Stretching and folding versus cutting and shuffling: An illustrated perspective on mixing and deformations of continua

We compare and contrast two types of deformations inspired by mixing applications -- one from the mixing of fluids (stretching and folding), the other from the mixing of granular matter (cutting and shuffling). The connection between mechanics and dynamical systems is discussed in the context of the kinematics of deformation, emphasizing the equivalence between stretches and Lyapunov exponents. The stretching and folding motion exemplified by the baker's map is shown to give rise to a dynamical system with a positive Lyapunov exponent, the hallmark of chaotic mixing. On the other hand, cutting and shuffling does not stretch. When an interval exchange transformation is used as the basis for cutting and shuffling, we establish that all of the map's Lyapunov exponents are zero. Mixing, as quantified by the interfacial area per unit volume, is shown to be exponentially fast when there is stretching and folding, but linear when there is only cutting and shuffling. We also discuss how a simple computational approach can discern stretching in discrete data.Comment: REVTeX 4.1, 9 pages, 3 figures; v2 corrects some misprints. The following article appeared in the American Journal of Physics and may be found at http://ajp.aapt.org/resource/1/ajpias/v79/i4/p359_s1 . Copyright 2011 American Association of Physics Teachers. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the AAP

Augmenting computer networks

Three methods of augmenting computer networks by adding at most one link per processor are discussed: (1) A tree of N nodes may be augmented such that the resulting graph has diameter no greater than 4log sub 2((N+2)/3)-2. Thi O(N(3)) algorithm can be applied to any spanning tree of a connected graph to reduce the diameter of that graph to O(log N); (2) Given a binary tree T and a chain C of N nodes each, C may be augmented to produce C so that T is a subgraph of C. This algorithm is O(N) and may be used to produce augmented chains or rings that have diameter no greater than 2log sub 2((N+2)/3) and are planar; (3) Any rectangular two-dimensional 4 (8) nearest neighbor array of size N = 2(k) may be augmented so that it can emulate a single step shuffle-exchange network of size N/2 in 3(t) time steps

Efficient embedding of virtual hypercubes in irregular WDM optical networks

This thesis addresses one of the important issues in designing future WDM optical networks. Such networks are expected to employ an all-optical control plane for dissemination of network state information. It has recently been suggested that an efficient control plane will require non-blocking communication infrastructure and routing techniques. However, the irregular nature of most WDM networks does not lend itself to efficient non-blocking communications. It has been recently shown that hypercubes offer some very efficient non-blocking solutions for, all-to-all broadcast operations, which would be very attractive for control plane implementation. Such results can be utilized by embedding virtual structures in the physical network and doing the routing using properties of a virtual architecture. We will emphasize the hypercube due to its proven usefulness. In this thesis we propose three efficient heuristic methods for embedding a virtual hypercube in an irregular host network such that each node in the host network is either a hypercube node or a neighbor of a hypercube node. The latter will be called a “satellite” or “secondary” node. These schemes follow a step-by-step procedure for the embedding and for finding the physical path implementation of the virtual links while attempting to optimize certain metrics such as the number of wavelengths on each link and the average length of virtual link mappings. We have designed software that takes the adjacency list of an irregular topology as input and provides the adjacency list of a hypercube embedded in the original network. We executed this software on a number of irregular networks with different connectivities and compared the behavior of each of the three algorithms. The algorithms are compared with respect to their performance in trying to optimize several metrics. We also compare our algorithms to an already existing algorithm in the literature

Introductory lectures to loop quantum gravity

We give a standard introduction to loop quantum gravity, from the ADM variables to spin network states. We include a discussion on quantum geometry on a fixed graph and its relation to a discrete approximation of general relativity.Comment: Based on lectures given at the 3eme Ecole de Physique Theorique de Jijel, Algeria, 26 Sep -- 3 Oct, 2009. 52 pages, many figures. v2 minor corrections. To be published in the proceeding

Aspects of practical implementations of PRAM algorithms

The PRAM is a shared memory model of parallel computation which abstracts away from inessential engineering details. It provides a very simple architecture independent model and provides a good programming environment. Theoreticians of the computer science community have proved that it is possible to emulate the theoretical PRAM model using current technology. Solutions have been found for effectively interconnecting processing elements, for routing data on these networks and for distributing the data among memory modules without hotspots. This thesis reviews this emulation and the possibilities it provides for large scale general purpose parallel computation. The emulation employs a bridging model which acts as an interface between the actual hardware and the PRAM model. We review the evidence that such a scheme crn achieve scalable parallel performance and portable parallel software and that PRAM algorithms can be optimally implemented on such practical models. In the course of this review we presented the following new results: 1. Concerning parallel approximation algorithms, we describe an NC algorithm for finding an approximation to a minimum weight perfect matching in a complete weighted graph. The algorithm is conceptually very simple and it is also the first NC-approximation algorithm for the task with a sub-linear performance ratio. 2. Concerning graph embedding, we describe dense edge-disjoint embeddings of the complete binary tree with n leaves in the following n-node communication networks: the hypercube, the de Bruijn and shuffle-exchange networks and the 2-dimcnsional mesh. In the embeddings the maximum distance from a leaf to the root of the tree is asymptotically optimally short. The embeddings facilitate efficient implementation of many PRAM algorithms on networks employing these graphs as interconnection networks. 3. Concerning bulk synchronous algorithmics, we describe scalable transportable algorithms for the following three commonly required types of computation; balanced tree computations. Fast Fourier Transforms and matrix multiplications