Structure theorem for tournaments omitting N5

A finite tournament T is tight if the class of finite tournaments omitting T is well‐quasi‐ordered. We show here that a certain tournament N₅ on five vertices is tight. This is one of the main steps in an exact classification of the tight tournaments, as explained in [10]; the third and final step is carried out in [11]. The proof involves an encoding of the indecomposable tournaments omitting N₅ by a finite alphabet, followed by an application of Kruskal's Tree Theorem. This problem arises in model theory and in computational complexity in a more general form, which remains open: the problem is to give an effective criterion for a finite set {T₁,…,T_k} of finite tournaments to be tight in the sense that the class of all finite tournaments omitting each of T₁,…,T_k is well‐quasi‐ordered. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 42: 165–192, 2003     

Finding Robust Solutions Using Local Search

This paper investigates how a local search metaheuristic for continuous optimisation can be adapted so that it finds broad peaks, corresponding to robust solutions. This is relevant in problems in which uncertain or noisy data is present. When using a genetic or evolutionary algorithm, it is standard practice to perturb solutions once before evaluating them, using noise from a given distribution. This approach however, is not valid when using population-less techniques like local search and other heuristics that use local search. For those algorithms to find robust solutions, each solution needs to be perturbed and evaluated several times, and these evaluations need to be combined into a measure of robustness. In this paper, we examine how many of these evaluations are needed to reliably find a robust solution. We also examine the effect of the parameters of the noise distribution. Using a simple tabu search procedure, the proposed approach is tested on several functions found in the literature. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

概率罐子模型中一种最优设计

基于错误概率达到最小的原则，该文在罐子模型序贯试验中构造了一种渐近最优设计。在这种设计下，不仅能使病员以较多机会分配到较好的处理，而且能使估计量的统计效率在一定意义下达到最优。     

Local chain‐configuration dependence of the mechanisms of the chemical reaction of poly(vinyl chloride). IX. Novel results on stereoselectivity of chlorination reaction

A poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) sample was chlorinated in solution in the presence of 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile and by the fluid‐bed method. The aim was to evaluate the scope of the stereoselectivity of the chlorination reaction. The quantitative microstructural analysis of the residual PVC with a degree of chlorination was followed by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. From the evolution of the content of isotactic (mm), heterotactic (mr), and syndiotactic (rr) triads and of mmmm, mmmr, and rmmr isotactic pentads in the unchlorinated parts of the polymer, it was unambiguously inferred that the chlorination reaction proceeds by a stereoselective mechanism in that the mr heterotactic triads are the most reactive structures followed by the isotactic triad at mmmr and rmmr pentads. This conclusion was confirmed on the basis of the Fourier transform infrared results. The results provide valuable information regarding the effect of tacticity and related local conformations in the chemical reactions of PVC. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 508–519, 2003     

Lattice path combinatorics and asymptotics of multiplicities of weights in tensor powers

We give asymptotic formulas for the multiplicities of weights and irreducible summands in high-tensor powers V_λ^⊗N of an irreducible representation V_λ of a compact connected Lie group G. The weights are allowed to depend on N, and we obtain several regimes of pointwise asymptotics, ranging from a central limit region to a large deviations region. We use a complex steepest descent method that applies to general asymptotic counting problems for lattice paths with steps in a convex polytope.     

Four‐dimensional couplings among BF and matter theories from BRST cohomology

The local and manifestly covariant Lagrangian interactions in four spacetime dimensions that can be added to a “free” model that describes a generic matter theory and an abelian BF theory are constructed by means of deforming the solution to the master equation on behalf of specific cohomological techniques.     

Ideals and Subalgebras in BCI-Algebras

We prove that there exists a maximal ideal of a BCI-algebra X in which each subalgebra is an ideal.AMS Subject Classification (1991): 06F35, 03G25.The second author was supported by the LG Yonam Foundation (1995).     

Low energy properties of identical and strongly correlated particles

Interesting qualitative consequences can arise from the quantum mechanical identity among strongly correlated particles that carry spin. This is demonstrated for properties connected with the low energy excitations in molecular and electronic systems. Spatial permutations among the identical particles are used as the key features. The particular behaviour of rotational tunneling molecules or molecular parts under the influence of dissipation are discussed together with the consequences arising for conversion transitions. The relationship between the thermal shifting of the tunneling line and the conversion rate at low and at elevated temperatures is explicated. The valuable information, that can be extracted from the conversion behaviour after isotopical substitution, is explained in detail. At low temperatures qualitative changes are predicted for the conversion rate by deuteration. Weakly hindered rotors show, also experimentally, drastic isotopic effects. The second part is devoted to finite systems of strongly interacting electrons that appear in semi-conductor nano-structures. The lowest excitation energies are strongly influenced by the interaction. They can be understood and determined starting from the limit of crystallized electrons by introducing localized many particle ‘pocket states’. The energy levels show multiplet structure, in agreement with numerical results. The total electron spin, associated with the low energy excitations, is crucially important for the nonlinear transport properties through quantum dots. It allows for instance to explain the appearance of negative differential conductances.     

ContributionsSign-balanced covering matrices

A q × n array with entries from 0, 1,…,q − 1 is said to form a difference matrix if the vector difference (modulo q) of each pair of columns consists of a permutation of [0, 1,… q − 1]; this definition is inverted from the more standard one to be found, e.g., in Colbourn and de Launey (1996). The following idea generalizes this notion: Given an appropriate δ (-[−1, 1]^t, a λq × n array will be said to form a (t, q, λ, Δ) sign-balanced matrix if for each choice C₁, C₂,…, C_t of t columns and for each choice = (₁,…,_t) Δ of signs, the linear combination ∑_j=1^t _jC_j contains (mod q) each entry of [0, 1,…, q − 1] exactly λ times. We consider the following extremal problem in this paper: How large does the number k = k(n, t, q, λ, δ) of rows have to be so that for each choice of t columns and for each choice (₁, …, _t) of signs in δ, the linear combination ∑_j=1^t _jC_j contains each entry of [0, 1,…, q t- 1] at least λ times? We use probabilistic methods, in particular the Lovász local lemma and the Stein-Chen method of Poisson approximation to obtain general (logarithmic) upper bounds on the numbers k(n, t, q, λ, δ), and to provide Poisson approximations for the probability distribution of the number W of deficient sets of t columns, given a random array. It is proved, in addition, that arithmetic modulo q yields the smallest array - in a sense to be described.