Foundations, Volume 3, Issue 4 (December 2023) – 7 articles

Pollution of water sources with heavy metals is a pressing environmental issue. To this end, various procedures are being used to remediate water, including sorption. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of humic acids (HAs) and fulvic acids (FAs) for the removal of metals from water. Specifically, HA and FA were examined for their potential to be used as sorbent materials for 26 heavy metals, alkali metals, and alkaline earth metals. HA and FA were isolated from lignite samples from two mines (Mavropigi mine and South Field mine, Kozani, West Macedonia, Greece). Experiments were carried out using natural mineral water without pH adjustment, so as to gain a better overview of the sorption efficiency in real-life samples. The results showed that FAs were able to sorb most of the examined metals compared to HAs. Several metals such as Ba (34.22–37.77%), Ca (99.12–99.58%), and Sr (97.89–98.12%) were efficiently sorbed when 900 ppm of FAs from both sources were used but were not sorbed by HAs from any source (≤0.1%). Due to the functional groups on the surface of FA, it is plausible to conclude that it can remove more metals than HA. Meanwhile, lignite from the South Field mine was found to be more efficient for the sorption efficiency in lower concentrations (300–600 ppm), whereas lignite from the Mavropigi mine was more effective in higher concentrations (900 ppm). For instance, higher removal rates were observed in Mo (62.84%), Pb (56.81%), and U (49.22%) when 300 ppm of HAs of South Field mine were used, whilst the employment of 900 ppm of HAs from Mavropigi mine led to high removal rates of As (49.90%), Se (64.47%), and Tl (85.96%). The above results were also reflected in a principal component analysis, which showed the dispersion of the metal parameters near to or far from the HA and FA parameters depending on their sorption capacity. Overall, both HA and FA could be effectively utilized as sorbent materials for metal removal from water samples. The results of the research indicate a potential application to the remediation of water from metals under dynamic conditions in order to protect public health. Full article

We investigate the spatial discretization of a stochastic semilinear superdiffusion problem driven by fractionally integrated multiplicative space–time white noise. The white noise is characterized by its properties of being white in both space and time, and the time fractional derivative is considered in the Caputo sense with an order $\alpha$∈ (1, 2). A spatial discretization scheme is introduced by approximating the space–time white noise with the Euler method in the spatial direction and approximating the second-order space derivative with the central difference scheme. By using the Green functions, we obtain both exact and approximate solutions for the proposed problem. The regularities of both the exact and approximate solutions are studied, and the optimal error estimates that depend on the smoothness of the initial values are established. Full article

Sets, probability, and neutrosophic logic are all topics covered by neutrosophy. Moreover, the classical set, fuzzy set, and intuitionistic fuzzy set are generalized using the neutrosophic set. A neutrosophic set is a mathematical concept used to solve problems with inconsistent, ambiguous, and inaccurate data. In this article, we demonstrate some basic fixed-point theorems for any even number of compatible mappings in complete neutrosophic metric spaces. Our primary findings expand and generalize the findings previously established in the literature. Full article

We analyze time-of-arrival probability distributions for relativistic particles in the context of quantum field theory (QFT). We show that QFT leads to a unique prediction, modulo post-selection that incorporates properties of the apparatus into the initial state. We also show that an experimental distinction of different probability assignments is possible especially in near-field measurements. We also analyze causality in relativistic measurements. We consider a quantum state obtained by a spacetime-localized operation on the vacuum, and we show that detection probabilities are typically characterized by small transient non-causal terms. We explain that these terms originate from Feynman propagation of the initial operation, because the Feynman propagator does not vanish outside the light cone. We discuss possible ways to restore causality, and we argue that this may not be possible in measurement models that involve switching the field–apparatus coupling on and off. Full article

This paper presents an extensive review of some recent results on fractional Ostrowski-type inequalities associated with a variety of convexities and different kinds of fractional integrals. We have taken into account the classical convex functions, quasi-convex functions, $(\zeta ,m)$-convex functions, s-convex functions, $(s,r)$-convex functions, strongly convex functions, harmonically convex functions, h-convex functions, Godunova-Levin-convex functions, $MT$-convex functions, P-convex functions, m-convex functions, $(s,m)$-convex functions, exponentially s-convex functions, $(\beta ,m)$-convex functions, exponential-convex functions, $\overline{\zeta },\beta ,\gamma ,\delta$-convex functions, quasi-geometrically convex functions, $s-e$-convex functions and n-polynomial exponentially s-convex functions. Riemann–Liouville fractional integral, Katugampola fractional integral, k-Riemann–Liouville, Riemann–Liouville fractional integrals with respect to another function, Hadamard fractional integral, fractional integrals with exponential kernel and Atagana-Baleanu fractional integrals are included. Results for Ostrowski-Mercer-type inequalities, Ostrowski-type inequalities for preinvex functions, Ostrowski-type inequalities for Quantum-Calculus and Ostrowski-type inequalities of tensorial type are also presented. Full article

We carried out a local comparison between two ninth convergence order schemes for solving nonlinear equations, relying on first-order Fréchet derivatives. Earlier investigations require the existence as well as the boundedness of derivatives of a high order to prove the convergence of these schemes. However, these derivatives are not in the schemes. These assumptions restrict the applicability of the schemes, which may converge. Numerical results along with a boundary value problem are given to examine the theoretical results. Both schemes are symmetrical not only in the theoretical results (formation and convergence order), but the numerical and dynamical results are also similar. We calculated the convergence radii of the nonlinear schemes. Moreover, we obtained the extraneous fixed points for the proposed schemes, which are repulsive and are not part of the solution space. Lastly, the theoretical and numerical results are supported by the dynamic results, where we plotted basins of attraction for a selected test function. Full article

I. The arena of quantum mechanics and quantum field theory is the abstract, unobserved and unobservable, M-dimensional formal Hilbert space ≠ spacetime. II. The arena of observations—and, more generally, of all events (i.e., everything) in the real physical world—is the classical four-dimensional physical spacetime. III. The “Born rule” is the random process “magically” transforming I into II. Wavefunctions are superposed and entangled only in the abstract space I, never in spacetime II. Attempted formulations of quantum theory directly in real physical spacetime actually constitute examples of “locally real” theories, as defined by Clauser and Horne, and are therefore already empirically refuted by the numerous tests of Bell’s theorem in real, controlled experiments in laboratories here on Earth. Observed quantum entities (i.e., events) are never superposed or entangled as they: (1) exclusively “live” (manifest) in real physical spacetime and (2) are not described by entangled wavefunctions after “measurement” effectuated by III. When separated and treated correctly in this way, a number of fundamental problems and “paradoxes” of quantum theory vs. relativity (i.e., spacetime) simply vanish, such as the black hole information paradox, the infinite zero-point energy of quantum field theory and the quantization of general relativity. Full article