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Quantum mechanics started out as a theory to describe the smallest scales of energy in Nature. After hundred years of development it is now routinely employed to describe, for example, quantum computers with thousands of qubits. This tremendous progress turns the debate of foundational questions into a technological imperative. In what follows we introduce a model of a quantum measurement process that consistently includes the impact of having access only to finite resources when describing a macroscopic system, like a measurement apparatus. Leveraging modern tools from equilibration of closed systems and typicality, we show how the collapse can be seen as an effective description of a closed dynamics, of which we do not know all its details. Our model is then exploited to address the ``Wigner Friend Scenario'', and we observe that an agreement is reached when both Wigner and his friend acknowledge their finite resources perspective and describe the measurement process accordingly., Comment: 7+2 pages, 2 figures. Comments are welcome

With the control of ever more complex quantum systems becoming a reality, new scenarios are emerging where generalizations of the most foundational aspects of statistical quantum mechanics are imperative. In such experimental scenarios the often natural correspondence between the particles that compose the system and the relevant degrees-of-freedom might not be observed. In the present work we employ quantum channels to define generalized subsystems, which should capture the pertinent degrees-of-freedom, and obtain their associated canonical state. Moreover, we show that generalized subsystems also display the phenomena of canonical typicality, i.e., the generalized subsystem description generated from almost any microscopic pure state of the whole system will behave similarly as the corresponding canonical state. In particular we demonstrate that the property regulating the emergence of the canonical typicality behavior is the entropy of the channel used to define the generalized subsystem., Comment: 5+8 pages, 2 figures. Comments are welcome

Here we investigate the use of the majorization-based indicator introduced in [R. O. Vallejos, F. de Melo, and G. G. Carlo, Phys. Rev. A 104, 012602 (2021)] as a way to benchmark the complexity within reach of quantum processors. By considering specific architectures and native gate sets of currently available technologies, we numerically simulate and characterize the operation of various quantum processors. We characterize their complexity for different native gate sets, qubit connectivity and increasing number of gates. We identify and assess quantum complexity by comparing the performance of each device against benchmark lines provided by randomized Clifford circuits and Haar-random pure states. In this way, we are able to specify, for each specific processor, the number of native quantum gates which are necessary, on average, for achieving those levels of complexity. Lastly, we study the performance of the majorization-based characterization in the presence of distinct types of noise. We find that the majorization-based benchmark holds as long as the circuits' output states have, on average, high purity ($\gtrsim 0.9$). In such cases, the indicator showed no significant differences from the noiseless case., Comment: 12 pages, 15 figures

The characterization of physical systems relies on the observable properties which are measured, and how such measurements are performed. Here we analyze two ways of assigning a description to a quantum system assuming that we only have access to coarse-grained properties. More specifically, we compare the Maximum Entropy Principle method, with the Bayesian-inspired recently proposed Average Assignment Map method [P. S. Correia et al, Phys. Rev. A 103, 052210 (2021)]. Despite the fact that the assigned descriptions by both methods respect the measured constraints, and that they share the same conceptual foundations, the descriptions differ in scenarios that go beyond the traditional system-environment structure. The Average Assignment Map is thus shown to be a more sensible choice for the ever more prevalent scenario of complex quantum systems. We discuss the physics behind such a difference, and further exploit it in a quantum thermodynamics process., Comment: 14+5 pages, 9+2 figures. Comments are welcome

We test the principle of majorization [J. I. Latorre and M. A. Martin-Delgado, Phys. Rev. A 66, 022305 (2002)] in random circuits. Three classes of circuits were considered: (i) universal, (ii) classically simulatable, and (iii) neither universal nor classically simulatable. The studied families are: {CNOT, H, T}, {CNOT, H, NOT}, {CNOT, H, S} (Clifford), matchgates, and IQP (instantaneous quantum polynomial-time). We verified that all the families of circuits satisfy on average the principle of decreasing majorization. In most cases the asymptotic state (number of gates going to infinity) behaves like a random vector. However, clear differences appear in the fluctuations of the Lorenz curves associated to asymptotic states. The fluctuations of the Lorenz curves discriminate between universal and non-universal classes of random quantum circuits, and they also detect the complexity of some non-universal but not classically efficiently simulatable quantum random circuits. We conclude that majorization can be used as a indicator of complexity of quantum dynamics, as an alternative to, e.g., entanglement spectrum and out-of-time-order correlators (OTOCs)., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures

As a universal theory of physics, quantum mechanics must assign states to every level of description of a system -- from a full microscopic description, all the way up to an effective macroscopic characterization -- and also to describe the interconnections among them. Assuming that we only have a coarse-grained access to a physical system, here we show how to assign to it a microscopic description that abides by all macroscopic constraints. In order to do that, we employ general coarse-graining maps, allowing our approach to be used even when the split between system and environment is not obvious. As a by-product, we show how effective nonlinear dynamics can emerge from the linear quantum evolution, and we readily apply it to a state discrimination task., Comment: 5+5 pages, 3 figures. V3: Accepted version. To appear in Phys. Rev. A. Comments are welcome

A general semiclassical method in phase space based on the final value representation of the Wigner function is considered that bypasses caustics and the need to root-search for classical trajectories. We demonstrate its potential by applying the method to the Kerr Hamiltonian, for which the exact quantum evolution is punctuated by a sequence of intricate revival patterns. The structure of such revival patterns, lying far beyond the Ehrenfest time, is semiclassically reproduced and revealed as a consequence of constructive and destructive interferences of classical trajectories., Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures

We study the completely synchronized states (CSSs) of a system of coupled logistic maps as a function of three parameters: interaction strength ($\varepsilon$), range of the interaction ($\alpha$), that can vary from first-neighbors to global coupling, and a parameter ($\beta$) that allows to scan continuously from non-delayed to one-time delayed dynamics. % We identify in the plane $\alpha$-$\varepsilon$ periodic orbits, limit cycles and chaotic trajectories, and describe how these structures change with the delay. These features can be explained by studying the bifurcation diagrams of a two-dimensional non-delayed map. This allows us to understand the effects of one-time delays on CSSs, e.g, regularization of chaotic orbits and synchronization of short-range coupled maps, observed when the dynamics is moderately delayed. Finally, we substitute the logistic map by cubic and logarithmic maps, in order to test the robustness of our findings.

We revisit the numerical calculation of generalized Lyapunov exponents, $L$($q$), in deterministic dynamical systems. The standard method consists of adding noise to the dynamics in order to use importance sampling algorithms. Then $L$($q$) is obtained by taking the limit noise-amplitude $\to$0 after the calculation. We focus on a particular method that involves periodic cloning and pruning of a set of trajectories. However, instead of considering a noisy dynamics, we implement an imperfect (noisy) cloning. This alternative method is compared with the standard one and, when possible, with analytical results. As a workbench, we use the asymmetric tent map, the standard map, and a system of coupled symplectic maps. The general conclusion of this study is that the imperfect-cloning method performs as well as the standard one, with the advantage of preserving the deterministic dynamics.

We derive an extension of the standard time dependent WKB theory which can be applied to propagate coherent states and other strongly localised states for long times. It allows in particular to give a uniform description of the transformation from a localised coherent state to a delocalised Lagrangian state which takes place at the Ehrenfest time. The main new ingredient is a metaplectic operator which is used to modify the initial state in a way that standard time dependent WKB can then be applied for the propagation. We give a detailed analysis of the phase space geometry underlying this construction and use this to determine the range of validity of the new method. Several examples are used to illustrate and test the scheme and two applications are discussed: (i) For scattering of a wave packet on a barrier near the critical energy we can derive uniform approximations for the transition from reflection to transmission. (ii) A wave packet propagated along a hyperbolic trajectory becomes a Lagrangian state associated with the unstable manifold at the Ehrenfest time, this is illustrated with the kicked harmonic oscillator., Comment: 30 pages, 3 figures

The fidelity amplitude is a quantity of paramount importance in echo type experiments. We use semiclassical theory to study the average fidelity amplitude for quantum chaotic systems under external perturbation. We explain analytically two extreme cases: the random dynamics limit --attained approximately by strongly chaotic systems-- and the random perturbation limit, which shows a Lyapunov decay. Numerical simulations help us bridge the gap between both extreme cases., Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures. Version closest to published version

Because of a formal equivalence with the partition function of an Ising chain, the semiclassical traces of the quantum baker map can be calculated using the transfer-matrix method. We analyze the transfer matrices associated with the baker map and the symmetry-reflected baker map (the latter happens to be unitary but the former is not). In both cases simple quantum-circuit representations are obtained, which exhibit the typical structure of qubit quantum bakers. In the case of the baker map it is shown that nonunitarity is restricted to a one-qubit operator (close to a Hadamard gate for some parameter values). In a suitable continuum limit we recover the already known infinite-dimensional transfer-operator. We devise truncation schemes allowing the calculation of long-time traces in regimes where the direct summation of Gutzwiller's formula is impossible. Some aspects of the long-time divergence of the semiclassical traces are also discussed., Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures

We analyze generalized Gaussian cat states obtained by superposing arbitrary Gaussian states, e.g., a coherent state and a squeezed state. The Wigner functions of such states exhibit the typical pair of Gaussian hills plus an interference term which presents a novel structure, as compared with the standard superposition of coherent states (degenerate case). We prove that, in any dimensions, the structure of the interference term is characterized by a particular quadratic form; in one degree of freedom the phase is hyperbolic. This phase-space structure survives the action of a thermal reservoir. We also discuss certain superpositions of {\em mixed} Gaussian states generated by conditional Gaussian operations or Kerr-type dynamics on thermal states., Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Physical Review A

We analyze the semiclassical evolution of Gaussian wavepackets in chaotic systems. We prove that after some short time a Gaussian wavepacket becomes a primitive WKB state. From then on, the state can be propagated using the standard TDWKB scheme. Complex trajectories are not necessary to account for the long-time propagation. The Wigner function of the evolving state develops the structure of a classical filament plus quantum oscillations, with phase and amplitude being determined by geometric properties of a classical manifold., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; significant improvements

We present a random-matrix analysis of the entangling power of a unitary operator as a function of the number of times it is iterated. We consider unitaries belonging to the circular ensembles of random matrices (CUE or COE) applied to random (real or complex) non-entangled states. We verify numerically that the average entangling power is a monotonic decreasing function of time. The same behavior is observed for the "operator entanglement" --an alternative measure of the entangling strength of a unitary. On the analytical side we calculate the CUE operator entanglement and asymptotic values for the entangling power. We also provide a theoretical explanation of the time dependence in the CUE cases., Comment: preprint format, 14 pages, 2 figures

We define a coupling of two baker maps through a pi/2 rotation both in position and in momentum. The classical trajectories thus exhibit spiraling, or loxodromic motion, which is only possible for conservative maps of at least two degrees of freedom. This loxodromic baker map is still hyperbolic, that is, fully chaotic. Quantization of this map follows on similar lines to other generalized baker maps. It is found that the eigenvalue spectrum for quantum loxodromic baker map is far removed from those of the canonical random matrix ensembles. An investigation of the symmetries of the loxodromic baker map reveals the cause of this deviation from the Bohigas-Giannoni-Schmit conjecture.

The quantum baker map possesses two symmetries: a canonical "spatial" symmetry, and a time-reversal symmetry. We show that, even when these features are taken into account, the asymptotic entangling power of the baker's map does not always agree with the predictions of random matrix theory. We have verified that the dimension of the Hilbert space is the crucial parameter which determines whether the entangling properties of the baker are universal or not. For power-of-two dimensions, i.e., qubit systems, an anomalous entangling power is observed; otherwise the behavior of the baker is consistent with random matrix theories. We also derive a general formula that relates the asymptotic entangling power of an arbitrary unitary with properties of its reduced eigenvectors., Comment: 5 pages

The characteristic stretching and squeezing of chaotic motion is linearized within the finite number of phase space domains which subdivide a classical baker map. Tensor products of such maps are also chaotic, but a more interesting generalized baker map arises if the stacking orders for the factor maps are allowed to interact. These maps are readily quantized, in such a way that the stacking interaction is entirely attributed to primary qubits in each map, if each subsystem has power-of-two Hilbert space dimension. We here study the particular example of two baker maps that interact via a controlled-not interaction. Numerical evidence indicates that the control subspace becomes an ideal Markovian environment for the target map in the limit of large Hilbert space dimension., Comment: 8 pages

The Hamiltonian Mean-Field model (HMF), an inertial XY ferromagnet with infinite-range interactions, has been extensively studied in the last few years, especially due to its long-lived meta-equilibrium states, which exhibit a series of anomalies, such as, breakdown of ergodicity, anomalous diffusion, aging, and non-Maxwell velocity distributions. The most widely investigated meta-equilibrium states of the HMF arise from special (fully magnetized) initial conditions that evolve to a spatially homogeneous state with well defined macroscopic characteristics and whose lifetime increases with the system size, eventually reaching equilibrium. These meta-equilibrium states have been observed for specific energies close below the critical value 0.75, corresponding to a ferromagnetic phase transition, and disappear below a certain energy close to 0.68. In the thermodynamic limit, the $\mu$-space dynamics is governed by a Vlasov equation. For finite systems this is an approximation to the exact dynamics. However, it provides an explanation, for instance, for the violent initial relaxation and for the disappearance of the homogeneous states at energies below 0.68., Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures. Contribution to the Proceedings of the 31st Workshop of the International School of Solid State Physics ``Complexity, Metastability and Nonextensivity'', held at the Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture, Erice, Sicily, Italy, July 2004. Edited by C. Tsallis, A. Rapisarda and C. Beck

The intensity of the overlap of a quantum state with all its phase space translations defines its quantum correlations. In the case of pure states, these are invariant with respect to Fourier transformation. The overlaps themselves are here studied in terms of the Wigner function and its Fourier transform, i.e., the characteristic function or chord function. Unlike the Wigner function, the chord function need not be real, but eventual symmetry with respect to reflections about a phase space point may relate these representations. Semiclassical approximations for the "classical-like" region of small chords and for large chords are derived. These lead to an interpretation of the Fourier invariance in terms of conjugate chords. The interrelation of large and small (sub-Planck) phase space structures previously noted in the literature are thus reinterpreted., Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures

Using results from the theory of dynamical systems, we derive a general expression for the classical average scattering dwell time, tau_av. Remarkably, tau_av depends only on a ratio of phase space volumes. We further show that, for a wide class of systems, the average classical dwell time is not in correspondence with the energy average of the quantum Wigner time delay., Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure

The classical Gaussian ensembles of random matrices can be constructed by maximizing Boltzmann-Gibbs-Shannon's entropy, S_{BGS} = - \int d{\bf H} [P({\bf H})] \ln [P({\bf H})], with suitable constraints. Here we construct and analyze random-matrix ensembles arising from the generalized entropy S_q = (1 - \int d{\bf H} [P({\bf H})]^q)/(q-1) (thus S_1=S_{BGS}). The resulting ensembles are characterized by a parameter q measuring the degree of nonextensivity of the entropic form. Making q -> 1 recovers the Gaussian ensembles. If q \ne 1, the joint probability distributions P(\bf H) cannot be factorized, i.e., the matrix elements of \bf H are correlated. In the limit of large matrices two different regimes are observed. When q<1, P(\bf H) has compact support, and the fluctuations tend asymptotically to those of the Gaussian ensembles. Anomalies appear for q>1: Both P(\bf H) and the marginal distributions P(H_{ij}) show power-law tails. Numerical analyses reveal that the nearest-neighbor spacing distribution is also long-tailed (not Wigner-Dyson) and, after proper scaling, very close to the result for the 2 x 2 case -- a generalization of Wigner's surmise. We discuss connections of these "nonextensive" ensembles with other non-Gaussian ones, like the so-called L\'evy ensembles and those arising from soft-confinement., Comment: 7 pages, including 3 PS figures

We investigate the dynamical stability of a fully-coupled system of $N$ inertial rotators, the so-called Hamiltonian Mean Field model. In the limit $N \to \infty$, and after proper scaling of the interactions, the $\mu$-space dynamics is governed by a Vlasov equation. We apply a nonlinear stability test to (i) a selected set of spatially homogeneous solutions of Vlasov equation, qualitatively similar to those observed in the quasi-stationary states arising from fully magnetized initial conditions, and (ii) numerical coarse-grained distributions of the finite-$N$ dynamics. Our results are consistent with previous numerical evidence of the disappearance of the homogenous quasi-stationary family below a certain energy., Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures. Submitted as a contribution to the proceedings of the International Workshop on Trends and Perspectives on Extensive and Non-Extensive Statistical Mechanics, November, 19-21, 2003, Angra dos Reis, Brazil

We calculate analytically the largest Lyapunov exponent of the so-called $\alpha XY$ Hamiltonian in the high energy regime. This system consists of a $d$-dimensional lattice of classical spins with interactions that decay with distance following a power-law, the range being adjustable. In disordered regimes the Lyapunov exponent can be easily estimated by means of the "stochastic approach", a theoretical scheme based on van Kampen's cumulant expansion. The stochastic approach expresses the Lyapunov exponent as a function of a few statistical properties of the Hessian matrix of the interaction that can be calculated as suitable microcanonical averages. We have verified that there is a very good agreement between theory and numerical simulations., Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures

The Wigner delay time is addressed semiclassically using the Miller's S-matrix expressed in terms of open orbits. This leads to a very appealing expression, in terms of classical paths, for the energy averaged Wigner time delay in chaotic scattering. The same approach also puts in evidence the semiclassical incapability to correctly assess the time delay higher moments. This limitation suggests that the use of the semiclassical approximation to quantify fluctuations in scattering phenomena, like in mesoscopic physics, has to be considered with great caution., Comment: 7 pages, no figures

The stochastic approach to the determination of the largest Lyapunov exponent of a many-particle system is tested in the so-called mean-field XY-Hamiltonians. In weakly chaotic regimes, the stochastic approach relates the Lyapunov exponent to a few statistical properties of the Hessian matrix of the interaction, which can be calculated as suitable thermal averages. We have verified that there is a satisfactory quantitative agreement between theory and simulations in the disordered phases of the XY models, either with attractive or repulsive interactions. Part of the success of the theory is due to the possibility of predicting the shape of the required correlation functions, because this permits the calculation of correlation times as thermal averages., Comment: 11 pages including 6 figures

The largest Lyapunov exponent of an ergodic Hamiltonian system is the rate of exponential growth of the norm of a typical vector in the tangent space. For an N-particle Hamiltonian system, with a smooth Hamiltonian of the type p^2 + v(q), the evolution of tangent vectors is governed by the Hessian matrix V of the potential. Ergodicity implies that the Lyapunov exponent is independent of initial conditions on the energy shell, which can then be chosen randomly according to the microcanonical distribution. In this way a stochastic process V(t) is defined, and the evolution equation for tangent vectors can now be seen as a stochastic differential equation. An equation for the evolution of the average squared norm of a tangent vector can be obtained using the standard theory in which the average propagator is written as a cummulant expansion. We show that if cummulants higher than the second one are discarded, the Lyapunov exponent can be obtained by diagonalizing a small-dimension matrix, which, in some cases, can be as small as 3x3. In all cases the matrix elements of the propagator are expressed in terms of correlation functions of the stochastic process. We discuss the connection between our approach and an alternative theory, the so-called geometric method., Comment: 9 pages

We investigate the laws that rule the behavior of the largest Lyapunov exponent (LLE) in many particle systems with long range interactions. We consider as a representative system the so-called Hamiltonian alpha-XY model where the adjustable parameter alpha controls the range of the interactions of N ferromagnetic spins in a lattice of dimension d. In previous work the dependence of the LLE with the system size N, for sufficiently high energies, was established through numerical simulations. In the thermodynamic limit, the LLE becomes constant for alpha greater than d whereas it decays as an inverse power law of N for alpha smaller than d. A recent theoretical calculation based on Pettini's geometrization of the dynamics is consistent with these numerical results (M.-C. Firpo and S. Ruffo, cond-mat/0108158). Here we show that the scaling behavior can also be explained by a random matrix approach, in which the tangent mappings that define the Lyapunov exponents are modeled by random simplectic matrices drawn from a suitable ensemble., Comment: 5 pages, no figures

The standard semiclassical calculation of transmission correlation functions for chaotic systems is severely influenced by unitarity problems. We show that unitarity alone imposes a set of relationships between cross sections correlation functions which go beyond the diagonal approximation. When these relationships are properly used to supplement the semiclassical scheme we obtain transmission correlation functions in full agreement with the exact statistical theory and the experiment. Our approach also provides a novel prediction for the transmission correlations in the case where time reversal symmetry is present.

We study the orthogonality catastrophe due to a parametric change of the single-particle (mean field) Hamiltonian of an ergodic system. The Hamiltonian is modeled by a suitable random matrix ensemble. We show that the overlap between the original and the parametrically modified many-body ground states, $S$, taken as Slater determinants, decreases like $n^{-k x^2}$, where $n$ is the number of electrons in the systems, $k$ is a numerical constant of the order of one, and $x$ is the deformation measured in units of the typical distance between anticrossings. We show that the statistical fluctuations of $S$ are largely due to properties of the levels near the Fermi energy., Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures

Scattering on the energy shell is viewed here as the relation between the bound states of the Hamiltonian, restricted to sections on leads that are asymptotically independent, far away from the interaction region. The decomposition is achieved by sectioning this region and adding new leads, thus generating two new scatterers. So a resonant scatterer, whose $\bS$-matrix has sharp energy peaks, can be resolved into a pair of scatterers with smooth energy dependence. The resonant behaviour is concentrated in a spectral determinant obtained from a dissipative section map. The semiclassical limit of this theory coincides with the orbit resummation previously proposed by Georgeot and Prange. A numerical example for a semiseparable scatterer is investigated, revealing the accurate portrayal of the Wigner time delay by the spectral determinant., Comment: 23 latex pages including 12 ps figures

We present a method for constructing a quantum Markov partition. Its elements are obtained by quantizing the characteristic function of the classical rectangles. The result is a set of quantum operators which behave asymptotically as projectors over the classical rectangles except from edge and corner effects. We investigate their spectral properties and different methods of construction. The quantum partition is shown to induce a symbolic decomposition of the quantum evolution operator. In particular, an exact expression for the traces of the propagator is obtained having the same structure as Gutzwiller periodic orbit sum., Comment: 9 latex pages including 7 ps figures

A scattering process can be described by suitably closing the system and considering the first return map from the entrance onto itself. This scattering map may be singular and discontinuous, but it will be measure preserving as a consequence of the recurrence theorem applied to any region of a simpler map. In the case of a billiard this is the Birkhoff map. The semiclassical quantization of the Birkhoff map can be subdivided into an entrance and a repeller. The construction of a scattering operator then follows in exact analogy to the classical process. Generically, the approximate unitarity of the semiclassical Birkhoff map is inherited by the S-matrix, even for highly resonant scattering where direct quantization of the scattering map breaks down., Comment: 4 latex pages, 5 ps figures

We study the combined effect of finite temperature, underlying classical dynamics, and deformations on the statistical properties of Coulomb blockade conductance peaks in quantum dots. These effects are considered in the context of the single-particle plus constant-interaction theory of the Coulomb blockade. We present numerical studies of two chaotic models, representative of different mean-field potentials: a parametric random Hamiltonian and the smooth stadium. In addition, we study conductance fluctuations for different integrable confining potentials. For temperatures smaller than the mean level spacing, our results indicate that the peak height distribution is nearly always in good agreement with the available experimental data, irrespective of the confining potential (integrable or chaotic). We find that the peak bunching effect seen in the experiments is reproduced in the theoretical models under certain special conditions. Although the independent particle model fails, in general, to explain quantitatively the short-range part of the peak height correlations observed experimentally, we argue that it allows for an understanding of the long-range part., Comment: RevTex 3.1, 34 pages (including 13 EPS and PS figures), submitted to Phys. Rev. B

We propose a mechanism to explain the fluctuations of the ground state energy in quantum dots in the Coulomb blockade regime. Employing the random matrix theory we show that shape deformations may change the adjacent peak spacing distribution from Wigner-Dyson to nearly Gaussian even in the absence of strong charging energy fluctuations. We find that this distribution is solely determined by the average number of anti-crossings between consecutive conductance peaks and the presence or absence of a magnetic field. Our mechanism is tested in a dynamical model whose underlying classical dynamics is chaotic. Our results are in good agreement with recent experiments and apply to quantum dots with spin resolved or spin degenerate states., Comment: RevTex 3.1, 11 pages (including 3 EPS figures)