms, prognosis, long-term potential health ramifications of infection, vaccination, and other issues. We framed our findings using Mishel's Uncertainty in Illness theory. We propose new components to the theory that account for technological mediation in uncertainty. We also propose design recommendations to help parents cope with health uncertainty using social media.

In this paper, we consider the resonance problem for the cubic nonlinear Helmholtz equation in the subwavelength regime. We derive a discrete model for approximating the subwavelength resonances of finite systems of high-contrast resonators with Kerr-type nonlinearities. Our discrete formulation is valid in both weak and strong nonlinear regimes. Compared to the linear formulation, it characterizes the soliton-like extra eigenmodes that have recently been experimentally observed.

The truncated Floquet-Bloch transform can be used to characterise the spectral properties of finite periodic and aperiodic large systems of resonators. This paper aims to provide for the first time the mathematical foundations of this transform.

This paper investigates acoustic wave scattering from materials with periodic time-modulated material parameters. We consider the basic case of a single connected domain where absorbing or Neumann boundary conditions are enforced. Energy estimates limit the exponential growth of solutions to the initial value problem, thereby confining Floquet exponents to a complex half-space under absorbing boundary conditions and to a strip near the real axis for Neumann conditions. We introduce a system of coupled harmonics and establish a Fredholm alternative result using Riesz-Schauder theory. For a finite set of harmonics, we show that the spectrum remains discrete. Different eigenvalue formulations for the Floquet exponents are formulated and connected to these results. Employing a space discretization to the system of coupled harmonics filters spatially oscillating modes, which is shown to imply a localization result for the temporal spectrum of the fully discrete coupled harmonics. Such a localization result is the key to further analysis, since the truncation of the coupled harmonics is critically affected for non-localized modes. We use the localization result to show that, when enough harmonics are included, the approximated Floquet exponents exhibit the same limitations as their continuous counterparts. Moreover, the approximated modes are shown to satisfy the defining properties of Bloch modes, with a defect that vanishes as the number of harmonics approaches infinity. Numerical experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach and illustrate the theoretical findings., Comment: 33 pages, 7 figures

This work is dedicated to the study of a linear model arising in thermoelastic rod of homogeneous material. The system is resulting from a coupling of a heat and a wave equation in the interval $(0,1)$ with Dirichlet boundary conditions at the outer endpoints where the parabolic component is degenerating at the end point $x=0$. Two models are considered the first is with weak degeneracy and the second is with strong degeneracy. We aim to study the well-posedness and asymptotic stability of both systems using techniques from the $C_{0}$-semigroup theory and a use a frequency domain approach based on the well-known result of Pr\"uss in order to prove using some multiplier techniques that the energy of classical solutions decays uniformly as time goes to infinity.

We survey the use of Chebyshev polynomials and Toeplitz theory for studying topological metamaterials. We consider both Hermitian and non-Hermitian systems of subwavelength resonators and provide a mathematical framework to explain some spectacular properties of metamaterials.

In this paper we study the dynamics of metamaterials composed of high-contrast subwavelength resonators and show the existence of localised modes in such a setting. A crucial assumption in this paper is time-modulated material parameters. We prove a so-called capacitance matrix approximation of the wave equation in the form of an ordinary differential equation. These formulas set the ground for the derivation of a first-principles characterisation of localised modes in terms of the generalised capacitance matrix. Furthermore, we provide numerical results supporting our analytical results showing for the first time the phenomenon of space-time localised waves in a perturbed time-modulated metamaterial. Such spatio-temporal localisation is only possible in the presence of subwavelength resonances in the unperturbed structure. We introduce the time-dependent degree of localisation to quantitatively determine the localised modes and provide a variety of numerical experiments to illustrate our formulations and results., Comment: 23 pages, 6 figures

In [Ammari et al., SIAM J Math Anal., 52 (2020), pp. 5441--5466], the first author with collaborators proved the existence of Dirac dispersion cones at subwavelength scales in bubbly honeycomb phononic crystals. In this paper, we study the time-evolution of wave packets that are spectrally concentrated near such conical points. We prove that the wave packets dynamics is governed by a time-dependent effective Dirac system, which still depends, but in a simple way, on the subwavelength scale., Comment: Comments are welcome

Recently, it has been observed that the Floquet-Bloch transform with real quasiperiodicities fails to capture the spectral properties of non-reciprocal systems. The aim of this paper is to introduce the notion of a generalised Brillouin zone by allowing the quasiperiodicities to be complex in order to rectify this. It is proved that this shift of the Brillouin zone into the complex plane accounts for the unidirectional spatial decay of the eigenmodes and leads to correct spectral convergence properties. The results in this paper clarify and prove rigorously how the spectral properties of a finite structure are associated with those of the corresponding semi-infinitely or infinitely periodic lattices and give explicit characterisations of how to extend the Hermitian theory to non-reciprocal settings. Based on our theory, we characterise the generalised Brillouin zone for both open boundary conditions and periodic boundary conditions. Our results are consistent with the physical literature and give explicit generalisations to the $k$-Toeplitz matrix cases.

We study composite assemblages of dielectrics and metamaterials with respectively positive and negative material parameters. In the continuum case, for a scalar equation, such media may exhibit so-called plasmonic resonances for certain values of the (negative) conductivity in the metamaterial. This work investigates such resonances, and the associated eigenfunctions, in the case of composite conducting networks. Unlike the continuous media, we show a surprising specific dependence on the geometry of the network of the resonant values. We also study how the problem is affected by the choice of boundary conditions on the external nodes of the structure.

In this paper, we propose a new numerical strategy for the stabilization of evolution systems. The method is based on the methodology given by Ammari, Nicaise and Pignotti in "Stabilization by switching time-delay, Asymptot. Anal., 83 (2013), 263--283". This method is then implemented in 1D by suitable numerical approximation techniques. Numerical experiments complete this study to confirm the theoretical announced results.

This paper is devoted to the solution and stability of a one-dimensional model depicting Rao--Nakra sandwich beams, incorporating damping terms characterized by fractional derivative types within the domain, specifically a generalized Caputo derivative with exponential weight. To address existence, uniqueness, stability, and numerical results, fractional derivatives are substituted by diffusion equations relative to a new independent variable, $\xi$, resulting in an augmented model with a dissipative semigroup operator. Polynomial decay of energy is achieved, with a decay rate depending on the fractional derivative parameters. Both the polynomial decay and its dependency on the parameters of the generalized Caputo derivative are numerically validated. To this end, an energy-conserving finite difference numerical scheme is employed., Comment: 23 pages, 14 figures

In this paper, we consider the associated semigroups to some abstract thermoelastic systems (in particular the {\alpha}-\b{eta} system), with a partial delay on the coupled system. We will prove that the corresponding semigroups (in appropriate Hilbert spaces) are not differentiable.

The aim of this paper is to illustrate both analytically and numerically the interplay of two fundamentally distinct non-Hermitian mechanisms in a deep subwavelength regime. Considering a parity-time symmetric system of one-dimensional subwavelength resonators equipped with two kinds of non-Hermiticity - an imaginary gauge potential and on-site gain and loss - we prove that all but two eigenmodes of the system decouple when going through an exceptional point. By tuning the gain-to-loss ratio, the system changes from a phase with unbroken parity-time symmetry to a phase with broken parity-time symmetry. At the macroscopic level, this is observed as a transition from symmetrical eigenmodes to condensated eigenmodes at one edge of the structure. Mathematically, it arises from a topological state change. The results of this paper open the door to the justification of a variety of phenomena arising from the interplay between non-Hermitian reciprocal and non-reciprocal mechanisms not only in subwavelength wave physics but also in quantum mechanics where the tight binding model coupled with the nearest neighbour approximation can be analysed with the same tools as those developed here.

We consider the many-body quantum Gibbs state for the Bose-Hubbard model on a finite graph at positive temperature. We scale the interaction with the inverse temperature, corresponding to a mean-field limit where the temperature is of the order of the average particle number. For this model it is known that the many-body Gibbs state converges, as temperature goes to infinity, to the Gibbs measure of a discrete nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation, i.e., a Gibbs measure defined in terms of a one-body theory. In this article we extend these results by proving an expansion to any order of the many-body Gibbs state with inverse temperature as a small parameter. The coefficients in the expansion can be calculated as vacuum expectation values using a recursive formula, and we compute the first two coefficients explicitly.

Many children in foster care experience trauma that is rooted in unstable family relationships. Other members of the foster care system like foster parents and social workers face secondary trauma. Drawing on 10 years of Reddit data, we used a mixed methods approach to analyze how different members of the foster care system find support and similar experiences at the intersection of two Reddit communities - foster care, and abuse. Users who cross this boundary focus on trauma experiences specific to different roles in foster care. While representing a small number of users, boundary crossing users contribute heavily to both communities, and, compared to matching users, receive higher scores and more replies. We explore the roles boundary crossing users have both in the online community and in the context of foster care. Finally, we present design recommendations that would support trauma survivors find communities more suited to their personal experiences.

We consider the damped wave semigroup on the tadpole graph ${\mathcal R}$. We first give a meticulous spectral analysis, followed by a judicious decomposition of the resolvent's kernel. As a consequence, and by showing that the generalized eigenfunctions form a Riesz basis of some subspace of the energy space $\mathcal{H}$, we establish the exponential decay of the corresponding energy, with the optimal decay rate dictated by the spectral abscissa of the relevant operator.

We illuminate the fundamental mechanism responsible for the transition between the non-Hermitian skin effect and defect-induced localization in the bulk. We study a Hamiltonian with non-reciprocal couplings that exhibits the skin effect (the localization of all eigenvectors at one edge) and add an on-site defect in the center. Using a two-scale asymptotic method, we characterize the long-scale growth and decay of the eigenvectors and derive a simple and intuitive effective model for the transition that occurs when the defect is sufficiently large that one of the modes is localized at the defect site, rather than at the edge of the system.

We establish new results on the spectra and pseudo-spectra of tridiagonal $k$-Toeplitz operators and matrices. In particular, we prove the connection between the winding number of the eigenvalues of the symbol function and the exponential decay of the associated eigenvectors (or pseudo-eigenvectors). Our results elucidate the topological origin of the non-Hermitian skin effect in general one-dimensional polymer systems of subwavelength resonators with imaginary gauge potentials, proving the observation and conjecture in arXiv:2307.13551. We also numerically verify our theory for these systems., Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures

In this paper, we consider a stabilization problem of a generalized thermoelastic system (the so called $\alpha-\beta$ system) with delay in a part of the coupled system. For each case, we prove the well-posedness of the corresponding system using semigroup approach, then under some sufficient conditions we establish some results of exponential and polynomial stability of the system through a frequency-domain approach. The results are applied to concrete examples in thermoelasticity.

We consider wave scattering from a system of highly contrasting resonators with time-modulated material parameters. In this setting, the wave equation reduces to a system of coupled Helmholtz equations that models the scattering problem. We consider the one-dimensional setting. In order to understand the energy of the system, we prove a novel higher-order discrete, capacitance matrix approximation of the subwavelength resonant quasifrequencies. Further, we perform numerical experiments to support and illustrate our analytical results and show how periodically time-dependent material parameters affect the scattered wave field., Comment: 20 pages, 9 figures

This paper studies wave localisation in chains of finitely many resonators. There is an extensive theory predicting the existence of localised modes induced by defects in infinitely periodic systems. This work extends these principles to finite-sized systems. We consider finite systems of subwavelength resonators arranged in dimers that have a geometric defect in the structure. This is a classical wave analogue of the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model. We prove the existence of a spectral gap for defectless finite dimer structures and find a direct relationship between eigenvalues being within the spectral gap and the localisation of their associated eigenmode. Then we show the existence and uniqueness of an eigenvalue in the gap in the defect structure, proving the existence of a unique localised interface mode. To the best of our knowledge, our method, based on Chebyshev polynomials, is the first to characterise quantitatively the localised interface modes in systems of finitely many resonators., Comment: 21 pages

We study the non-Hermitian skin effect in a three-dimensional system of finitely many subwavelength resonators with an imaginary gauge potential. We introduce a discrete approximation of the eigenmodes and eigenfrequencies of the system in terms of the eigenvectors and eigenvalues of the so-called gauge capacitance matrix $\mathcal{C}_N^\gamma$, which is a dense matrix due to long-range interactions in the system. Based on translational invariance of this matrix and the decay of its off-diagonal entries, we prove the condensation of the eigenmodes at one edge of the structure by showing the exponential decay of its pseudo-eigenvectors. In particular, we consider a range-k approximation to keep the long-range interaction to a certain extent, thus obtaining a k-banded gauge capacitance matrix $\mathcal{C}_{N,k}^\gamma$ . Using techniques for Toeplitz matrices and operators, we establish the exponential decay of the pseudo-eigenvectors of $\mathcal{C}_{N,k}^\gamma$ and demonstrate that they approximate those of the gauge capacitance matrix $\mathcal{C}_N^\gamma$ well. Our results are numerically verified. In particular, we show that long-range interactions affect only the first eigenmodes in the system. As a result, a tridiagonal approximation of the gauge capacitance matrix, similar to the nearest-neighbour approximation in quantum mechanics, provides a good approximation for the higher modes. Moreover, we also illustrate numerically the behaviour of the eigenmodes and the stability of the non-Hermitian skin effect with respect to disorder in a variety of three-dimensional structures., Comment: 32 pages, 11 figures

We study the free Schr\"odinger equation on finite metric graphs with infinite ends. We give sufficient conditions to obtain the $L^1$ to $L^\infty$ time decay rate at least $t^{-1/2}$. These conditions allow certain metric graphs with circles and/or with commensurable lengths of the bounded edges. Further we study the dynamics of the probability flow between the bounded sub-graph and the unbounded ends., Comment: 34 pages, 6 figures, 29 references; major revisions with respect to the first version of october 2023

Visual culture has long been deployed by actors across the political spectrum as tools of political mobilization, and have recently incorporated new communication tools, such as memes, GIFs, and emojis. In this study, we analyze the top-circulated Facebook memes relating to critical race theory (CRT) from May 2021 - May 2022 to investigate their visual and textual appeals. Using image clustering techniques and critical discourse analysis, we find that both pro- and anti-CRT memes deploy similar rhetorical tactics to make bifurcating arguments, most of which do not pertain to the academic formulations of CRT. Instead, these memes manipulate definitions of racism and antiracism to appeal to their respective audiences. We argue that labeling such discursive practices as simply a symptom of "post-truth" politics is a potentially unproductive stance. Instead, theorizing the knowledge-building practices of these memes through a lens of political epistemology allows us to understand how they produce meaning.

This paper shows that the skin effect in systems of non-Hermitian subwavelength resonators is robust with respect to random imperfections in the system. The subwavelength resonators are highly contrasting material inclusions that resonate in a low-frequency regime. The non-Hermiticity is due to the introduction of an imaginary gauge potential, which leads to a skin effect that is manifested by the system's eigenmodes accumulating at one edge of the structure. We elucidate the topological protection of the associated (real) eigenfrequencies and illustrate the competition between the two different localisation effects present when the system is randomly perturbed: the non-Hermitian skin effect and the disorder-induced Anderson localisation. We show that, as the strength of the disorder increases, more and more eigenmodes become localised in the bulk. Our results are based on an asymptotic matrix model for subwavelength physics and can be generalised also to tight-binding models in condensed matter theory., Comment: 18 pages, 14 figures

The aim of this paper is fourfold: (i) to obtain explicit formulas for the eigenpairs of perturbed tridiagonal block Toeplitz matrices; (ii) to make use of such formulas in order to provide a mathematical justification of the non-Hermitian skin effect in dimer systems by proving the condensation of the system's bulk eigenmodes at one of the edges of the system; (iii) to show the topological origin of the non-Hermitian skin effect for dimer systems and (iv) to prove localisation of the interface modes between two dimer structures with non-Hermitian gauge potentials of opposite signs based on new estimates of the decay of the entries of the eigenvectors of block matrices with mirrored blocks.