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Articles 1 - 9 of 9
Full-Text Articles in Other Mathematics
Arrangements Of N Planes Resulting In One Bounded Tetrahedral Chamber, Ava Knight
Arrangements Of N Planes Resulting In One Bounded Tetrahedral Chamber, Ava Knight
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
This paper investigates the combinatorial geometry of plane arrangements in three-dimensional space, focusing on configurations that produce exactly one bounded tetrahedral chamber. We define T(n) as the number of face-combinatorial equivalence classes of arrangements of n planes in ℝ³ containing exactly one bounded tetrahedral chamber. Known values — T(3) = 0, T(4) = 1, and T(5) = 2 — are established through direct construction, while T(6) remains an open problem. This paper contributes experimental evidence toward resolving T(6) by systematically extending the two valid 5-plane arrangements and verifying, through a plane removal argument, that each yields a valid plane configuration …
Catalan And Hyper-Catalan Numbers: Combinatorial Applications To Polynomial Equations, Leilani Natale
Catalan And Hyper-Catalan Numbers: Combinatorial Applications To Polynomial Equations, Leilani Natale
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
In this paper, we study Catalan numbers and their generalization, hyper-Catalan numbers, and explore how these sequences arise naturally in the context of solving polynomial equations using infinite power series. We begin by introducing the Catalan numbers through their combinatorial interpretation as triangulations of convex polygons. Using this geometric definition, we derive a relation whose recursive structure leads to a quadratic functional equation. Interpreting this relation as a formal power series equation allows us to express solutions to quadratic equations as infinite power series whose coefficients are given by the Catalan numbers. This framework is then extended by allowing polygon …
Finding Optimal Cayley Map Embeddings Using Genetic Algorithms, Jacob Buckelew
Finding Optimal Cayley Map Embeddings Using Genetic Algorithms, Jacob Buckelew
Honors Program Theses
Genetic algorithms are a commonly used metaheuristic search method aimed at solving complex optimization problems in a variety of fields. These types of algorithms lend themselves to problems that can incorporate stochastic elements, which allows for a wider search across a search space. However, the nature of the genetic algorithm can often cause challenges regarding time-consumption. Although the genetic algorithm may be widely applicable to various domains, it is not guaranteed that the algorithm will outperform other traditional search methods in solving problems specific to particular domains. In this paper, we test the feasibility of genetic algorithms in solving a …
Mathematical Magic: A Study Of Number Puzzles, Nicasio M. Velez
Mathematical Magic: A Study Of Number Puzzles, Nicasio M. Velez
Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal
Within this paper, we will briefly review the history of a collection of number puzzles which take the shape of squares, polygons, and polyhedra in both modular and nonmodular arithmetic. Among other results, we develop construction techniques for solutions of both Modulo and regular Magic Squares. For other polygons in nonmodular arithmetic, specifically of order 3, we present a proof of why there are only four Magic Triangles using linear algebra, disprove the existence of the Magic Tetrahedron in two ways, and utilizing the infamous 3-SUM combinatorics problem we disprove the existence of the Magic Octahedron.
The Name Tag Problem, Christian Carley
The Name Tag Problem, Christian Carley
Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal
The Name Tag Problem is a thought experiment that, when formalized, serves as an introduction to the concept of an orthomorphism of $\Zn$. Orthomorphisms are a type of group permutation and their graphs are used to construct mutually orthogonal Latin squares, affine planes and other objects. This paper walks through the formalization of the Name Tag Problem and its linear solutions, which center around modular arithmetic. The characterization of which linear mappings give rise to these solutions developed in this paper can be used to calculate the exact number of linear orthomorphisms for any additive group Z/nZ, which is demonstrated …
Phylogenetic Networks And Functions That Relate Them, Drew Scalzo
Phylogenetic Networks And Functions That Relate Them, Drew Scalzo
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
Phylogenetic Networks are defined to be simple connected graphs with exactly n labeled nodes of degree one, called leaves, and where all other unlabeled nodes have a degree of at least three. These structures assist us with analyzing ancestral history, and its close relative - phylogenetic trees - garner the same visualization, but without the graph being forced to be connected. In this paper, we examine the various characteristics of Phylogenetic Networks and functions that take these networks as inputs, and convert them to more complex or simpler structures. Furthermore, we look at the nature of functions as they relate …
Combinatorial Polynomial Hirsch Conjecture, Sam Miller
Combinatorial Polynomial Hirsch Conjecture, Sam Miller
HMC Senior Theses
The Hirsch Conjecture states that for a d-dimensional polytope with n facets, the diameter of the graph of the polytope is at most n-d. This conjecture was disproven in 2010 by Francisco Santos Leal. However, a polynomial bound in n and d on the diameter of a polytope may still exist. Finding a polynomial bound would provide a worst-case scenario runtime for the Simplex Method of Linear Programming. However working only with polytopes in higher dimensions can prove challenging, so other approaches are welcome. There are many equivalent formulations of the Hirsch Conjecture, one of which is the …
In Honor And Memory Of Professor Lajos Takács, Aliakbar M. Haghighi, Sri G. Mohanty
In Honor And Memory Of Professor Lajos Takács, Aliakbar M. Haghighi, Sri G. Mohanty
Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)
This issue of AAM is dedicated to honoring and remembering Professor Lajos Takács. While wrapping up the manuscript of my book (co-authored by Dr. Dimitar Mishev): Delayed and Network Queues, I went back to celebrate his 1962 book, Introduction to the Theory of Queues, where he gives an example illustrating a waiting time paradox, where the waiting time of a passenger waiting for a bus at a bus stop is infinite, while, in reality, he will wait a finite unit of time before a bus arrive. I sent Professor Takács an e-mail on December 4, 2015, inquiring if he had …
The Apprentices' Tower Of Hanoi, Cory Bh Ball
The Apprentices' Tower Of Hanoi, Cory Bh Ball
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The Apprentices' Tower of Hanoi is introduced in this thesis. Several bounds are found in regards to optimal algorithms which solve the puzzle. Graph theoretic properties of the associated state graphs are explored. A brief summary of other Tower of Hanoi variants is also presented.