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Cohomology Of Absolute Galois Groups, Claudio Quadrelli

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The main problem this thesis deals with is the characterization of profinite groups which are realizable as absolute Galois groups of fields: this is currently one of the major problems in Galois theory. Usually one reduces the problem to the pro-p case, i.e., one would like to know which pro-p groups occur as maximal pro-p Galois groups, i.e., maximal pro-p quotients of absolute Galois groups. Indeed, pro-p groups are easier to deal with than general profinite groups, yet they carry a lot of information on the whole absolute Galois group.

We define a new class of pro-p groups, called Bloch-Kato …

Polynomial Identities On Algebras With Actions, Chris Plyley

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

When an algebra is endowed with the additional structure of an action or a grading, one can often make striking conclusions about the algebra based on the properties of the structure-induced subspaces. For example, if A is an associative G-graded algebra such that the homogeneous component A₁ satisfies an identity of degree d, then Bergen and Cohen showed that A is itself a PI-algebra. Bahturin, Giambruno and Riley later used combinatorial methods to show that the degree of the identity satisfied by A is bounded above by a function of d and |G|. Utilizing a …

Ghost Number Of Group Algebras, Gaohong Wang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The generating hypothesis for the stable module category of a finite group is the statement that if a map in the thick subcategory generated by the trivial representation induces the zero map in Tate cohomology, then it is stably trivial. It is known that the generating hypothesis fails for most groups. Generalizing work done for p-groups, we define the ghost number of a group algebra, which is a natural number that measures the degree to which the generating hypothesis fails. We describe a close relationship between ghost numbers and Auslander-Reiten triangles, with many results stated for a general projective class …

Monoid Rings And Strongly Two-Generated Ideals, Brittney M. Salt

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This paper determines whether monoid rings with the two-generator property have the strong two-generator property. Dedekind domains have both the two-generator and strong two-generator properties. How common is this? Two cases are considered here: the zero-dimensional case and the one-dimensional case for monoid rings. Each case is looked at to determine if monoid rings that are not PIRs but are two-generated have the strong two-generator property. Full results are given in the zero-dimensional case, however only partial results have been found for the one-dimensional case.

Homormophic Images And Their Isomorphism Types, Diana Herrera

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In this thesis we have presented original homomorphic images of permutations and monomial progenitors. In some cases we have used the double coset enumeration tech- nique to construct the images and for all of the homomorphic images that we have discovered, the isomorphism type of each group is given. The homomorphic images discovered include Linear groups, Alternating groups, and two sporadic simple groups J₁ and J₂X2 where J₁ is the smallest Janko group and J₂ is the second Janko sporadic group.

Convexity Properties Of The Diestel-Leader Group Γ_3(2), Peter J. Davids

Honors Projects

The Diestel-Leader groups are a family of groups first introduced in 2001 by Diestel and Leader in [7]. In this paper, we demonstrate that the Diestel-Leader group Γ₃(2) is not almost convex with respect to a particular generating set S. Almost convexity is a geometric property that has been shown by Cannon [3] to guarantee a solvable word problem (that is, in any almost convex group there is a finite-step algorithm to determine if two strings of generators, or “words”, represent the same group element). Our proof relies on the word length formula given by Stein and Taback …

Calculator Usage In Secondary Level Classrooms: The Ongoing Debate, Nicole Plummer

Honors College Theses

With technology becoming more prevalent every day, it is imperative that students gain enough experience with different technological tools in order to be successful in the “real-world”. This thesis will discuss the debate and overall support for an increased usage of calculators as tools in the secondary level classroom. When the idea of calculators in the classroom first came to life, many educators were very apprehensive and quite hesitant of this change. Unfortunately, more than 40 years later, there is still hesitation for their usage; and rightfully so. While there are plenty of advantages of calculator use in the classroom, …

Properties Of Ideal-Based Zero-Divisor Graphs Of Commutative Rings, Jesse Gerald Smith Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations

Let R be a commutative ring with nonzero identity and I an ideal of R. The focus of this research is on a generalization of the zero-divisor graph called the ideal-based zero-divisor graph for commutative rings with nonzero identity. We consider such a graph to be nontrivial when it is nonempty and distinct from the zero-divisor graph of R. We begin by classifying all rings which have nontrivial ideal-based zero-divisor graph complete on fewer than 5 vertices. We also classify when such graphs are complete on a prime number of vertices. In addition we classify all rings which …

Permutation Groups And Puzzle Tile Configurations Of Instant Insanity Ii, Amanda N. Justus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The manufacturer claims that there is only one solution to the puzzle Instant Insanity II. However, a recent paper shows that there are two solutions. Our goal is to find ways in which we only have one solution. We examine the permutation groups of the puzzle and use modern algebra to attempt to fix the puzzle. First, we find the permutation group for the case when there is only one empty slot at the top. We then examine the scenario when we add an extra column or an extra row to make the game a 4 × 5 puzzle or …

Construction Algorithms For Expander Graphs, Vlad S. Burca

Senior Theses and Projects

Graphs are mathematical objects that are comprised of nodes and edges that connect them. In computer science they are used to model concepts that exhibit network behaviors, such as social networks, communication paths or computer networks. In practice, it is desired that these graphs retain two main properties: sparseness and high connectivity. This is equivalent to having relatively short distances between two nodes but with an overall small number of edges. These graphs are called expander graphs and the main motivation behind studying them is the efficient network structure that they can produce due to their properties. We are specifically …

Fast Monte Carlo Algorithms For Computing A Low-Rank Approximation To A Matrix, Vlad S. Burca

Senior Theses and Projects

Many of today's applications deal with big quantities of data; from DNA analysis algorithms, to image processing and movie recommendation algorithms. Most of these systems store the data in very large matrices. In order to perform analysis on the collected data, these big matrices have to be stored in the RAM (random-access memory) of the computing system. But this is a very expensive process since RAM is a scarce computational resource. Ideally, one would like to be able to store most of the data matrices on the memory disk (hard disk drive) while loading only the necessary parts of the …

Classification Of W-Groups Of Pythagorean Formally Real Fields, Fatemeh Bagherzadeh Golmakani

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this work we consider the Galois point of view in determining the structure of
a space of orderings of fields via considering small Galois quotients of absolute Galois
groups G _F of Pythagorean formally real fields. Galois theoretic, group theoretic and
combinatorial arguments are used to reduce the structure of W-groups.

The Irreducible Representations Of D2n, Melissa Soto

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Irreducible representations of a finite group over a field are important because all representations of a group are direct sums of irreducible representations. Maschke tells us that if φ is a representation of the finite group G of order n on the m-dimensional space V over the field K of complex numbers and if U is an invariant subspace of φ, then U has a complementary reducing subspace W .

The objective of this thesis is to find all irreducible representations of the dihedral group D2n. The reason we will work with the dihedral group is because it is one …

A Characterization Of Serre Classes Of Reflexive Modules Over A Complete Local Noetherian Ring, Casey R. Monday

Theses and Dissertations--Mathematics

Serre classes of modules over a ring R are important because they describe relationships between certain classes of modules and sets of ideals of R. We characterize the Serre classes of three different types of modules. First we characterize all Serre classes of noetherian modules over a commutative noetherian ring. By relating noetherian modules to artinian modules via Matlis duality, we characterize the Serre classes of artinian modules. A module M is reflexive with respect to E if the natural evaluation map from M to its bidual is an isomorphism. When R is complete local and noetherian, take E as …

A New Subgroup Chain For The Finite Affine Group, David Alan Lingenbrink Jr.

HMC Senior Theses

The finite affine group is a matrix group whose entries come from a finite field. A natural subgroup consists of those matrices whose entries all come from a subfield instead. In this paper, I will introduce intermediate sub- groups with entries from both the field and a subfield. I will also examine the representations of these intermediate subgroups as well as the branch- ing diagram for the resulting subgroup chain. This will allow us to create a fast Fourier transform for the group that uses asymptotically fewer opera- tions than the brute force algorithm.

Fast Algorithms For Analyzing Partially Ranked Data, Matthew Mcdermott

HMC Senior Theses

Imagine your local creamery administers a survey asking their patrons to choose their five favorite ice cream flavors. Any data collected by this survey would be an example of partially ranked data, as the set of all possible flavors is only ranked into subsets of the chosen flavors and the non-chosen flavors. If the creamery asks you to help analyze this data, what approaches could you take? One approach is to use the natural symmetries of the underlying data space to decompose any data set into smaller parts that can be more easily understood. In this work, I describe …

The Effectiveness Of Manipulatives In A High School Algebra Ii Class, Brooke Elizabeth Bruins

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the use of manipulatives in high school Algebra II. The effectiveness of the Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) Model is compared to explicit instruction. The participants in this study are students from six high school Algebra II classes -two honors classes, and four standard classes. One honors class and two standard classes were randomly selected as the treatment groups receiving CRA instruction. The other three classes learned through abstract explicit instruction. Each class learned two new mathematical concepts, domain and range of quadratic functions and transformations of quadratic functions, through the selected method of instruction. At the end of instruction, …

Finding Zeros Of Rational Quadratic Forms, John F. Shaughnessy

CMC Senior Theses

In this thesis, we introduce the notion of quadratic forms and provide motivation for their study. We begin by discussing Diophantine equations, the field of p-adic numbers, and the Hasse-Minkowski Theorem that allows us to use p-adic analysis determine whether a quadratic form has a rational root. We then discuss search bounds and state Cassels' Theorem for small-height zeros of rational quadratic forms. We end with a proof of Cassels' Theorem and suggestions for further reading.

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Secondary Mathematics In An Urban Classroom, Julia Glissmann North

Honors Program Theses

Research and test scores have shown that African-American, Latino, Native American, and other minority students are underachieving in secondary mathematics. This is concerning not only to school personnel – who are under pressure to have students perform well on standardized tests – but also to the future of the country. When teachers adopt a culturally relevant pedagogy, diverse students will have a better opportunity to learn and retain mathematical content. When academic content is taught in a culturally relevant way, students are able to retain the information, improve their performance in school, and become more informed participants in society. Through …

Subfunctors Of Extension Functors, Furuzan Ozbek

Theses and Dissertations--Mathematics

This dissertation examines subfunctors of Ext relative to covering (enveloping) classes and the theory of covering (enveloping) ideals. The notion of covers and envelopes by modules was introduced independently by Auslander-Smalø and Enochs and has proven to be beneficial for module theory as well as for representation theory. The first few chapters examine the subfunctors of Ext and their properties. It is showed how the class of precoverings give us subfunctors of Ext. Furthermore, the characterization of these subfunctors and some examples are given. In the latter chapters ideals, the subfunctors of Hom, are investigated. The definition of cover and …

Boij-Söderberg Decompositions, Cellular Resolutions, And Polytopes, Stephen Sturgeon

Theses and Dissertations--Mathematics

Boij-Söderberg theory shows that the Betti table of a graded module can be written as a linear combination of pure diagrams with integer coefficients. In chapter 2 using Ferrers hypergraphs and simplicial polytopes, we provide interpretations of these coefficients for ideals with a d-linear resolution, their quotient rings, and for Gorenstein rings whose resolution has essentially at most two linear strands. We also establish a structural result on the decomposition in the case of quasi-Gorenstein modules. These results are published in the Journal of Algebra, see [25].

In chapter 3 we provide some further results about Boij-Söderberg decompositions. We …

Algebraic Properties Of Formal Power Series Composition, Thomas S. Brewer

Theses and Dissertations--Mathematics

The study of formal power series is an area of interest that spans many areas of mathematics. We begin by looking at single-variable formal power series with coefficients from a field. By restricting to those series which are invertible with respect to formal composition we form a group. Our focus on this group focuses on the classification of elements having finite order. The notion of a semi-cyclic group comes up in this context, leading to several interesting results about torsion subgroups of the group. We then expand our focus to the composition of multivariate formal power series, looking at similar …

Homological Algebra With Filtered Modules, Raymond Edward Kremer

Theses and Dissertations--Mathematics

Classical homological algebra is done in a category of modules beginning with the study of projective and injective modules. This dissertation investigates analogous notions of projectivity and injectivity in a category of filtered modules. This category is similar to one studied by Sjödin, Nǎstǎsescu, and Van Oystaeyen. In particular, projective and injective objects with respect to the restricted class of strict morphisms are defined and characterized. Additionally, an analogue to the injective envelope is discussed with examples showing how this differs from the usual notion of an injective envelope.

Homogeneous Gorenstein Ideals And Boij Söderberg Decompositions, Sema Güntürkün

Theses and Dissertations--Mathematics

This thesis consists of two parts. Part one revolves around a construction for homogeneous Gorenstein ideals and properties of these ideals. Part two focuses on the behavior of the Boij-Söderberg decomposition of lex ideals.

Gorenstein ideals are known for their nice duality properties. For codimension two and three, the structures of Gorenstein ideals have been established by Hilbert-Burch and Buchsbaum-Eisenbud, respectively. However, although some important results have been found about Gorenstein ideals of higher codimension, there is no structure theorem proven for higher codimension cases. Kustin and Miller showed how to construct a Gorenstein ideals in local Gorenstein rings starting …