Low-rank properties in structured matrix nearness problems

In numerical linear algebra, the problem of computing the distance of a given matrix A from a given set P arises in different fields of matrix and control theory, where it is used to characterize the robustness of considered systems. Some examples include, but are not limited to, distance to singularity, matrix stability, measures in control theory, etc. (see e.g. [28, 33, 44, 45, 46, 53]). The problem consists in computing an element B ∈ P such that the distance between B and A is the sma...

The line of colour. Intersections of race and space in Lisbon.

The urgency of coping with the uneasiness of tackling race in Europe motivates this dissertation to explore how the racial and the urban connect. Scholars warn that a new era of conflicts played on racial lines is opening up hitting mainly the cities. As a result, race and the city are of increasing concern in public discourses. However, outside the US, the effects of race are often neglected or even denied. Although difficult to grasp, the race process has material and tangible effects that ...

Low dimensional interacting bosons. PhD Thesis defended on February 2013. ArXiv: 1211.3772.

The theory of ultracold, dilute Bose gases is the subject of intensive studies, driven by new experimental applications, which also motivate the study of Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) in low dimensions. From the theoretical point of view there are few, quite special, models in which we are able to prove BEC for interacting bosons. With the aim of studying the condensation problem I considered a simplified model for a three and two dimensional system of bosons interacting with a repulsive s...

Uncertainty analysis of biological systems: towards a digital twin of the human heart

The human heart has always been a challenge for doctors and scientists with its amazing complexity and individual variability. Owing to recent decades increase in computational power, it has been possible to develop in-silico duplicates of reality that greatly extend the possible analyses. However, such models have a main limitation: their results do not directly account for individual variability. Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) methodologies integrate elements of probability theory and stat...

Advanced search for neutrinoless double beta decay in selenium-82 with CUPID-0

The CUPID-0 detector hosted at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS), is the first large array of enriched scintillating cryogenic detectors for the investigation of 82Se neutrinoless double-beta decay (0⌫). The assembly of the experiment ended in October 2016 and after four months of commissioning, debugging and performance optimization the data taking has started in March 2017. No evidence of signal was found in a 1.83 kg · y 82Se exposure, setting the best lower limit on the 0⌫ ...

Exploring practices and spatialities of urban transformation: the role of power in urban governance

This PhD thesis is a qualitative study that attempts to broaden urban geography’s reach in regard to the forces affecting the production of the city. It focuses, in particular, on governance aspects and the local mechanisms of power that they underpin to provide a fresh look at central issues of urban transformation such as an actor’s capacity to act and collective action. As the thesis adopts a framework informed by urban politics, a crucial effort is that of accounting for the methodologic...

Exploiting Social Influence to Control Opinions in Social Networks

Social networks started as a place to comfortably connect with your friends. With them, we can communicate our thoughts and opinions over different topics and reach a large portion of users, even those who are not on your friend’s list. This has led to making social networks a crucial part of many of us, providing for example information, entertainment, and learning. Many users prefer to access social networks, like Facebook or Twitter, to have access to news as they provide faster means for ...

On the origin of high energy neutrinos detected by IceCube

From squatted public house to squatted public home: unpacking the informal occupation of public housing in Italy

This thesis aims at understanding the informal access to public housing within the broader context of Neapolitan housing system and investigate the numerous factors underlying the phenomenon. It aims at deepening our understanding about the constraints and the opportunities that shape people’s informal practices and strategies to respond to their housing-related needs, as they navigate the fragmented provision context of local housing welfare system. This thesis investigates the resource...