Matching nuts and bolts optimally

The nuts and bolts problem is the following : Given a collection of $n$ nuts of distinct sizes and $n$ bolts of distinct sizes such that for each nut there is exactly one matching bolt, find for each nut its corresponding bolt subject to the restriction that we can {\em only} compare nuts to bolts. That is we can neither compare nuts to nuts, nor bolts to bolts. This humble restriction on the comparisons appears to make this problem quite difficult to solve. In this paper, we illustrate the existence of an algorithm for solving the nuts and bolts problem that makes $O(n \lg n)$ nut-and-bolt comparisons. We show the existence of this algorithm by showing the existence of certain expander-based comparator networks. Our algorithm is asymptotically optimal in terms of the number of nut-and-bolt comparisons it does. Another view of this result is that we show the existence of a decision tree with depth $O(n \lg n)$ that solves this problem

Partition functions on 3d circle bundles and their gravity duals

The partition function of a three-dimensional $\mathcal{N} =2$ theory on the manifold $\mathcal{M}_{g,p}$, an $S^1$ bundle of degree $p$ over a closed Riemann surface $\Sigma_g$, was recently computed via supersymmetric localization. In this paper, we compute these partition functions at large $N$ in a class of quiver gauge theories with holographic M-theory duals. We provide the supergravity bulk dual having as conformal boundary such three-dimensional circle bundles. These configurations are solutions to $\mathcal{N}=2$ minimal gauged supergravity and pertain to the class of Taub-NUT-AdS and Taub-Bolt-AdS preserving $1/4$ of the supersymmetries. We discuss the conditions for the uplift of these solutions to M-theory, and compute the on-shell action via holographic renormalization. We show that the uplift condition and on-shell action for the Bolt solutions are correctly reproduced by the large $N$ limit of the partition function of the dual superconformal field theory. In particular, the $\Sigma_g \times S^1 \cong \mathcal{M}_{g,0}$ partition function, which was recently shown to match the entropy of $AdS_4$ black holes, and the $S^3 \cong \mathcal{M}_{0,1}$ free energy, occur as special cases of our formalism, and we comment on relations between them.Comment: typos in eqs 5.51 and subsequent fixed, conclusions unaltere

New Taub-NUT-Reissner-Nordstr\"{o}m spaces in higher dimensions

We construct new charged solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell field equations with cosmological constant. These solutions describe the nut-charged generalisation of the higher dimensional Reissner-Nordstr\"{o}m spacetimes. For a negative cosmological constant these solutions are the charged generalizations of the topological nut-charged black hole solutions in higher dimensions. Finally, we discuss the global structure of such solutions and possible applications.Comment: 10 pages, v.2 References adde

Surface Terms as Counterterms in the AdS/CFT Correspondence

We examine the recently proposed technique of adding boundary counterterms to the gravitational action for spacetimes which are locally asymptotic to anti-de Sitter. In particular, we explicitly identify higher order counterterms, which allow us to consider spacetimes of dimensions d<=7. As the counterterms eliminate the need of ``background subtraction'' in calculating the action, we apply this technique to study examples where the appropriate background was ambiguous or unknown: topological black holes, Taub-NUT-AdS and Taub-Bolt-AdS. We also identify certain cases where the covariant counterterms fail to render the action finite, and we comment on the dual field theory interpretation of this result. In some examples, the case of vanishing cosmological constant may be recovered in a limit, which allows us to check results and resolve ambiguities in certain asymptotically flat spacetime computations in the literature.Comment: Revtex, 18 pages. References updated and few typo's fixed. Final versio

Gravitational Entropy and Global Structure

The underlying reason for the existence of gravitational entropy is traced to the impossibility of foliating topologically non-trivial Euclidean spacetimes with a time function to give a unitary Hamiltonian evolution. In $d$ dimensions the entropy can be expressed in terms of the $d-2$ obstructions to foliation, bolts and Misner strings, by a universal formula. We illustrate with a number of examples including spaces with nut charge. In these cases, the entropy is not just a quarter the area of the bolt, as it is for black holes.Comment: 18 pages. References adde