Fractal analysis for sets of non-differentiability of Minkowski's question mark function

In this paper we study various fractal geometric aspects of the Minkowski question mark function $Q.$ We show that the unit interval can be written as the union of the three sets $\Lambda_{0}:=\{x:Q'(x)=0\}$, $\Lambda_{\infty}:=\{x:Q'(x)=\infty\}$, and $\Lambda_{\sim}:=\{x:Q'(x)$ does not exist and $Q'(x)\not=\infty\}.$ The main result is that the Hausdorff dimensions of these sets are related in the following way. $\dim_{H}(\nu_{F})<\dim_{H}(\Lambda_{\sim})= \dim_{H} (\Lambda_{\infty}) = \dim_{H} (\mathcal{L}(h_{\mathrm{top}}))<\dim_{H}(\Lambda_{0})=1.$ Here, $\mathcal{L}(h_{\mathrm{top}})$ refers to the level set of the Stern-Brocot multifractal decomposition at the topological entropy $h_{\mathrm{top}}=\log2$ of the Farey map $F,$ and $\dim_{H}(\nu_{F})$ denotes the Hausdorff dimension of the measure of maximal entropy of the dynamical system associated with $F.$ The proofs rely partially on the multifractal formalism for Stern-Brocot intervals and give non-trivial applications of this formalism.Comment: 22 pages, 2 figure

Monotone Drawings of kk-Inner Planar Graphs

A $k$-inner planar graph is a planar graph that has a plane drawing with at most $k$ {internal vertices}, i.e., vertices that do not lie on the boundary of the outer face of its drawing. An outerplanar graph is a $0$-inner planar graph. In this paper, we show how to construct a monotone drawing of a $k$-inner planar graph on a $2(k+1)n \times 2(k+1)n$ grid. In the special case of an outerplanar graph, we can produce a planar monotone drawing on a $n \times n$ grid, improving previously known results.Comment: Appears in the Proceedings of the 26th International Symposium on Graph Drawing and Network Visualization (GD 2018). Revised introductio

Scratching the scale labyrinth

In this paper, we introduce a new approach to computer-aided microtonal improvisation by combining methods for (1) interactive scale navigation, (2) real-time manipulation of musical patterns and (3) dynamical timbre adaption in solidarity with the respective scales. On the basis of the theory of well-formed scales we offer a visualization of the underlying combinatorial ramifications in terms of a scale labyrinth. This involves the selection of generic well-formed scales on a binary tree (based on the Stern-Brocot tree) as well as the choice of specific tunings through the specification of the sizes of a period (pseudo-octave) and a generator (pseudo-fifth), whose limits are constrained by the actual position on the tree. We also introduce a method to enable transformations among the modes of a chosen scale (generalized and refined “diatonic” and “chromatic” transpositions). To actually explore the scales and modes through the shaping and transformation of rhythmically and melodically interesting tone patterns, we propose a playing technique called Fourier Scratching. It is based on the manipulation of the “spectra” (DFT) of playing gestures on a sphere. The coordinates of these gestures affect score and performance parameters such as scale degree, loudness, and timbre. Finally, we discuss a technique to dynamically match the timbre to the selected scale tuning

The combinatorics of plane curve singularities. How Newton polygons blossom into lotuses

This survey may be seen as an introduction to the use of toric and tropical geometry in the analysis of plane curve singularities, which are germs $(C,o)$ of complex analytic curves contained in a smooth complex analytic surface $S$. The embedded topological type of such a pair $(S, C)$ is usually defined to be that of the oriented link obtained by intersecting $C$ with a sufficiently small oriented Euclidean sphere centered at the point $o$, defined once a system of local coordinates $(x,y)$ was chosen on the germ $(S,o)$. If one works more generally over an arbitrary algebraically closed field of characteristic zero, one speaks instead of the combinatorial type of $(S, C)$. One may define it by looking either at the Newton-Puiseux series associated to $C$ relative to a generic local coordinate system $(x,y)$, or at the set of infinitely near points which have to be blown up in order to get the minimal embedded resolution of the germ $(C,o)$ or, thirdly, at the preimage of this germ by the resolution. Each point of view leads to a different encoding of the combinatorial type by a decorated tree: an Eggers-Wall tree, an Enriques diagram, or a weighted dual graph. The three trees contain the same information, which in the complex setting is equivalent to the knowledge of the embedded topological type. There are known algorithms for transforming one tree into another. In this paper we explain how a special type of two-dimensional simplicial complex called a lotus allows to think geometrically about the relations between the three types of trees. Namely, all of them embed in a natural lotus, their numerical decorations appearing as invariants of it. This lotus is constructed from the finite set of Newton polygons created during any process of resolution of $(C,o)$ by successive toric modifications.Comment: 104 pages, 58 figures. Compared to the previous version, section 2 is new. The historical information, contained before in subsection 6.2, is distributed now throughout the paper in the subsections called "Historical comments''. More details are also added at various places of the paper. To appear in the Handbook of Geometry and Topology of Singularities I, Springer, 202

On Euclid’s algorithm and elementary number theory

Algorithms can be used to prove and to discover new theorems. This paper shows how algorithmic skills in general, and the notion of invariance in particular, can be used to derive many results from Euclid’s algorithm. We illustrate how to use the algorithm as a verification interface (i.e., how to verify theorems) and as a construction interface (i.e., how to investigate and derive new theorems). The theorems that we verify are well-known and most of them are included in standard number-theory books. The new results concern distributivity properties of the greatest common divisor and a new algorithm for efficiently enumerating the positive rationals in two different ways. One way is known and is due to Moshe Newman. The second is new and corresponds to a deforestation of the Stern–Brocot tree of rationals. We show that both enumerations stem from the same simple algorithm. In this way, we construct a Stern–Brocot enumeration algorithm with the same time and space complexity as Newman’s algorithm. A short review of the original papers by Stern and Brocot is also included