Update on the Pyramid Scheme

We summarize recent work in which we attempt to make a consistent model of LHC physics, from the Pyramid Scheme. The models share much with the NMSSM, in particular, enhanced tree level contributions to the Higgs mass and a preference for small tan {\beta}. There are 3 different singlet fields, and a new strongly coupled gauge theory, so the constraints of perturbative unification are quite different. We outline our general approach to the model, which contains a Kahler potential for three of the low energy fields, which is hard to calculate. Detailed calculations, based on approximations to the Kahler potential, will be presented in a future publication.Comment: LaTeX 2e/ 9 page

Towards a quantum theory of de Sitter space

We describe progress towards constructing a quantum theory of de Sitter space in four dimensions. In particular we indicate how both particle states and Schwarzschild de Sitter black holes can arise as excitations in a theory of a finite number of fermionic oscillators. The results about particle states depend on a conjecture about algebras of Grassmann variables, which we state, but do not prove.Comment: JHEP3 LaTex - 19 page

Regulating Eternal Inflation II: The Great Divide

In a previous paper, two of the authors presented a "regulated" picture of eternal inflation. This picture both suggested and drew support from a conjectured discontinuity in the amplitude for tunneling from positive to negative vacuum energy, as the positive vacuum energy was sent to zero; analytic and numerical arguments supporting this conjecture were given. Here we show that this conjecture is false, but in an interesting way. There are no cases where tunneling amplitudes are discontinuous at vanishing cosmological constant; rather, the space of potentials separates into two regions. In one region decay is strongly suppressed, and the proposed picture of eternal inflation remains viable; sending the (false) vacuum energy to zero in this region results in an absolutely stable asymptotically flat space. In the other region, we argue that the space-time at vanishing cosmological constant is unstable, but not asymptotically Minkowski. The consequences of our results for theories of supersymmetry breaking are unchanged.Comment: JHEP3, 19 Pages, 7 Figure

Order statistic filters for image matching

The rank and census are two filters based on order statistics which have been applied to the image matching problem for stereo pairs. Advantages of these filters include their robustness to radiometric distortion and small amounts of random noise, and their amenability to hardware implementation. In this paper, a new matching algorithm is presented, which provides an overall framework for matching, and is used to compare the rank and census techniques with standard matching metrics. The algorithm was tested using both real stereo pairs and a synthetic pair with ground truth. The rank and census filters were shown to significantly improve performance in the case of radiometric distortion. In all cases, the results obtained were comparable to, if not better than, those obtained using standard matching metrics. Furthermore, the rank and census have the additional advantage that their computational overhead is less than these metrics. For all techniques tested, the difference between the results obtained for the synthetic stereo pair, and the ground truth results was small