PPT from spectra

In this contribution we solve the following problem. Let H_{nm} be a Hilbert space of dimension nm, and let A be a positive semidefinite self-adjoint linear operator on H_{nm}. Under which conditions on the spectrum has A a positive partial transpose (is PPT) with respect to any partition H_n \otimes H_m of the space H_{nm} as a tensor product of an n-dimensional and an m-dimensional Hilbert space? We show that the necessary and sufficient conditions can be expressed as a set of linear matrix inequalities on the eigenvalues of A.Comment: 6 pages, no figure

Platonic Laws of Nature

David Armstrong accepted the following three theses: universals are immanent, laws are relations between universals, and laws govern. Taken together, they form an attractive position, for they promise to explain regularities in nature—one of the most important desiderata for a theory of laws and properties—while remaining compatible with naturalism. However, I argue that the three theses are incompatible. The basic idea is that each thesis makes an explanatory claim, but the three claims can be shown to run in a problematic circle. I then consider which thesis we ought to reject and suggest some general lessons for the metaphysics of laws

Minimal zeros of copositive matrices

Let $A$ be an element of the copositive cone ${\cal C}_n$. A zero $u$ of $A$ is a nonzero nonnegative vector such that $u^TAu = 0$. The support of $u$ is the index set \mbox{supp}u \subset \{1,\dots,n\} corresponding to the positive entries of $u$. A zero $u$ of $A$ is called minimal if there does not exist another zero $v$ of $A$ such that its support \mbox{supp}v is a strict subset of \mbox{supp}u. We investigate the properties of minimal zeros of copositive matrices and their supports. Special attention is devoted to copositive matrices which are irreducible with respect to the cone $S_+(n)$ of positive semi-definite matrices, i.e., matrices which cannot be written as a sum of a copositive and a nonzero positive semi-definite matrix. We give a necessary and sufficient condition for irreducibility of a matrix $A$ with respect to $S_+(n)$ in terms of its minimal zeros. A similar condition is given for the irreducibility with respect to the cone ${\cal N}_n$ of entry-wise nonnegative matrices. For $n = 5$ matrices which are irreducible with respect to both $S_+(5)$ and ${\cal N}_5$ are extremal. For $n = 6$ a list of candidate combinations of supports of minimal zeros which an exceptional extremal matrix can have is provided.Comment: Some conditions and proofs simplifie

Analytic formulas for complete hyperbolic affine spheres

We classify all regular three-dimensional convex cones which possess an automorphism group of dimension at least two, and provide analytic expressions for the complete hyperbolic affine spheres which are asymptotic to the boundaries of these cones. The affine spheres are represented by explicit hypersurface immersions into three-dimensional real space. The generic member of the family of immersions is given by elliptic integrals.Comment: 16 page

Graph immersions with parallel cubic form

We consider non-degenerate graph immersions into affine space $\mathbb A^{n+1}$ whose cubic form is parallel with respect to the Levi-Civita connection of the affine metric. There exists a correspondence between such graph immersions and pairs $(J,\gamma)$, where $J$ is an $n$-dimensional real Jordan algebra and $\gamma$ is a non-degenerate trace form on $J$. Every graph immersion with parallel cubic form can be extended to an affine complete symmetric space covering the maximal connected component of zero in the set of quasi-regular elements in the algebra $J$. It is an improper affine hypersphere if and only if the corresponding Jordan algebra is nilpotent. In this case it is an affine complete, Euclidean complete graph immersion, with a polynomial as globally defining function. We classify all such hyperspheres up to dimension 5. As a special case we describe a connection between Cayley hypersurfaces and polynomial quotient algebras. Our algebraic approach can be used to study also other classes of hypersurfaces with parallel cubic form.Comment: some proofs have been simplified with respect to the first versio