Link invariants from NN-state vertex models: an alternative construction independent of statistical models

We reproduce the hierarchy of link invariants associated to the series of $N$-state vertex models with a method different from the original construction due to Akutsu, Deguchi and Wadati. The alternative method substitutes the `crossing symmetry' property exhibited by the Boltzmann weights of the vertex models by a similar property which, for the purpose of constructing link invariants, encodes the same information but requires only the limit of the Boltzmann weights when the spectral parameter is sent to infinity.Comment: 20 pages, LaTeX, uses epsf.sty. To appear in Nucl. Phys.

Noncommutativity and Discrete Physics

The purpose of this paper is to present an introduction to a point of view for discrete foundations of physics. In taking a discrete stance, we find that the initial expression of physical theory must occur in a context of noncommutative algebra and noncommutative vector analysis. In this way the formalism of quantum mechanics occurs first, but not necessarily with the usual interpretations. The basis for this work is a non-commutative discrete calculus and the observation that it takes one tick of the discrete clock to measure momentum.Comment: LaTeX, 23 pages, no figure

Antichaos in a Class of Random Boolean Cellular Automata

A variant of Kauffman's model of cellular metabolism is presented. It is a randomly generated network of boolean gates, identical to Kauffman's except for a small bias in favor of boolean gates that depend on at most one input. The bias is asymptotic to 0 as the number of gates increases. Upper bounds on the time until the network reaches a state cycle and the size of the state cycle, as functions of the number of gates $n$, are derived. If the bias approaches 0 slowly enough, the state cycles will be smaller than $n^c$ for some $c<1$. This lends support to Kauffman's claim that in his version of random network the average size of the state cycles is approximately $n^{1/2}$.Comment: 12 pages. A uuencoded, tar-compressed postscipt file containing figures has been adde

Teleportation Topology

We discuss the structure of teleportation. By associating matrices to the preparation and measurement states, we show that for a unitary transformation M there is a full teleportation procedure for obtaining M|S> from a given state |S>. The key to this construction is a diagrammatic intepretation of matrix multiplication that applies equally well to a topological composition of a maximum and a minimum that underlies the structure of the teleportation. This paper is a preliminary report on joint work with H. Carteret and S. Lomonaco.Comment: LaTeX document, 16 pages, 8 figures, Talk delivered at the Xth International Conference on Quantum Optics, Minsk, Belaru

Evolution of Canalizing Boolean Networks

Boolean networks with canalizing functions are used to model gene regulatory networks. In order to learn how such networks may behave under evolutionary forces, we simulate the evolution of a single Boolean network by means of an adaptive walk, which allows us to explore the fitness landscape. Mutations change the connections and the functions of the nodes. Our fitness criterion is the robustness of the dynamical attractors against small perturbations. We find that with this fitness criterion the global maximum is always reached and that there is a huge neutral space of 100% fitness. Furthermore, in spite of having such a high degree of robustness, the evolved networks still share many features with "chaotic" networks.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures; revised and extended versio

Closing probabilities in the Kauffman model: an annealed computation

We define a probabilistic scheme to compute the distributions of periods, transients and weigths of attraction basins in Kauffman networks. These quantities are obtained in the framework of the annealed approximation, first introduced by Derrida and Pomeau. Numerical results are in good agreement with the computed values of the exponents of average periods, but show also some interesting features which can not be explained whithin the annealed approximation.Comment: latex, 36 pages, figures added in uufiles format,error in epsffile nam

Minimal surface representations of virtual knots and links

Kuperberg [Algebr. Geom. Topol. 3 (2003) 587-591] has shown that a virtual knot corresponds (up to generalized Reidemeister moves) to a unique embedding in a thichened surface of minimal genus. If a virtual knot diagram is equivalent to a classical knot diagram then this minimal surface is a sphere. Using this result and a generalised bracket polynomial, we develop methods that may determine whether a virtual knot diagram is non-classical (and hence non-trivial). As examples we show that, except for special cases, link diagrams with a single virtualization and link diagrams with a single virtual crossing are non-classical.Comment: Published by Algebraic and Geometric Topology at http://www.maths.warwick.ac.uk/agt/AGTVol5/agt-5-22.abs.html Version 5: a minor correction and a citation adde