Lipschitz null-homotopy of mappings S3→S2S^3 \rightarrow S^2

One of the open problems in quantitative topology is as follows. Given homotopic mappings $f_0,f_1: S^m\rightarrow S^n$ of Lipschitz constant $L$ build the (asymptotically) simplest homotopy $f_\bullet: S^m\times[0,1]\rightarrow S^n$ between them. The present paper resolves this problem for the first formerly open case $m=3$, $n=2$ constructing a homotopy $f_\bullet$ with Lipschitz constant $O(L)$.Comment: 30 pages, 19 figures Added and corrected abstract, expanded acknowledgement

Hypercube diagrams for knots, links, and knotted tori

For a knot K the cube number is a knot invariant defined to be the smallest n for which there is a cube diagram of size n for K. Examples of knots for which the cube number detects chirality are presented. There is also a Legendrian version of this invariant called the Legendrian cube number. We will show that the Legendrian cube number distinguishes the Legendrian left hand torus knots with maximal Thurston-Bennequin number and maximal rotation number from the Legendrian left hand torus knots with maximal Thurston-Bennequin number and minimal rotation number. Finally, there is a generalization of cube diagrams, called hypercube diagrams. We use such diagrams, which represent immersed Lagrangian tori in R^4 to study embedded Legendrian tori in the standard contact space. We then show how to compute one of the classical invariants, the rotation class, and discuss applications to contact homology

Interconnection networks for parallel and distributed computing

Parallel computers are generally either shared-memory machines or distributed- memory machines. There are currently technological limitations on shared-memory architectures and so parallel computers utilizing a large number of processors tend tube distributed-memory machines. We are concerned solely with distributed-memory multiprocessors. In such machines, the dominant factor inhibiting faster global computations is inter-processor communication. Communication is dependent upon the topology of the interconnection network, the routing mechanism, the flow control policy, and the method of switching. We are concerned with issues relating to the topology of the interconnection network. The choice of how we connect processors in a distributed-memory multiprocessor is a fundamental design decision. There are numerous, often conflicting, considerations to bear in mind. However, there does not exist an interconnection network that is optimal on all counts and trade-offs have to be made. A multitude of interconnection networks have been proposed with each of these networks having some good (topological) properties and some not so good. Existing noteworthy networks include trees, fat-trees, meshes, cube-connected cycles, butterflies, Möbius cubes, hypercubes, augmented cubes, k-ary n-cubes, twisted cubes, n-star graphs, (n, k)-star graphs, alternating group graphs, de Bruijn networks, and bubble-sort graphs, to name but a few. We will mainly focus on k-ary n-cubes and (n, k)-star graphs in this thesis. Meanwhile, we propose a new interconnection network called augmented k-ary n- cubes. The following results are given in the thesis.1. Let k ≥ 4 be even and let n ≥ 2. Consider a faulty k-ary n-cube Q(^k_n) in which the number of node faults f(_n) and the number of link faults f(_e) are such that f(_n) + f(_e) ≤ 2n - 2. We prove that given any two healthy nodes s and e of Q(^k_n), there is a path from s to e of length at least k(^n) - 2f(_n) - 1 (resp. k(^n) - 2f(_n) - 2) if the nodes s and e have different (resp. the same) parities (the parity of a node Q(^k_n) in is the sum modulo 2 of the elements in the n-tuple over 0, 1, ∙∙∙ , k - 1 representing the node). Our result is optimal in the sense that there are pairs of nodes and fault configurations for which these bounds cannot be improved, and it answers questions recently posed by Yang, Tan and Hsu, and by Fu. Furthermore, we extend known results, obtained by Kim and Park, for the case when n = 2.2. We give precise solutions to problems posed by Wang, An, Pan, Wang and Qu and by Hsieh, Lin and Huang. In particular, we show that Q(^k_n) is bi-panconnected and edge-bipancyclic, when k ≥ 3 and n ≥ 2, and we also show that when k is odd, Q(^k_n) is m-panconnected, for m = (^n(k - 1) + 2k - 6’ / ‘_2), and (k -1) pancyclic (these bounds are optimal). We introduce a path-shortening technique, called progressive shortening, and strengthen existing results, showing that when paths are formed using progressive shortening then these paths can be efficiently constructed and used to solve a problem relating to the distributed simulation of linear arrays and cycles in a parallel machine whose interconnection network is Q(^k_n) even in the presence of a faulty processor.3. We define an interconnection network AQ(^k_n) which we call the augmented k-ary n-cube by extending a k-ary n-cube in a manner analogous to the existing extension of an n-dimensional hypercube to an n-dimensional augmented cube. We prove that the augmented k-ary n-cube Q(^k_n) has a number of attractive properties (in the context of parallel computing). For example, we show that the augmented k-ary n-cube Q(^k_n) - is a Cayley graph (and so is vertex-symmetric); has connectivity 4n - 2, and is such that we can build a set of 4n - 2 mutually disjoint paths joining any two distinct vertices so that the path of maximal length has length at most max{{n- l)k- (n-2), k + 7}; has diameter [(^k) / (_3)] + [(^k - 1) /( _3)], when n = 2; and has diameter at most (^k) / (_4) (n+ 1), for n ≥ 3 and k even, and at most [(^k)/ (_4) (n + 1) + (^n) / (_4), for n ^, for n ≥ 3 and k odd.4. We present an algorithm which given a source node and a set of n - 1 target nodes in the (n, k)-star graph S(_n,k) where all nodes are distinct, builds a collection of n - 1 node-disjoint paths, one from each target node to the source. The collection of paths output from the algorithm is such that each path has length at most 6k - 7, and the algorithm has time complexity O(k(^3)n(^4))

Resource placement, data rearrangement, and Hamiltonian cycles in torus networks

Many parallel machines, both commercial and experimental, have been/are being designed with toroidal interconnection networks. For a given number of nodes, the torus has a relatively larger diameter, but better cost/performance tradeoffs, such as higher channel bandwidth, and lower node degree, when compared to the hypercube. Thus, the torus is becoming a popular topology for the interconnection network of a high performance parallel computers. In a multicomputer, the resources, such as I/O devices or software packages, are distributed over the networks. The first part of the thesis investigates efficient methods of distributing resources in a torus network. Three classes of placement methods are studied. They are (1) distant-t placement problem: in this case, any non-resource node is at a distance of at most t from some resource nodes, (2) j-adjacency problem: here, a non-resource node is adjacent to at least j resource nodes, and (3) generalized placement problem: a non-resource node must be a distance of at most t from at least j resource nodes. This resource placement technique can be applied to allocating spare processors to provide fault-tolerance in the case of the processor failures. Some efficient spare processor placement methods and reconfiguration schemes in the case of processor failures are also described. In a torus based parallel system, some algorithms give best performance if the data are distributed to processors numbered in Cartesian order; in some other cases, it is better to distribute the data to processors numbered in Gray code order. Since the placement patterns may be changed dynamically, it is essential to find efficient methods of rearranging the data from Gray code order to Cartesian order and vice versa. In the second part of the thesis, some efficient methods for data transfer from Cartesian order to radix order and vice versa are developed. The last part of the thesis gives results on generating edge disjoint Hamiltonian cycles in k-ary n-cubes, hypercubes, and 2D tori. These edge disjoint cycles are quite useful for many communication algorithms

Geometric and Topological Combinatorics

The 2007 Oberwolfach meeting “Geometric and Topological Combinatorics” presented a great variety of investigations where topological and algebraic methods are brought into play to solve combinatorial and geometric problems, but also where geometric and combinatorial ideas are applied to topological questions

Physically Interacting With Four Dimensions

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Indiana University, Computer Sciences, 2009People have long been fascinated with understanding the fourth dimension. While making pictures of 4D objects by projecting them to 3D can help reveal basic geometric features, 3D graphics images by themselves are of limited value. For example, just as 2D shadows of 3D curves may have lines crossing one another in the shadow, 3D graphics projections of smooth 4D topological surfaces can be interrupted where one surface intersects another. The research presented here creates physically realistic models for simple interactions with objects and materials in a virtual 4D world. We provide methods for the construction, multimodal exploration, and interactive manipulation of a wide variety of 4D objects. One basic achievement of this research is to exploit the free motion of a computer-based haptic probe to support a continuous motion that follows the \emph{local continuity\/} of a 4D surface, allowing collision-free exploration in the 3D projection. In 3D, this interactive probe follows the full local continuity of the surface as though we were in fact \emph{physically touching\/} the actual static 4D object. Our next contribution is to support dynamic 4D objects that can move, deform, and collide with other objects as well as with themselves. By combining graphics, haptics, and collision-sensing physical modeling, we can thus enhance our 4D visualization experience. Since we cannot actually place interaction devices in 4D, we develop fluid methods for interacting with a 4D object in its 3D shadow image using adapted reduced-dimension 3D tools for manipulating objects embedded in 4D. By physically modeling the correct properties of 4D surfaces, their bending forces, and their collisions in the 3D interactive or haptic controller interface, we can support full-featured physical exploration of 4D mathematical objects in a manner that is otherwise far beyond the real-world experience accessible to human beings