On the unique representability of spikes over prime fields

For an integer $n>2$, a rank-$n$ matroid is called an $n$-spike if it consists of $n$ three-point lines through a common point such that, for all $k\in\{1, 2, ..., n - 1\}$, the union of every set of $k$ of these lines has rank $k+1$. Spikes are very special and important in matroid theory. In 2003 Wu found the exact numbers of $n$-spikes over fields with 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 elements, and the asymptotic values for larger finite fields. In this paper, we prove that, for each prime number $p$, a $GF(p$) representable $n$-spike $M$ is only representable on fields with characteristic $p$ provided that $n \ge 2p-1$. Moreover, $M$ is uniquely representable over $GF(p)$.Comment: 8 page

On the Unitarity Triangles of the CKM Matrix

The unitarity triangles of the $3\times 3$ Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix are studied in a systematic way. We show that the phases of the nine CKM rephasing invariants are indeed the outer angles of the six unitarity triangles and measurable in the $CP$-violating decay modes of $B_{d}$ and $B_{s}$ mesons. An economical notation system is introduced for describing properties of the unitarity triangles. To test unitarity of the CKM matrix we present some approximate but useful relations among the sides and angles of the unitarity triangles, which can be confronted with the accessible experiments of quark mixing and $CP$ violation.Comment: 9 Latex pages; LMU-07/94 and PVAMU-HEP-94-5 (A few minor changes are made, accepted for publication in Phys. Lett. B