221 research outputs found
Combinatorics of embeddings
We offer the following explanation of the statement of the Kuratowski graph
planarity criterion and of 6/7 of the statement of the Robertson-Seymour-Thomas
intrinsic linking criterion. Let us call a cell complex 'dichotomial' if to
every cell there corresponds a unique cell with the complementary set of
vertices. Then every dichotomial cell complex is PL homeomorphic to a sphere;
there exist precisely two 3-dimensional dichotomial cell complexes, and their
1-skeleta are K_5 and K_{3,3}; and precisely six 4-dimensional ones, and their
1-skeleta all but one graphs of the Petersen family.
In higher dimensions n>2, we observe that in order to characterize those
compact n-polyhedra that embed in S^{2n} in terms of finitely many "prohibited
minors", it suffices to establish finiteness of the list of all (n-1)-connected
n-dimensional finite cell complexes that do not embed in S^{2n} yet all their
proper subcomplexes and proper cell-like combinatorial quotients embed there.
Our main result is that this list contains the n-skeleta of (2n+1)-dimensional
dichotomial cell complexes. The 2-skeleta of 5-dimensional dichotomial cell
complexes include (apart from the three joins of the i-skeleta of
(2i+2)-simplices) at least ten non-simplicial complexes.Comment: 49 pages, 1 figure. Minor improvements in v2 (subsection 4.C on
transforms of dichotomial spheres reworked to include more details;
subsection 2.D "Algorithmic issues" added, etc
Rectangular Layouts and Contact Graphs
Contact graphs of isothetic rectangles unify many concepts from applications
including VLSI and architectural design, computational geometry, and GIS.
Minimizing the area of their corresponding {\em rectangular layouts} is a key
problem. We study the area-optimization problem and show that it is NP-hard to
find a minimum-area rectangular layout of a given contact graph. We present
O(n)-time algorithms that construct -area rectangular layouts for
general contact graphs and -area rectangular layouts for trees.
(For trees, this is an -approximation algorithm.) We also present an
infinite family of graphs (rsp., trees) that require (rsp.,
) area.
We derive these results by presenting a new characterization of graphs that
admit rectangular layouts using the related concept of {\em rectangular duals}.
A corollary to our results relates the class of graphs that admit rectangular
layouts to {\em rectangle of influence drawings}.Comment: 28 pages, 13 figures, 55 references, 1 appendi
Planar graphs : a historical perspective.
The field of graph theory has been indubitably influenced by the study of planar graphs. This thesis, consisting of five chapters, is a historical account of the origins and development of concepts pertaining to planar graphs and their applications. The first chapter serves as an introduction to the history of graph theory, including early studies of graph theory tools such as paths, circuits, and trees. The second chapter pertains to the relationship between polyhedra and planar graphs, specifically the result of Euler concerning the number of vertices, edges, and faces of a polyhedron. Counterexamples and generalizations of Euler\u27s formula are also discussed. Chapter III describes the background in recreational mathematics of the graphs of K5 and K3,3 and their importance to the first characterization of planar graphs by Kuratowski. Further characterizations of planar graphs by Whitney, Wagner, and MacLane are also addressed. The focus of Chapter IV is the history and eventual proof of the four-color theorem, although it also includes a discussion of generalizations involving coloring maps on surfaces of higher genus. The final chapter gives a number of measurements of a graph\u27s closeness to planarity, including the concepts of crossing number, thickness, splitting number, and coarseness. The chapter conclused with a discussion of two other coloring problems - Heawood\u27s empire problem and Ringel\u27s earth-moon problem
Holographic description of boundary gravitons in (3+1) dimensions
Gravity is uniquely situated in between classical topological field theories
and standard local field theories. This can be seen in the the quasi-local
nature of gravitational observables, but is nowhere more apparent than in
gravity's holographic formulation. Holography holds promise for simplifying
computations in quantum gravity. While holographic descriptions of
three-dimensional spacetimes and of spacetimes with a negative cosmological
constant are well-developed, a complete boundary description of zero curvature,
four-dimensional spacetime is not currently available. Building on previous
work in three-dimensions, we provide a new route to four-dimensional holography
and its boundary gravitons. Using Regge calculus linearized around a flat
Euclidean background with the topology of a solid hyper-torus, we obtain the
effective action for a dual boundary theory which describes the dynamics of the
boundary gravitons. Remarkably, in the continuum limit and at large radii this
boundary theory is local and closely analogous to the corresponding result in
three-dimensions. The boundary effective action has a degenerate kinetic term
that leads to singularities in the one-loop partition function that are
independent of the discretization. These results establish a rich boundary
dynamics for four-dimensional flat holography.Comment: 43 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl
Loop Quantum Gravity: An Inside View
This is a (relatively) non -- technical summary of the status of the quantum
dynamics in Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG). We explain in detail the historical
evolution of the subject and why the results obtained so far are non --
trivial. The present text can be viewed in part as a response to an article by
Nicolai, Peeters and Zamaklar [hep-th/0501114]. We also explain why certain no
go conclusions drawn from a mathematically correct calculation in a recent
paper by Helling et al [hep-th/0409182] are physically incorrect.Comment: 58 pages, no figure
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