21,294 real negative results, null findings, and replication failures. Search the index →
WASTE indexes published research — it does not host or republish full papers. Each entry is a metadata record compiled from open scholarly databases; the abstract is shown in full only where the paper is openly licensed, otherwise a short excerpt under fair use. Classifications are automated and approximate.
Dharam Vir Singh · 2024 · International Education and Research Journal
Michelson and Morley conducted an experiment in the year 1887 to measure the speed of earth in luminiferous aether. In this experiment Michelson’s interferometer was used in which two waves are superimposed to generate interference…
View details →Francesco Bacchiocchi, Matteo Castiglioni, Alberto Marchesi et al. · 2022 · arXiv
We study signaling in Bayesian ad auctions, in which bidders' valuations depend on a random, unknown state of nature. The auction mechanism has complete knowledge of the actual state of nature, and it can send signals to bidders so as to disclose information about the state and increase revenue. For instance, a state may collectively encode some features of the user that are known to the mechanism only, since the latter has access to data sources unaccessible to the bidders. We study the problem of computing how the mechanism should send signals to bidders in order to maximize revenue. While t
View details →Fausto Di Biase, Haguma Gratien, Olof Svensson · 2025 · arXiv
In 1906 Fatou proved that bounded holomorphic functions on the unit disc converge a.e. on the boundary along nontangential approach regions. In 1927 Littlewood proved a negative result, i.e., that a.e. convergence fails for certain approach regions: More precisely, it fails for the rotationally invariant families of tangential approach regions that end curvilinearly at the boundary. The fact that tangential approach regions which end sequentially at the boundary may instead be very well conducive to a.e. convergence was understood more recently by W. Rudin (in 1979) and A. Nagel and E.M. Stein
View details →Antoine Salomon, Jean-Yves Audibert · 2011 · arXiv
This paper studies the deviations of the regret in a stochastic multi-armed bandit problem. When the total number of plays n is known beforehand by the agent, Audibert et al. (2009) exhibit a policy such that with probability at least 1-1/n, the regret of the policy is of order log(n). They have also shown that such a property is not shared by the popular ucb1 policy of Auer et al. (2002). This work first answers an open question: it extends this negative result to any anytime policy. The second contribution of this paper is to design anytime robust policies for specific multi-armed bandit pro
View details →Nathan Stringham, Fateme Hashemi Chaleshtori, Xinyuan Yan et al. · 2025 · arXiv
People use large language models (LLMs) when they should not. This is partly because they see LLMs compose poems and answer intricate questions, so they understandably, but incorrectly, assume LLMs won't stumble on basic tasks like simple arithmetic. Prior work has tried to address this by clustering instance embeddings into regions where an LLM is likely to fail and automatically describing patterns in these regions. The found failure patterns are taught to users to mitigate their overreliance. Yet, this approach has not fully succeeded. In this analysis paper, we aim to understand why. We fi
View details →Antonio Bernal · 2016 · arXiv
In this paper we prove that no absolutely maximally entangled, AME, state with minimal support exists with 7 sites and 5 levels. General AME states are pure multipartite states that, when reduced to half or less of the sites, the maximum entropy mixed state is obtained. They have found applications in teleportation and quantum secret sharing, and finding conditions for their existence is a well known open problem. We consider the version of this problem for minimally supported AME states. We single out known both sufficient and necessary conditions in that case. From our negative result, we sh
View details →Pawel Pietrukowicz · 2018 · arXiv
We present the properties of the recently discovered class of variable stars, Blue Large-Amplitude Pulsators (BLAPs). These extremely rare, short-period pulsating objects were detected thanks to regular, high-cadence observations of hundreds of millions of Milky Way stars by the OGLE variability survey. The new variables closely resemble classical pulsators, Cepheids, and RR Lyrae-type stars, but at effective temperatures at which pulsations are due to the presence of iron-group elements. Theory shows that BLAPs are evolved low-mass stars with a giant-like structure, but their origin remains a
View details →S. Mereghetti, L. Sidoli, G. L. Israel · 1997 · arXiv
Using the BeppoSAX satellite we have obtained the first secure X-ray detection of the supernova remnant G0.9+0.1. The 1-10 keV spectrum can be described with an absorbed power law with photon index 3 and N_H = 3 times 10^{23} cm^2. The high column density supports a distance similar to that of the Galactic Center. The X-ray emission, with a luminosity L_x = 10^{35} d_{10kpc}^{2} erg/s, coincides with the central radio core, confirming the composite nature of this remnant. Though a search for periodic pulsations gave a negative result, the observed X-rays are probably related to the presence of
View details →David Preinerstorfer · 2014 · arXiv
We analytically investigate size and power properties of a popular family of procedures for testing linear restrictions on the coefficient vector in a linear regression model with temporally dependent errors. The tests considered are autocorrelation-corrected F-type tests based on prewhitened nonparametric covariance estimators that possibly incorporate a data-dependent bandwidth parameter, e.g., estimators as considered in Andrews and Monahan (1992), Newey and West (1994), or Rho and Shao (2013). For design matrices that are generic in a measure theoretic sense we prove that these tests eithe
View details →Kimikazu Kato, Mayumi Oto, Hiroshi Imai et al. · 2006 · arXiv
For one-qubit pure quantum states, it is already proved that the Voronoi diagrams with respect to two distances -- Euclidean distance and the quantum divergence -- coincide. This fact is a support for a known method to calculate the Holevo capacity. To consider an applicability of this method to quantum states of a higher level system, it is essential to check if the coincidence of the Voronoi diagrams also occurs. In this paper, we show a negative result for that expectation. In other words, we mathematically prove that those diagrams no longer coincide in a higher dimension. That indicates t
View details →Anaël Grandjean, Gaétan Richard, Véronique Terrier · 2012 · arXiv
Cellular automata are a discrete dynamical system which models massively parallel computation. Much attention is devoted to computations with small time complexity for which the parallelism may provide further possibilities. In this paper, we investigate the ability of cellular automata related to functional computation. We introduce several functional classes of low time complexity which contain "natural" problems. We examine their inclusion relationships and emphasize that several questions arising from this functional framework are related to current ones coming from the recognition context
View details →Chelsea Murray, James U. Allingham, Javier Antorán et al. · 2021 · arXiv
Farquhar et al. [2021] show that correcting for active learning bias with underparameterised models leads to improved downstream performance. For overparameterised models such as NNs, however, correction leads either to decreased or unchanged performance. They suggest that this is due to an "overfitting bias" which offsets the active learning bias. We show that depth uncertainty networks operate in a low overfitting regime, much like underparameterised models. They should therefore see an increase in performance with bias correction. Surprisingly, they do not. We propose that this negative res
View details →T. Mineo, G. Cusumano, E. Massaro et al. · 2004 · arXiv
We report results on the timing and spectral analysis of observations of the millisecond pulsar PSR B1821-24 with RXTE, BeppoSAX and Chandra. The X-ray light curve is characterized by two narrow peaks at a phase distance of 0.452+/-0.002. The average pulsed emission, over the range 1.6-20 keV, is well represented by a single power law with a photon index alpha=1.30 +0.05 -0.02 and unabsorbed (2-10 keV) pulsed X-ray flux of 3.9x10^(-13) erg cm^(-2) s^(-1). We searched for a possible bunching of X-ray photons to verify if the X ray emission has a time structure similar to that of giant pulses an
View details →Dano Kim, Hoseob Seo · 2021 · arXiv
In $L^2$ extension theorems from a singular hypersurface in a complex manifold, important roles are played by certain measures such as the Ohsawa measure which determine when a given function can be extended. We show that the singularity of the Ohsawa measure can be identified in terms of singularity of pairs from algebraic geometry. Using this, we give an analytic proof of the inversion of adjunction in this setting. Then these considerations enable us to compare various positive and negative results on $L^2$ extension from singular hypersurfaces. In particular, we generalize a recent negativ
View details →H. B. Nielsen, A. V. Novikov, V. A. Novikov et al. · 1995 · arXiv
We consider the bounds for the values of higgs mass $M_H$ and of the mass of the extra quarks and leptons $M_{extra}$ derived from the stability of vacuum and from the absence of Landau pole in Higgs potential. We find that in the case of the absence of new physics up to the GUT scale the bounds for the mass of the 4th generation are so restrictive that the negative result of CDF search for extra quarks closes the window for fourth generation. In the case of the absence of new physics up to $10^5$ GeV we get weaker but still nontrivial bounds on $M_H$ and $M_{extra}$ as well.
View details →Thomas Epelbaum, Francois Gelis, Bin Wu · 2014 · arXiv
In this paper, we discuss questions related to the renormalizability of the classical statistical approximation, an approximation scheme that has been used recently in several studies of out-of-equilibrium problems in Quantum Field Theory. Although the ultraviolet power counting in this approximation scheme is identical to that of the unapproximated quantum field theory, this approximation is not renormalizable. The leading cause of this non-renormalizability is the breakdown of Weinberg's theorem in this approximation. We also discuss some practical implications of this negative result for si
View details →Sky Jafar, Julian Asilis, Shaddin Dughmi · 2025 · arXiv
We partly resolve an open question raised by Asilis et al. (COLT 2024): whether the algorithmic template of local regularization -- an intriguing generalization of explicit regularization, a.k.a. structural risk minimization -- suffices to learn all learnable multiclass problems. Specifically, we provide a negative answer to this question in the transductive model of learning. We exhibit a multiclass classification problem which is learnable in both the transductive and PAC models, yet cannot be learned transductively by any local regularizer. The corresponding hypothesis class, and our proof,
View details →Roy Allen, John Rehbeck · 2021 · arXiv
Dworczak et al. (2021) study when certain market structures are optimal in the presence of heterogeneous preferences. A key assumption is that the social planner knows the joint distribution of the value of the good and marginal value of money. This paper studies whether relevant features of this distribution are identified from choice data. We show that the features of the distribution needed to characterize optimal market structure cannot be identified when demand is known for all prices. While this is a negative result, we show that the distribution of good value and marginal utility of mon
View details →Achim Geiser · 1998 · arXiv
The current case for atmospheric $ν_μ$ oscillations into active or sterile neutrinos is reviewed. It is argued that neither the study of neutral current events at Super-Kamiokande, nor the information obtained from future long baseline experiments might be sufficient to unambigously decide between these two scenarios. However, a combination of these results with the results from future short or intermediate baseline $τ$ appearance experiments would clearly resolve most of the remaining ambiguities. This conclusion does not strongly depend on whether the results from LSND will be confirmed or n
View details →Krzysztof Dembczynski, Wojciech Kotlowski, Eyke Huellermeier · 2012 · arXiv
We consider the problem of rank loss minimization in the setting of multilabel classification, which is usually tackled by means of convex surrogate losses defined on pairs of labels. Very recently, this approach was put into question by a negative result showing that commonly used pairwise surrogate losses, such as exponential and logistic losses, are inconsistent. In this paper, we show a positive result which is arguably surprising in light of the previous one: the simpler univariate variants of exponential and logistic surrogates (i.e., defined on single labels) are consistent for rank los
View details →Laura Bozzelli, Alberto Molinari, Angelo Montanari et al. · 2019 · arXiv
Planning is one of the most studied problems in computer science. In this paper, we consider the timeline-based approach, where the domain is modeled by a set of independent, but interacting, components, identified by a set of state variables, whose behavior over time (timelines) is governed by a set of temporal constraints (synchronization rules). Timeline-based planning in the dense-time setting has been recently shown to be undecidable in the general case, and undecidability relies on the high expressiveness of the trigger synchronization rules. In this paper, we strengthen the previous neg
View details →Thorben Tröbst, Vijay V Vazirani · 2023 · arXiv
The Hylland-Zeckhauser gave a classic pricing-based mechanism (HZ) for a one-sided matching market; it yields allocations satisfying Pareto optimality and envy-freeness (Hylland and Zeckhauser, 1979), and the mechanism is incentive compatible in the large (He et al., 2018). They also studied the exchange extension of HZ and gave an example showing that it may not even admit an equilibrium. In this paper, we consider two models of two sided matching markets: when utility functions are symmetric and when they are non-symmetric. We ask if these models always admit allocations satisfying the two b
View details →Marcin Pilipczuk, Magnus Wahlström · 2015 · arXiv
We prove that Multicut in directed graphs, parameterized by the size of the cutset, is W[1]-hard and hence unlikely to be fixed-parameter tractable even if restricted to instances with only four terminal pairs. This negative result almost completely resolves one of the central open problems in the area of parameterized complexity of graph separation problems, posted originally by Marx and Razgon [SIAM J. Comput. 43(2):355-388 (2014)], leaving only the case of three terminal pairs open. Our gadget methodology allows us also to prove W[1]-hardness of the Steiner Orientation problem parameterized
View details →François Le Gall, Oran Nadler, Harumichi Nishimura et al. · 2024 · arXiv
In this paper we study a quantum version of the multiparty simultaneous message-passing (SMP) model, and we show that in some cases, quantum communication can replace public randomness, even with no entanglement between the parties. This was already known for two players, but not for more than two players, and indeed, so far all that was known was a negative result. Our main technical contribution is a compiler that takes any classical public-coin simultaneous protocol based on "modified equality queries," and converts it into a quantum simultaneous protocol without public coins with roughly t
View details →Qiufu Chen, Yuanmei Li, Xiaopeng Yin et al. · 2024 · arXiv
The impossibility theorem in Roth (1982) states that no stable mechanism satisfies strategy-proofness. This paper explores the Machiavellian frontier of stable mechanisms by weakening strategy-proofness. For a fixed mechanism $\varphi$ and a true preference profile $\succ$, a $(\varphi,\succ)$-boost mispresentation of agent i is a preference of i that is obtained by (i) raising the ranking of the truth-telling assignment $\varphi_i(\succ)$, and (ii) keeping rankings unchanged above the new position of this truth-telling assignment. We require a matching mechanism $\varphi$ neither punish nor r
View details →A. Esposito, A. Pilloni, A. D. Polosa · 2016 · arXiv
We propose a new interpretation of the neutral and charged X, Z exotic hadron resonances. Hybridized-tetraquarks are neither purely compact tetraquark states nor bound or loosely bound molecules. The latter would require a negative or zero binding energy whose counterpart in h-tetraquarks is a positive quantity. The formation mechanism of this new class of hadrons is inspired by that of Feshbach metastable states in atomic physics. The recent claim of an exotic resonance in the Bs pi+- channel by the D0 collaboration and the negative result presented subsequently by the LHCb collaboration are
View details →Yvain Bruned, Paul Laubie · 2025 · arXiv
Rooted trees are essential for describing numerical schemes via the so-called B-series. They have also been used extensively in rough analysis for expanding solutions of singular Stochastic Partial Differential Equations (SPDEs). When one considers scalar-valued equations, the most efficient combinatorial set is multi-indices. In this paper, we investigate the existence of intermediate combinatorial sets that will lie between multi-indices and rooted trees. We provide a negative result stating that there is no combinatorial set encoding elementary differentials in dimension $d\neq 1$, and comp
View details →Buddhadev Hajra · 2026 · arXiv
We study the descent behaviour of homotopy-theoretic properties of smooth complex affine surfaces under finite surjective morphisms. We first examine the Eilenberg-MacLane property and show, by means of an explicit counterexample, that it does not descend under proper morphisms in general. This negative result motivates the introduction of a weaker notion, the finite homotopy rank-sum property. Our main theorem establishes that this property does descend under proper morphisms between smooth affine surfaces of logarithmic Kodaira dimension at most zero. The proof relies essentially on the rece
View details →N. B. Kopnin, G. E. Volovik · 1997 · arXiv
The condition for the appearance of event horizon is considered in such pair-correlated systems (superfluids and superconductors) where the fermionic quasiparticles obey the "relativistic" equations. In these systems, the Landau critical velocity of superflow corresponds to the speed of light. In conventional systems, such as s-wave superconductors, the superflow remains stable even above the Landau treshold. We showed that in the "relativistic" systems however the quantum vacuum becomes unstable and the superflow collapses after the "speed of light" is reached, so that horizon cannot appear.
View details →Luca Aceto, Valentina Castiglioni, Anna Ingolfsdottir et al. · 2022 · arXiv
In this paper we investigate the equational theory of (the restriction, relabelling, and recursion free fragment of) CCS modulo rooted branching bisimilarity, which is a classic, bisimulation-based notion of equivalence that abstracts from internal computational steps in process behaviour. Firstly, we show that CCS is not finitely based modulo the considered congruence. As a key step of independent interest in the proof of that negative result, we prove that each CCS process has a unique parallel decomposition into indecomposable processes modulo branching bisimilarity. As a second main contri
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