We consider the Bernstein–Sato polynomial of a locally quasi-homogeneous polynomial $f \in R = \mathbb{C}[x_{1}, x_{2}, x_{3}]$. We construct, in the analytic category, a complex of $\mathscr{D}_{X}[s]$-modules that can be used to compute the $\mathscr{D}_{X}[s]$-dual of $\mathscr{D}_{X}[s] f^{s-1}$ as the middle term of a short exact sequence where the outer terms are well understood. This extends a result by Narváez Macarro where a freeness assumption was required. We derive many results about the zeros of the Bernstein–Sato polynomial. First, we prove each nonvanishing degree of the zeroth local cohomology of the Milnor algebra $H_{\mathfrak{m}}^{0} (R / (\partial f))$ contributes a root to the Bernstein–Sato polynomial, generalizing a result of M. Saito (where the argument cannot weaken homogeneity to quasi-homogeneity). Second, we prove the zeros of the Bernstein–Sato polynomial admit a partial symmetry about $-1$, extending a result of Narváez Macarro that again required freeness. We give applications to very small roots, the twisted logarithmic comparison theorem, and more precise statements when f is additionally assumed to be homogeneous. Finally, when f defines a hyperplane arrangement in $\mathbb{C}^{3}$ we give a complete formula for the zeros of the Bernstein–Sato polynomial of f. We show all zeros except the candidate root $-2 + (2 / \deg(f))$ are (easily) combinatorially given; we give many equivalent characterizations of when the only noncombinatorial candidate root $-2 + (2/ \deg(f))$ is in fact a zero of the Bernstein–Sato polynomial. One equivalent condition is the nonvanishing of $H_{\mathfrak{m}}^{0}( R / (\partial f))_{\deg(f) - 1}$.

Domestic cats have lived alongside human communities for thousands of years, hunting rats, mice, and other pests and serving as pets and a source of pelts and meat. Cats have received limited archaeological attention because their independence limits direct insight into human societies. An adult and juvenile cat recovered from the Emanuel Point wreck 2 (EP2) reflect what are, most likely, the earliest cats in what is now the United States. Zooarchaeological analyses of these and other archaeological cats in the Americas demonstrate that cats ranged substantially in size: some were comparable to modern house cats, and others were much smaller. Isotopic analyses of the adult cat from EP2 provides insight into early shipboard cat behavior and their diet, which appears to have focused on consumption of fish and possibly domestic meat. Cats accompanied sailors on ships where they were relied on to hunt rats and mice that were infesting ships’ holds. Interestingly, based on these isotopic results, the adult cat from EP2 does not seem to have relied heavily on rats as a source of food. These pests were unintentionally introduced to the New World, and cats would have followed, hunting both native and invasive pests.

‘Swaraj’ is perhaps the most widely known of the keywords that are associated with Indian nationalism. Although it was initially used to translate the Western concept of ‘self-government’, by the second decade of the twentieth century, swaraj had become a complex term that could not be readily translated by using English expressions. Intellectual historians have extensively analysed the use of swaraj in the Gandhian oeuvre. Gandhi's Hind Swaraj has often been taken as a guide to explain the meaning of the term. However, the prior history of swaraj and the uses of swaraj by politicians who disagreed with Gandhi's definition of that term have not been adequately explored. To fill this lacuna, in this article, a selection of instances are examined that marked the transformation of swaraj from a traditional term that was associated with the precolonial Maratha history to an untranslatable term that was used by Indian nationalists to conceptualise their anti-colonial activism. I demonstrate here that swaraj was left untranslated in a range of English-language Indian political texts and documents to shape an agenda that was opposed to the collaborationist policies of imperial liberalism. The article thus illustrates the crucial role that the question of untranslatability played in sustaining the anti-colonial agenda of mainstream Indian nationalism.

This article aims to outline an exploration of the processes of interpretation in electronic music, rooted in my broader engagement with music, technology and performance. The research presented here traverses the boundaries between composition, technology and performance, seeking to understand how these elements interact and inform each other in the practice of electronic music. The article is both a reflection on my past research and a presentation of ongoing explorations, particularly focusing on the interpretation of Éliane Radigue’s Usral (1969). I aim to offer new perspectives on the interpretation of electronic music, highlighting the complexities and opportunities that arise when dealing with non-traditional, often opaque musical tools and methods.

Employing autoethnography to examine two sets of texts, I present an understanding of voice politics. The first set includes all published addresses by CPSA presidents. In these texts, I identify dominant narratives about what political science is and who political scientists are. I also identify a tradition of some presidents expanding the discipline by giving voice to the marginalized and oppressed. The second set of texts comes from my family. Exploring several family stories reveals a disconnect between dominant concepts and themes within our discipline and experiences of human suffering, resistance and resilience. This disconnect clarifies my motivations for pursuing studies in political science and employing political science skills as acts of solidarity. Exploring these texts in parallel helps me clarify what, in my view, should be the fundamental concerns of political science: humans, their relationships of domination and subordination and the voices of those who suffer oppression and seek liberation.

In The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678) John Bunyan describes the Flatterer as a “man black of flesh.” This depiction sets the course for the reception and adaptation of his work as a spiritual classic to enact, perpetuate, and even deepen a racist vision. Alternatively, theological awareness of racism and racialization finds expression in critique and correction. The history of the illustration of the Flatterer raises particularly acute questions. Bunyan’s own scripturally informed concern for monuments allows illustrated adaptations, such as Little Pilgrim’s Progress, to be brought into conversation with Ryan Newson’s theological treatment of confederate monuments. Given that so many adaptations of The Pilgrim’s Progress come from within evangelicalism, both racist and racially aware representations of Bunyan’s work are weighed in light of Vincent Bacote’s race-centered, constructive critique of evangelical theology.

We have all made poor decisions, and some such questionable decisions are artistic in nature. When looking back on one’s early work, it is easy to have tinges of embarrassment that are counterbalanced by nostalgia. John Baldessari made this dynamic tangible in 1970 through his Cremation Project, an undertaking in which he burned all of his paintings and baked some of the resulting ashes into cookies. Viewing some of these cookies/ex-paintings several years ago, I felt that Baldessari’s approach to his previous work, simultaneously embracing, annihilating and remaking, was a fitting way to let go of one’s artistic past. My user-driven installation Confessional provides the opportunity for composers to briefly take pleasure in and (symbolically) destroy one of their dubious creations. This process is accomplished with a computer running Max and a user-provided recording that is processed live. The audio processing unfolds in stages that mirror the phases of animal decomposition. Through this series of transformations, the user’s piece transitions from its original state to nearly imperceptible bits of noise. In this article, I examine Confessional, focusing on the work’s conceptual background, related issues such as memory and hierarchy, and the structure of the Max patch that is used for processing.