Crystal frameworks, symmetry and affinely periodic flexes

Symmetry equations are obtained for the rigidity matrices associated with various forms of infinitesimal flexibility for an idealised bond-node crystal framework \C in \bR^d. These equations are used to derive symmetry-adapted Maxwell-Calladine counting formulae for periodic self-stresses and affinely periodic infinitesimal mechanisms. The symmetry equations also lead to general Fowler-Guest formulae connecting the character lists of subrepresentations of the crystallographic space and point groups which are associated with bonds, nodes, stresses, flexes and rigid motions. A new derivation is also given for the Borcea-Streinu rigidity matrix and the correspondence between its nullspace and the space of affinely periodic infinitesimal flexes.Comment: This preprint has some new diagrams and clarifications. A final version will appear in the New York Journal of Mathematic

Finite motions from periodic frameworks with added symmetry

Recent work from authors across disciplines has made substantial contributions to counting rules (Maxwell type theorems) which predict when an infinite periodic structure would be rigid or flexible while preserving the periodic pattern, as an engineering type framework, or equivalently, as an idealized molecular framework. Other work has shown that for finite frameworks, introducing symmetry modifies the previous general counts, and under some circumstances this symmetrized Maxwell type count can predict added finite flexibility in the structure. In this paper we combine these approaches to present new Maxwell type counts for the columns and rows of a modified orbit matrix for structures that have both a periodic structure and additional symmetry within the periodic cells. In a number of cases, this count for the combined group of symmetry operations demonstrates there is added finite flexibility in what would have been rigid when realized without the symmetry. Given that many crystal structures have these added symmetries, and that their flexibility may be key to their physical and chemical properties, we present a summary of the results as a way to generate further developments of both a practical and theoretic interest.Comment: 45 pages, 13 figure

Symmetry as a sufficient condition for a finite flex

We show that if the joints of a bar and joint framework $(G,p)$ are positioned as `generically' as possible subject to given symmetry constraints and $(G,p)$ possesses a `fully-symmetric' infinitesimal flex (i.e., the velocity vectors of the infinitesimal flex remain unaltered under all symmetry operations of $(G,p)$), then $(G,p)$ also possesses a finite flex which preserves the symmetry of $(G,p)$ throughout the path. This and other related results are obtained by symmetrizing techniques described by L. Asimov and B. Roth in their paper `The Rigidity Of Graphs' from 1978 and by using the fact that the rigidity matrix of a symmetric framework can be transformed into a block-diagonalized form by means of group representation theory. The finite flexes that can be detected with these symmetry-based methods can in general not be found with the analogous non-symmetric methods.Comment: 26 pages, 10 figure

Liftings and stresses for planar periodic frameworks

We formulate and prove a periodic analog of Maxwell's theorem relating stressed planar frameworks and their liftings to polyhedral surfaces with spherical topology. We use our lifting theorem to prove deformation and rigidity-theoretic properties for planar periodic pseudo-triangulations, generalizing features known for their finite counterparts. These properties are then applied to questions originating in mathematical crystallography and materials science, concerning planar periodic auxetic structures and ultrarigid periodic frameworks.Comment: An extended abstract of this paper has appeared in Proc. 30th annual Symposium on Computational Geometry (SOCG'14), Kyoto, Japan, June 201

The rigidity of infinite graphs

A rigidity theory is developed for the Euclidean and non-Euclidean placements of countably infinite simple graphs in R^d with respect to the classical l^p norms, for d>1 and 1<p<\infty. Generalisations are obtained for the Laman and Henneberg combinatorial characterisations of generic infinitesimal rigidity for finite graphs in the Euclidean plane. Also Tay's multi-graph characterisation of the rigidity of generic finite body-bar frameworks in d-dimensional Euclidean space is generalised to the non-Euclidean l^p norms and to countably infinite graphs. For all dimensions and norms it is shown that a generically rigid countable simple graph is the direct limit of an inclusion tower of finite graphs for which the inclusions satisfy a relative rigidity property. For d>2 a countable graph which is rigid for generic placements in R^d may fail the stronger property of sequential rigidity, while for d=2 the equivalence with sequential rigidity is obtained from the generalised Laman characterisations. Applications are given to the flexibility of non-Euclidean convex polyhedra and to the infinitesimal and continuous rigidity of compact infinitely-faceted simplicial polytopes.Comment: 51 page