The strength of multi-row aggregation cuts for sign-pattern integer programs

Sign-pattern IPs are a generalization of packing IPs, where for a given column all coefficients are either non-negative or non-positive. We show that the aggregation closure for such sign-pattern IPs can be 2-approximated by the original 1-row closure. This generalizes a result for packing IPs. On the other hand, unlike in the case of packing IPs, we show that the multi-row aggregation closure cannot be well approximated by the original multi-row closure.     

Relations between facets of low- and high-dimensional group problems

One-dimensional infinite group problems have been extensively studied and have yielded strong cutting planes for mixed integer programs. Although numerical and theoretical studies suggest that group cuts can be significantly improved by considering higher-dimensional groups, there are no known facets for infinite group problems whose dimension is larger than two. In this paper, we introduce an operation that we call sequential-merge. We prove that the sequential-merge operator creates a very large family of facet-defining inequalities for high-dimensional infinite group problems using facet-defining inequalities of lower-dimensional group problems. Further, they exhibit two properties that reflect the benefits of using facets of high-dimensional group problems: they have continuous variables’ coefficients that are not dominated by those of the constituent low-dimensional cuts and they can produce cutting planes that do not belong to the first split closure of MIPs. Further, we introduce a general scheme for generating valid inequalities for lower-dimensional group problems using valid inequalities of higher-dimensional group problems. We present conditions under which this construction generates facet-defining inequalities when applied to sequential-merge inequalities. We show that this procedure yields some two-step MIR inequalities of Dash and Günlük.     

A Three-Qubit State Entanglement Concentration Protocol Assisted by Two-Qubit Systems

In this paper we present an entanglement concentration protocol for enhancement of the amount of entanglement maximally in a three qubit non-maximally entangled state. We use a Bell state for this purpose. Here the speciality is that no non-local measurement involving more than one parties is involved in the protocol. It is shown that for obtaining best probability of success a maximally entangled Bell state must be used. The probability of success in our protocol increases with an increase in the amount of entanglement in the assisting Bell state, and is zero when the entanglement vanishes.     

Conformation-dependent electron transport through a biphenyl molecule: circular current and related issues

We investigate the conformation-dependent electron transfer in a biphenyl molecule within a simple tight-binding framework. The overall junction current and circular currents in two benzene rings driven by applied bias voltage are calculated by using Green’s function formalism. Our analysis may provide the possibilities of using organic molecules with loop substructures to design molecular spintronic devices, indicating the emergence of molecular spintronics.