James Moffat

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Professor at University of Aberdeen

This article is an extended version of the corresponding peer-reviewed publication; Moffat and Wang J Phys Math 9.4. The article sets out to address a number of issues concerning Loop Quantum Gravity raised by Ashtekar, such as in a recent post to Arxiv.org (A Ashtekar Arxiv:gr-qc /0702030 v 2.0 May 2007). These include, for example, conditions for...

An updated list of all my publications including peer reviewed papers, book, ebooks and book chapters.

A complete list, together in one place, of my peer revewed papers, books ebooks and book chapters.

In previous published papers, we described how spacetime could have emerged during the Planck era of the early universe. This description is based on the exploitation of computational spin networks, taken together with an algebraic approach to loop quantum gravity. This algebraic approach to quantum gravity has led us to examine the structure of co...

A discussion of why algebraic techniques are useful in quantum mechanics

Discusses the Shrodinger and Dirac approaches to Quantum Theory

Complete list of my peer reviewed papers and books Revised and Updated 12 Aug 2018

updated reference list of my peer reviewed publications

further updated list of peer reviewed publications

The global transition from the industrial age to the information age implies the need for new methods and tools to help us be more agile in the adapting to the new world disorder sketched out by thinkers such as Joshua Cooper Ramo of the Kissinger Institute (“The Seventh Sense”; “The Age of the Unthinkable”). The winners will surf this change, the...

In perturbative forms of Quantum Gravity, it is typically assumed that a background spacetime exists. A stage is provided, and the role of physics is to correctly model the dynamical interactions of the actors on that stage. However, a fundamental theory ideally should model the evolution of the stage as well as the players. The most successful suc...

Strong reasoning skills are an important aspect to cultivate in life, as they directly impact decision making on a daily basis. By examining the different ways the world views logic and order, new methods and techniques can be employed to help expand on this skill further in the future. Philosophical Perceptions on Logic and Order is a pivotal scho...

draft chapter 7 of book proposal on non-perturbative loop quantum gravity

The fibre bundle construct defined in our previous work continues to be the context for this paper; quantum fields composed of fibre algebras become liftings of; or sections through; a fibre bundle with base space a subset of curved space-time. We consider a compact Lie group such as SU(n) acting as a local gauge group of automorphisms of each fibr...

Unitary Representations corresponding to local shifts in reference frames are a key topic for progress in Quantum Gravity. The fibre bundle construct defined in our previous work in which quantum fields become liftings of; or sections through; a fibre bundle with base space curved space-time, continues to be the context for this paper. We investiga...

aim is to develop an algebraic background independent non-perturbative unification of quantum theory and gravity

A discrete path in space-time can be considered as a series of applications of the translation subgroup of the Poincare group. If there is a local mapping from this translation group into a neighbourhood of the identity of a quantum Weyl algebra fibre bundle, then the whole classical path can be lifted into the fibre bundle to form a unique quantum...

We develop further our fibre bundle construct of non-commutative space-time on a Minkowski base space. We assume space-time is non-commutative due to the existence of additional non-commutative algebraic structure at each point x of space-time, forming a quantum operator 'fibre algebra' A(x). This structure then corresponds to the single fibre of a...

describes the relativistic quantum photon in easy to follow math

under submission

The underlying, and at first sight rather outrageous, hypothesis of science, is that there is order beneath the surface complexity of everyday life. In other words, there is an underlying simplicity which explains this complexity. Gaining even partial knowledge of this underlying simplicity has allowed us to produce all of the technology which sust...

The Lanchester laws of the Cold War period determined the rate of attrition and hence the force ratio as a function of time. The movement of the line of advance was then determined by the force ratio in the same way that a head of steam moves a piston one way or the other. Such models were thus called ‘piston models’, and the representation of the...

Written on the 35th anniversary of the Falklands war, in commemoration of all those who gave their lives. I have delayed writing this until all relevant papers and files have been released into the public domain. Some of my recollections are now rather vague, but the story is true. Now read on.

a complete listing of all professor james moffat's peer reviewed papers, books and chapters.

We develop a new mathematical approach to diffeomorphism invariant quantum states for the quantisation of general field theories such as general relativity and modified gravity. Treating quantum fields as fibre bundles, we discuss operators acting on the fibre algebra that defines a Hilbert space. The algebras of two types of operators are consider...

Unitary Representations corresponding to local shifts in reference frames are a key topic for progress in Quantum Gravity. The fibre bundle construct defined in our previous work in which quantum fields become liftings of; or sections through; a fibre bundle with base space curved space-time, continues to be the context for this paper. We investiga...

Unitary Representations corresponding to local shifts in reference frames are a key topic for progress in Quantum Gravity. The fibre bundle construct defined in our previous work in which quantum fields become liftings of; or sections through; a fibre bundle with base space curved space-time, continues to be the context for this paper. We investiga...

In previous work we discussed the quantization of paths in spacetime. Building on these ideas we have developed a mathematically coherent theory addressing a number of open questions concerning Loop Quantum Gravity. Our approach develops a discrete spacetime and shows that macroscopic spacetime is a renormalization limiting form. Weaving together a...

Initial draft for for feedback from the community

When we look around us at the environment as we grow up, we can all ask some simple questions. For example, there appear to be many different materials from which things are made (leaves, trees, stones, the sun, the moon….). Are all these things made of a material unique to them or is there some underlying order? We can also observe apples falling,...

This book describes, in layman’s language and without the use of equations, how it is that the key ideas of mathematics connect together to produce our complex, information driven and interconnected world. My aim is to lead the reader gently along a path which begins with mathematical ideas as the ‘code of existence’ and ends up with the complexity...

This and two other short papers are a light-hearted introduction to Quantum Mechanics written for my Daughter Katherine.

Abstract. This paper builds on the principles and ideas of Non-Commutative Geometry introduced by A Connes. In consequence, the mathematics of quantum operator algebras (von Neumann algebras with trivial centre) and the assumption of non-commutative space time are the basis of our investigation. We study the representation of the Poincare group and...

We investigate the potential of a depth imaging system for underwater environments. This system is based on the timeof-flight approach and the time correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) technique. We report laboratory-based measurements and explore the potential of achieving sub-centimeter xyz resolution at 10’s meters stand-off distances. In...

A depth imaging system, based on the time-of-flight approach and the time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) technique, was investigated for use in highly scattering underwater environments. The system comprised a pulsed supercontinuum laser source, a monostatic scanning transceiver, with a silicon single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) used f...

Time-of-flight single-photon depth imaging measurements made under a variety of free-space and underwater conditions are presented. We will include discussion of future system performance and the effect of environmental conditions such as scattering and turbulence.

There is a need to represent military command and control in closed-form simulation models of conflict, in order to compare investment in such capability with alternative defence investments. This paper considers such representation of military command and control in the context of embodied cognitive science. This means that we represent such proce...

This paper firstly discusses the modelling of Peace Support Operations (PSO) within the defence simulation modelling context. It then provides a summary background of the current relevant approaches in such modelling, taking account of the increasing complexity of the strategic environment, and the relevance of ideas from Complex Adaptive Systems t...

The United States (US) “pivot to the Asia-Pacific region”, will force the European allies to become serious about addressing the longstanding transatlantic gap in the military capabilities of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to the extent that they will be able to collectively take care of conflicts and threats in their backyard withou...

This chapter focuses on understanding the nature of the information networks that can create Self- Synchronization of the force. The analysis takes place at a number of levels, which for simplicity, are called Levels 1, 2, and 3. At Level 1 ("linked"), the author considers the basic node and linkage topology. At Level 2 ("synched"), he considers th...

We show how a Markov chain provides a simple representation of the underlying character of a Blue versus Red battle engagement. Fixed time-step simulation provides a natural practical implementation of such a representation. We demonstrate how such an implementation can be optimally tuned to model and capture the most important aspects of a given b...

NATO’s new Strategic Concept titled “Active Engagement, Modern Defence” adopted by Heads of State and Government in November 2010 acknowledges that it is crises and conflicts beyond NATO borders that can directly threaten the security of the Alliance and its member nations. “NATO will therefore engage, where possible and when necessary, to prevent...

keynote address

Modern military operations require to operate in a coalition environment in which Network-Centric principles intrinsically apply. These operations were coined as Complex Endeavors (Alberts and Hayes, 2009) - characterized by multiple chains of command, lack of understanding of all cause-effect relationships and unpredictability - and new ways of co...

If there is a particular theme central to the body of literature produced by the US DoD Command and Control (CCRP) Publication Series, it involves the challenges of complexity and the nature of an appropriate response to this complexity. This book continues our treatment of the subject of complexity and its implications for military organizations....

This paper firstly discusses the modelling of Peace Support Operations (PSO) within the defence simulation modelling context. It then provides a summary background of the current relevant approaches in such modelling, taking account of the increasing complexity of the strategic environment, and the relevance of ideas from Complex Adaptive Systems t...

In this paper, we address the question of the likely nature of the future conflict environment, and the need for force agility in dealing with this environment. The approach we take is to characterise this future conflict environment through five dimensions, drawn from UK work on global futures. We define metrics for each of these dimensions, and s...

In this paper, we address the question of the likely nature of the future conflict environment, and the need for force agility in dealing with this environment. The approach we take is to characterise this future conflict environment through five dimensions, drawn from UK work on global futures. We define metrics for each of these dimensions, a...

The UK Command Interim Concept outlines agility, emphasising aspects such as responsiveness, adaptability, resilience and flexibility, as a key goal towards which the UK armed forces are heading over the next 20 years. It is expected that the introduction of digitised Communications and Information Systems (CIS) as part of a Network Enabled Capabil...

Two key realities dominate thinking about command and control (C2) in the 21st century. The first is the nature of the 21st century military mission space. This space is characterised by its extreme uncertainty. In addition to the high intensity combat operations that are traditionally associated with military operations, the 21st century mission s...

The focus of warfare has shifted from the Industrial Age to the Information Age, as encapsulated by the term Network Enabled Capability. This emphasises information sharing, command decision-making, and the resultant plans made by commanders on the basis of that information. Planning by a higher level military commander is, in most cases, regarded...

The focus of warfare has shifted from the Industrial Age to the Information Age, as encapsulated by the term Network Enabled Capability. This emphasises information sharing, command decision making and the resultant plans made by commanders on the basis of that information. Planning by a higher level military commander is, in most cases, regarded a...

This presentation discusses the final potential end state of the development of more mature versions of network enabled capability (NEC)..

Over the past few years we have developed a number of key components which allow us to capture the effects of command decision-making in simulation models of conflict. One of these key components is the Rapid Planning process, which is based on the psychological construct of naturalistic decision-making. Validating such theoretical approaches and a...

Why do so many major defence contracts fail to deliver to the contractually agreed performance, time and cost requirements? This paper identifies the conspiracy of optimism as an important factor in the initiation of many projects. Using a combination of Game Theory and participatory workshops, we formulate a theory on the conspiracy of optimism an...

In work with NATO colleagues, I have developed a Maturity Model of NATO Network Enabled Capability (NEC) Command and Control (C2). This model, the N2C2M2, consists of a number of levels of increasing C2 Maturity, ranging from Conflicted C2 to Agile C2, which reflect the NEC journey towards the NEC Mature state, through increasing levels of agility....

Planning by a higher level commander is, in most cases, regarded as such a difficult process to emulate, that it is performed by a real commander during wargaming or during an experimental session based on a Synthetic Environment. Such an approach gives a rich representation of a small number of data points. However, a more complete analysis should...

This presentation updates the ISMOR conference on the progress made by the author in representing human decision-making

Here we discuss how Kolmogorov's work on turbulence can be used as the inspiration for a new description of battlefield dynamics. The method presented may also represent a new way of describing self-organizing dynamical systems, in place of conventional differential equation approaches. The key finding is that the rate of attrition in a battle appe...

In a previous paper, we introduced the idea of a scale-free system, and applied this to extend the Lanchester equations of industrial age warfare into the information age, corresponding to the shift towards more self-organising force elements in future conflicts. Here, we present evidence from an agent-based model of conflict (MANA) which supports...

Recent advances in Command and Control (C2) modelling have developed algorithmic representations of the command decision making process at both the tactical (Rapid Planning) and operational (Deliberate Planning) levels of command. In this paper, the development of methods by which indicators of enemy/group behaviour can be extracted is discussed. T...

In this report the authors examine the possibility of using the Fractal Attrition Equation as a metamodel to describe outcomes of cellular automaton combat models. This Fractal Attrition Equation has been proposed as a replacement for the Lanchester equation. Unlike Lanchester's equation, it is based on a measurement of the spatial distribution of...

Previous mathematical modelling of conflict has been based on Lanchester's equations, which relate to the grinding attrition of “industrial-age” warfare. Large blocks of force interact in order to force defeat by a process of wearing away the other. This is no longer so relevant as a way of conceptualising warfare, and we generalise the approach so...

In previous work, we considered the representation of human decision-making processes in closed-form simulation models of conflict. An important element of this representation is the rapid planning process that embodies the processing of information for situation assessment to support a course of action decision (eg in a military headquarters). The...

Agility is the gold standard for Information Age militaries. Facing uncertain futures and new sets of threats in a complex, dynamic, and challenging security environment, militaries around the world are transforming themselves, becoming more information-enabled and network-centric. Command and control is at the heart of these transformations. Tradi...

In this paper, we develop a simplified mathematical model (a metamodel) of a simulation model of conflict, based on ideas drawn from the analysis of more general physical systems, such as found in fluid dynamics modelling. We show that there is evidence from the analysis of historical conflicts to support the kind of emergent behaviour implied by t...

In this paper we explore the relation between the local self-organisation of force elements, and the resultant emergent behaviour and effectiveness of the force. This is a fundamental question relating to Network Centric Warfare. We do this by developing a mathematical ‘metamodel’ of a complex and self-organising model of warfare named MANA. The ma...

New information technologies introduced into military operations provide the impetus to explore alternative operating procedures and command structures. New concepts such as network-centric operations and distributed, decentralized command and control, have been suggested as technologically enabled replacements for platform centric operations and c...

New information technologies introduced into military operations provide the impetus to explore alternative operating procedures and command structures. New concepts such as network-centric operations and distributed, decentralised command and control, have been suggested as technologically enabled replacements for platform-centric operations and c...

This paper considers the representation of human intelligence in the context of embodied cognitive science. This means that we represent such intelligence in terms of decision-making (either human or algorithmic) and the resultant behavior which these decisions produce. It is the nature of this emergent behavior which determines whether our represe...

There is a need to represent military command and control in closed-form simulation models of conflict, in order to compare investment in such capability with alternative defence investments. This paper considers such representation of military command and control in the context of embodied cognitive science. This means that we represent such proce...

New concepts such as network-centric operations and distributed and decentralised command and control have been suggested as technologically enabled replacements for platform-centric operations and for centralised command and control in military operations. But as attractive as these innovations may seem, they must be tested before adoption. This r...