Mathematics Commons^™

On A Class Of Quaternionic Positive Definite Functions And Their Derivatives, Daniel Alpay, Fabrizio Colombo, Irene Sabadini

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In this paper, we start the study of stochastic processes over the skew field of quaternions. We discuss the relation between positive definite functions and the covariance of centered Gaussian processes and the construction of stochastic processes and their derivatives. The use of perfect spaces and strong algebras and the notion of Fock space are crucial in this framework.

Normal Surfaces And 3-Manifold Algorithms, Josh D. Hews

Honors Theses

This survey will develop the theory of normal surfaces as they apply to the S3 recognition algorithm. Sections 2 and 3 provide necessary background on manifold theory. Section 4 presents the theory of normal surfaces in triangulations of 3-manifolds. Section 6 discusses issues related to implementing algorithms based on normal surfaces, as well as an overview of the Regina, a program that implements many 3-manifold algorithms. Finally section 7 presents the proof of the 3-sphere recognition algorithm and discusses how Regina implements the algorithm.

Tying The Knot: Applications Of Topology To Chemistry, Tarini S. Hardikar

Honors Theses

Chirality (or handedness) is the property that a structure is “different” from its mirror image. Topology can be used to provide a rigorous framework for the notion of chirality. This project examines various types of chirality and discusses tools to detect chirality in graphs and knots. Notable theorems that are discussed in this work include ones that identify chirality using properties of link polynomials (HOMFLY polynomials), rigid vertex graphs, and knot linking numbers. Various other issues of chirality are explored, and some specially unique structures are discussed. This paper is borne out of reading Dr. Erica Flapan’s book, When Topology …

A Classification Of The Intersections Between Regions And Their Topical Transitions, Kathleen Bell

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

As two topological regions are morphed and translated, how does their intersection change? Previous research has been done on static configurations with planar spatial regions. I expand upon this research to include dynamically changing regions and intersections. I examine what forms of intersection are possible, and what transitions are directly possible, while considering such variables as the connectedness of the regions.

The Density Topology On The Reals With Analogues On Other Spaces, Stuart Nygard

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

A point x is a density point of a set A if all of the points except a measure zero set near to x are contained in A. In the usual topology on ℝ, a set is open if shrinking intervals around each point are eventually contained in the set. The density topology relaxes this requirement. A set is open in the density topology if for each point, the limit of the measure of A contained in shirking intervals to the measure of the shrinking intervals themselves is one. That is, for any point x and a small enough …

The Cantor Set Before Cantor, Nicholas A. Scoville

Topology

A special construction used in both analysis and topology today is known as the Cantor set. Cantor used this set in a paper in the 1880s. Yet it appeared as early as 1875 in a paper by the Irish mathematician Henry John Stephen Smith (1826 - 1883). Smith, who is best known for the Smith normal form of a matrix, was a professor at Oxford who made great contributions in matrix theory and number theory. In this project, we will explore parts of a paper he wrote titled On the Integration of Discontinuous Functions.

Topology From Analysis, Nicholas A. Scoville

Topology

Topology is often described as having no notion of distance, but a notion of nearness. How can such a thing be possible? Isn't this just a distinction without a difference? In this project, we will discover the notion of nearness without distance by studying the work of Georg Cantor and a problem he was investigating involving Fourier series. We will see that it is the relationship of points to each other, and not their distances per se, that is a proper view. We will see the roots of topology organically springing from analysis.

Classification Of Compact 2-Manifolds, George H. Winslow

Theses and Dissertations

It is said that a topologist is a mathematician who can not tell the difference between a doughnut and a coffee cup. The surfaces of the two objects, viewed as topological spaces, are homeomorphic to each other, which is to say that they are topologically equivalent. In this thesis, we acknowledge some of the most well-known examples of surfaces: the sphere, the torus, and the projective plane. We then observe that all surfaces are, in fact, homeomorphic to either the sphere, the torus, a connected sum of tori, a projective plane, or a connected sum of projective planes. Finally, we …

The Topology Of Absence, Nora E. Culik

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

“The Topology of Absence” literalizes triangulations, hyperbeloids, and the concept of the limit in the story of “locating” a lost mother. This story, like “The Physicist’s Basement” in the July 2014 issue, is part of a series that worries about competing notions of mathematics, i.e., mathematics as some sort of disembodied configuration or as emergent in the material reality of human life.

Factorial Growth Rates For The Number Of Hyperbolic 3-Manifolds Of A Given Volume, Christian Millichap

Faculty Publications

The work of Jørgensen and Thurston shows that there is a finite number N(v) of orientable hyperbolic 3-manifolds with any given volume v. In this paper, we construct examples showing that the number of hyperbolic knot complements with a given volume v can grow at least factorially fast with v. A similar statement holds for closed hyperbolic 3-manifolds, obtained via Dehn surgery. Furthermore, we give explicit estimates for lower bounds of N(v) in terms of v for these examples. These results improve upon the work of Hodgson and Masai, which describes examples that grow exponentially fast with v …

Stable Commutator Length In Amalgamated Free Products, Timothy Susse

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

We show that stable commutator length is rational on free products of free Abelian groups amalgamated over Z^k, a class of groups containing the fundamental groups of all torus knot complements. We consider a geometric model for these groups and parameterize all surfaces with specified boundary mapping to this space. Using this work we provide a topological algorithm to compute stable commutator length in these groups. We then use the combinatorics of this algorithm to prove that for a word w in the (p, q)-torus knot complement, scl(w) is quasirational in p and q. Finally, we analyze central …

Topological Pressure And Fractal Dimensions For Bi-Lipschitz Mappings, Hugo E. Olvera

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In this thesis, first we have defined the topological pressure P(t) and then using Banach limit we have determined a unique Borel probability measure µh supported by the invariant set E of a system of bi-Lipschitz mappings where h is the unique zero of the pressure function. Using the topological pressure and the measure µh, under certain condition on bi-Lipschitz constants, we have shown that the fractal dimensions such as the Hausdorff dimension, the packing dimension and the box-counting dimension of the set E are all equal to h. Moreover, it is shown that the h-dimensional Hausdorff measure and the …

A Volume Bound For Montesinos Links, Kathleen Arvella Finlinson

Theses and Dissertations

The hyperbolic volume of a knot complement is a topological knot invariant. Futer, Kalfagianni, and Purcell have estimated the volumes of Montesinos link complements for Montesinos links with at least three positive tangles. Here we extend their results to all hyperbolic Montesinos links.

An Introduction To Set Theory And Topology, Ronald C. Freiwald

Books and Monographs

These notes are an introduction to set theory and topology. They are the result of teaching a two-semester course sequence on these topics for many years at Washington University in St. Louis. Typically the students were advanced undergraduate mathematics majors, a few beginning graduate students in mathematics, and some graduate students from other areas that included economics and engineering. The usual background for the material is an introductory undergraduate analysis course, mostly because it provides a solid introduction to Euclidean space Rn and practice with rigorous arguments — in particular, about continuity. Strictly speaking, however, the material is mostly self-contained. …

Intensity-Based Skeletonization Of Cryoem Gray-Scale Images Using A True Segmentation-Free Algorithm, Kamal Al Nasr, Chunmei Liu, Mugizi Rwebangira, Legand Burge, Jing He

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Cryo-electron microscopy is an experimental technique that is able to produce 3D gray-scale images of protein molecules. In contrast to other experimental techniques, cryo-electron microscopy is capable of visualizing large molecular complexes such as viruses and ribosomes. At medium resolution, the positions of the atoms are not visible and the process cannot proceed. The medium-resolution images produced by cryo-electron microscopy are used to derive the atomic structure of the proteins in de novo modeling. The skeletons of the 3D gray-scale images are used to interpret important information that is helpful in de novo modeling. Unfortunately, not all features of the …

Modeling Spatial Uncertainties In Geospatial Data Fusion And Mining, Boris Kovalerchuk, Leonid Perlovsky, Michael Kovalerchuk

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Geospatial data analysis relies on Spatial Data Fusion and Mining (SDFM), which heavily depend on topology and geometry of spatial objects. Capturing and representing geometric characteristics such as orientation, shape, proximity, similarity, and their measurement are of the highest interest in SDFM. Representation of uncertain and dynamically changing topological structure of spatial objects including social and communication networks, roads and waterways under the influence of noise, obstacles, temporary loss of communication, and other factors. is another challenge. Spatial distribution of the dynamic network is a complex and dynamic mixture of its topology and geometry. Historically, separation of topology and geometry …

The Topology Of Statistical Convergence, Khdiga Kalifa Tabib

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A sequence {xn} is said to be statistically convergent to ℓ provided that "almost all" of the values of {xn} are arbitrarily close to ℓ. One can also define what is meant by statistical limit point, statistical limit superior, statistical limit inferior of a sequence and so forth and thus create a theory of convergence that includes ordinary convergence. In this work we investigate all these concepts and prove some new results. We also introduce a topology defined by this new convergence which we call statistical topology. Then we prove that both the statistical topology and the regular topology are …

A Topological Approach To Molecular Chirality, Erica Flapan

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

Topology is the study of deformations of geometric figures. Chemistry is the study of molecular structures. At first glance these fields seem to have nothing in common. But let’s take a closer look to see how these fields come together in the study of molecular symmetries.

Moduli Spaces And Cw Structures Arising From Morse Theory, Lizhen Qin

Wayne State University Dissertations

In this dissertation, we study the moduli spaces and CW Structures arising from Morse theory.

Suppose M is a smooth manifold and f is a Morse function on it. We consider the negative gradient flow of f. Suppose the flow satisfies transversality. This naturally defines the moduli spaces of flow lines and gives a stratication of M by its unstable manifolds. The gluing of broken flow lines can also be constructed.

We prove that, under certain assumptions, these moduli spaces can be compactified and the compactified spaces are smooth manifolds with corners. Moreover, these compactified manifolds satisfy certain orientation formulas. …

Topological And Combinatorial Properties Of Neighborhood And Chessboard Complexes, Matthew Zeckner

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines the topological properties of simplicial complexes that arise from two distinct combinatorial objects. In 2003, A. Björner and M. de Longueville proved that the neighborhood complex of the stable Kneser graph SG_n,k is homotopy equivalent to a k-sphere. Further, for n = 2 they showed that the neighborhood complex deformation retracts to a subcomplex isomorphic to the associahedron. They went on to ask whether or not, for all n and k, the neighborhood complex of SG_n,k contains as a deformation retract the boundary complex of a simplicial polytope. Part one of this dissertation …

Combinatorics And Topology Of Curves And Knots, Bailey Ann Ross

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The genus of a graph is the minimal genus of a surface into which the graph can be embedded. Four regular graphs play an important role in low dimensional topology since they arise from curves and virtual knot diagrams. Curves and virtual knots can be encoded combinatorially by certain signed words, called Gauss codes and Gauss paragraphs. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the genus problem for these combinatorial objects: Given a Gauss word or Gauss paragraph, what is the genus of the curve or virtual knot it represents?

Counting The Number Of Locally Convex Topologies On A Totally Ordered Finiate Set, Thomas Tyler Clark

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

We look at locally convex topologies on a totally ordered finite set. We determine a method of finding an upper bound on the number of such topologies on an n element. We show how this problem is related to Pascal’s Triangle and the Fibonacci Numbers. We explain an algorithm for determining the number of locally convex topologies consisting of nested intervals.

A Comparison Theorem For The Topological And Algebraic Classification Of Quaternionic Toric 8-Manifolds, Piotr Runge

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In order to discuss topological properties of quaternionic toric 8-manifolds, we introduce the notion of an algebraic morphism in the category of toric spaces. We show that the classification of quaternionic toric 8-manifolds with respect to an algebraic isomorphism is finer than the oriented topological classification. We construct infinite families of quaternionic toric 8-manifolds in the same oriented homeomorphism type but algebraically distinct. To prove that the elements within each family are of the same oriented homeomorphism type, and that we have representatives of all such types of a quaternionic toric 8-manifold, we present and use a method of evaluating …

Infinite Product Group, Keith G. Penrod

Theses and Dissertations

The theory of infinite multiplication has been studied in the case of the Hawaiian earring group, and has been seen to simplify the description of that group. In this paper we try to extend the theory of infinite multiplication to other groups and give a few examples of how this can be done. In particular, we discuss the theory as applied to symmetric groups and braid groups. We also give an equivalent definition to K. Eda's infinitary product as the fundamental group of a modified wedge product.

Categorical Properties Of Lattice-Valued Convergence Spaces, Paul Flores

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work can be roughly divided into two parts. Initially, it may be considered a continuation of the very interesting research on the topic of Lattice-Valued Convergence Spaces given by Jager [2001, 2005]. The alternate axioms presented here seem to lead to theorems having proofs more closely related to standard arguments used in Convergence Space theory when the Lattice is L = f0; 1g:Various Subcategories are investigated. One such subconstruct is shown to be isomorphic to the category of Lattice Valued Fuzzy Convergence Spaces defined and studied by Jager [2001]. Our principal category is shown to be a topological universe …

The Topology Of Surface Mediatrices, James Bernhard, J. J. P. Veerman

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Given a pair of distinct points p and q in a metric space with distance d, the mediatrix is the set of points x such that d(x,p)=d(x,q). In this paper, we examine the topological structure of mediatrices in connected, compact, closed 2-manifolds whose distance function is inherited from a Riemannian metric. We determine that such mediatrices are, up to homeomorphism, finite, closed simplicial 1-complexes with an even number of incipient edges emanating from each vertex. Using this and results from [J.J.P. Veerman, J. Bernhard, Minimally separating sets, mediatrices and Brillouin spaces, Topology Appl., in press], we give the classification …

Duan's Fixed Point Theorem: Proof And Generalization, Martin Arkowitz

Dartmouth Scholarship

Let X be an H-space of the homotopy type of a connected, finite CW-complex, f : X→X any map and p_k : X→X the k^th power map. Duan proved that p_kf : X → X has a fixed point if k ≥ 2. We give a new, short and elementary proof of this. We then use rational homotopy to generalize to spaces X whose rational cohomology is the tensor product of an exterior algebra on odd dimensional generators with the tensor product of truncated polynomial algebras on even dimensional generators. The role of the power map …

Applications Of Computational Homology, Christopher Aaron Johnson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Homology is a field of topology that classifies objects based on the number of n- dimensional holes (cuts, tunnels, voids, etc.) they possess. The number of its real life ap- plications is quickly growing, which requires development of modern computational meth- ods. In my thesis, I will present methods of calculation, algorithms, and implementations of simplicial homology, alpha shapes, and persistent homology.

The Alpha Shapes method represents a point cloud as the union of balls centered at each point, and based on these balls, a complex can be built and homology computed. If the balls are allowed to grow, one …

Notes For Mat 7500 – Winter '93, Revised Winter '06, David Handel

Mathematics Faculty Research Publications

These notes developed from a one semester course at Wayne State University, taught several times in the last three decades of the 1900s. The subject matter is analysis on manifolds, consisting of the theory of smooth manifolds, differential forms, integration of forms, the generalized Stokes' Theorem, de Rham cohomology, and some related topics. The course is intended for first or second year graduate students in Mathematics with a background in Advanced Calculus, General Topology, linear algebra (including quotient spaces), and a little elementary group theory (including some familiarity with the symmetric groups). Given the above background, the notes are self-contained. …

A Topological Approach To Nonlinear Analysis, Wendy Ann Peske

Theses Digitization Project

A topological approach to nonlinear analysis allows for strikingly beautiful proofs and simplified calculations. This topological approach employs many of the ideas of continuous topology, including convergence, compactness, metrization, complete metric spaces, uniform spaces and function spaces. This thesis illustrates using the topological approach in proving the Cauchy-Peano Existence theorem. The topological proof utilizes the ideas of complete metric spaces, Ascoli-Arzela theorem, topological properties in Euclidean n-space and normed linear spaces, and the extension of Brouwer's fixed point theorem to Schauder's fixed point theorem, and Picard's theorem.