Outer Billiards, Arithmetic Graphs, and the Octagon

Outer Billiards is a geometrically inspired dynamical system based on a convex shape in the plane. When the shape is a polygon, the system has a combinatorial flavor. In the polygonal case, there is a natural acceleration of the map, a first return map to a certain strip in the plane. The arithmetic graph is a geometric encoding of the symbolic dynamics of this first return map. In the case of the regular octagon, the case we study, the arithmetic graphs associated to periodic orbits are polygonal paths in R^8. We are interested in the asymptotic shapes of these polygonal paths, as the period tends to infinity. We show that the rescaled limit of essentially any sequence of these graphs converges to a fractal curve that simultaneously projects one way onto a variant of the Koch snowflake and another way onto a variant of the Sierpinski carpet. In a sense, this gives a complete description of the asymptotic behavior of the symbolic dynamics of the first return map. What makes all our proofs work is an efficient (and basically well known) renormalization scheme for the dynamics.Comment: 86 pages, mildly computer-aided proof. My java program http://www.math.brown.edu/~res/Java/OctoMap2/Main.html illustrates essentially all the ideas in the paper in an interactive and well-documented way. This is the second version. The only difference from the first version is that I simplified the proof of Main Theorem, Statement 2, at the end of Ch.

Symmetries of Monocoronal Tilings

The vertex corona of a vertex of some tiling is the vertex together with the adjacent tiles. A tiling where all vertex coronae are congruent is called monocoronal. We provide a classification of monocoronal tilings in the Euclidean plane and derive a list of all possible symmetry groups of monocoronal tilings. In particular, any monocoronal tiling with respect to direct congruence is crystallographic, whereas any monocoronal tiling with respect to congruence (reflections allowed) is either crystallographic or it has a one-dimensional translation group. Furthermore, bounds on the number of the dimensions of the translation group of monocoronal tilings in higher dimensional Euclidean space are obtained.Comment: 26 pages, 66 figure

Higher Sobolev Regularity of Convex Integration Solutions in Elasticity: The Dirichlet Problem with Affine Data in int(Klc)\text{int}(K^{lc})

In this article we continue our study of higher Sobolev regularity of flexible convex integration solutions to differential inclusions arising from applications in materials sciences. We present a general framework yielding higher Sobolev regularity for Dirichlet problems with affine data in $\text{int}(K^{lc})$. This allows us to simultaneously deal with linear and nonlinear differential inclusion problems. We show that the derived higher integrability and differentiability exponent has a lower bound, which is independent of the position of the Dirichlet boundary data in $\text{int}(K^{lc})$. As applications we discuss the regularity of weak isometric immersions in two and three dimensions as well as the differential inclusion problem for the geometrically linear hexagonal-to-rhombic and the cubic-to-orthorhombic phase transformations occurring in shape memory alloys.Comment: 50 pages, 13 figure

Domes over Curves

A closed piecewise linear curve is called integral if it is comprised of unit intervals. Kenyon\u27s problem asks whether for every integral curve γ in ℝ3, there is a dome over γ, i.e. whether γ is a boundary of a polyhedral surface whose faces are equilateral triangles with unit edge lengths. First, we give an algebraic necessary condition when γ is a quadrilateral, thus giving a negative solution to Kenyon\u27s problem in full generality. We then prove that domes exist over a dense set of integral curves. Finally, we give an explicit construction of domes over all regular n-gons

Geometric Dilation and Halving Distance

Let us consider the network of streets of a city represented by a geometric graph G in the plane. The vertices of G represent the crossroads and the edges represent the streets. The latter do not have to be straight line segments, they may be curved. If one wants to drive from a place p to some other place q, normally the length of the shortest path along streets, d_G(p,q), is bigger than the airline distance (Euclidean distance) |pq|. The (relative) DETOUR is defined as delta_G(p,q) := d_G(p,q)/|pq|. The supremum of all these ratios is called the GEOMETRIC DILATION of G. It measures the quality of the network. A small dilation value guarantees that there is no bigger detour between any two points. Given a finite point set S, we would like to know the smallest possible dilation of any graph that contains the given points on its edges. We call this infimum the DILATION of S and denote it by delta(S). The main results of this thesis are - a general upper bound to the dilation of any finite point set S, delta(S) - a lower bound for a specific set P, delta(P)>(1+10^(-11))pi/2, which approximately equals 1.571 In order to achieve these results, we first consider closed curves. Their dilation depends on the HALVING PAIRS, pairs of points which divide the closed curve in two parts of equal length. In particular the distance between the two points is essential, the HALVING DISTANCE. A transformation technique based on halving pairs, the HALVING PAIR TRANSFORMATION, and the curve formed by the midpoints of the halving pairs, the MIDPOINT CURVE, help us to derive lower bounds to dilation. For constructing graphs of small dilation, we use ZINDLER CURVES. These are closed curves of constant halving distance. To give a structured overview, the mathematical apparatus for deriving the main results of this thesis includes - upper bound: * the construction of certain Zindler curves to generate a periodic graph of small dilation * an embedding argument based on a number theoretical result by Dirichlet - lower bound: * the formulation and analysis of the halving pair transformation * a stability result for the dilation of closed curves based on this transformation and the midpoint curve * the application of a disk-packing result In addition, this thesis contains - a detailed analysis of the dilation of closed curves - a collection of inequalities, which relate halving distance to other important quantities from convex geometry, and their proofs; including four new inequalities - the rediscovery of Zindler curves and a compact presentation of their properties - a proof of the applied disk packing result.Geometrische Dilation und Halbierungsabstand Man kann das von den Straßen einer Stadt gebildete Netzwerk durch einen geometrischen Graphen in der Ebene darstellen. Die Knoten dieses Graphen repräsentieren die Kreuzungen und die Kanten sind die Straßen. Letztere müssen nicht geradlinig sein, sondern können beliebig gekrümmt sein. Wenn man nun von einem Ort p zu einem anderen Ort q fahren möchte, dann ist normalerweise die Länge des kürzesten Pfades über Straßen, d_G(p,q), länger als der Luftlinienabstand (euklidischer Abstand) |pq|. Der (relative) UMWEG (DETOUR) ist definiert als delta_G(p,q) := d_G(p,q)/|pq|. Das Supremum all dieser Brüche wird GEOMETRISCHE DILATION (GEOMETRIC DILATION) von G genannt. Es ist ein Maß für die Qualität des Straßennetzes. Ein kleiner Dilationswert garantiert, dass es keinen größeren Umweg zwischen beliebigen zwei Punkten gibt. Für eine gegebene endliche Punktmenge S würden wir nun gerne bestimmen, was der kleinste Dilationswert ist, den wir mit einem Graphen erreichen können, der die gegebenen Punkte auf seinen Kanten enthält. Dieses Infimum nennen wir die DILATION von S und schreiben kurz delta(S). Die Haupt-Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit sind - eine allgemeine obere Schranke für die Dilation jeder beliebigen endlichen Punktmenge S: delta(S) - eine untere Schranke für eine bestimmte Menge P: delta(P)>(1+10^(-11))pi/2, was ungefähr der Zahl 1.571 entspricht Um diese Ergebnisse zu erreichen, betrachten wir zunächst geschlossene Kurven. Ihre Dilation hängt von sogenannten HALBIERUNGSPAAREN (HALVING PAIRS) ab. Das sind Punktpaare, die die geschlossene Kurve in zwei Teile gleicher Länge teilen. Besonders der Abstand der beiden Punkte ist von Bedeutung, der HALBIERUNGSABSTAND (HALVING DISTANCE). Eine auf den Halbierungspaaren aufbauende Transformation, die HALBIERUNGSPAARTRANSFORMATION (HALVING PAIR TRANSFORMATION), und die von den Mittelpunkten der Halbierungspaare gebildete Kurve, die MITTELPUNKTKURVE (MIDPOINT CURVE), helfen uns untere Dilationsschranken herzuleiten. Zur Konstruktion von Graphen mit kleiner Dilation benutzen wir ZINDLERKURVEN (ZINDLER CURVES). Dies sind geschlossene Kurven mit konstantem Halbierungspaarabstand. Die mathematischen Hilfsmittel, mit deren Hilfe wir schließlich die Hauptresultate beweisen, sind unter anderem - obere Schranke: * die Konstruktion von bestimmten Zindlerkurven, mit denen periodische Graphen kleiner Dilation gebildet werden können * ein Einbettungsargument, das einen zahlentheoretischen Satz von Dirichlet benutzt - untere Schranke: * die Definition und Analyse der Halbierungspaartransformation * ein Stabilitätsresultat für die Dilation geschlossener Kurven, das auf dieser Transformation und der Mittelpunktkurve basiert * die Anwendung eines Kreispackungssatzes Zusätzlich enthält diese Dissertation - eine detaillierte Analyse der Dilation geschlossener Kurven - eine Sammlung von Ungleichungen, die den Halbierungsabstand zu anderen wichtigen Größen der Konvexgeometrie in Beziehung setzen, und ihre Beweise; inklusive vier neuer Ungleichungen - die Wiederentdeckung von Zindlerkurven und eine kompakte Darstellung ihrer Eigenschaften - einen Beweis des angewendeten Kreispackungssatzes

Covering problems in euclidean space

Our purpose in these pages will be to develop a broad survey of some problems in covering which have been solved using the methods of convexity. The basic aim has been to show the flexibility of approach which is desirable, and to do this we shall discuss ten particular problems with widely differing methods of solution. The problems to be discussed fall into three main categories. covering a single set by a single set with specified properties, covering a single set by many sets, and covering many sets by a single set. The first chapter is a collection of some necessary preliminary definitions and theorems in convexity. In the second chapter we consider six particular problems of covering a single set by a single set: these include finding the convex covers of certain arcs in two and three dimensions, finding the smallest containing sphere of an n-dimensional set, and establishing properties of particular types of containing set. The final chapter contains problems which fall into the other two categories outlined above, and includes finding a single set to cover an infinite class of sets, and covering one set by a finite class of sets. The last paper considered relates one set (the plane) and a given infinite class of sets: it is included for the sake of completeness and because of the methods of solution involved, but in fact can be considered as a problem in covering only if the latter term is not restricted to mean complete covering by a class of sets. A full list of references to the original papers is given at the end.<p