On the maximum cardinality search lower bound for treewidth

The Maximum Cardinality Search (MCS) algorithm visits the vertices of a graph in some order, such that at each step, an unvisited vertex that has the largest number of visited neighbours becomes visited. A maximum cardinality search ordering (MCS-ordering) of a graph is an ordering of the vertices that can be generated by the MCS algorithm. The visited degree of a vertex v in an MCS-ordering is the number of neighbours of v that are before v in the ordering. The visited degree of an MCS-ordering ψ of G is the maximum visited degree over all vertices v in ψ. The maximum visited degree over all MCS-orderings of graph G is called its maximum visited degree. Lucena [A new lower bound for tree-width using maximum cardinality search, SIAM J. Discrete Math. 16 (2003) 345-353] showed that the treewidth of a graph G is at least its maximum visited degree.We show that the maximum visited degree is of size O(logn) for planar graphs, and give examples of planar graphs G with maximum visited degree k with O(k!) vertices, for all k∈N. Given a graph G, it is NP-complete to determine if its maximum visited degree is at least k, for any fixed k?7. Also, this problem does not have a polynomial time approximation algorithm with constant ratio, unless P=NP. Variants of the problem are also shown to be NP-complete.In this paper, we also propose some heuristics for the problem, and report on an experimental analysis of them. Several tiebreakers for the MCS algorithm are proposed and evaluated. We also give heuristics that give upper bounds on the value of the maximum visited degree of a graph, which appear to give results close to optimal on many graphs from real life applications.     

Large Discrepancy In Homogenous Quasi-Arithmetic Progressions

We prove that the class of homogeneous quasi-arithmetic progressions has unbounded discrepancy. That is, we show that given any 2-coloring of the natural numbers and any positive integer D, one can find a real number α≥1 and a set of natural numbers of the form {0, [α], [2α], [3α], . . . , [kα]} so that one color appears at least D times more than the other color. This was already proved by Beck in 1983, but the proof given here is somewhat simpler and gives a better bound on the discrepancy.     

Euler configurations and quasi-polynomial systems

Consider the problem of three point vortices (also called Helmholtz’ vortices) on a plane, with arbitrarily given vorticities. The interaction between vortices is proportional to 1/r, where r is the distance between two vortices. The problem has 2 equilateral and at most 3 collinear normalized relative equilibria. This 3 is the optimal upper bound. Our main result is that the above standard statements remain unchanged if we consider an interaction proportional to r ^b, for any b < 0. For 0 < b < 1, the optimal upper bound becomes 5. For positive vorticities and any b < 1, there are exactly 3 collinear normalized relative equilibria. The case b = −2 of this last statement is the well-known theorem due to Euler: in the Newtonian 3-body problem, for any choice of the 3 masses, there are 3 Euler configurations (also known as the 3 Euler points). These small upper bounds strengthen the belief of Kushnirenko and Khovanskii [18]: real varieties defined by simple systems should have a simple topology. We indicate some hard conjectures about the configurations of relative equilibrium and suggest they could be attacked within the quasi-polynomial framework.     

Completeness and compactness for varieties over a local field

This paper shows that for a local field K, a subfield k ⊂ K and a variety X over k, X is complete if and only if for every finite field extension Kʹ | K, the set X(Kʹ) is compact in its strong topology. The author likes to thank Florian Pop, Jakob Stix, Stefan Wewers, Gunther Cornelissen and his own parents for their support. Received: 13 April 2006     

Duration-Dependent Asymmetry in Photoionization of H atoms in Few-Cycle Laser Pulses

The photoionization of H atoms irradiated by few-cycle laser pulses is studied numerically. The variations of the total ionization, the partial ionizations in opposite directions, and the corresponding asymmetry with the carrier-envelope phase in several pulse durations are obtained. We find that besides a stronger modulation on the partial ionizations, the change of pulse duration leads to a shift along carrier-envelope （CE） phase in the calculated signals. The phase shift arises from the nonlinear property of ionization and relates closely to the Coulomb attraction of the parent ion to the ionized electron. Our calculations show good agreement with the experimental observation under similar conditions.     

On dimensional rigidity of bar-and-joint frameworks

Let V={1,2,…,n}. A mapping p:V→R^r, where p¹,…,pⁿ are not contained in a proper hyper-plane is called an r-configuration. Let G=(V,E) be a simple connected graph on n vertices. Then an r-configuration p together with graph G, where adjacent vertices of G are constrained to stay the same distance apart, is called a bar-and-joint framework (or a framework) in R^r, and is denoted by G(p). In this paper we introduce the notion of dimensional rigidity of frameworks, and we study the problem of determining whether or not a given G(p) is dimensionally rigid. A given framework G(p) in R^r is said to be dimensionally rigid iff there does not exist a framework G(q) in R^s for s?r+1, such that ∥qⁱ-q^j∥²=∥pⁱ-p^j∥² for all (i,j)∈E. We present necessary and sufficient conditions for G(p) to be dimensionally rigid, and we formulate the problem of checking the validity of these conditions as a semidefinite programming (SDP) problem. The case where the points p¹,…,pⁿ of the given r-configuration are in general position, is also investigated.     

Some new topological cardinal inequalities

In this paper we make use of the Pol-Šapirovski?'s technique to prove several cardinal inequalities, which generalize other well-known inequalities.     

Algorithms for finding connected separators between antipodal points

A set (or a collection of sets) contained in the Euclidean space Rm is symmetric if it is invariant under the antipodal map. Given a symmetric unicoherent polyhedron X (like an n-dimensional cube or a sphere) and an odd real function f defined on vertices of a certain symmetric triangulation of X, we algorithmically construct a connected symmetric separator of X by choosing a subcollection of the triangulation. Each element of the subcollection contains the vertices v and u such that f(v)f(u)?0.     

On the moduli spaces of multipolygonal linkages in the plane

One can form a polygonal linkage by identifying initial and terminal points of two free linkages. Likewise, one can form a multipolygonal linkage by identifying initial and terminal points of three free linkages. The geometric and topological properties of moduli spaces of multipolygonal linkages in the plane are studied. These spaces are compact algebraic varieties. Some conditions under which these spaces are smooth manifolds, cross products or disjoint unions of moduli spaces of polygonal linkages, or connected, are determined. Dimensions in smooth manifold cases and some Euler characteristics are computed. A classification of generic multiquadrilateral linkages is also made.     

Periodic solutions for a Lotka–Volterra mutualism system with several delays

In the present paper, a Lotka–Volterra type mutualism system with several delays is studied. Some new and interesting sufficient conditions are obtained for the global existence of positive periodic solutions of the mutualism system. Our method is based on Mawhin’s coincidence degree and novel estimation techniques for the a priori bounds of unknown solutions. Our results are different from the existing ones such as those in of Yang et al. [F. Yang, D. Jiang, A. Ying, Existence of positive solution of multidelays facultative mutualism system, J. Eng. Math. 3 (2002) 64–68] and Chen et al. [F. Chen, J. Shi, X. Chen, Periodicity in a Lotka–Volterra facultative mutualism system with several delays, J. Eng. Math. 21 (3) (2004) 403–409].