Detecting codimension one manifold factors with topographical techniques

We prove recognition theorems for codimension one manifold factors of dimension $n \geq 4$. In particular, we formalize topographical methods and introduce three ribbons properties: the crinkled ribbons property, the twisted crinkled ribbons property, and the fuzzy ribbons property. We show that $X \times \mathbb{R}$ is a manifold in the cases when $X$ is a resolvable generalized manifold of finite dimension $n \geq 3$ with either: (1) the crinkled ribbons property; (2) the twisted crinkled ribbons property and the disjoint point disk property; or (3) the fuzzy ribbons property

Ensuring a Strong Public Health Workforce for the 21st Century: Reflections on PH WINS 2017

The success of any organization can be attributed to one thing: its people. This is particularly true for local health departments (LHDs) and state health agencies (SHAs), as the public health workforce is fundamental to achieving organizational goals and improving the health outcomes of populations

TASI Lectures: Particle Physics from Perturbative and Non-perturbative Effects in D-braneworlds

In these notes we review aspects of semi-realistic particle physics from the point of view of type II orientifold compactifications. We discuss the appearance of gauge theories on spacetime filling D-branes which wrap non-trivial cycles in the Calabi-Yau. Chiral matter can appear at their intersections, with a natural interpretation of family replication given by the topological intersection number. We discuss global consistency, including tadpole cancellation and the generalized Green-Schwarz mechanism, and also the importance of related global $U(1)$ symmetries for superpotential couplings. We review the basics of D-instantons, which can generate superpotential corrections to charged matter couplings forbidden by the global $U(1)$ symmetries and may play an important role in moduli stabilization. Finally, for the purpose of studying the landscape, we discuss certain advantages of studying quiver gauge theories which arise from type II orientifold compactifications rather than globally defined models. We utilize the type IIa geometric picture and CFT techniques to illustrate the main physical points, though sometimes we supplement the discussion from the type IIb perspective using complex algebraic geometry.Comment: 35 pages. Based on lectures given by M.C. at TASI 2010. v2: added references, fixed typo

Locally GG-homogeneous Busemann GG-spaces

We present short proofs of all known topological properties of general Busemann $G$-spaces (at present no other property is known for dimensions more than four). We prove that all small metric spheres in locally $G$-homogeneous Busemann $G$-spaces are homeomorphic and strongly topologically homogeneous. This is a key result in the context of the classical Busemann conjecture concerning the characterization of topological manifolds, which asserts that every $n$-dimensional Busemann $G$-space is a topological $n$-manifold. We also prove that every Busemann $G$-space which is uniformly locally $G$-homogeneous on an orbal subset must be finite-dimensional

Partition Algebras

The partition algebras are algebras of diagrams (which contain the group algebra of the symmetric group and the Brauer algebra) such that the multiplication is given by a combinatorial rule and such that the structure constants of the algebra depend polynomially on a parameter. This is a survey paper which proves the primary results in the theory of partition algebras. Some of the results in this paper are new. This paper gives: (a) a presentation of the partition algebras by generators and relations, (b) shows that each partition algebra has an ideal which is isomorphic to a basic construction and such that the quotient is isomorphic to the group algebra of the symmetric gropup, (c) shows that partition algebras are in "Schur-Weyl duality" with the symmetric groups on tensor space, (d) provides a construction of "Specht modules" for the partition algebras (integral lattices in the generic irreducible modules), (e) determines (with a couple of exceptions) the values of the parameter where the partition algebras are semisimple, (f) provides "Murphy elements" for the partition algebras that play exactly analogous roles to the classical Murphy elements for the group algebra of the symmetric group. The primary new results in this paper are (a) and (f)