On the Links-Gould invariant and the square of the Alexander polynomial

This paper gives a connection between well chosen reductions of the Links-Gould invariants of oriented links and powers of the Alexander-Conway polynomial. We prove these formulas by showing the representations of the braid groups we derive the specialized Links-Gould polynomials from can be seen as exterior powers of copies of Burau representations.Comment: 19 page

Homological Mirror Symmetry for Hypertoric Varieties I

We consider homological mirror symmetry in the context of hypertoric varieties, showing that appropriate categories of B-branes (that is, coherent sheaves) on an additive hypertoric variety match a category of A-branes on a Dolbeault hypertoric manifold for the same underlying combinatorial data. For technical reasons, the category of A-branes we consider is the modules over a deformation quantization (that is, DQ-modules). We consider objects in this category equipped with an analogue of a Hodge structure, which corresponds to a $\mathbb{G}_m$-action on the dual side of the mirror symmetry. This result is based on hands-on calculations in both categories. We analyze coherent sheaves by constructing a tilting generator, using the characteristic $p$ approach of Kaledin; the result is a sum of line bundles, which can be described using a simple combinatorial rule. The endomorphism algebra $H$ of this tilting generator has a simple quadratic presentation in the grading induced by $\mathbb{G}_m$-equivariance. In fact, we can confirm it is Koszul, and compute its Koszul dual $H^!$. We then show that this same algebra appears as an Ext-algebra of simple A-branes in a Dolbeault hypertoric manifold. The $\mathbb{G}_m$-equivariant grading on coherent sheaves matches a Hodge grading in this category.Comment: 45 pages. v2: many improvements in exposition, some technical issues related to mixed Hodge modules resolve

Folding Kinetics of Riboswitch Transcriptional Terminators and Sequesterers

To function as gene regulatory elements in response to environmental signals, riboswitches must adopt specific secondary structures on appropriate time scales. We employ kinetic Monte Carlo simulation to model the time-dependent folding during transcription of TPP riboswitch expression platforms. According to our simulations, riboswitch transcriptional terminators, which must adopt a specific hairpin configuration by the time they have been transcribed, fold with higher efficiency than Shine-Dalgarno sequesterers, whose proper structure is required only at the time of ribosomal binding. Our findings suggest both that riboswitch transcriptional terminator sequences have been naturally selected for high folding efficiency, and that sequesterers can maintain their function even in the presence of significant misfolding.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure

Convergent Puiseux Series and Tropical Geometry of Higher Rank

We propose to study the tropical geometry specifically arising from convergent Puiseux series in multiple indeterminates. One application is a new view on stable intersections of tropical hypersurfaces. Another one is the study of families of ordinary convex polytopes depending on more than one parameter through tropical geometry. This includes cubes constructed by Goldfarb and Sit (1979) as special cases.Comment: 32 pages, 3 figure