The infinite random simplicial complex

We study the Fraisse limit of the class of all finite simplicial complexes. Whilst the natural model-theoretic setting for this class uses an infinite language, a range of results associated with Fraisse limits of structures for finite languages carry across to this important example. We introduce the notion of a local class, with the class of finite simplicial complexes as an archetypal example, and in this general context prove the existence of a 0-1 law and other basic model-theoretic results. Constraining to the case where all relations are symmetric, we show that every direct limit of finite groups, and every metrizable profinite group, appears as a subgroup of the automorphism group of the Fraisse limit. Finally, for the specific case of simplicial complexes, we show that the geometric realisation is topologically surprisingly simple: despite the combinatorial complexity of the Fraisse limit, its geometric realisation is homeomorphic to the infinite simplex.Comment: 33 page

Limits of Ordered Graphs and their Applications

The emerging theory of graph limits exhibits an analytic perspective on graphs, showing that many important concepts and tools in graph theory and its applications can be described more naturally (and sometimes proved more easily) in analytic language. We extend the theory of graph limits to the ordered setting, presenting a limit object for dense vertex-ordered graphs, which we call an \emph{orderon}. As a special case, this yields limit objects for matrices whose rows and columns are ordered, and for dynamic graphs that expand (via vertex insertions) over time. Along the way, we devise an ordered locality-preserving variant of the cut distance between ordered graphs, showing that two graphs are close with respect to this distance if and only if they are similar in terms of their ordered subgraph frequencies. We show that the space of orderons is compact with respect to this distance notion, which is key to a successful analysis of combinatorial objects through their limits. We derive several applications of the ordered limit theory in extremal combinatorics, sampling, and property testing in ordered graphs. In particular, we prove a new ordered analogue of the well-known result by Alon and Stav [RS\&A'08] on the furthest graph from a hereditary property; this is the first known result of this type in the ordered setting. Unlike the unordered regime, here the random graph model $G(n, p)$ with an ordering over the vertices is \emph{not} always asymptotically the furthest from the property for some $p$. However, using our ordered limit theory, we show that random graphs generated by a stochastic block model, where the blocks are consecutive in the vertex ordering, are (approximately) the furthest. Additionally, we describe an alternative analytic proof of the ordered graph removal lemma [Alon et al., FOCS'17].Comment: Added a new application: An Alon-Stav type result on the furthest ordered graph from a hereditary property; Fixed and extended proof sketch of the removal lemma applicatio

The Widom-Rowlinson Model on the Delaunay Graph

We establish phase transitions for continuum Delaunay multi-type particle systems (continuum Potts or Widom-Rowlinson models) with a repulsive interaction between particles of different types. Our interaction potential depends solely on the length of the Delaunay edges. We show that a phase transition occurs for sufficiently large activities and for sufficiently large potential parameter proving an old conjecture of Lebowitz and Lieb extended to the Delaunay structure. Our approach involves a Delaunay random-cluster representation analogous to the Fortuin-Kasteleyn representation of the Potts model. The phase transition manifests itself in the mixed site-bond percolation of the corresponding random-cluster model. Our proofs rely mainly on geometric properties of Delaunay tessellations in $\mathbb{R}^2$ and on recent studies [DDG12] of Gibbs measures for geometry-dependent interactions. The main tool is a uniform bound on the number of connected components in the Delaunay graph which provides a novel approach to Delaunay Widom Rowlinson models based on purely geometric arguments. The interaction potential ensures that shorter Delaunay edges are more likely to be open and thus offsets the possibility of having an unbounded number of connected components.Comment: 36 pages, 11 figure

Every Minor-Closed Property of Sparse Graphs is Testable

Suppose $G$ is a graph with degrees bounded by $d$, and one needs to remove more than $\epsilon n$ of its edges in order to make it planar. We show that in this case the statistics of local neighborhoods around vertices of $G$ is far from the statistics of local neighborhoods around vertices of any planar graph $G'$ with the same degree bound. In fact, a similar result is proved for any minor-closed property of bounded degree graphs. As an immediate corollary of the above result we infer that many well studied graph properties, like being planar, outer-planar, series-parallel, bounded genus, bounded tree-width and several others, are testable with a constant number of queries, where the constant may depend on $\epsilon$ and $d$, but not on the graph size. None of these properties was previously known to be testable even with $o(n)$ queries

Topics in social network analysis and network science

This chapter introduces statistical methods used in the analysis of social networks and in the rapidly evolving parallel-field of network science. Although several instances of social network analysis in health services research have appeared recently, the majority involve only the most basic methods and thus scratch the surface of what might be accomplished. Cutting-edge methods using relevant examples and illustrations in health services research are provided