Papers

We improve the best known lower bound on the integrality gap for weighted unit-demand multicommodity flow on trees from $1/4$ to $2/5$, improving on the long-standing bound of Chekuri, Mydlarz, and Shepherd~\cite{CMS}. We give the proof in two stages. First, a surprisingly simple packing lemma and an inductive coloring argument give an intermediate bound of $4/11$. We then refine the argument to obtain $2/5$.

Let $G$ be a finite group. The co-intersection graph $\Delta_G ^c$ of $G$ has as its vertices the nontrivial proper subgroups of $G$, with edges joining those pairs of subgroups which intersect trivially. It is clear that every connected component of $\Delta_G ^c$ has diameter at most three. In this Note, we show that when $T$ is a nonabelian finite simple group, $\Delta_T$ is connected of diameter exactly two. We also make several observations about the extent to which a finite group is determined by its co-intersection graph, and about the class of finite graphs arising as co-intersection graphs.

We disprove Kenig's 1994 spectral-radius conjecture for the double-layer operator in every dimension $d\ge2$. For every $t>1/2$ sufficiently close to $1/2$, we construct a bounded simply connected Lipschitz domain with connected boundary such that the double-layer operator on $L^2$ with respect to the surface measure has $\pm \mathrm{i} t$ in its Fredholm essential spectrum. In particular, the essential spectral radius is greater than $1/2$. In the plane, the boundary may be chosen differentiable everywhere and smooth away from a single point. Our planar construction develops a refinement mechanism that produces unbounded growth of adjoint resolvent solutions with fixed forcing while keeping the graph slopes uniformly bounded. A closed recursion for the density and its image under an auxiliary singular integral reduces the growth estimate to a certified inequality for Hermitian $2\times2$ matrices. The certificate uses continuous estimates, exact rational arithmetic and rigorous interval enclosures. Localisation and rescaled graph insertions then produce a weakly null sequence of normalised approximate eigenvectors for the adjoint double-layer operator on one bounded boundary. A compact intertwining relation on Cartesian products of the planar domain with cubes gives the higher-dimensional examples without changing the spectral parameter.

For more than four decades, the 60/40 stock/bond portfolio has served as a benchmark for delivering reasonable returns without excessive risk. More recently, a 50/30/20 stock/bond/alternative portfolio has been suggested. We use gold as the alternative and as an inflation hedge. In this paper we ask: how much improvement over these benchmark fixed-weight portfolios can be obtained using widely available public data and standard methods from quantitative finance? We restrict ourselves to long-only dynamic portfolios of stocks, bonds, and gold, plus cash, rebalancing monthly, using only publicly available data. We evaluate portfolios on the conventional metrics: return, volatility, Sharpe ratio (computed in excess of the federal funds rate), drawdown, and turnover, in addition to consistency of performance over time, judged by the consistency of the realized annual volatility. Over the 20–year period 2006–2026, using a conservative estimate of trading costs, we show that all risk-adjusted and drawdown metrics are improved using simple volatility control, where we dynamically mix the fixed-weight portfolios with cash so as to target a fixed volatility. This method relies on a simple estimate of portfolio volatility derived from past returns. We also demonstrate that more sophisticated portfolios based on convex optimization—similar to those used in quantitative hedge funds—yield further substantial improvement in return and risk-adjusted return. We consider two such portfolios, one that uses a simple estimate of future returns based on past returns, and one that forecasts future returns based on past returns and just a handful of widely available public economic data. These portfolios also outperform a suite of standard risk-based allocation methods, such as risk parity and minimum variance, evaluated on the same assets and data.

We study the problem of universal approximation of continuous maps between topological vector spaces by neural networks. We provide a universal approximation theorem for maps between locally convex topological vector spaces with and without paracompactness assumptions. We extend this result to continuous maps between non-locally convex topological vector spaces on compact sets under the assumption of finite topological dimension.

We propose a new fractional threshold-dynamics algorithm for subdiffusive interface motion and apply it to multiphase grain-growth simulations. The method combines the L1 discretization of the Caputo time derivative with a Helmholtz-resolvent thresholding step. At each time level, the L1 convolution produces a convex history average of the previously thresholded states; this history-dependent field is then propagated by a Helmholtz diffusion solve and projected back to pure phases by thresholding. For $\alpha=1$, the method reduces to a Helmholtz-resolvent analogue of the Merriman-Bence-Osher scheme, whereas for $0<\alpha<1$ it introduces a subdiffusive temporal memory. We establish a variational characterization, maximum and comparison principles, and stability for the continuous Helmholtz diffusion step. We also derive a memory-tail estimate and a finite-dimensional pinning criterion under an explicit resolvent-contraction hypothesis. The equal-tension multiphase scheme is implemented on periodic grids. The numerical experiments investigate the joint influence of the L1 history and the smoothing length. The fixed-step runs show faster coarsening for smaller fractional orders in the tested regime, while a comparison at fixed smoothing length examines the influence of the L1 history on successive updates.

A separable real or complex Banach space fails the Schur property if and only if it admits an equivalent Gâteaux smooth, weakly locally uniformly rotund norm which is not midpoint locally uniformly rotund. The construction enlarges an LUR unit ball by a weakly compact set and adds a weighted Hilbert-space term. The resulting norms can be chosen arbitrarily close to any prescribed equivalent LUR norm, and are Gâteaux smooth whenever the prescribed norm is Gâteaux smooth; Fréchet smoothness is preserved as well. Weakly locally uniformly rotund norms which are not midpoint locally uniformly rotund are dense among all equivalent norms on each separable non-Schur space. For arbitrary real or complex Banach spaces, such a renorming exists exactly when the space is LUR-renormable and fails the Schur property. We give a direct construction for this last assertion.

Let $$ S=\mathbb{C}[x,y,z],\qquad p_m=x^m+y^m+z^m. $$ For every $r\geq1$, we prove that $$ p_r,\ p_{r+1},\ p_{3r+1} \qquad\text{and}\qquad p_r,\ p_{r+1},\ p_{3r+2} $$ are regular sequences exactly when $r\not\equiv1\pmod3$. This proves the Conca–Krattenthaler–Watanabe prediction for two infinite families. The proof is elementary. Four simple reductions modulo $(p_r,p_{r+1})$ reduce the problem to the two equations $x+y+z=0$ and $xy+xz+yz=0$.

We consider Pólya's problem of finding, among convex sets of prescribed area, the one with the longest shortest fence, in the polygonal setting, namely when the class of competitors is restricted to polygons with a prescribed number of sides. While it is straightforward to show that, among triangles, the optimal shape is the equilateral one, we prove that symmetry breaking occurs in the case of quadrilaterals: the optimal quadrilateral is not the square. More precisely, we identify it as a specific isosceles trapezium, which is uniquely determined, up to homotheties and rigid motions, by an elementary equation for its base angle. The proof combines analytical arguments and rigorous interval-arithmetic computations.

We characterize the degree of freedom (DoF) of a point-to-point blockwise memoryless channel without prior channel state information (CSI), with a fixed number $K$ of propagation paths, where the transmitter (Tx) and the receiver (Rx) are equipped with nonuniform linear arrays (NULAs) of $N_t$ and $N_r$ antennas, respectively. The positions of array elements are fixed, known, pairwise distinct, and need not be equally spaced. The uniform linear array (ULA) is a special case. In each block of length $T$, the continuous angles of arrival (AoAs), angles of departure (AoDs), and independent complex Gaussian path gains are redrawn. Both Tx and Rx know the state distributions but are not given the current realizations before transmission. The receiver may estimate the channel from reference signals or decode without explicit channel estimation, with reference symbols counted in $T$ and their energy counted against the power constraint. Under the aforementioned model, we show that the DoF is $1-\frac{1}{T}$ for $K=1$, and $K(1-\frac{3}{2T})$ for $K \geq 2$, when $N_r\ge K+1$, $N_t\ge\max\{K,2\}$, and $T\ge K$. The analytical results are further demonstrated by their applications to the DoF tradeoff analysis in integrated sensing and communication (ISAC). For more general array structures, an achievability result is established, while the converse remains open in general.

DNA replication requires the coordination of origin firing and fork progression to ensure the entire genome is timely duplicated before cell division. Yet origin firing is stochastic, giving rise to the classical random completion problem of how probabilistic local events can nevertheless ensure reliable genome duplication. Although several biological mechanisms have been proposed to resolve this problem, a quantitative account of how heterogeneous initiation and fork speed govern the persistence of the final unreplicated regions is still lacking. To address this gap, we introduce a population-level kinetic framework that extends KJMA nucleation-and-growth models by tracking unreplicated intervals over size, genomic position and time. We establish well-posedness of the resulting mean-field system and global existence for compatible data. Notably, by introducing a local initiation mass function, we quantify how the density and spatial organisation of origin firing constrain replication completion, yielding novel and sharp upper bounds on both the worst-locus unreplicated fraction and locuswise near-completion time. These results provide a rigorous and computable foundation for mapping vulnerabilities in replication completion and relating persistent unreplicated regions to replication stress and genome instability.

The universal property of the Lipschitz-free spaces allows for the linearisation of a base point preserving Lipschitz map $f\colon M\to M$ to a bounded linear operator $T_f\colon \mathcal{F}(M) \to \mathcal{F}(M)$. While it is known that the operator $T_f$ is weakly mixing whenever $f$ has this property, it is open whether a similar inheritance result for topological transitivity holds. Motivated by this question we investigate properties of $T_f$ under the assumption that $f$ is topologically transitive. In particular we prove Kitai's theorem for Lipschitz operators, i.e. we show that every connected component of the complex variant of $T_f$ intersects the unit circle if $f$ is topologically transitive.

Recently, on the non-trivial zeros of the Riemann zeta function, it is obtained by Alpöge and Furman that more than 67.25% of the zeros are simple and on the critical line, and more than 83.62% are distinct. Later, Lamzouri gave a different and more direct proof. In this article, we will use the method of Lamzouri to give lower bounds on the number of the non-trivial zeros of the Riemann zeta function in short intervals. To prove the main result, we establish Montgomery's theorem on the pair correlation of zeros of the zeta function in short intervals by following the approach of Baluyot, Goldston, Suriajaya and Turnage-Butterbaugh, and then use Lamzouri's inequality on any finite multiset of complex numbers which is invariant under complex conjugation.

Images are important tools in various sciences. Despite the development of photo-taking tools, creating clear and image without noise remains challenging in practice. In particular, Poisson noise has an effect on medical and astronomical images, and reduces their quality. Additionally, blur is another factor that has an effect on image quality. The problem of image restoration becomes very complicated when we have no information about the Point Spread Function (PSF). These types of problems are known as blind case. However, in some images, such as some astronomical images, the type of PSF can be specified, and these types of problems are known as nonblind problems. Total Variation (TV) is a widely used method for solving such inverse problems, where the selection of the penalty function is the most critical factor that affects the method's performance. In this paper, to improve edge preservation, we employ a reweighted $\ell_1$-regularization of the fractional order derivative. Furthermore, we propose a nonblind and blind image deblurring approach under Poisson noise using the Minimax Concave Penalty (MCP), which is a continuous, sparsity promoting, and nearly unbiased regularizer. This formulation leads to a nonconvex optimization model. To solve the proposed model, we introduce an efficient numerical algorithm based on the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) and provide an analysis of its convergence. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm are demonstrated through extensive experiments on various images.

Line operators of 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ theories of class $\mathcal{S}$ of type $A_{N-1}$ in a half Omega background provide a physical model for $SL_N$ skein algebras. In this paper we extend this correspondence to $GL_N$ skein algebras and prove that the $GL_2$ skein algebra of the punctured torus is isomorphic to the $GL_2$ spherical double affine Hecke algebra ${{\mathbf{S}\ddot{\mathbf{H}}}}^{q,t}_2$. The construction is based on $\mathfrak{q}$-nonabelianization for the $SU(2)$ $\mathcal{N}=2^*$ gauge theory, which realizes the skein algebra as a quantum torus algebra associated with the Seiberg-Witten curve. Different regions of the Coulomb branch yield distinct presentations of ${{\mathbf{S}\ddot{\mathbf{H}}}}^{q,t}_2$. These range from the Macdonald $q$-difference module in Fenchel-Nielsen (weak coupling) charts to cluster-type realizations in Fock-Goncharov (strong coupling) charts. Transitions between these descriptions are governed by the vanilla BPS spectrum of the $\mathcal{N}=2^*$ theory via framed wall-crossing, which provides a unified physical framework for several representations of spherical DAHA.

We study a new class of mean-field quadratic backward stochastic differential equations (qBSDEs) arising from mean-field portfolio games with exponential utility. Typical examples of such games include a mean-field portfolio game with price impact, and a finite-contract pricing model with market clearing conditions. Generators of these mean-field qBSDEs contain quadratic terms $\mathbb{E}[Z]^{\top} Z$ and $|\mathbb{E}[Z]|^2$, instead of the classical pathwise $Z^\top Z$ term. We prove local well-posedness under $L^q$-integrability assumptions on terminals and their Malliavin derivatives, and global well-posedness under an extra exponential integrability condition on the Malliavin derivatives. Then we show the existence and uniqueness of global equilibria of the above two mean-field games via our qBSDE theory.

We obtain tight bounds on the modularity of PPM graphs in the case of equally sized parts. Moreover, we provide a general method that can help in obtaining bounds for various other models.

This monograph presents a systematic account of several classical and recent developments in the theory of rotating vortex patches, or V-states, for the two-dimensional Euler equations and related active scalar models. Its purpose is both expository and structural: we revisit some of the foundational results of the subject, provide detailed proofs and alternative formulations, and present more recent results within a common analytical framework. We begin with Euler vortex patches and the contour dynamics formulation of rigidly rotating solutions. We then develop two complementary approaches to the V-state equation, based on Cauchy integrals and conformal mappings, and discuss their connections with potential theory and Faber polynomials. These tools are used to revisit classical examples, including Rankine vortices and Kirchhoff ellipses, as well as rigidity and classification results. A substantial part is devoted to Burbea construction of noncircular V-states via bifurcation theory. The final part develops a unified approach to rotating patches for a broad class of incompressible active scalar equations. Structural properties of the interaction kernel, in particular complete monotonicity and the resulting spectral factorization, yield a common bifurcation framework encompassing the Euler, generalized surface quasi-geostrophic, quasi-geostrophic shallow-water, and related models.

The main goal of steganography is to transmit hidden messages in legitimate-looking communication messages. Phase-domain information hiding, however, has not been fully explored for quantum systems. This work introduces a finite-dimensional Quantum Hilbert Transform (QHT) as a unitary phase operator based on the Quantum Fourier Transform. Using this construction, we develop a QHT-based quantum steganography scheme that embeds classical bits as weak signed phase perturbations of quantum cover states. Bob recovers the hidden message through binary state discrimination, block aggregation, and classical error-correcting decoding.

Many applications of linear optics in quantum science involve searching for some optimal configuration of a multiport interferometer. For example, to find heralded state preparations, one can optimize the interferometer to maximize the fidelity and success probability of the state preparation. In this paper, we derive a closed analytical formula for the Riemannian gradient of any differentiable function defined over the interferometer unitaries. We use this gradient in Riemannian optimization algorithms, such as gradient descent or BFGS, to find the optimal setup of the interferometer. As an interesting use case, we search for linear optical state preparations, improving some of the success probabilities reported in the literature for NOON or photon catalysis preparations. Finally, we show that our optimizer is orders of magnitude faster than other methods in the literature, opening the door for solving linear optical problems involving more modes and photons.

In this paper we prove new bounds on the second eigenvalue of Johnson graphs. We then apply these bounds to obtain new results on the modularity of Johnson graphs and their random subgraphs, hamiltonicity of Johnson graphs and thresholds of the appearance of the hamilton cycles and giant components. Futhermore, we provide general bounds on vertex connectivity and the stability of the modularity for $(n, d, \lambda)$-graphs.

In this paper we study the global geometry and classification of complete minimal surfaces with embedded ends and finite total curvature in the product space $\mathbb{H}^2 \times \mathbb{R}$. We describe the structure of embedded ends of such surfaces, constraining the combinatorics of their asymptotic polygons at infinity. Focusing on small total curvature values, we establish a complete classification of the possible asymptotic boundaries for embedded minimal surfaces with total curvature $-4\pi$ and $-6\pi$. In the $-4\pi$ case, we prove the surface is either a horizontal catenoid or simply-connected, with asymptotic boundary belonging to one of four explicit configurations. In the $-6\pi$ case, we show that any embedded example must be simply-connected and classify its possible ideal boundaries. We further construct, via an asymptotic Plateau problem solved by area-minimizing surfaces and successive Schwarz reflections, new 1- and 2-parameter families of (possibly non-embedded) simply-connected minimal surfaces with total curvature $-6\pi$ (and, more generally, $-2(2k-1)\pi$) whose ends are embedded and realize asymptotic configurations not previously known to occur.

We propose Local Chebyshev Cross-Approximation (LoCCA), a data-driven framework that bridges smooth polynomial interpolation with flexible matrix factorizations. LoCCA dynamically maps ideal grid nodes to their nearest physical neighbors within unstructured point sets. We support this framework with a new perturbation theory, proving that displacing Chebyshev nodes onto physical data points retains mathematical stability and accuracy without explosive error growth. Numerically, LoCCA provides strict, reliable error control even on irregular geometries where standard grid-based methods fail, achieving substantial speedups and near-optimal matrix compression.

We study the initial-boundary value problem for the Short Wave equation on the half-line $x\ge 0$. A distinctive feature of this problem is that the boundary $x=0$ cannot be characterized a priori as an inflow or outflow boundary: its character is determined dynamically by the sign of the unknown trace $u(0,t)$. This leads to different analyticity properties of the associated eigenfunctions and, consequently, to different spectral formulations in the regimes $u(0,t)\le0$ and $u(0,t)\ge0$. Using the Unified Transform Method (aka the Fokas method), we formulate the solution in terms of matrix Riemann–Hilbert problems. We construct the associated spectral functions, derive the global relations, and show how the solution is reconstructed from the corresponding Riemann–Hilbert problem. In the case $u(0,t)\le0$, the solution is determined by the initial data alone (assuming an appropriate decay as $x\to \infty$), whereas for $u(0,t)\ge0$, compatible boundary data are also required for the construction.

For every finite family of Euclidean balls in $\mathbb{R}^n$, $n\ge2$, and every $0<\delta<1/2$, we select a subfamily whose $(1+\delta)$-dilations cover the original union and whose undilated balls have multiplicity at most $C_n\delta^{-(n-1)/2}$. This proves the covering estimate conjectured by Han and Lu \cite{HL}. As an application, we determine the optimal Solyanik asymptotic \[ \mathcal C_n(\alpha)-1\asymp_n(1-\alpha)^{2/(n+1)} \qquad(\alpha\uparrow1) \] for the uncentered Hardy–Littlewood maximal operator over Euclidean balls, which is Conjecture~1(b) of Hagelstein and Parissis \cite{HP14}. For the modified uncentered maximal operators, we determine the optimal weak $(1,1)$ growth rate $(k-1)^{-(n-1)/2}$ as $k\downarrow1$, uniformly over Radon measures. We also obtain the corresponding $L^p$ and Fefferman–Stein bounds.

We consider positive weak solutions of $-\Delta_p u=f(u)$, with $f$ positive and locally Lipschitz continuous. In the singular case $1<p<2$, the Harnack-type inequalities, the strong maximum principle for the linearized operator, the description of the critical set and the strong comparison principle established by Damascelli and Sciunzi [Calc.\ Var.\ Partial Differential Equations 25 (2006), 139–159] have been available, for more than twenty years, only under the restriction $\frac{2N+2}{N+2}<p<2$, a range that shrinks to the empty set as $N\to\infty$. We remove the dependence on the dimension and prove all of these results for $\frac32<p<2$. Since the strong comparison principle is used as a black box throughout the qualitative theory of $p$-Laplace equations, the improvement propagates. We show in particular that the assumption $\frac{2N+2}{N+2}<p<2$ may be replaced by $\frac32<p<2$ in the resolution of Gibbons' conjecture for $-\Delta_pu=f(u)$ by Esposito, Farina, Montoro and Sciunzi [Math.\ Ann.\ 382 (2022), 943–974] and in their monotonicity theorem in half-spaces for changing-sign nonlinearities [Calc.\ Var.\ Partial Differential Equations 61 (2022), art.\ 154]; further applications are given in the body of the paper.

In this paper, we prove that for two cyclically ordered sequences of complex numbers of unit modulus $(\xi_j)_{j=1}^{n}$ and $(\zeta_j)_{j=1}^{n}$ the inequality: $$\bigg|\sum_{m=1}^{n}(\xi_{m+1}-\xi_m)\zeta_m\bigg|^2+ \bigg|\sum_{m=1}^{n}(\xi_{m+1}-\xi_m)\zeta_m^{-1}\bigg|^2\leqslant 4n^2\sin^2\frac{\pi}{n}$$ holds for $n\geqslant 4$. As a consequence, for $n=4,$ we disprove Hall's conjecture on Heinz type inequality for harmonic self-mappings of the unit disk. The connection with the theory of elliptic billiards via the Mather beta function will also be given.

Majorization is a fundamental tool for comparing how "spread out" the entries of two vectors are. Key majorization results were obtained for the integers by Hardy, Littlewood and Pólya and for $\mathbb{Z}_p$ by Lev. In this paper, we establish a powerful majorization theorem in $\mathbb{Z}_2^n$ that is an analogue of Lev's result in $\mathbb{Z}_p$. Our proof is based on a novel use of a compression argument that optimizes certain sums of additive representation counts. Our majorization theorem has several applications in additive combinatorics. We resolve the question: given subsets $A_1,\ldots,A_k\subseteq\mathbb{Z}_2^n$ of prescribed sizes, when is the function $r_k(A_1,\ldots,A_k)$, which counts the number of additive $k$-tuples in $A_1\times\cdots\times A_k$, maximized? We establish the corresponding minimization result and a characterization of all extremizers for $r_k(A,\ldots,A)$ when $k$ is odd. When $k=3$, this quantity is the number of Schur triples in $A$; as a special case, we recover a theorem of Samotij and Sudakov on Schur triples. We also obtain a convexity inequality and use it to prove an analogue of Pollard's theorem that strengthens and extends a well-known result of Bollobás and Leader in the $\mathbb{Z}_2^n$ setting.

There has been general interest in spherically constrained embeddings as data with an inherently circular or spherical structure arise in a number of applications. While many methods have been proposed on the metric side, little work has been done on the ordinal side in terms of methodology or theory. Here, we focus on the fundamental question of uniqueness of ordinal spherical MDS: Given a realizable setting in which underlying objects lie on the unit sphere and all that is known are their ordinal comparisons of the form `object $i$ is more similar to object $j$ than object $k$', is it possible to uniquely recover the original objects, up to an orthogonal transformation, in the large-sample limit? We answer affirmatively, both in the setting just described, as well as in the settings of spherical external unfolding (aka lateration) and spherical internal unfolding (aka preference mapping) in their ordinal variants.

A convex body is mono-monostatic if, resting under gravity on a horizontal plane, it has exactly one stable and one unstable equilibrium position. Smooth mono-monostatic homogeneous bodies exist (the Gömböc of Domokos and Várkonyi), and Lángi proved that (homogeneous) mono-monostatic polyhedra exist; although no explicit example appears to have been published, to the author's knowledge. We construct explicitly two such mono-monostatic polytopes, the smaller one having $56946$ faces; importantly, we certify them: the polytope is presented as an intersection of half-spaces with rational data, and a certifying verification establishes, using exact rational arithmetic for every decisive comparison, that the body has equilibrium signature $(S,H,U)=(1,0,1)$ with respect to its own exact centroid, with explicit nondegeneracy margins. We describe the geometric obstructions that make naive discretisations of smooth mono-monostatic bodies fail, the adaptive construction that overcomes them, and the certification strategy. While the result itself is not strikingly novel, we emphasise the non-standard (but increasingly more common) methodology: the entire programme, i.e. experiments, constructions and the verifier itself, was implemented by AI agents under human mathematical direction. We argue that exact certification of numerically discovered objects is the natural contract between such AI-assisted workflows and mathematical standards of rigour.