On bar frameworks,stress matrices and semidefinite programming

A bar framework G(p) in r-dimensional Euclidean space is a graph G on the vertices 1, 2, . . . , n, where each vertex i is located at point p ⁱ in \mathbbR^r{\mathbb{R}^r} . Given a framework G(p) in \mathbbR^r{\mathbb{R}^r} , a problem of great interest is that of determining whether or not there exists another framework G(q), not obtained from G(p) by a rigid motion, such that ||q ⁱ − q ^j ||² = ||p ⁱ − p ^j ||² for each edge (i, j) of G. This problem is known as either the global rigidity problem or the universal rigidity problem depending on whether such a framework G(q) is restricted to be in the same r-dimensional space or not. The stress matrix S of a bar framework G(p) plays a key role in these and other related problems. In this paper, semidefinite programming (SDP) theory is used to address, in a unified manner, several problems concerning universal rigidity. New results are presented as well as new proofs of previously known theorems. In particular, we use the notion of SDP non-degeneracy to obtain a sufficient condition for universal rigidity, and we show that this condition yields the previously known sufficient condition for generic universal rigidity. We present new results concerning positive semidefinite stress matrices and we use a semidefinite version of Farkas lemma to characterize bar frameworks that admit a nonzero positive semidefinite stress matrix S.     

Profile vectors in the lattice of subspaces

The profile vector f(U)∈Rⁿ⁺¹ of a family U of subspaces of an n-dimensional vector space V over GF(q) is a vector of which the ith coordinate is the number of subspaces of dimension i in the family U(i=0,1,…,n). In this paper, we determine the profile polytope of intersecting families (the convex hull of the profile vectors of all intersecting families of subspaces).     

A multiplicative inequality for vertex Folkman numbers

Let G be a graph and a₁,…,a_r be positive integers. The symbol G→(a₁,…,a_r) denotes that in every r-coloring of the vertex set V(G) there exists a monochromatic a_i-clique of color i for some i∈{1,…,r}. The vertex Folkman numbers F(a₁,…,a_r;q)=min{|V(G)|:G→(a₁,…,a_r) and K_q?G} are considered. Let a_i, b_i, c_i, i∈{1,…,r}, s, t be positive integers and c_i=a_ib_i, 1?a_i?s,1?b_i?t. Then we prove that

F(c₁,c₂,…,c_r;st+1)?F(a₁,a₂,…,a_r;s+1)F(b₁,b₂,…,b_r;t+1).     

The inertia set of the join of graphs

Let G=(V,E) be a graph with V={1,2,…,n}. Denote by S(G) the set of all real symmetric n×n matrices A=[a_i,j] with a_i,j≠0, i≠j if and only if ij is an edge of G. Denote by I^↗(G) the set of all pairs (p,q) of natural numbers such that there exists a matrix A∈S(G) with at most p positive and q negative eigenvalues. We show that if G is the join of G₁ and G₂, then I^↗(G)?{(1,1)}=I^↗(G₁∨K₁)∩I^↗(G₂∨K₁)?{(1,1)}. Further, we show that if G is a graph with s isolated vertices, then , where denotes the graph obtained from G be removing all isolated vertices, and we give a combinatorial characterization of graphs G with (1,1)∈I^↗(G). We use these results to determine I^↗(G) for every complete multipartite graph G.     

Integer version of the multipath flow network synthesis problem

We consider the following integer multipath flow network synthesis problem. We are given two positive integers q, n, (1<q<n), and a non-negative, integer, symmetric, n×n matrix R, each non-diagonal element r_ij of which represents the minimum requirement of q-path flow value between nodes i and j in an undirected network on the node set N={1,2,…,n}. We want to construct a simple, undirected network G=[N,E] with integer edge capacities {u_e:e∈E} such that each of these flow requirements can be realized (one at a time) and the sum of all the edge capacities is minimum. We present an O(n³) combinatorial algorithm for the problem and we show that the problem has integer rounding property.     

Likelihood ratio orderings of spacings of heterogeneous exponential random variables

Let X₁,X₂,…,X_n be independent exponential random variables such that X_i has failure rate λ for i=1,…,p and X_j has failure rate λ^* for j=p+1,…,n, where p≥1 and q=n-p≥1. Denote by D_i:n(p,q)=X_i:n-X_i-1:n the ith spacing of the order statistics , where X_0:n≡0. It is shown that D_i:n(p,q)?_lrD_i+1:n(p,q) for i=1,…,n-1, and that if λ?λ^* then , and for i=1,…,n, where ?_lr denotes the likelihood ratio order. The main results are used to establish the dispersive orderings between spacings.     

Optimal labelling of a product of two paths

If G is a graph with p vertices and at least one edge, we set φ (G) = m n max |f(u) ? f(v)|, where the maximum is taken over all edges uv and the minimum over all one-to-one mappings f : V(G) → {1, 2, …, p}: V(G) denotes the set of vertices of G.P_n will denote a path of length n whose vertices are integers 1, 2, …, n with i adjacent to j if and only if |i ? j| = 1. P_m × P_n will denote a graph whose vertices are elements of {1, 2, …, m} × {1, 2, …, n} and in which (i, j), (r, s) are adjacent whenever either i = r and |j ? s| = 1 or j = s and |i ? r| = 1.Theorem.If max(m, n) ? 2, thenφ(P_m × P_n) = min(m, n).     

An Ore-type condition for arbitrarily vertex decomposable graphs

Let G be a graph of order n and r, 1≤r≤n, a fixed integer. G is said to be r-vertex decomposable if for each sequence (n₁,…,n_r) of positive integers such that n₁+?+n_r=n there exists a partition (V₁,…,V_r) of the vertex set of G such that for each i∈{1,…,r}, V_i induces a connected subgraph of G on n_i vertices. G is called arbitrarily vertex decomposable if it is r-vertex decomposable for each r∈{1,…,n}.In this paper we show that if G is a connected graph on n vertices with the independence number at most ⌈n/2⌉ and such that the degree sum of any pair of non-adjacent vertices is at least n−3, then G is arbitrarily vertex decomposable or isomorphic to one of two exceptional graphs. We also exhibit the integers r for which the graphs verifying the above degree-sum condition are not r-vertex decomposable.     

Characterization of the absence of a spectral gapfor a class of periodic Jacobi operators

Let q ∈ {2, 3} and let 0 = s₀ < s₁ < … < s_q = T be integers. For m, n ∈ Z, we put ¯m,n = {j ∈ Z| m? j ? n}. We set l_j = s_j − s_j−1 for j ∈ 1, q. Given (p₁,, p_q) ∈ R^q, let b: Z → R be a periodic function of period T such that b(·) = p_j on s_j−1 + 1, s_j for each j ∈ 1, q. We study the spectral gaps of the Jacobi operator (Ju)(n) = u(n + 1) + u(n − 1) + b(n)u(n) acting on l²(Z). By [λ_2j , λ_2j−1] we denote the jth band of the spectrum of J counted from above for j ∈ 1, T. Suppose that p_m ≠ p_n for m ≠ n. We prove that the statements (i) and (ii) below are equivalent for λ ∈ R and i ∈ 1, T − 1.     

Harmonic morphisms from the classical non-compact semisimple Lie groups

We construct the first known complex-valued harmonic morphisms from the non-compact Lie groups SLn(R), SU^∗(2n) and Sp(n,R) equipped with their standard Riemannian metrics. We then introduce the notion of a bi-eigenfamily and employ this to construct the first known solutions on the non-compact Riemannian SO^∗(2n), SO(p,q), SU(p,q) and Sp(p,q). Applying a duality principle we then show how to manufacture the first known complex-valued harmonic morphisms from the compact Lie groups SO(n), SU(n) and Sp(n) equipped with semi-Riemannian metrics.     

Oscillatory properties of strongly superlinear differential equations with deviating arguments

We regard a graph G as a set {1,…, v} together with a nonempty set E of two-element subsets of {1,…, v}. Let p = (p₁,…, p_v) be an element of $\text{R}$^nv representing v points in $\text{R}$ⁿ and consider the realization G(p) of G in $\text{R}$ⁿ consisting of the line segments [p_i, p_j] in $\text{R}$ⁿ for {i, j} ?E. The figure G(p) is said to be rigid in $\text{R}$ⁿ if every continuous path in $\text{R}$^nv, beginning at p and preserving the edge lengths of G(p), terminates at a point q ? $\text{R}$^nv which is the image (Tp₁,…, Tp_v) of p under an isometry T of $\text{R}$ⁿ. We here study the rigidity and infinitesimal rigidity of graphs, surfaces, and more general structures. A graph theoretic method for determining the rigidity of graphs in $\text{R}$² is discussed, followed by an examination of the rigidity of convex polyhedral surfaces in $\text{R}$³.     

Two equivalent measures on weighted hypergraphs

Let H=(N,E,w) be a hypergraph with a node set N={0,1,…,n-1}, a hyperedge set E⊆2^N, and real edge-weights w(e) for e∈E. Given a convex n-gon P in the plane with vertices x₀,x₁,…,x_n-1 which are arranged in this order clockwisely, let each node i∈N correspond to the vertex x_i and define the area A_P(H) of H on P by the sum of the weighted areas of convex hulls for all hyperedges in H. For 0?i<j<k?n-1, a convex three-cut C(i,j,k) of N is {{i,…,j-1}, {j,…,k-1}, {k,…,n-1,0,…,i-1}} and its size c_H(i,j,k) in H is defined as the sum of weights of edges e∈E such that e contains at least one node from each of {i,…,j-1}, {j,…,k-1} and {k,…,n-1,0,…,i-1}. We show that the following two conditions are equivalent:

•

A_P(H)?A_P(H^′) for all convex n-gons P.

•

c_H(i,j,k)?c_H^′(i,j,k) for all convex three-cuts C(i,j,k).

From this property, a polynomial time algorithm for determining whether or not given weighted hypergraphs H and H^′ satisfy “A_P(H)?A_P(H^′) for all convex n-gons P” is immediately obtained.     

Arbitrarily vertex decomposable suns with few rays

A graph G of order n is called arbitrarily vertex decomposable if for each sequence (n₁,…,n_k) of positive integers with n₁+?+n_k=n, there exists a partition (V₁,…,V_k) of the vertex set of G such that V_i induces a connected subgraph of order n_i, for all i=1,…,k. A sun with r rays is a unicyclic graph obtained by adding r hanging edges to r distinct vertices of a cycle. We characterize all arbitrarily vertex decomposable suns with at most three rays. We also provide a list of all on-line arbitrarily vertex decomposable suns with any number of rays.     

Maximum nullity of outerplanar graphs and the path cover number

Let G=(V,E) be a graph with V={1,2,…,n}. Define S(G) as the set of all n×n real-valued symmetric matrices A=[a_ij] with a_ij≠0,i≠j if and only if ij∈E. By M(G) we denote the largest possible nullity of any matrix A∈S(G). The path cover number of a graph G, denoted P(G), is the minimum number of vertex disjoint paths occurring as induced subgraphs of G which cover all the vertices of G.There has been some success with relating the path cover number of a graph to its maximum nullity. Johnson and Duarte [5], have shown that for a tree T,M(T)=P(T). Barioli et al. [2], show that for a unicyclic graph G,M(G)=P(G) or M(G)=P(G)-1. Notice that both families of graphs are outerplanar. We show that for any outerplanar graph G,M(G)?P(G). Further we show that for any partial 2-path G,M(G)=P(G).     

Valuations, equimultiplicity and normal flatness

Let R be a regular noetherian local ring of dimension n≥2 and (R_i)≡R=R₀⊂R₁⊂R₂⊂?⊂R_i⊂? be a sequence of successive quadratic transforms along a regular prime ideal p of R (i.e if p_i is the strict transform of p in R_i, then p_i≠R_i, i≥0). We say that p is maximal for (R_i) if for every non-negative integer j≥0 and for every prime ideal q_j of R_j such that (R_i) is a quadratic sequence along q_j with p_j⊂q_j, we have p_j=q_j. We show that p is maximal for (R_i) if and only if V=∪_i≥0R_i/p_i is a valuation ring of dimension one. In this case, the equimultiple locus at p is the set of elements of the maximal ideal of R for which the multiplicity is stable along the sequence (R_i), provided that the series of real numbers given by the multiplicity sequence associated with V diverges. Furthermore, if we consider an ideal J of R, we also show that is normally flat along at the closed point if and only if the Hironaka’s character ν^∗(J,R) is stable along the sequence (R_i). This generalizes well known results for the case where p has height one (see [B.M. Bennett, On the characteristic functions of a local ring, Ann. of Math. Second Series 91 (1) (1970) 25-87]).     

Two-point concentration in random geometric graphs

A random geometric graph G _n is constructed by taking vertices X ₁,…,X _n ∈ℝ ^d at random (i.i.d. according to some probability distribution ν with a bounded density function) and including an edge between X _i and X _j if ‖X _i -X _j ‖ < r where r = r(n) > 0. We prove a conjecture of Penrose ([14]) stating that when r=r(n) is chosen such that nr ^d = o(lnn) then the probability distribution of the clique number ω(G _n ) becomes concentrated on two consecutive integers and we show that the same holds for a number of other graph parameters including the chromatic number χ(G _n ). The author was partially supported by EPSRC, the Department of Statistics, Bekkerla-Bastide fonds, Dr. Hendrik Muller’s Vaderlandsch fonds, and Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds.     

Bandwidth theorem for random graphs

A graph G is said to have bandwidth at most b, if there exists a labeling of the vertices by 1,2,…,n, so that |i−j|?b whenever {i,j} is an edge of G. Recently, Böttcher, Schacht, and Taraz verified a conjecture of Bollobás and Komlós which says that for every positive r, Δ, γ, there exists β such that if H is an n-vertex r-chromatic graph with maximum degree at most Δ which has bandwidth at most βn, then any graph G on n vertices with minimum degree at least (1−1/r+γ)n contains a copy of H for large enough n. In this paper, we extend this theorem to dense random graphs. For bipartite H, this answers an open question of Böttcher, Kohayakawa, and Taraz. It appears that for non-bipartite H the direct extension is not possible, and one needs in addition that some vertices of H have independent neighborhoods. We also obtain an asymptotically tight bound for the maximum number of vertex disjoint copies of a fixed r-chromatic graph H₀ which one can find in a spanning subgraph of G(n,p) with minimum degree (1−1/r+γ)np.     

An extension of Birkhoff’s theorem with an application to determinants

Let M_n(F) denote the algebra of n×n matrices over the field F of complex, or real, numbers. Given a self-adjoint involution J∈M_n(C), that is, J=J^*,J²=I, let us consider Cⁿ endowed with the indefinite inner product [,] induced by J and defined by [x,y]?〈Jx,y〉,x,y∈Cⁿ. Assuming that (r,n-r), 0?r?n, is the inertia of J, without loss of generality we may assume J=diag(j₁,?,j_n)=I_r⊕-I_n-r. For T=(|t_ik|²)∈M_n(R), the matrices of the form T=(|t_ik|²j_ij_k), with all line sums equal to 1, are called J-doubly stochastic matrices. In the particular case r∈{0,n}, these matrices reduce to doubly stochastic matrices, that is, non-negative real matrices with all line sums equal to 1. A generalization of Birkhoff’s theorem on doubly stochastic matrices is obtained for J-doubly stochastic matrices and an application to determinants is presented.     

A random intersection digraph: Indegree and outdegree distributions

Let S(1),…,S(n),T(1),…,T(n) be random subsets of the set [m]={1,…,m}. We consider the random digraph D on the vertex set [n] defined as follows: the arc i→j is present in D whenever S(i)∩T(j)≠0?. Assuming that the pairs of sets (S(i),T(i)), 1≤i≤n, are independent and identically distributed, we study the in- and outdegree distributions of a typical vertex of D as n,m→∞.     

Homoclinic solutions for a class of the second order Hamiltonian systems

We study the existence of homoclinic orbits for the second order Hamiltonian system , where q∈Rⁿ and V∈C¹(R×Rⁿ,R), V(t,q)=-K(t,q)+W(t,q) is T-periodic in t. A map K satisfies the “pinching” condition b₁|q|²?K(t,q)?b₂|q|², W is superlinear at the infinity and f is sufficiently small in L²(R,Rⁿ). A homoclinic orbit is obtained as a limit of 2kT-periodic solutions of a certain sequence of the second order differential equations.