Optimizing spread dynamics on graphs by message passing

Cascade processes are responsible for many important phenomena in natural and social sciences. Simple models of irreversible dynamics on graphs, in which nodes activate depending on the state of their neighbors, have been successfully applied to describe cascades in a large variety of contexts. Over the last decades, many efforts have been devoted to understand the typical behaviour of the cascades arising from initial conditions extracted at random from some given ensemble. However, the problem of optimizing the trajectory of the system, i.e. of identifying appropriate initial conditions to maximize (or minimize) the final number of active nodes, is still considered to be practically intractable, with the only exception of models that satisfy a sort of diminishing returns property called submodularity. Submodular models can be approximately solved by means of greedy strategies, but by definition they lack cooperative characteristics which are fundamental in many real systems. Here we introduce an efficient algorithm based on statistical physics for the optimization of trajectories in cascade processes on graphs. We show that for a wide class of irreversible dynamics, even in the absence of submodularity, the spread optimization problem can be solved efficiently on large networks. Analytic and algorithmic results on random graphs are complemented by the solution of the spread maximization problem on a real-world network (the Epinions consumer reviews network).Comment: Replacement for "The Spread Optimization Problem

The Pion Structure Function in a Constituent Model

Using the recent relatively precise experimental results on the pion structure function, obtained from Drell--Yan processes, we quantitatively test an old model where the structure function of any hadron is determined by that of its constituent quarks. In this model the pion structure function can be predicted from the known nucleon structure function. We find that the data support the model, at least as a good first approximation.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

Electroweak Precision Tests: A Concise Review

1. Introduction 2. Status of the Data 3. Precision Electroweak Data and the Standard Model 4. A More General Analysis of Electroweak Data 4.1 Basic Definitions and Results 4.2 Experimental Determination of the Epsilon Variables 4.3 Comparing the Data with the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model 5. Theoretical Limits on the Higgs Mass 6. ConclusionComment: Submitted to Int. Journal of Modern Physics

Statics and dynamics of selfish interactions in distributed service systems

We study a class of games which model the competition among agents to access some service provided by distributed service units and which exhibit congestion and frustration phenomena when service units have limited capacity. We propose a technique, based on the cavity method of statistical physics, to characterize the full spectrum of Nash equilibria of the game. The analysis reveals a large variety of equilibria, with very different statistical properties. Natural selfish dynamics, such as best-response, usually tend to large-utility equilibria, even though those of smaller utility are exponentially more numerous. Interestingly, the latter actually can be reached by selecting the initial conditions of the best-response dynamics close to the saturation limit of the service unit capacities. We also study a more realistic stochastic variant of the game by means of a simple and effective approximation of the average over the random parameters, showing that the properties of the average-case Nash equilibria are qualitatively similar to the deterministic ones.Comment: 30 pages, 10 figure

Tribimaximal Neutrino Mixing from A_4 Replication

Motivated by dimensional deconstruction, we propose a model of tribimaximal neutrino mixing based on A_4 x A_4 symmetry. In this model, the two triplet symmetry-breaking fields of conventional A_4 models are taken to transform under different A_4 group factors, but are not distinguished by any other quantum numbers. An additional bi-triplet flavon field breaks A_4 x A_4 to its diagonal subgroup. If the bi-triplet transforms under an additional Z_3 symmetry, we show that one can construct a general, renormalizable superpotential that yields the desired pattern of symmetry breaking. We identify the features that this model has in common with a deconstructed 5D theory in which A_4 is a subgroup of a continuous gauged flavor symmetry in the bulk.Comment: 13 pages LaTeX (v2: discussion added

Probing the Majorana nature of the neutrino with neutrinoless double beta decay

Neutrinoless double beta decay (NDBD) is the only experiment that could probe the Majorana nature of the neutrino. Here we study the theoretical implications of NDBD for models yielding tri-bimaximal lepton mixing like A4 and S4.Comment: Talk given at TAUP09, July 1-5, 2009 (Roma).The proceeding will be published in Journal of Physics, Conference Series (Editors: E. Coccia, L. Pandola, N. Fornengo, R. Aloisio

Indication for Light Sneutrinos and Gauginos from Precision Electroweak Data

The present Standard Model fit of precision data has a low confidence level, and is characterized by a few inconsistencies. We look for supersymmetric effects that could improve the agreement among the electroweak precision measurements and with the direct lower bound on the Higgs mass. We find that this is the case particularly if the 3.6 sigma discrepancy between sin^2 theta_eff from leptonic and hadronic asymmetries is finally settled more on the side of the leptonic ones. After the inclusion of all experimental constraints, our analysis selects light sneutrinos, with masses in the range 55-80 GeV, and charged sleptons with masses just above their experimental limit, possibly with additional effects from light gauginos. The phenomenological implications of this scenario are discussed.Comment: 17 pages LaTex, 9 figures, uses epsfi

Large deviations of cascade processes on graphs

Simple models of irreversible dynamical processes such as Bootstrap Percolation have been successfully applied to describe cascade processes in a large variety of different contexts. However, the problem of analyzing non-typical trajectories, which can be crucial for the understanding of the out-of-equilibrium phenomena, is still considered to be intractable in most cases. Here we introduce an efficient method to find and analyze optimized trajectories of cascade processes. We show that for a wide class of irreversible dynamical rules, this problem can be solved efficiently on large-scale systems

Light Higgs bosons from a strongly interacting Higgs sector

The mass and the decay width of a Higgs boson in the minimal standard model are evaluated by a variational method in the limit of strong self-coupling interaction. The non-perturbative technique provides an interpolation scheme between strong-coupling regime and weak-coupling limit where the standard perturbative results are recovered. In the strong-coupling limit the physical mass and the decay width of the Higgs boson are found to be very small as a consequence of mass renormalization. Thus it is argued that the eventual detection of a light Higgs boson would not rule out the existence of a strongly interacting Higgs sector.Comment: 2 figure

Determination of s(x) and \bar{s}(x) from a global QCD analysis

A new global QCD analysis of DIS data is presented. The \nu Fe and \bar{\nu}Fe differential cross-section data are included to constrain the strange component of the nucleon sea. As a result we found a hard strangeness at high-x and some evidence for an asymmetry between xs(x) and x\bar{s}(x).Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure