Fixed point data of finite groups acting on 3-manifolds

We consider fully effective orientation-preserving smooth actions of a given finite group G on smooth, closed, oriented 3-manifolds M. We investigate the relations that necessarily hold between the numbers of fixed points of various non-cyclic subgroups. In Section 2, we show that all such relations are in fact equations mod 2, and we explain how the number of independent equations yields information concerning low-dimensional equivariant cobordism groups. Moreover, we restate a theorem of A. Szucs asserting that under the conditions imposed on a smooth action of G on M as above, the number of G-orbits of points x in M with non-cyclic stabilizer G_x is even, and we prove the result by using arguments of G. Moussong. In Sections 3 and 4, we determine all the equations for non-cyclic subgroups G of SO(3).Comment: Published by Algebraic and Geometric Topology at http://www.maths.warwick.ac.uk/agt/AGTVol3/agt-3-24.abs.htm

First-Come-First-Served for Online Slot Allocation and Huffman Coding

Can one choose a good Huffman code on the fly, without knowing the underlying distribution? Online Slot Allocation (OSA) models this and similar problems: There are n slots, each with a known cost. There are n items. Requests for items are drawn i.i.d. from a fixed but hidden probability distribution p. After each request, if the item, i, was not previously requested, then the algorithm (knowing the slot costs and the requests so far, but not p) must place the item in some vacant slot j(i). The goal is to minimize the sum, over the items, of the probability of the item times the cost of its assigned slot. The optimal offline algorithm is trivial: put the most probable item in the cheapest slot, the second most probable item in the second cheapest slot, etc. The optimal online algorithm is First Come First Served (FCFS): put the first requested item in the cheapest slot, the second (distinct) requested item in the second cheapest slot, etc. The optimal competitive ratios for any online algorithm are 1+H(n-1) ~ ln n for general costs and 2 for concave costs. For logarithmic costs, the ratio is, asymptotically, 1: FCFS gives cost opt + O(log opt). For Huffman coding, FCFS yields an online algorithm (one that allocates codewords on demand, without knowing the underlying probability distribution) that guarantees asymptotically optimal cost: at most opt + 2 log(1+opt) + 2.Comment: ACM-SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms (SODA) 201

Exact Moving and Stationary Solutions of a Generalized Discrete Nonlinear Schrodinger Equation

We obtain exact moving and stationary, spatially periodic and localized solutions of a generalized discrete nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation. More specifically, we find two different moving periodic wave solutions and a localized moving pulse solution. We also address the problem of finding exact stationary solutions and, for a particular case of the model when stationary solutions can be expressed through the Jacobi elliptic functions, we present a two-point map from which all possible stationary solutions can be found. Numerically we demonstrate the generic stability of the stationary pulse solutions and also the robustness of moving pulses in long-term dynamics.Comment: 22 pages, 7 figures, to appear in J. Phys.

Born-Infeld Chern-Simons Theory: Hamiltonian Embedding, Duality and Bosonization

In this paper we study in detail the equivalence of the recently introduced Born-Infeld self dual model to the Abelian Born-Infeld-Chern-Simons model in 2+1 dimensions. We first apply the improved Batalin, Fradkin and Tyutin scheme, to embed the Born-Infeld Self dual model to a gauge system and show that the embedded model is equivalent to Abelian Born-Infeld-Chern-Simons theory. Next, using Buscher's duality procedure, we demonstrate this equivalence in a covariant Lagrangian formulation and also derive the mapping between the n-point correlators of the (dual) field strength in Born-Infeld Chern-Simons theory and of basic field in Born-Infeld Self dual model. Using this equivalence, the bosonization of a massive Dirac theory with a non-polynomial Thirring type current-current coupling, to leading order in (inverse) fermion mass is also discussed. We also re-derive it using a master Lagrangian. Finally, the operator equivalence between the fermionic current and (dual) field strength of Born-Infeld Chern-Simons theory is deduced at the level of correlators and using this the current-current commutators are obtained.Comment: 27 pages, One reference added, minor changes in presentation and typos corrected. To appear in Nucl. Phys.

Chemical Enrichment at High Redshifts

We have tried to understand the recent observations related to metallicity in Ly $\alpha$ forest clouds in the framework of the two component model suggested by Chiba & Nath (1997). We find that even if the mini-halos were chemically enriched by an earlier generation of stars, to have [C/H] $\simeq$ -2.5, the number of C IV lines with column density $>10^{12} cm^{-2}$, contributed by the mini-halos, at the redshift of 3, would be only about 10% of the total number of lines, for a chemical enrichment rate of $(1+z)^{-3}$ in the galaxies. Recently reported absence of heavy element lines associated with most of the Ly $\alpha$ lines with H I column density between $10^{13.5} cm^{-2}$ and $10^{14} cm^{-2}$ by Lu et al (1998), if correct, gives an upper limit on [C/H]=-3.7, not only in the mini-halos, but also in the outer parts of galactic halos. This is consistent with the results of numerical simulations, according to which, the chemical elements associated with the Ly $\alpha$ clouds are formed in situ in clouds, rather than in an earlier generation of stars. However, the mean value of $7 \times 10^{-3}$ for the column density ratio of C IV and H I, determined by Cowie and Songaila (1998) for low Lyman alpha optical depths, implies an abundance of [C/H] =-2.5 in mini-halos as well as in most of the region in galactic halos, presumably enriched by an earlier generation of stars. The redshift and column density distribution of C IV has been shown to be in reasonable agreement with the observations.Comment: 23 pages, 6 figures, To appear in Astrophysical Journa

Generalized Pauli principle for particles with distinguishable traits

The s=3/2 Ising spin chain with uniform nearest-neighbor coupling, quadratic single-site potential, and magnetic field is shown to be equivalent to a system of 17 species of particles with internal structure. The same set of particles (with different energies) is shown to generate the spectrum of the s=1/2 Ising chain with dimerized nearest-neighbor coupling. The particles are free of interaction energies even at high densities. The mutual exclusion statistics of particles from all species is determined by their internal structure and encoded in a generalized Pauli principle. The exact statistical mechanical analysis can be performed for thermodynamically open or closed systems and with arbitrary energies assigned to all particle species. Special circumstances make it possible to merge two or more species into a single species. All traits that distinguish the original species become ignorable. The particles from the merged species are effectively indistinguishable and obey modified exclusion statistics. Different mergers may yield the same endproduct, implying that the inverse process (splitting any species into subspecies) is not unique. In a macroscopic system of two merged species at thermal equilibrium, the concentrations of the original species satisfy a functional relation governed by their mutual statistical interaction. That relation is derivable from an extremum principle. In the Ising context the system is open and the particle energies depend on the Hamiltonian parameters. Simple models of polymerization and solitonic paramagnetism each represent a closed system of two species that can transform into each other. Here they represent distinguishable traits with different energies of the same physical particle.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, 6 table

Optical constraints of kerogen from 0.15 to 40 microns: Comparison with meteoritic organics

Kerogens are dark, complex organic materials produced on the Earth primarily by geologic processing of biologic materials, but kerogens have chemical and spectral similarities to some classes of highly processed extraterrestrial organic materials. Kerogen-like solids were proposed as constitutents of the very dark reddish surfaces of some asteroids and are also spectrally similar to some carbonaceous organic residues and the Iapetus dark material. Kerogen can thus serve as a useful laboratory analog to very dark, spectrally red extraterrestrial materials; its optical constants can be used to investigate the effects of particle size, void space and mixing of bright and dark components in models of scattering by dark asteroidal, cometary, and satellite surfaces. Measurements of the optical constants of both Type 2 kerogen and of macromolecular organic residue from the Murchison carbonaceous chondrite via transmission and reflection measurements on thin films are reported. The real part of the refractive index, n, is determined by variable incidence-angle reflectance to be 1.60 + or - 0.05 from 0.4 to 2.0 micrometers wavelength. Work extending the measurement of n to longer wavelengths is in progress. The imaginary part of the refractive index, k, shows substantial structure from 0.15 to 40 micrometers. The values are accurate to + or - 20 percent in the UV and IR regions and to + or - 30 percent in the visible. The k values of organic residues were also measured from the Murchison meteorite. Comparison of the kerogen and Murchison data reveals that between 0.15 and 40 microns, Murchison has a similar structure but no bands as sharp as in kerogen, and that the k values for Murchison are significantly higher than those of kerogen

Category O over a deformation of the symplectic oscillator algebra

We discuss the representation theory of $H_f$, which is a deformation of the symplectic oscillator algebra $sp(2n) \ltimes h_n$, where $h_n$ is the ((2n+1)-dimensional) Heisenberg algebra. We first look at a more general setup, involving an algebra with a triangular decomposition. Assuming the PBW theorem, and one other hypothesis, we show that the BGG category $\mathcal{O}$ is abelian, finite length, and self-dual. We decompose $\mathcal{O}$ as a direct sum of blocks \calo(\la), and show that each block is a highest weight category. In the second part, we focus on the case $H_f$ for $n=1$, where we prove all these assumptions, as well as the PBW theorem.Comment: 42 pages, LaTeX, 11pt; Typos removed, references added, presentation improved, minor corrections and additions, Section 16 modified, and Standing Assumption added in Section 17; Final form, to appear in the Journal of Pure and Applied Algebr

On Exactness Of The Supersymmetric WKB Approximation Scheme

Exactness of the lowest order supersymmetric WKB (SWKB) quantization condition $\int^{x_2}_{x_1} \sqrt{E-\omega^2(x)} dx = n \hbar \pi$, for certain potentials, is examined, using complex integration technique. Comparison of the above scheme with a similar, but {\it exact} quantization condition, $\oint_c p(x,E) dx = 2\pi n \hbar$, originating from the quantum Hamilton-Jacobi formalism reveals that, the locations and the residues of the poles that contribute to these integrals match identically, for both of these cases. As these poles completely determine the eigenvalues in these two cases, the exactness of the SWKB for these potentials is accounted for. Three non-exact cases are also analysed; the origin of this non-exactness is shown to be due the presence of additional singularities in $\sqrt{E-\omega^2(x)}$, like branch cuts in the $x-$plane.Comment: 11 pages, latex, 1 figure available on reques