Solving a "Hard" Problem to Approximate an "Easy" One: Heuristics for Maximum Matchings and Maximum Traveling Salesman Problems

We consider geometric instances of the Maximum Weighted Matching Problem (MWMP) and the Maximum Traveling Salesman Problem (MTSP) with up to 3,000,000 vertices. Making use of a geometric duality relationship between MWMP, MTSP, and the Fermat-Weber-Problem (FWP), we develop a heuristic approach that yields in near-linear time solutions as well as upper bounds. Using various computational tools, we get solutions within considerably less than 1% of the optimum. An interesting feature of our approach is that, even though an FWP is hard to compute in theory and Edmonds' algorithm for maximum weighted matching yields a polynomial solution for the MWMP, the practical behavior is just the opposite, and we can solve the FWP with high accuracy in order to find a good heuristic solution for the MWMP.Comment: 20 pages, 14 figures, Latex, to appear in Journal of Experimental Algorithms, 200

Multipole expansion of strongly focussed laser beams

Multipole expansion of an incident radiation field - that is, representation of the fields as sums of vector spherical wavefunctions - is essential for theoretical light scattering methods such as the T-matrix method and generalised Lorenz-Mie theory (GLMT). In general, it is theoretically straightforward to find a vector spherical wavefunction representation of an arbitrary radiation field. For example, a simple formula results in the useful case of an incident plane wave. Laser beams present some difficulties. These problems are not a result of any deficiency in the basic process of spherical wavefunction expansion, but are due to the fact that laser beams, in their standard representations, are not radiation fields, but only approximations of radiation fields. This results from the standard laser beam representations being solutions to the paraxial scalar wave equation. We present an efficient method for determining the multipole representation of an arbitrary focussed beam.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figure

Cluster description of cold (neutronless) alpha ternary fission of 252Cf

A coplanar three body cluster model (two deformed fragments and an alpha particle) similar to the model used for the description of cold binary fission was employed for the description of cold (neutronless) alpha accompanied fission of 252Cf. No preformation factors were considered. The three body potential was computed with the help of a double folding potential generated by the M3Y-NN effective interaction and realistic fragment ground state deformations. From the minimum action principle, the alpha particle trajectory equations, the corresponding ternary barriers, and an approximate WKB expression for the barrier penetrability are obtained. The relative cold ternary yields were calculated as the ratio of the penetrability of a given ternary fragmentation and the sum of the penetrabilities of all possible cold ternary fragmentations. Different scenarios were considered depending on the trajectories of the fragments. It was shown that two regions of cold fragmentation exist, a deformed one corresponding to large fragment deformations and a spherical one around 132Sn, similarly to the case of the cold binary fission of 252Cf. We have shown that for the scenario corresponding to the Lagrange point, where all forces acting on the alpha particle are in equilibrium, the cold alpha ternary yields of 252Cf are strongly correlated with the cold binary yields of the daughter nucleus 248Cm into the same heavy fragments. For all other scenarios only the spherical splittings are favored. We concluded that due to the present available experimental data on cold alpha ternary yields only the Lagrange scenario could describe the cold alpha ternary fission of 252Cf

Squarepants in a Tree: Sum of Subtree Clustering and Hyperbolic Pants Decomposition

We provide efficient constant factor approximation algorithms for the problems of finding a hierarchical clustering of a point set in any metric space, minimizing the sum of minimimum spanning tree lengths within each cluster, and in the hyperbolic or Euclidean planes, minimizing the sum of cluster perimeters. Our algorithms for the hyperbolic and Euclidean planes can also be used to provide a pants decomposition, that is, a set of disjoint simple closed curves partitioning the plane minus the input points into subsets with exactly three boundary components, with approximately minimum total length. In the Euclidean case, these curves are squares; in the hyperbolic case, they combine our Euclidean square pants decomposition with our tree clustering method for general metric spaces.Comment: 22 pages, 14 figures. This version replaces the proof of what is now Lemma 5.2, as the previous proof was erroneou

Enumerative Real Algebraic Geometry

Enumerative Geometry is concerned with the number of solutions to a structured system of polynomial equations, when the structure comes from geometry. Enumerative real algebraic geometry studies real solutions to such systems, particularly a priori information on their number. Recent results in this area have, often as not, uncovered new and unexpected phenomena, and it is far from clear what to expect in general. Nevertheless, some themes are emerging. This comprehensive article describe the current state of knowledge, indicating these themes, and suggests lines of future research. In particular, it compares the state of knowledge in Enumerative Real Algebraic Geometry with what is known about real solutions to systems of sparse polynomials.Comment: Revised, corrected version. 40 pages, 18 color .eps figures. Expanded web-based version at http://www.math.umass.edu/~sottile/pages/ERAG/index.htm