On symplectic half-flat manifolds

We construct examples of symplectic half-flat manifolds on compact quotients of solvable Lie groups. We prove that the Calabi-Yau structures are not rigid in the class of symplectic half-flat structures. Moreover, we provide an example of a compact 6-dimensional symplectic half-flat manifold whose real part of the complex volume form is d-exact. Finally we discuss the 4-dimensional case. This work was supported by the Projects M.I.U.R. “Geometric Properties of Real and Complex Manifolds”, “Riemannian Metrics and Differentiable Manifolds” and by G.N.S.A.G.A. of I.N.d.A.M.     

Half-flat structures on indecomposable Lie groups

This article can be viewed as a continuation of the articles [SH] and [FS] in which the decomposable Lie algebras admitting half-flat SU(3)-structures are classified. The new main result is the classification of the indecomposable six-dimensional Lie algebras with five-dimensional nilradicals which admit a half-flat SU(3)-structure. As an important step of the proof, a considerable refinement of the classification of six-dimensional Lie algebras with five-dimensional non-Abelian nilradicals is established. Additionally, it is proved that all non-solvable six-dimensional Lie algebras admit half-flat SU(3)-structures.     

Symplectic half-flat solvmanifolds

We classify solvable Lie groups admitting left invariant symplectic half-flat structure. When the Lie group has a compact quotient by a lattice, we show that these structures provide solutions of supersymmetric equations of type IIA.     

Conformally parallel G 2 structures on a class of solvmanifolds

Starting from a 6-dimensional nilpotent Lie group N endowed with an invariant SU(3) structure, we construct a homogeneous conformally parallel G₂-metric on an associated solvmanifold. We classify all half-flat SU(3) structures that endow the rank-one solvable extension of N with a conformally parallel G₂ structure. By suitably deforming the SU(3) structures obtained, we are able to describe the corresponding non-homogeneous Ricci-flat metrics with holonomy contained in G₂. In the process we also find a new metric with exceptional holonomy. Received: 20 September     

Torsion-free path geometries and integrable second order ODE systems

A search for invariants of second order ODE systems under the class of point transformations, which mix the parameter and the dependent variables, uncovers a torsion tensor generalizing part of the curvature tensor of an affine connection. We study the geometry of ODE systems for which this torsion vanishes. These are the ODE systems for which deformations of solutions fixing a point constitute a field of Segré varieties in the tangent bundle of the locally defined space of solutions. Conversely, a field of Segré varieties for which certain differential invariants vanish induces a torsion-free ODE system on the space of solutions to a natural PDE system. The geometry on the solution space is used to produce first integrals for torsion-free ODE systems, given as algebraic invariants of a curvature tensor involving up to fourth derivatives of the equations. In the generic case, there are enough first integrals to solve the equations explicitly in spite of the absence of symmetry. In the case of torsion-free ODE pairs, the field of Segré varieties is equivalent to a half-flat split signature conformal structure, and we characterize in terms of curvature those systems having an abundance of totally geodesic surfaces.     

Half-flat structures on S^3\times S^3

We describe left-invariant half-flat $ \mathrm{SU }(3) $ -structures on $ S^3\times S^3$ using the representation theory of $ \mathrm SO (4) $ and matrix algebra. This leads to a systematic study of the associated cohomogeneity one Ricci-flat metrics with holonomy $ \mathrm G _2$ obtained on $ 7 $ -manifolds with equidistant $ S^3\times S^3$ hypersurfaces. The generic case is analysed numerically.     

A filtered no arbitrage model for term structures from noisy data

We consider an affine term structure model of interest rates, where the factors satisfy a linear diffusion equation. We assume that the information available to an agent comes from observing the yields of a finite number of traded bonds and that this information is not sufficient to reconstruct exactly the factors. We derive a method to obtain arbitrage-free prices of illiquid or non traded bonds that are compatible with the available incomplete information. The method is based on an application of the Kalman filter for linear Gaussian systems.     

A Theory of Complexity for Continuous Time Systems

We present a model of computation with ordinary differential equations (ODEs) which converge to attractors that are interpreted as the output of a computation. We introduce a measure of complexity for exponentially convergent ODEs, enabling an algorithmic analysis of continuous time flows and their comparison with discrete algorithms. We define polynomial and logarithmic continuous time complexity classes and show that an ODE which solves the maximum network flow problem has polynomial time complexity. We also analyze a simple flow that solves the Maximum problem in logarithmic time. We conjecture that a subclass of the continuous P is equivalent to the classical P.     

Outerplanar Thrackles

We show that a graph drawing is an outerplanar thrackle if and only if, up to an inversion in the plane, it is Reidemeister equivalent to an odd musquash. This establishes Conway’s thrackle conjecture for outerplanar thrackles. We also extend this result in two directions. First, we show that no pair of vertices of an outerplanar thrackle can be joined by an edge in such a way that the resulting graph drawing is a thrackle. Secondly, we introduce the notion of crossing rank; drawings with crossing rank 0 are generalizations of outerplanar drawings. We show that all thrackles of crossing rank 0 are outerplanar. We also introduce the notion of an alternating cycle drawing, and we show that a thrackled cycle is alternating if and only if it is outerplanar.     

Enumerating bases of self-dual matroids

We define involutively self-dual matroids and prove that an enumerator for their bases is the square of a related enumerator for their self-dual bases. This leads to a new proof of Tutte's theorem that the number of spanning trees of a central reflex is a perfect square, and it solves a problem posed by Kalai about higher dimensional spanning trees in simplicial complexes. We also give a weighted version of the latter result.We give an algebraic analogue relating to the critical group of a graph, a finite abelian group whose order is the number of spanning trees of the graph. We prove that the critical group of a central reflex is a direct sum of two copies of an abelian group, and conclude with an analogous result in Kalai's setting.     

Orthogonal Pfister involutions in characteristic two

We show that over a field of characteristic 2 a central simple algebra with orthogonal involution that decomposes into a product of quaternion algebras with involution is either anisotropic or metabolic. We use this to define an invariant of such orthogonal involutions that completely determines the isotropy behaviour of the involution. We also give an example of a non-totally decomposable algebra with orthogonal involution that becomes totally decomposable over every splitting field of the algebra.     

Subsymmetries and Their Properties

We introduce a subsymmetry of a differential system as an infinitesimal transformation of a subset of the system that leaves the subset invariant on the solution set of the entire system. We discuss the geometric meaning and properties of subsymmetries and also an algorithm for finding subsymmetries of a system. We show that a subsymmetry is a significantly more powerful tool than a regular symmetry with regard to deformation of conservation laws. We demonstrate that all lower conservation laws of the nonlinear telegraph system can be generated by system subsymmetries.     

Abelian networks III: The critical group

The critical group of an abelian network is a finite abelian group that governs the behavior of the network on large inputs. It generalizes the sandpile group of a graph. We show that the critical group of an irreducible abelian network acts freely and transitively on recurrent states of the network. We exhibit the critical group as a quotient of a free abelian group by a subgroup containing the image of the Laplacian, with equality in the case that the network is rectangular. We generalize Dhar’s burning algorithm to abelian networks and estimate the running time of an abelian network on an arbitrary input up to a constant additive error.     

A Framework for Image Deblurring Using Wavelet Packet Bases

We show in this paper that the average over translations of an operator diagonal in a wavelet packet basis is a convolution. We also show that an operator diagonal in a wavelet packet basis can be decomposed into several operators of the same kind, each of them being better conditioned. We investigate the possibility of using such a convolution to approximate a given convolution (in practice an image blur). Then we use these approximations to deblur images. First, we show that this framework permits us to redefine existing deblurring methods. Then, we show that it permits us to define a new variational method which combines the wavelet packet and the total variation approaches. We argue and show by experiments that this permits us to avoid the drawbacks of both approaches which are, respectively, the ringing and the staircasing.     

On digraphs with the odd cycle property

We say that a digraph D has the odd cycle property if there exists an edge subset S such that every cycle of D has an odd number of edges from S. We give necessary and sufficient conditions for a digraph to have the odd cycle property. We also consider the analogous problem for graphs.     

CP Violation in the models of fermion localization on a domain wall (brane)

We briefly review the mechanism of fermion localization on a domain wall (“thick brane”) generated by a topologically nontrivial vacuum configuration of scalar fields. We propose an extension of the scalar field coupling to fermions that endows the fermions with an axial mass. In the case of several flavors and fermion generations, this extension can lead to the appearance of the Standard Model Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix. We also consider a model with two scalar doublets that ensures an additional mechanism of CP-parity violation.     

Locally nilpotent groups containing an element that commutes with only finitely many of its conjugates

We prove that a locally nilpotent group containing an element that commutes with only finitely many of its conjugates includes an abelian normal subgroup. We find some necessary conditions for the normal closure of such an element to be nilpotent.     

On integrability of a heavy rigid body sinking in an ideal fluid

We consider a rigid body possessing 3 mutually perpendicular planes of symmetry, sinking in an ideal fluid. We prove that the general solution to the equations of motion branches in the complex time plane, and that the equations consequently are not algebraically integrable. We show that there are solutions with an infinitely-sheeted Riemannian surface.     

Lifting factor maps to resolving maps

We consider Smale spaces, that is, homeomorphisms of a compact metric spaces possessing canonical coordinates of contracting (stable) and expanding (unstable) directions. Examples of such dynamical systems include the basic sets for Smale's Axiom A systems. We also assume that each point of the space is non-wandering and that there is a dense orbit. We show that any almost one-to-one factor map between two such systems may be lifted in a certain sense to a factor map which is injective on the local stable sets (i.e., s-resolving). We derive several corollaries. One is a refinement of Bowen's result that every irreducible Smale space is a factor of an irreducible shift of finite type by an almost one-to-one factor map. We are able to show that there exists such a factor which is the composition of an s-resolving map and a u-resolving map. Supported in part by a grant from NSERC, Canada.     

An integrated production and preventive maintenance planning model

We are given a set of items that must be produced in lots on a capacitated production system throughout a specified finite planning horizon. We assume that the production system is subject to random failures, and that any maintenance action carried out on the system, in a period, reduces the system’s available production capacity during that period. The objective is to find an integrated lot-sizing and preventive maintenance strategy of the system that satisfies the demand for all items over the entire horizon without backlogging, and which minimizes the expected sum of production and maintenance costs. We show how this problem can be formulated and solved as a multi-item capacitated lot-sizing problem on a system that is periodically renewed and minimally repaired at failure. We also provide an illustrative example that shows the steps to obtain an optimal integrated production and maintenance strategy.