Sugawara and Vertex Operator Constructions for Deformed Virasoro Algebras

From the defining exchange relations of the elliptic quantum algebra, we construct subalgebras which can be characterized as q-deformed W_N algebras. The consistency conditions relating the parameters p, q, N and the central charge c are shown to be related to the singularity structure of the functional coefficients defining the exchange relations of specific vertex operators representations of available when N = 2. Communicated by Petr Kulish Submitted: January 13, 2006; Accepted: March 6, 2006 Dedicated to our friend Daniel Arnaudon     

Modularity of a certain Calabi-Yau threefold and combinatorial congruences

We prove a certain Calabi-Yau threefold is modular in the sense that the number of points on its reduction modulo p is expressed in terms of the pth coefficient of a weight 4 newform in S₄(Γ₀(6)). We also give a mod p² combinatorial expression for these coefficients. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 11G25, 11G40     

Hill‐climbing to Pasch valleys

Exhaustive enumeration of Steiner Triple Systems is not feasible, due to the combinatorial explosion of instances. The next‐best hope is to quickly find a sample that is representative of isomorphism classes. Stinson's Hill‐Climbing algorithm [ 20 ] is widely used to produce random Steiner Triple Systems, and certainly finds a sample of systems quickly, but the sample is not uniformly distributed with respect to the isomorphism classes of STS with ν ≤ 19, and, in particular, we find that isomorphism classes with a large number of Pasch configurations are under‐represented. No analysis of the non‐uniformity of the distribution with respect to isomorphism classes or the intractability of obtaining a representative sample for ν > 19 is known. We also exhibit a modification to hill‐climbing that makes the sample if finds closer to the uniform distribution over isomorphism classes in return for a modest increase in running time. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 15: 405–419, 2007     

Synthesis, characterization, and ion-exchange properties of colloidal zeolite nanocrystals

Here, we present physical–chemical properties of Linde type A (LTA) zeolite crystals synthesized via conventional hydrothermal and microwave heating methods. Both heating methods produced LTA crystals that were sub-micron in size, highly negatively charged, super-hydrophilic, and stable when dispersed in water. However, microwave heating produced relatively narrow crystal size distributions, required much shorter heating times, and did not significantly change composition, crystallinity, or surface chemistry. Moreover, microwave heating allowed systematic variation of crystal size by varying heating temperature and time during the crystallization reaction, thus producing a continuous gradient of crystal sizes ranging from about 90 to 300 nm. In ion-exchange studies, colloidal zeolites exhibited excellent sorption kinetics and capacity for divalent metal ions, suggesting their potential for use in water softening, scale inhibition, and scavenging of toxic metal ions from water.     

Linking-Preserving Perturbations of Symmetric Functionals

We consider paths of functionals starting with one which is invariant under the action of an arbitrary group of symmetries. We give conditions for the existence of an unbounded sequence of critical values of the non-symmetric functional at the end of the path in terms of the growth of the critical values of the symmetric one. We apply this to obtain a multiplicity result for a system of elliptic equations whose symmetries are perturbed by a linear term and a non-homogeneous boundary condition.     

Partitioned state and parameter estimation for real-time flood forecasting

A new algorithm is developed for simultaneous state-parameter estimation in real-time flood-forecasting applications. Dubbed the partitioned state-parameter (PSP) algorithm, is it unusual in the way that the parameter filter is formulated explicitly in terms of the identifiable parameters in the transition and input coefficient matrices. By virtue of its parallel filter structure the algorithm is very fast, yet it has been designed so that essential error interactions between the forecasting and parameter filters are preserved. Furthermore, PSP is structured so that input coefficients are only updated when the corresponding inputs are actually applied. This feature is useful for systems subject to sporadic inputs. The algorithm is tested with real and synthesized daily rainfall-runoff data from the Hillsborough River in Florida. PSP is found to produce good forecasts and parameter estimates and is much faster than the extended Kalman filter.     

Optimizing a phase gate using quantum interference

A controlled interference is proposed to reduce, by two orders of magnitude, the decoherence of a quantum gate for which the gate fidelity is limited by coupling to states other than the /0> and /1> qubit states. This phenomenon is demonstrated in an ultracold neutral atom implementation of a phase gate using qubits based on motional states in individual wells of an optical lattice.     

Presentations of the unit group of an order in a non-split quaternion algebra

We give an algorithm to determine a finite set of generators of the unit group of an order in a non-split classical quaternion algebra over an imaginary quadratic extension K of the rationals. We then apply this method to obtain a presentation for the unit group of . As a consequence a presentation is discovered for the orthogonal group . These results provide the first examples of a characterization of the unit group of some group rings that have an epimorphic image that is an order in a non-commutative division algebra that is not a totally definite quaternion algebra.     

The structural instabilities in ferronematic based on liquid crystal with negative diamagnetic susceptibility anisotropy

The studied ferronematic is a nematic liquid crystal (ZLI1695) of low negative anisotropy of the diamagnetic susceptibility (χ_a<0) doped with the magnetic particles Fe₃O₄. Structural instabilities are interpreted within Burylov and Raikher's theory. The high magnetic fields were oriented perpendicular (Freedericksz transition) or parallel to the initial director. Using capacitance measurements the Freedericksz threshold magnetic field of the ferronematic B_FN, and the critical magnetic field B_max, at which the initial parallel orientation between the director and the magnetic moment of magnetic particles breaks down, have been determined. The values of these quantities have been used to estimate the surface density of the anchoring energy W of liquid crystal molecules on the surface of the magnetic particles. The obtained values indicate a soft anchoring of the liquid crystal on the magnetic particles with a preferred parallel orientation of the magnetic moment of magnetic particles and the director.     

Convergence analysis for finite family of relatively quasi nonexpansive mappings and systems of equilibrium problems

In this paper, a new iterative scheme by hybrid method is constructed. Strong convergence of the scheme to a common element of the set of common fixed points of finite family of relatively quasi-nonexpansive mappings and set of common solutions of a system of equilibrium problems in a uniformly convex and uniformly smooth real Banach space is proved using the properties of generalized f-projection operator. Our results extend important recent results.