Failed Experiment ReportOpen accessPhysics
A. Yu. Samarin · 2017 · arXiv
It is described a nonlocal interaction between entangled quantum objects, which is initiated by a process different from the reduction of the wave function. The scheme of an experiment realizing a deterministic nonlocal quantum evolution is proposed. In the case of the negative result of the experiment, the universal character of the integral wave equation with a kernel in the form of a path integral is questionable, otherwise faster-then-light communication is possible
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMathematics
Alexander Lemmens · 2018 · arXiv
We study a combinatorial notion where given a set of lattice points one takes the set of all sums of subsets of a fixed size, and we ask if the given set comes from a convex lattice polytope whether the resulting set also comes from a convex lattice polytope. We obtain a positive result in dimension 2 and a negative result in higher dimensions. We apply this to the corner cut polyhedron.
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessComputer Science
Binhai Zhu · 2007 · arXiv
We show that given $m$ proteins (or protein backbones, which are modeled as 3D polygonal chains each of length O(n)) the problem of protein local structure alignment under the discrete Fréchet distance is as hard as Independent Set. So the problem does not admit any approximation of factor $n^{1-ε}$. This is the strongest negative result regarding the protein local structure alignment problem. On the other hand, if $m$ is a constant, then the problem can be solved in polygnomial time.
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPhysics
Joao Magueijo, Ali Mozaffari · 2011 · arXiv
We quantify the potential for testing MOdified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) with LISA Pathfinder (LPF), should a saddle point flyby be incorporated into the mission. We forecast the expected signal to noise ratio (SNR) for a variety of instrument noise models and trajectories past the saddle. For standard theoretical parameters the SNR reaches middle to high double figures even with modest assumptions about instrument performance and saddle approach. Obvious concerns, like systematics arising from LPF self-gravity, or the Newtonian background, are examined and shown not to be a problem. We also i
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMathematics
Peter Oswald · 2006 · arXiv
For the L_2-orthogonal projector P onto spaces of linear splines over simplicial partitions of polyhedral domains in R^d, d>1, we show that the L_infty norm of P cannot be bounded uniformly with respect to the partition. This is in contrast to d=1, where these norms are bounded by 3 independently of the partition. This negative result is folklore among specialists in finite element methods and approximation theory but seemingly has never been formally proved.
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessComputer Science
Damian Andrew Tamburri, Francesca Arcelli Fontana, Riccardo Roveda et al. · 2023 · arXiv
Technical debt occurs in many different forms across software artifacts. One such form is connected to software architectures where debt emerges in the form of structural anti-patterns across architecture elements, namely, architecture smells. As defined in the literature, ``Architecture smells are recurrent architectural decisions that negatively impact internal system quality", thus increasing technical debt. In this paper, we aim at exploring whether there exist manifestations of architectural technical debt beyond decreased code or architectural quality, namely, whether there is a relation
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMathematics
Yan Zhang · 2023 · arXiv
This paper presents a study of the finite axiomatizability of transitive logics of finite depth and finite weak width. We prove the finite axiomatizability of each transitive logic of finite depth and of weak width $1$ that is characterized by rooted transitive frames in which all antichains contain at most $n$ irreflexive points. As a negative result, we show that there are non-finitely-axiomatizable transitive logics of depth $n$ and of weak width $k$ for each $n\geqslant3$ and $k\geqslant2$.
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMathematics
Raf Cluckers · 2002 · arXiv
We prove a cell decomposition theorem for Presburger sets and introduce a dimension theory for Z-groups with the Presburger structure. Using the cell decomposition theorem we obtain a full classification of Presburger sets up to definable bijection. We also exhibit a tight connection between the definable sets in an arbitrary p-minimal field and Presburger sets in its value group. We give a negative result about expansions of Presburger structures and prove uniform elimination of imaginaries for Presburger structures within the Presburger language.
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessComputer Science
Kanstantsin Pashkovich, Thomas Snow · 2026 · arXiv
We study online algorithms for maximum cardinality matchings with edge arrivals in graphs of low degree. Buchbinder, Segev, and Tkach showed that no online algorithm for maximum cardinality fractional matchings can achieve a competitive ratio larger than $4/(9-\sqrt 5)\approx 0.5914$ even for graphs of maximum degree three. The negative result of Buchbinder et al. holds even when the graph is bipartite and edges are revealed according to vertex arrivals, i.e. once a vertex arrives, all edges are revealed that include the newly arrived vertex and one of the previously arrived vertices. In this
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessComputer Science
J. Orloff, A. Rozanov, C. Santoni · 2002 · arXiv
Limits at 90 % c.l. on the square of the mixing strength |U_tau4|^2 between nu_tau and a mostly isosinglet heavy neutrino with mass in the range 10-290 MeV/c^2 are reported. The results were derived using the negative result of a search for neutral particles decaying into two electrons conducted by the CHARM collaboration in a neutrino beam dump experiment. Upper limits ~10^-4 were obtained for neutrino masses larger than 160 MeV/c^2.
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMathematics
Philip Herrmann · 2013 · arXiv
In this paper we study a model structure on a category of schemes with a group action and the resulting unstable and stable equivariant motivic homotopy theories. The new model structure introduced here samples a comparison to the one by Voevodsky and Hu-Kriz-Ormsby. We show that it allows to detect equivariant motivic weak equivalences on fixed points and how this property leads to a topologically convenient behavior of stable equivalences. We also prove a negative result concerning descent for equivariant algebraic K-theory.
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMathematics
Alexander Reznikov, Oleksandr Vlasiuk · 2018 · arXiv
We investigate properties of minimal $N$-point Riesz $s$-energy on fractal sets of non-integer dimension, as well as asymptotic behavior of $N$-point configurations that minimize this energy. For $s$ bigger than the dimension of the set $A$, we constructively prove a negative result concerning the asymptotic behavior (namely, its nonexistence) of the minimal $N$-point Riesz $s$-energy of $A$, but we show that the asymptotic exists over reasonable sub-sequences of $N$. Furthermore, we give a short proof of a result concerning asymptotic behavior of configurations that minimize the discrete Ries
Failed Experiment ReportOpen accessMathematics
Jake A. Soloff, Adityanand Guntuboyina, Michael I. Jordan · 2020 · arXiv
We study the problem of high-dimensional covariance estimation under the constraint that the partial correlations are nonnegative. The sign constraints dramatically simplify estimation: the Gaussian maximum likelihood estimator is well defined with only two observations regardless of the number of variables. We analyze its performance in the setting where the dimension may be much larger than the sample size. We establish that the estimator is both high-dimensionally consistent and minimax optimal in the symmetrized Stein loss. We also prove a negative result which shows that the sign-constrai
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessComputer Science
Paolo Boldi, Flavio Furia, Chiara Prezioso et al. · 2025 · arXiv
Axiomatization of centrality measures often involves proving that something cannot hold by providing a counterexample (i.e., a graph for which that specific centrality index fails to have a given property). In the context of geometric centralities, building such counterexamples requires constructing a graph with specific distance counts between nodes, as expressed by its distance-count matrix. We prove that deciding whether a matrix is the distance-count matrix of a graph is strongly NP-complete. This negative result implies that a brute-force approach to building this kind of counterexample i
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessComputer Science
Luca Aceto, Valentina Castiglioni, Anna Ingolfsdottir et al. · 2021 · arXiv
This paper studies the existence of finite equational axiomatisations of the interleaving parallel composition operator modulo the behavioural equivalences in van Glabbeek's linear time-branching time spectrum. In the setting of the process algebra BCCSP over a finite set of actions, we provide finite, ground-complete axiomatisations for various simulation and (decorated) trace semantics. We also show that no congruence over BCCSP that includes bisimilarity and is included in possible futures equivalence has a finite, ground-complete axiomatisation; this negative result applies to all the nest
Failed Experiment ReportOpen accessMathematics
Birgit Richter · 2005 · arXiv
We provide a lower bound for the coherence of the homotopy commutativity of the Brown-Peterson spectrum, BP, at a given prime p and prove that it is at least (2p^2 + 2p - 2)-homotopy commutative. We give a proof based on Dyer-Lashof operations that BP cannot be a Thom spectrum associated to n-fold loop maps to BSF for n=4 at 2 and n=2p+4 at odd primes. Other examples where we obtain estimates for coherence are the Johnson-Wilson spectra, localized away from the maximal ideal and unlocalized. We close with a negative result on Morava-K-theory.
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMathematics
William Minicozzi, Christopher D. Sogge · 1999 · arXiv
We expand on counterxamples of Bourgain showing how Nikodym maximal estimates and oscillatory integral estimates can break down in the non-Euclidean case. Our examples show the role that the non-existence of totally geodesic submanifolds can play in these problems.
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMathematics
Bobby DeMarco, Amanda Redlich · 2012 · arXiv
Motivated by a recent extension of the zero-one law by Kolaitis and Kopparty, we study the distribution of the number of copies of a fixed disconnected graph in the random graph $G(n,p)$. We use an idea of graph decompositions to give a sufficient condition for this distribution to tend to uniform modulo $q$. We determine the asymptotic distribution of all fixed two-component graphs in $G(n,p)$ for all $q$, and we give infinite families of many-component graphs with a uniform asymptotic distribution for all $q$. We also prove a negative result, that no simple proof of uniform asymptotic distri
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessComputer Science
Dana Fisman, Hadar Frenkel, Sandra Zilles · 2021 · arXiv
We study the learnability of symbolic finite state automata (SFA), a model shown useful in many applications in software verification. The state-of-the-art literature on this topic follows the query learning paradigm, and so far all obtained results are positive. We provide a necessary condition for efficient learnability of SFAs in this paradigm, from which we obtain the first negative result. The main focus of our work lies in the learnability of SFAs under the paradigm of identification in the limit using polynomial time and data, and its strengthening efficient identifiability, which are c
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessComputer Science
Angelos Assos, Yuval Dagan, Constantinos Daskalakis · 2024 · arXiv
Learning algorithms are often used to make decisions in sequential decision-making environments. In multi-agent settings, the decisions of each agent can affect the utilities/losses of the other agents. Therefore, if an agent is good at anticipating the behavior of the other agents, in particular how they will make decisions in each round as a function of their experience that far, it could try to judiciously make its own decisions over the rounds of the interaction so as to influence the other agents to behave in a way that ultimately benefits its own utility. In this paper, we study repeated
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessComputer Science
S. M. Bilenky, M. D. Mateev, S. T. Petcov · 2006 · arXiv
We discuss the physics potential of future tritium beta-decay experiments having a sensitivity to a neutrino mass ~\sqrt{|Δm^{2}_{23}|}~5x10^{-2} eV. The case of three-neutrino mixing is analised. A negative result of such an experiment would imply that the neutrino mass spectrum is of normal hierarchical type. The interpretation of a positive result would depend on the value of the lightest neutrino mass; if the lightest neutrino mass satisfies the inequality min(m_j) << \sqrt{|Δm^{2}_{23}|}, it would imply that the neutrino mass spectrum is of the inverted hierarchical type.
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMathematics
F. Iavernaro, F. Mazzia, M. S. Mukhametzhanov et al. · 2018 · arXiv
Multi-derivative one-step methods based upon Euler-Maclaurin integration formulae are considered for the solution of canonical Hamiltonian dynamical systems. Despite the negative result that simplecticity may not be attained by any multi-derivative Runge--Kutta methods, we show that the Euler-MacLaurin method of order p is conjugate-symplectic up to order p+2. This feature entitles them to play a role in the context of geometric integration and, to make their implementation competitive with the existing integrators, we explore the possibility of computing the underlying higher order derivative
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMathematics
Andres Gomez, Weijun Xie · 2022 · arXiv
In this paper, we study the mixed-integer nonlinear set given by a separable quadratic constraint on continuous variables, where each continuous variable is controlled by an additional indicator. This set occurs pervasively in optimization problems with uncertainty and in machine learning. We show that optimization over this set is NP-hard. Despite this negative result, we characterize the structure of the convex hull, and show that it can be formally studied using polyhedral theory. Moreover, we show that although perspective relaxation in the literature for this set fails to match the struct
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMathematics
Ingo Steinwart · 2024 · arXiv
We investigate for which Gaussian processes there do or do not exist reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces (RKHSs) that contain almost all of their paths. In particular, we establish a new result that makes it possible to exclude the existence of such RKHSs in many cases. Moreover, we combine this negative result with some known techniques to establish positive results. Here it turns out that for many classical families of Gaussian processes we can fully characterize for which members of these families there exist RKHSs containing the paths. Similar characterizations are obtained for Gaussian proc
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMathematics
Andrey Sarychev · 2011 · arXiv
We study controllability of $d$-dimensional defocusing cubic Schroedinger equation under periodic boundary conditions. The control is applied additively, via a source term, which is a linear combination of few complex exponentials (modes) with time-variant coefficients - controls. We manage to prove that controlling at most $2^d$ modes one can achieve controllability of the equation in any finite-dimensional projection of the evolution space $H^{s}(\mathbb{T}^d), \ s>d/2$, as well as approximate controllability in $H^{s}(\mathbb{T}^d)$. We also present negative result regarding exact controlla
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMathematics
Swagato K. Ray, Rudra P. Sarkar · 2012 · arXiv
Generalizing a result of Roe \cite{Roe} Strichartz proved in \cite{Str} that if a doubly-infinite sequence $\{f_k\}$ of functions on $\R^n$ satisfies $f_{k+1}=Δf_k$ and $|f_{k}(x)|\leq M$ for all $k=0,\pm 1,\pm 2,...$ and $x\in \R^n$, then $Δf_0(x)= -f_0$. Strichartz also showed that the result fails for hyperbolic 3-space. This negative result can be indeed extended to any Riemannian symmetric space of noncompact type. Taking this into account we shall prove that for all Riemannian symmetric spaces of noncompact type the theorem actually holds true when uniform boundedness is modified suitabl
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessComputer Science
Marcus Beck · 2009 · arXiv
The KArlsruhe TRitium Neutrino mass experiment, KATRIN, aims to search for the mass of the electron neutrino with a sensitivity of 0.2 eV/c^2 (90% C.L.) and a detection limit of 0.35 eV/c^2 (5 sigma). Both a positive or a negative result will have far reaching implications for cosmology and the standard model of particle physics and will give new input for astroparticle physics and cosmology. The major components of KATRIN are being set up at the Karlsruhe Institut of Technology in Karlsruhe, Germany, and test measurements of the individual components have started. Data taking with tritium is
Negative / Null Result Report
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 →DOI: 10.21276/ierj24566444797404 Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessComputer Science
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,
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEconomics, Econometrics and Finance
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
