Chord diagrams and BPHZ subtractions

The combinatorics of the BPHZ subtraction scheme for a class of ladder graphs for the three point vertex in $\phi^3$ theory is transcribed into certain connectivity relations for marked chord diagrams (knots with transversal intersections). The resolution of the singular crossings using the equivalence relations in these examples provides confirmation of a proposed fundamental relationship between knot theory and renormalization in perturbative quantum field theory.Comment: 12 pages, 5 Postscript figures, LaTex 2

High-rate self-synchronizing codes

Self-synchronization under the presence of additive noise can be achieved by allocating a certain number of bits of each codeword as markers for synchronization. Difference systems of sets are combinatorial designs which specify the positions of synchronization markers in codewords in such a way that the resulting error-tolerant self-synchronizing codes may be realized as cosets of linear codes. Ideally, difference systems of sets should sacrifice as few bits as possible for a given code length, alphabet size, and error-tolerance capability. However, it seems difficult to attain optimality with respect to known bounds when the noise level is relatively low. In fact, the majority of known optimal difference systems of sets are for exceptionally noisy channels, requiring a substantial amount of bits for synchronization. To address this problem, we present constructions for difference systems of sets that allow for higher information rates while sacrificing optimality to only a small extent. Our constructions utilize optimal difference systems of sets as ingredients and, when applied carefully, generate asymptotically optimal ones with higher information rates. We also give direct constructions for optimal difference systems of sets with high information rates and error-tolerance that generate binary and ternary self-synchronizing codes.Comment: 9 pages, no figure, 2 tables. Final accepted version for publication in the IEEE Transactions on Information Theory. Material presented in part at the International Symposium on Information Theory and its Applications, Honolulu, HI USA, October 201

Three Puzzles on Mathematics, Computation, and Games

In this lecture I will talk about three mathematical puzzles involving mathematics and computation that have preoccupied me over the years. The first puzzle is to understand the amazing success of the simplex algorithm for linear programming. The second puzzle is about errors made when votes are counted during elections. The third puzzle is: are quantum computers possible?Comment: ICM 2018 plenary lecture, Rio de Janeiro, 36 pages, 7 Figure

The sandwich theorem

This report contains expository notes about a function $\vartheta(G)$ that is popularly known as the Lov\'asz number of a graph~$G$. There are many ways to define $\vartheta(G)$, and the surprising variety of different characterizations indicates in itself that $\vartheta(G)$ should be interesting. But the most interesting property of $\vartheta(G)$ is probably the fact that it can be computed efficiently, although it lies ``sandwiched'' between other classic graph numbers whose computation is NP-hard. I~have tried to make these notes self-contained so that they might serve as an elementary introduction to the growing literature on Lov\'asz's fascinating function