A Constant Haunting

A three movement work for wind ensemble and soprano soloist

Where\u27s My Coffee?

Non-fiction by Russ Baile

Matchings, coverings, and Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity

We show that the co-chordal cover number of a graph G gives an upper bound for the Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity of the associated edge ideal. Several known combinatorial upper bounds of regularity for edge ideals are then easy consequences of covering results from graph theory, and we derive new upper bounds by looking at additional covering results.Comment: 12 pages; v4 has minor changes for publicatio

Vertex decomposable graphs and obstructions to shellability

Inspired by several recent papers on the edge ideal of a graph G, we study the equivalent notion of the independence complex of G. Using the tool of vertex decomposability from geometric combinatorics, we show that 5-chordal graphs with no chordless 4-cycles are shellable and sequentially Cohen-Macaulay. We use this result to characterize the obstructions to shellability in flag complexes, extending work of Billera, Myers, and Wachs. We also show how vertex decomposability may be used to show that certain graph constructions preserve shellability.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures. v2: Improved exposition, added Section 5.2 and additional references. v3: minor corrections for publicatio

Hitsville UK: punk in the faraway towns

This was an exhibition of UK punk rock record sleeve design across the period 1976-1984, and consisted of a wide range of record sleeves grouped by punk and post punk sub-genres, and a large format exhibition timeline mapping the chronology and geography of the graphic evolution of punk within this timeframe, using seven inch single sleeves as a representative case study for analysis. This was accompanied by a range of interactive and sound installations allowing users to view the production details of each sleeve and to hear the music on the records. The research consisted of a detailed analysis of ‘quintessentially punk artefacts’, the seven-inch ‘picture’ record sleeves associated with UK Punk. New perspectives on their production and their graphic characteristics including any recurring visual tropes or pictorial devices and the use of a DIY aesthetic were created. The period covered was c.1976-1984. Two important aspects of the research methodology were, firstly, to consider the graphic design of the record sleeves through the prism of the complex sub-cultural codes that were characteristic of UK Punk at this period and, secondly, to view these graphic artefacts as indissoluble from the UK Punk’s musical language. An additional feature of the research was the mapping of the diaspora of UK Punk form London, Manchester and other large cities to ‘the faraway towns’ by means of a visual matrix that demonstrated a widening geographic spread of seven-inch single production during much of period. The exhibitions which were slightly different in each venue, celebrated the wide range of graphic approaches adopted and redressed the balance of recent punk accounts which focus on the short-lived activities of UK Punk’s early years. Together with the visual matrix and real-size reproductions of a wide range of graphic material, the research resulted in an exhibition catalogue package that included three reversible posters, and an interactive web-based resource which links the seven-inch sleeve to its key musical track

Tales From The Punkside

Book design for 'Tales From The Punkside', second edition: a punk anthology of independent writing and artwork

Meaning, autonomy, symbolic causality, and free will

As physical entities that translate symbols into physical actions, computers offer insights into the nature of meaning and agency. • Physical symbol systems, generically known as agents, link abstractions to material actions. The meaning of a symbol is defined as the physical actions an agent takes when the symbol is encountered. • An agent has autonomy when it has the power to select actions based on internal decision processes. Autonomy offers a partial escape from constraints imposed by direct physical influences such as gravity and the transfer of momentum. Swimming upstream is an example. • Symbols are names that can designate other entities. It appears difficult to explain the use of names and symbols in terms of more primitive functionality. The ability to use names and symbols, i.e., symbol grounding, may be a fundamental cognitive building block. • The standard understanding of causality—wiggling X results in Y wiggling—applies to both physical causes (e.g., one billiard ball hitting another) and symbolic causes (e.g., a traffic light changing color). Because symbols are abstract, they cannot produce direct physical effects. For a symbol to be a cause requires that the affected entity determine its own response. This is called autonomous causality. • This analysis of meaning and autonomy offers new perspectives on free will