A strongly polynomial algorithm for generalized flow maximization

A strongly polynomial algorithm is given for the generalized flow maximization problem. It uses a new variant of the scaling technique, called continuous scaling. The main measure of progress is that within a strongly polynomial number of steps, an arc can be identified that must be tight in every dual optimal solution, and thus can be contracted. As a consequence of the result, we also obtain a strongly polynomial algorithm for the linear feasibility problem with at most two nonzero entries per column in the constraint matrix.Comment: minor correction

Aspects of Bifurcation Theory for Piecewise-Smooth, Continuous Systems

Systems that are not smooth can undergo bifurcations that are forbidden in smooth systems. We review some of the phenomena that can occur for piecewise-smooth, continuous maps and flows when a fixed point or an equilibrium collides with a surface on which the system is not smooth. Much of our understanding of these cases relies on a reduction to piecewise linearity near the border-collision. We also review a number of codimension-two bifurcations in which nonlinearity is important.Comment: pdfLaTeX, 9 figure

On the moduli space of elliptic Maxwell-Chern-Simons theories

We analyze the moduli space of the low-energy limit of 3-dimensional N=3 Maxwell-Chern-Simons theories described by circular quiver diagrams, as for 4-dimensional elliptic models. We define the theories by using D3-NS5-(k,1)5-brane systems with an arbitrary number of fivebranes. The supersymmetry is expected to be enhanced to N=4 in the low-energy limit. We show that the Higgs branch, in which all bifundamental scalar fields develop vacuum expectation values, is an abelian orbifold of C^4. We confirm that the same geometry is obtained as an M-theory dual of the brane system. We also consider theories realized by introducing more than two kinds of fivebranes, and obtain nontoric fourfolds as moduli spaces.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures; published versio

Flavour from partially resolved singularities

In this letter we study topological open string field theory on D--branes in a IIB background given by non compact CY geometries ${\cal O}(n)\oplus{\cal O}(-2-n)$ on $\P1$ with a singular point at which an extra fiber sits. We wrap $N$ D5-branes on $\P1$ and $M$ effective D3-branes at singular points, which are actually D5--branes wrapped on a shrinking cycle. We calculate the holomorphic Chern-Simons partition function for the above models in a deformed complex structure and find that it reduces to multi--matrix models with flavour. These are the matrix models whose resolvents have been shown to satisfy the generalized Konishi anomaly equations with flavour. In the $n=0$ case, corresponding to a partial resolution of the $A_2$ singularity, the quantum superpotential in the ${\cal N}=1$ unitary SYM with one adjoint and $M$ fundamentals is obtained. The $n=1$ case is also studied and shown to give rise to two--matrix models which for a particular set of couplings can be exactly solved. We explicitly show how to solve such a class of models by a quantum equation of motion technique