Block diagonalization for algebra's associated with block codes

For a matrix *-algebra B, consider the matrix *-algebra A consisting of the symmetric tensors in the n-fold tensor product of B. Examples of such algebras in coding theory include the Bose-Mesner algebra and Terwilliger algebra of the (non)binary Hamming cube, and algebras arising in SDP-hierarchies for coding bounds using moment matrices. We give a computationally efficient block diagonalization of A in terms of a given block diagonalization of B, and work out some examples, including the Terwilliger algebra of the binary- and nonbinary Hamming cube. As a tool we use some basic facts about representations of the symmetric group.Comment: 16 page

On the Caratheodory rank of polymatroid bases

In this paper we prove that the Carath\'eodory rank of the set of bases of a (poly)matroid is upper bounded by the cardinality of the ground set.Comment: 7 page

Polyhedra with the Integer Caratheodory Property

A polyhedron P has the Integer Caratheodory Property if the following holds. For any positive integer k and any integer vector w in kP, there exist affinely independent integer vectors x_1,...,x_t in P and positive integers n_1,...,n_t such that n_1+...+n_t=k and w=n_1x_1+...+n_tx_t. In this paper we prove that if P is a (poly)matroid base polytope or if P is defined by a TU matrix, then P and projections of P satisfy the integer Caratheodory property.Comment: 12 page

Violating the Shannon capacity of metric graphs with entanglement

The Shannon capacity of a graph G is the maximum asymptotic rate at which messages can be sent with zero probability of error through a noisy channel with confusability graph G. This extensively studied graph parameter disregards the fact that on atomic scales, Nature behaves in line with quantum mechanics. Entanglement, arguably the most counterintuitive feature of the theory, turns out to be a useful resource for communication across noisy channels. Recently, Leung, Mancinska, Matthews, Ozols and Roy [Comm. Math. Phys. 311, 2012] presented two examples of graphs whose Shannon capacity is strictly less than the capacity attainable if the sender and receiver have entangled quantum systems. Here we give new, possibly infinite, families of graphs for which the entangled capacity exceeds the Shannon capacity.Comment: 15 pages, 2 figure

Computing graph gonality is hard

There are several notions of gonality for graphs. The divisorial gonality dgon(G) of a graph G is the smallest degree of a divisor of positive rank in the sense of Baker-Norine. The stable gonality sgon(G) of a graph G is the minimum degree of a finite harmonic morphism from a refinement of G to a tree, as defined by Cornelissen, Kato and Kool. We show that computing dgon(G) and sgon(G) are NP-hard by a reduction from the maximum independent set problem and the vertex cover problem, respectively. Both constructions show that computing gonality is moreover APX-hard.Comment: The previous version only dealt with hardness of the divisorial gonality. The current version also shows hardness of stable gonality and discusses the relation between the two graph parameter