Matrix Cartan superdomains, super Toeplitz operators, and quantization

We present a general theory of non-perturbative quantization of a class of hermitian symmetric supermanifolds. The quantization scheme is based on the notion of a super Toeplitz operator on a suitable Z_2 -graded Hilbert space of superholomorphic functions. The quantized supermanifold arises as the C^* -algebra generated by all such operators. We prove that our quantization framework reproduces the invariant super Poisson structure on the classical supermanifold as Planck's constant tends to zero.Comment: 52

Loop and Path Spaces and Four-Dimensional BF Theories: Connections, Holonomies and Observables

We study the differential geometry of principal G-bundles whose base space is the space of free paths (loops) on a manifold M. In particular we consider connections defined in terms of pairs (A,B), where A is a connection for a fixed principal bundle P(M,G) and B is a 2-form on M. The relevant curvatures, parallel transports and holonomies are computed and their expressions in local coordinates are exhibited. When the 2-form B is given by the curvature of A, then the so-called non-abelian Stokes formula follows. For a generic 2-form B, we distinguish the cases when the parallel transport depends on the whole path of paths and when it depends only on the spanned surface. In particular we discuss generalizations of the non-abelian Stokes formula. We study also the invariance properties of the (trace of the) holonomy under suitable transformation groups acting on the pairs (A,B). In this way we are able to define observables for both topological and non-topological quantum field theories of the BF type. In the non topological case, the surface terms may be relevant for the understanding of the quark-confinement problem. In the topological case the (perturbative) four-dimensional quantum BF-theory is expected to yield invariants of imbedded (or immersed) surfaces in a 4-manifold M.Comment: TeX, 39 page

Supersymmetry and Fredholm modules over quantized spaces

The purpose of this paper is to apply the framework of non- commutative differential geometry to quantum deformations of a class of Kahler manifolds. For the examples of the Cartan domains of type I and flat space, we construct Fredholm modules over the quantized manifolds using the supercharges which arise in the quantization of supersymmetric generalizations of the manifolds. We compute the explicit formula for the Chern character on generators of the Toeplitz C^* -algebra.Comment: 24

Data and performance of an active-set truncated Newton method with non-monotone line search for bound-constrained optimization

In this data article, we report data and experiments related to the research article entitled “A Two-Stage Active-Set Algorithm for Bound-Constrained Optimization”, by Cristofari et al. (2017). The method proposed in Cristofari et al. (2017), tackles optimization problems with bound constraints by properly combining an active-set estimate with a truncated Newton strategy. Here, we report the detailed numerical experience performed over a commonly used test set, namely CUTEst (Gould et al., 2015). First, the algorithm ASA-BCP proposed in Cristofari et al. (2017) is compared with the related method NMBC (De Santis et al., 2012). Then, a comparison with the renowned methods ALGENCAN (Birgin and Martínez et al., 2002) and LANCELOT B (Gould et al., 2003) is reported

Stability Analysis of Predator-Prey Models via the Liapunov Method

As is well known from the classical applications in the electrical and mechanical sciences, energy is a suitable Liapunov function; thus, by analogy, all energy functions proposed in ecology are potential Liapunov functions. In this paper, a generalized Lotka-Volterra model is considered and the stability properties of its non-trivial equilibrium are studied by means of an energy function first proposed by Volterra in the context of conservative ecosystems. The advantage of this Liapunov function with respect to the one that can be induced through linearization is also illustrated

Acid Precipitation and Catastrophes in Forest Dynamics: A Conceptual Framework

The focus of this paper will be on the intrinsic nonlinear nature of the vegetation response to acid precipitation, which plays a principal role in causing catastrophes in forest dynamics. We contemplate three possible mechanisms of forest disruption from acidic deposition: (i) through direct effects upon vegetation (such as physical damage to tissues), (ii) through increased soil acidity, which inter alia entails the release of toxic amounts of aluminum and manganese, (iii) through accumulation in the tree biomass of excessive amounts of nutrients, which may be harmful to the plants. We analyze the three corresponding modes of forest decline and demonstrate, within the framework of catastrophe theory, that the second and third mechanisms give rise to a so-called fold catastrophe

A nonmonotone GRASP

A greedy randomized adaptive search procedure (GRASP) is an itera- tive multistart metaheuristic for difficult combinatorial optimization problems. Each GRASP iteration consists of two phases: a construction phase, in which a feasible solution is produced, and a local search phase, in which a local optimum in the neighborhood of the constructed solution is sought. Repeated applications of the con- struction procedure yields different starting solutions for the local search and the best overall solution is kept as the result. The GRASP local search applies iterative improvement until a locally optimal solution is found. During this phase, starting from the current solution an improving neighbor solution is accepted and considered as the new current solution. In this paper, we propose a variant of the GRASP framework that uses a new “nonmonotone” strategy to explore the neighborhood of the current solu- tion. We formally state the convergence of the nonmonotone local search to a locally optimal solution and illustrate the effectiveness of the resulting Nonmonotone GRASP on three classical hard combinatorial optimization problems: the maximum cut prob- lem (MAX-CUT), the weighted maximum satisfiability problem (MAX-SAT), and the quadratic assignment problem (QAP)

Cheating and the evolutionary stability of mutualisms

Interspecific mutualisms have been playing a central role in the functioning of all ecosystems since the early history of life. Yet the theory of coevolution of mutualists is virtually nonexistent, by contrast with well-developed coevolutionary theories of competition, predator–prey and host–parasite interactions. This has prevented resolution of a basic puzzle posed by mutualisms: their persistence in spite of apparent evolutionary instability. The selective advantage of 'cheating', that is, reaping mutualistic benefits while providing fewer commodities to the partner species, is commonly believed to erode a mutualistic interaction, leading to its dissolution or reciprocal extinction. However, recent empirical findings indicate that stable associations of mutualists and cheaters have existed over long evolutionary periods. Here, we show that asymmetrical competition within species for the commodities offered by mutualistic partners provides a simple and testable ecological mechanism that can account for the long-term persistence of mutualisms. Cheating, in effect, establishes a background against which better mutualists can display any competitive superiority. This can lead to the coexistence and divergence of mutualist and cheater phenotypes, as well as to the coexistence of ecologically similar, but unrelated mutualists and cheaters

Catastrophes in Exploited Forests

(1) This paper shows why small variations of the human exploitation of a natural forest can give rise to dramatic changes in forest biomass. (2) Two simple mechanisms for catastrophes, already pointed out for other ecosystems, are briefly discussed at the beginning of the paper. The first occurs when depensation phenomena are present in the forest growth curve, while the second is due to the concavity of the harvesting function, which can be interpreted as the functional response of the forest exploiters. In both cases a small increase in the exploitation can lead to the collapse of the forest. (3) A more interesting mechanism for catastrophes is then presented. It is based on the dynamics of the soil nutrient and the fact that tree mortality may become very high when soil acidity exceeds a threshold. (4) In particular, it is shown that an increase of the exploitation may give rise to a catastrophic collapse of the forest if the exogenous nutrient inflow (i.e., acidic deposition) is sufficiently high. Moreover, such a catastrophe is irreversible, i.e., reforestation is not possible, if the nutrient inflow is too high