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A "vertical" condensation scheme for discrete probability distribution (DPD) calculations is presented as an alternative to the earlier "horizontal" scheme, an example of which was presented recently by Kurth and Cox. When applied to DPDs over a space of curves, the vertical condensation results in a "regularization" of the "spaghetti" of curves that results from combination operations on such DPDs.

Existing studies of the incorporation of climate mitigation into urban governance are concerned overwhelmingly with the material aspects of low-carbon urbanism. Emphasis is placed upon the measurable, quantifiable, and technical characteristics of carbon, whereas the (uneven) leverage of its rhetoric value across different state spaces/scales is largely overlooked. This paper engages with ongoing theoretical enquiries through a study that applies a discursive-analytical perspective to examining the rise of low-carbon cities (LCCs) and the actual practicing of rhetorical decarbonization strategies in Shenzhen, China. The making of the LCC is found to be incentivized by the perceived symbolic value and enabling power of the climate agenda in attracting higher-level government supports, maintaining local collations, and enticing international attention and investment. This enabling power depends on the interpretive flexibility within decarbonization discourse and the manipulation of the discourse to justify involuntary socio-economic changes. Findings of this research call for greater attention paid to the overlooked discursive dimensions of low-carbon urbanism as the constitutive elements of ongoing global urban transformation processes.

AbstractWe advance the literature on electoral institutions and legislative representation by investigating legislators' position taking strategies in Taiwan under the single non-transferable voting period. Existing research largely assumes that representatives elected from the same electoral rule behave similarly. We challenge this conventional understanding by arguing that legislators in multi-member districts (MMDs) tend to move toward the extreme direction from the party line if they come from districts where their party is less competitive. This pattern of legislative representation allows them to appeal to partisan voters, as lowering one's partisan profile can be too costly in such districts. On the contrary, those who are elected from strong partisan districts are expected to deviate from the party toward the moderate direction. Given a solid partisan foundation in these districts, these legislators may target voters across party lines. Our analysis covering the entire period of MMD elections after Taiwan's democratization (1992–2008) provides robust empirical evidence to our theoretical claim. Our findings, therefore, shed lights for future studies on the intertwining nature between electoral systems, district level factors, and legislative representation.