A new structure for difference matrices over abelian pp-groups

A difference matrix over a group is a discrete structure that is intimately related to many other combinatorial designs, including mutually orthogonal Latin squares, orthogonal arrays, and transversal designs. Interest in constructing difference matrices over $2$-groups has been renewed by the recent discovery that these matrices can be used to construct large linking systems of difference sets, which in turn provide examples of systems of linked symmetric designs and association schemes. We survey the main constructive and nonexistence results for difference matrices, beginning with a classical construction based on the properties of a finite field. We then introduce the concept of a contracted difference matrix, which generates a much larger difference matrix. We show that several of the main constructive results for difference matrices over abelian $p$-groups can be substantially simplified and extended using contracted difference matrices. In particular, we obtain new linking systems of difference sets of size $7$ in infinite families of abelian $2$-groups, whereas previously the largest known size was $3$.Comment: 27 pages. Discussion of new reference [LT04

Topologically Stratified Energy Minimizers in a Product Abelian Field Theory

We study a recently developed product Abelian gauge field theory by Tong and Wong hosting magnetic impurities. We first obtain a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a unique solution realizing such impurities in the form of multiple vortices. We next reformulate the theory into an extended model that allows the coexistence of vortices and anti-vortices. The two Abelian gauge fields in the model induce two species of magnetic vortex-lines resulting from $N_s$ vortices and $P_s$ anti-vortices ($s=1,2$) realized as the zeros and poles of two complex-valued Higgs fields, respectively. An existence theorem is established for the governing equations over a compact Riemann surface $S$ which states that a solution with prescribed $N_1, N_2$ vortices and $P_1,P_2$ anti-vortices of two designated species exists if and only if the inequalities $$\left|N_1+N_2-(P_1+P_2)\right|<\frac{|S|}{\pi},\quad \left|N_1+2N_2-(P_1+2P_2)\right|<\frac{|S|}{\pi},$$ hold simultaneously, which give bounds for the `differences' of the vortex and anti-vortex numbers in terms of the total surface area of $S$. The minimum energy of these solutions is shown to assume the explicit value $$E= 4\pi (N_1+N_2+P_1+P_2),$$ given in terms of several topological invariants, measuring the total tension of the vortex-lines.Comment: 22 page

Independence in computable algebra

We give a sufficient condition for an algebraic structure to have a computable presentation with a computable basis and a computable presentation with no computable basis. We apply the condition to differentially closed, real closed, and difference closed fields with the relevant notions of independence. To cover these classes of structures we introduce a new technique of safe extensions that was not necessary for the previously known results of this kind. We will then apply our techniques to derive new corollaries on the number of computable presentations of these structures. The condition also implies classical and new results on vector spaces, algebraically closed fields, torsion-free abelian groups and Archimedean ordered abelian groups.Comment: 24 page