Composition Theorems for CCA Cryptographic Security

We present two new theorems to analyze the indistinguishability of the composition of cryptographic permutations and the indistinguishability of the XOR of cryptographic functions. Using the H Coefficients technique of \cite{Patarin-2001}, for any two families of permutations $F$ and $G$ with CCA distinghuishability advantage $\leq\alpha_F$ and $\leq\alpha_G$, we prove that the set of permutations $f\circ g, f\in F, g\in G$ has CCA distinguishability advantage $\leq\alpha_F\times\alpha_G$. This simple composition result gives a CCA indistinguishability geometric gain when composing blockciphers (unlike previously known clasical composition theorems). As an example, we apply this new theorem to analyze $4r$ and $6r$ rounds Feistel schemes with $r\geq 1$ and we improve previous best known bounds for a certain range of queries. Similarly, for any two families of functions $F$ and $G$ with distinghuishability advantage $\leq\alpha_F$ and $\leq\alpha_G$, we prove that the set of functions $f\oplus g, f\in F, g\in G$ has distinguishability advantage $\leq\alpha_F\times\alpha_G$. As an example, we apply this new theorem to analyze the XOR of $2r$ permutations and we improve the previous best known bounds for certain range of querie

Niceness theorems

Many things in mathematics seem lamost unreasonably nice. This includes objects, counterexamples, proofs. In this preprint I discuss many examples of this phenomenon with emphasis on the ring of polynomials in a countably infinite number of variables in its many incarnations such as the representing object of the Witt vectors, the direct sum of the rings of representations of the symmetric groups, the free lambda ring on one generator, the homology and cohomology of the classifying space BU, ... . In addition attention is paid to the phenomenon that solutions to universal problems (adjoint functors) tend to pick up extra structure.Comment: 52 page

The Lee-Yang and P\'olya-Schur Programs. II. Theory of Stable Polynomials and Applications

In the first part of this series we characterized all linear operators on spaces of multivariate polynomials preserving the property of being non-vanishing in products of open circular domains. For such sets this completes the multivariate generalization of the classification program initiated by P\'olya-Schur for univariate real polynomials. We build on these classification theorems to develop here a theory of multivariate stable polynomials. Applications and examples show that this theory provides a natural framework for dealing in a uniform way with Lee-Yang type problems in statistical mechanics, combinatorics, and geometric function theory in one or several variables. In particular, we answer a question of Hinkkanen on multivariate apolarity.Comment: 32 page

Compositions into Powers of bb: Asymptotic Enumeration and Parameters

For a fixed integer base $b\geq2$, we consider the number of compositions of $1$ into a given number of powers of $b$ and, related, the maximum number of representations a positive integer can have as an ordered sum of powers of $b$. We study the asymptotic growth of those numbers and give precise asymptotic formulae for them, thereby improving on earlier results of Molteni. Our approach uses generating functions, which we obtain from infinite transfer matrices. With the same techniques the distribution of the largest denominator and the number of distinct parts are investigated

Analytic urns

This article describes a purely analytic approach to urn models of the generalized or extended P\'olya-Eggenberger type, in the case of two types of balls and constant ``balance,'' that is, constant row sum. The treatment starts from a quasilinear first-order partial differential equation associated with a combinatorial renormalization of the model and bases itself on elementary conformal mapping arguments coupled with singularity analysis techniques. Probabilistic consequences in the case of ``subtractive'' urns are new representations for the probability distribution of the urn's composition at any time n, structural information on the shape of moments of all orders, estimates of the speed of convergence to the Gaussian limit and an explicit determination of the associated large deviation function. In the general case, analytic solutions involve Abelian integrals over the Fermat curve x^h+y^h=1. Several urn models, including a classical one associated with balanced trees (2-3 trees and fringe-balanced search trees) and related to a previous study of Panholzer and Prodinger, as well as all urns of balance 1 or 2 and a sporadic urn of balance 3, are shown to admit of explicit representations in terms of Weierstra\ss elliptic functions: these elliptic models appear precisely to correspond to regular tessellations of the Euclidean plane.Comment: Published at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/009117905000000026 in the Annals of Probability (http://www.imstat.org/aop/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Multivariate Polya-Schur classification problems in the Weyl algebra

A multivariate polynomial is {\em stable} if it is nonvanishing whenever all variables have positive imaginary parts. We classify all linear partial differential operators in the Weyl algebra \A_n that preserve stability. An important tool that we develop in the process is the higher dimensional generalization of P\'olya-Schur's notion of multiplier sequence. We characterize all multivariate multiplier sequences as well as those of finite order. Next, we establish a multivariate extension of the Cauchy-Poincar\'e interlacing theorem and prove a natural analog of the Lax conjecture for real stable polynomials in two variables. Using the latter we describe all operators in \A_1 that preserve univariate hyperbolic polynomials by means of determinants and homogenized symbols. Our methods also yield homotopical properties for symbols of linear stability preservers and a duality theorem showing that an operator in \A_n preserves stability if and only if its Fischer-Fock adjoint does. These are powerful multivariate extensions of the classical Hermite-Poulain-Jensen theorem, P\'olya's curve theorem and Schur-Mal\'o-Szeg\H{o} composition theorems. Examples and applications to strict stability preservers are also discussed.Comment: To appear in Proc. London Math. Soc; 33 pages, 4 figures, LaTeX2

Hopf algebras and Markov chains: Two examples and a theory

The operation of squaring (coproduct followed by product) in a combinatorial Hopf algebra is shown to induce a Markov chain in natural bases. Chains constructed in this way include widely studied methods of card shuffling, a natural "rock-breaking" process, and Markov chains on simplicial complexes. Many of these chains can be explictly diagonalized using the primitive elements of the algebra and the combinatorics of the free Lie algebra. For card shuffling, this gives an explicit description of the eigenvectors. For rock-breaking, an explicit description of the quasi-stationary distribution and sharp rates to absorption follow.Comment: 51 pages, 17 figures. (Typographical errors corrected. Further fixes will only appear on the version on Amy Pang's website, the arXiv version will not be updated.