A Semidefinite Approach to the KiK_i Cover Problem

We apply theta body relaxations to the $K_i$-cover problem and show polynomial time solvability for certain classes of graphs. In particular, we give an effective relaxation where all $K_i$-$p$-hole facets are valid, and study its relation to an open question of Conforti et al. For the triangle free problem, we show for $K_n$ that the theta body relaxations do not converge by $(n-2)/4$ steps; we also prove for all $G$ an integrality gap of 2 for the second theta body

Bootstrap percolation on the Hamming torus

The Hamming torus of dimension $d$ is the graph with vertices $\{1,\dots,n\}^d$ and an edge between any two vertices that differ in a single coordinate. Bootstrap percolation with threshold $\theta$ starts with a random set of open vertices, to which every vertex belongs independently with probability $p$, and at each time step the open set grows by adjoining every vertex with at least $\theta$ open neighbors. We assume that $n$ is large and that $p$ scales as $n^{-\alpha}$ for some $\alpha>1$, and study the probability that an $i$-dimensional subgraph ever becomes open. For large $\theta$, we prove that the critical exponent $\alpha$ is about $1+d/\theta$ for $i=1$, and about $1+2/\theta+\Theta(\theta^{-3/2})$ for $i\ge2$. Our small $\theta$ results are mostly limited to $d=3$, where we identify the critical $\alpha$ in many cases and, when $\theta=3$, compute exactly the critical probability that the entire graph is eventually open.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/13-AAP996 the Annals of Applied Probability (http://www.imstat.org/aap/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Generous Pragmatism

In their introduction to the book, Nurture, about BNIM\u27s work, authors Rodolphe el-Khoury and Andrew Payne spoke about the emergence of a new pragmatism in contemporary architecture, a concern with how well buildings perform in response to the full range of social and ecological issues they are called on to organize

Black hole initial data on hyperboloidal slices

We generalize Bowen-York black hole initial data to hyperboloidal constant mean curvature slices which extend to future null infinity. We solve this initial value problem numerically for several cases, including unequal mass binary black holes with spins and boosts. The singularity at null infinity in the Hamiltonian constraint associated with a constant mean curvature hypersurface does not pose any particular difficulties. The inner boundaries of our slices are minimal surfaces. Trumpet configurations are explored both analytically and numerically.Comment: version for publication in Phys. Rev.

Decision problems for word-hyperbolic semigroups

This paper studies decision problems for semigroups that are word-hyperbolic in the sense of Duncan & Gilman. A fundamental investigation reveals that the natural definition of a `word-hyperbolic structure' has to be strengthened slightly in order to define a unique semigroup up to isomorphism. The isomorphism problem is proven to be undecidable for word-hyperbolic semigroups (in contrast to the situation for word-hyperbolic groups). It is proved that it is undecidable whether a word-hyperbolic semigroup is automatic, asynchronously automatic, biautomatic, or asynchronously biautomatic. (These properties do not hold in general for word-hyperbolic semigroups.) It is proved that the uniform word problem for word-hyperbolic semigroup is solvable in polynomial time (improving on the previous exponential-time algorithm). Algorithms are presented for deciding whether a word-hyperbolic semigroup is a monoid, a group, a completely simple semigroup, a Clifford semigroup, or a free semigroup.PostprintPeer reviewe

Uniqueness and Non-uniqueness in the Einstein Constraints

The conformal thin sandwich (CTS) equations are a set of four of the Einstein equations, which generalize the Laplace-Poisson equation of Newton's theory. We examine numerically solutions of the CTS equations describing perturbed Minkowski space, and find only one solution. However, we find {\em two} distinct solutions, one even containing a black hole, when the lapse is determined by a fifth elliptic equation through specification of the mean curvature. While the relationship of the two systems and their solutions is a fundamental property of general relativity, this fairly simple example of an elliptic system with non-unique solutions is also of broader interest.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; abstract and introduction rewritte