Quasialgebra structure of the octonions

We show that the octonions are a twisting of the group algebra of Z_2 x Z_2 x Z_2 in the quasitensor category of representations of a quasi-Hopf algebra associated to a group 3-cocycle. We consider general quasi-associative algebras of this type and some general constructions for them, including quasi-linear algebra and representation theory, and an automorphism quasi-Hopf algebra. Other examples include the higher 2^n-onion Cayley algebras and examples associated to Hadamard matrices.Comment: 34 pages LATE

Homotheties and topology of tangent sphere bundles

We prove a Theorem on homotheties between two given tangent sphere bundles $S_rM$ of a Riemannian manifold $M,g$ of $\dim\geq 3$, assuming different variable radius functions $r$ and weighted Sasaki metrics induced by the conformal class of $g$. New examples are shown of manifolds with constant positive or with constant negative scalar curvature, which are not Einstein. Recalling results on the associated almost complex structure $I^G$ and symplectic structure ${\omega}^G$ on the manifold $TM$, generalizing the well-known structure of Sasaki by admitting weights and connections with torsion, we compute the Chern and the Stiefel-Whitney characteristic classes of the manifolds $TM$ and $S_rM$.Comment: 15 pages, to appear in Journal of Geometr

Nature of the X(5568) : a critical Laplace sum rule analysis at N2LO

We scrutinize recent QCD spectral sum rules (QSSR) results to lowest order (LO) predicting the masses of the BK molecule and (su)\bar(bd) four-quark states. We improve these results by adding NLO and N2LO corrections to the PT contributions giving a more precise meaning on the b-quark mass definition used in the analysis. We extract our optimal predictions using Laplace sum rule (LSR) within the standard stability criteria versus the changes of the external free parameters (\tau-sum rule variable, t_c continuum threshold and subtraction constant \mu). The smallness of the higher order PT corrections justifies (a posteriori) the LO order results + the uses of the ambiguous heavy quark mass to that order. However, our predicted spectra in the range (5173\sim 5226) MeV, summarized in Table 7, for exotic hadrons built with four different flavours (buds), do not support some previous interpretations of the D0 candidate[1], X(5568), as a pure molecule or a four-quark state. If experimentally confirmed, it could result from their mixing with an angle: sin 2\theta\approx 0.15. One can also scan the region (2327~ 2444) MeV (where the D*_{s0}(2317) might be a good candidate) and the one (5173~ 5226) MeV for detecting these (cuds) and (buds) unmixed exotic hadrons (if any) via, eventually, their radiative or \pi+hadrons decays.Comment: Version matching with the publised version : some references added and updated, comments added, misprint corrected (51 pages, 66 figures, 7 tables

Testing Nonlinearities Between Brazilian Exchange Rate and Inflation Volatilities

There are few studies directly addressing exchange rate and inflation volatilities, and lack of consensus among them. However, this kind of study is necessary, especially because they can help monetary authorities to know price behavior better. This article analyses the relation between exchange rate and inflation volatilities using a bivariate GARCH model, and therefore modeling conditional volatilities, fact largely unexplored by the literature. We find a semi-concave relation between those series, and this nonlinearity may explain their apparently disconnection under a floating exchange rate system. The article also shows that traditional tests, with non-conditional volatilities, are not robust.