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Anne Thomas

Publications and source records attributed to Anne Thomas.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Visualizing conjugation in affine Coxeter groups

Affine Coxeter groups are fundamental objects in mathematics and in crystallography. If two group elements are conjugate, then they have very similar algebraic and geometric properties. Using recent structural results of Mili\'cevi\'c, Schwer and the second author, we develop an app to visualize conjugation in affine Coxeter groups in dimensions 2 and 3. We explain the mathematics underlying this visualization, and connect its visual features to the arts.

math.GR

Cubulation of Bruhat graphs

For $(W,S)$ an arbitrary Coxeter system and any $y \in W$, we investigate the condition that the Bruhat graph for the interval $[1,y]$ can be cubulated, meaning roughly that this graph can be spanned by a product of subintervals of $\mathbb{Z}$. Results of Carrell-Peterson and Elias-Williamson imply that if $[1,y]$ can be cubulated, then the Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomial $P_{x,y} = 1$ for all $x \leq y$. We consider the converse to this result. For $(W,S)$ finite and $w_0$ the longest element in $W$, so that $P_{x,w_0} = 1$ for all $x \in W$, we use normal form forests to construct cubulations of $[1,w_0]$ in types $A$ and $B/C$. However, in some exceptional types, we determine elements $y \in W$ such that $P_{1,y} = 1$ but $[1,y]$ cannot be cubulated. We then prove that if there are infinitely many $y \in W$ such that $[1,y]$ can be cubulated, then $(W,S)$ must be of type $\tilde{A}_n$ for some $n \geq 1$. Finally, for $(W,S)$ of type $\tilde{A}_2$, we exhibit a cubulation of $[1,y]$ for each of the infinitely many $y \in W$ such that $P_{x,y} = 1$ for all $x \leq y$.

math.RT

Visualisation of multi-indication randomised control trial evidence to support decision-making in oncology: a case study on bevacizumab

Background: Evidence maps have been used in healthcare to understand existing evidence and to support decision-making. In oncology they have been used to summarise evidence within a disease area but have not been used to compare evidence across different diseases. As an increasing number of oncology drugs are licensed for multiple indications, visualising the accumulation of evidence across all indications can help inform policy-makers, support evidence synthesis approaches, or to guide expert elicitation on appropriate cross-indication assumptions. Methods: The multi-indication oncology therapy bevacizumab was selected as a case-study. We used visualisation methods including timeline, ridgeline and split-violin plots to display evidence across seven licensed cancer types, focusing on the evolution of evidence on overall and progression-free survival over time as well as the quality of the evidence available. Results: Evidence maps for bevacizumab allow for visualisation of patterns in study-level evidence, which can be updated as evidence accumulates over time. The developed tools display the observed data and synthesised evidence across- and within-indications. Limitations: The effectiveness of the plots produced are limited by the lack of complete and consistent reporting of evidence in trial reports. Trade-offs were necessary when deciding the level of detail that could be shown while keeping the plots coherent. Conclusions: Clear graphical representations of the evolution and accumulation of evidence can provide a better understanding of the entire evidence base which can inform judgements regarding the appropriate use of data within and across indications. Implications: Improved visualisations of evidence can help the development of multi-indication evidence synthesis. The proposed evidence displays can lead to the efficient use of information for health technology assessment.

stat.AP

The geometry of conjugation in Euclidean isometry groups

We describe the geometry of conjugation within any split subgroup $H$ of the full isometry group $G$ of $n$-dimensional Euclidean space. We prove that for any $h \in H$, the conjugacy class $[h]_H$ of $h$ is described geometrically by the move-set of its linearization, while the set of elements conjugating $h$ to a given $h'\in [h]_H$ is described by the the fix-set of its linearization. Examples include all affine Coxeter groups, certain crystallographic groups, and the group $G$ itself.

math.GR

The geometry of conjugation in affine Coxeter groups

We develop new and precise geometric descriptions of the conjugacy class $[x]$ and coconjugation set $\operatorname{C}(x,x') = \{ y \in \overline{W} \mid yxy^{-1} = x' \}$ for all elements $x,x'$ of any affine Coxeter group $\overline{W}$. The centralizer of $x$ in $\overline{W}$ is the special case $\operatorname{C}(x,x)$. The key structure in our description of the conjugacy class $[x]$ is the mod-set ${Mod}_{\overline{W}}(w) = (w-\operatorname{I})R^\vee$, where~$w$ is the finite part of $x$ and $R^\vee$ is the coroot lattice. The coconjugation set $\operatorname{C}(x,x')$ is then described by ${Mod}_{\overline{W}}(w')$ together with the fix-set of $w'$, where $w'$ is the finite part of $x'$. For any element $w$ of the associated finite Weyl group $W$, the mod-set of $w$ is contained in the classical move-set ${Mov}(w) = \operatorname{Im}(w - \operatorname{I})$. We prove that the rank of ${Mod}_{\overline{W}}(w)$ equals the dimension of ${Mov}(w)$, and then further investigate type-by-type the surprisingly subtle structure of the $\mathbb{Z}$-module ${Mod}_\overline{W}(w)$. As corollaries, we determine exactly when ${Mod}_{\overline{W}}(w) = {Mov}(w) \cap R^\vee$, in which case our closed-form descriptions of conjugacy classes and coconjugation sets are as simple as possible.

math.GR

Multi-indication evidence synthesis in oncology health technology assessment

Background: Cancer drugs receive licensing extensions to include additional indications as trial evidence on treatment effectiveness accumulates. We investigate how sharing information across indications can strengthen the inferences supporting Health Technology Assessment (HTA). Methods: We applied meta-analytic methods to randomised trial data on bevacizumab to share information across cancer indications on the treatment effect on overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS), and on the surrogate relationship between effects on PFS and OS. Common or random parameters were used to facilitate sharing and the further flexibility of mixture models was explored. Results: OS treatment effects lacked precision when pooling data available at present-day within each indication, particularly for indications with few trials. There was no suggestion of heterogeneity across indications. Sharing information across indications provided more precise inferences on treatment effects, and on surrogacy parameters, with the strength of sharing depending on the model. When a surrogate relationship was used to predict OS effects, uncertainty was only reduced with sharing imposed on PFS effects in addition to surrogacy parameters. Corresponding analyses using the earlier, sparser evidence available for particular HTAs showed that sharing on both surrogacy and PFS effects did not notably reduce uncertainty in OS predictions. Limited heterogeneity across indications meant that the added flexibility of mixture models was unnecessary. Conclusions: Meta-analysis methods can be usefully applied to share information on treatment effectiveness across indications to increase the precision of target indication estimates in HTA. Sharing on surrogate relationships requires caution, as meaningful precision gains require larger bodies of evidence and clear support for surrogacy from other indications.

stat.AP

Group actions on multitrees and the $K$-theory of their crossed products

We study group actions on multitrees, which are directed graphs in which there is at most one directed path between any two vertices. In our main result we describe a six-term exact sequence in $K$-theory for the reduced crossed product $C_0(\partial E)\rtimes_r G$ induced from the action of a countable discrete group $G$ on a row-finite, finitely-aligned multitree $E$ with no sources. We provide formulas for the $K$-theory of $C_0(\partial E) \rtimes_r G$ in the case where $G$ acts freely on $E$, and in the case where all vertex stabilisers are infinite cyclic. We study the action $G\curvearrowright \partial E$ in a range of settings, and describe minimality, local contractivity, topological freeness, and amenability in terms of properties of the underlying data. In an application of our main theorem, we describe a six-term exact sequence in $K$-theory for the crossed product induced from a group acting on the boundary of an undirected tree.

math.OA

Divergence, thickness and hypergraph index for general Coxeter groups

We study divergence and thickness for general Coxeter groups $W$. We first characterise linear divergence, and show that if $W$ has superlinear divergence then its divergence is at least quadratic. We then formulate a computable combinatorial invariant, hypergraph index, for arbitrary Coxeter systems $(W,S)$. This generalises Levcovitz's definition for the right-angled case. We prove that if $(W,S)$ has finite hypergraph index $h$, then $W$ is (strongly algebraically) thick of order at most $h$, hence has divergence bounded above by a polynomial of degree $h+1$. We conjecture that these upper bounds on the order of thickness and divergence are in fact equalities, and we prove our conjecture for certain families of Coxeter groups. These families are obtained by a new construction which, given any right-angled Coxeter group, produces infinitely many examples of non-right-angled Coxeter systems with the same hypergraph index. Finally, we give an upper bound on the hypergraph index of any Coxeter system $(W,S)$, and hence on the divergence of $W$, in terms of, unexpectedly, the topology of its associated Dynkin diagram.

math.GR

Chimney retractions in affine buildings encode orbits in affine flag varieties

This paper determines the relationship between the geometry of retractions and the combinatorics of folded galleries for arbitrary affine buildings, and so provides a unified framework to study orbits in affine flag varieties. We introduce the notion of labeled folded galleries for any affine building X and use these to describe the preimages of chimney retractions. When X is the building for a group with an affine Tits system, such as the Bruhat-Tits building for a group over a local field, we can then relate labeled folded galleries and shadows to double coset intersections in affine flag varieties. This result generalizes the authors' previous joint work with Naqvi on groups over function fields.

math.GR

Using Bayesian Evidence Synthesis Methods to Incorporate Real World Evidence in Surrogate Endpoint Evaluation

Objective: Traditionally validation of surrogate endpoints has been carried out using RCT data. However, RCT data may be too limited to validate surrogate endpoints. In this paper, we sought to improve validation of surrogate endpoints with the inclusion of real world evidence (RWE). Study Design and Setting: We use data from comparative RWE (cRWE) and single arm RWE (sRWE), to supplement RCT evidence for evaluation of progression free survival (PFS) as a surrogate endpoint to overall survival (OS) in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Treatment effect estimates from RCTs, cRWE and matched sRWE, comparing anti-angiogenic treatments with chemotherapy, were used to inform surrogacy patterns and predictions of the treatment effect on OS from the treatment effect on PFS. Results: Seven RCTs, four cRWE studies and three matched sRWE studies were identified. The addition of RWE to RCTs reduced the uncertainty around the estimates of the parameters for the surrogate relationship. Addition of RWE to RCTs also improved the accuracy and precision of predictions of the treatment effect on OS obtained using data on the observed effect on PFS. Conclusion: The addition of RWE to RCT data improved the precision of the parameters describing the surrogate relationship between treatment effects on PFS and OS and the predicted clinical benefit.

stat.AP

Affine Deligne-Lusztig varieties and folded galleries governed by chimneys

We characterize the nonemptiness and dimension problems for an affine Deligne-Lusztig variety $X_x(b)$ in the affine flag variety in terms of galleries that are positively folded with respect to a chimney. If the parabolic subgroup associated to the Newton point of b has rank 1, we then prove nonemptiness for a certain class of Iwahori-Weyl group elements x by explicitly constructing such galleries.

math.AG

Fixed points for group actions on 2-dimensional affine buildings

We prove a local-to-global result for fixed points of groups acting on affine buildings (possibly non-discrete) of types $\tilde{A}_2$ or $\tilde{C}_2$. In the discrete case, our theorem establishes the corresponding special cases of a conjecture by Marquis.

math.GR

A gallery model for affine flag varieties via chimney retractions

This paper provides a unified combinatorial framework to study orbits in certain affine flag varieties via the associated Bruhat-Tits buildings. We first formulate, for arbitrary affine buildings, the notion of a chimney retraction. This simultaneously generalizes the two well-known notions of retractions in affine buildings: retractions from chambers at infinity and retractions from alcoves. We then present a recursive formula for computing the images of certain minimal galleries in the building under chimney retractions, using purely combinatorial tools associated to the underlying affine Weyl group. Finally, for Bruhat-Tits buildings in the function field case, we relate these retractions and their effect on minimal galleries to double coset intersections in the corresponding affine flag variety.

math.RT

Commensurability for certain right-angled Coxeter groups and geometric amalgams of free groups

We give explicit necessary and sufficient conditions for the abstract commensurability of certain families of 1-ended, hyperbolic groups, namely right-angled Coxeter groups defined by generalized theta-graphs and cycles of generalized theta-graphs, and geometric amalgams of free groups whose JSJ graphs are trees of diameter at most 4. We also show that if a geometric amalgam of free groups has JSJ graph a tree, then it is commensurable to a right-angled Coxeter group, and give an example of a geometric amalgam of free groups which is not quasi-isometric (hence not commensurable) to any group which is finitely generated by torsion elements. Our proofs involve a new geometric realization of the right-angled Coxeter groups we consider, such that covers corresponding to torsion-free, finite-index subgroups are surface amalgams.

math.GR

Maximal torsion-free subgroups of certain lattices of hyperbolic buildings and Davis complexes

We give an explicit construction of a maximal torsion-free finite-index subgroup of a certain type of Coxeter group. The subgroup is constructed as the fundamental group of a finite and non-positively curved polygonal complex. First we consider the special case where the universal cover of this polygonal complex is a hyperbolic building, and we construct finite-index embeddings of the fundamental group into certain cocompact lattices of the building. We show that in this special case the fundamental group is an amalgam of surface groups over free groups. We then consider the general case, and construct a finite-index embedding of the fundamental group into the Coxeter group whose Davis complex is the universal cover of the polygonal complex. All of the groups which we embed have minimal index among torsion-free subgroups, and therefore are maximal among torsion-free subgroups.

math.GR

C*-algebras associated to graphs of groups

To a large class of graphs of groups we associate a C*-algebra universal for generators and relations. We show that this C*-algebra is stably isomorphic to the crossed product induced from the action of the fundamental group of the graph of groups on the boundary of its Bass-Serre tree. We characterise when this action is minimal, and find a sufficient condition under which it is locally contractive. In the case of generalised Baumslag-Solitar graphs of groups (graphs of groups in which every group is infinite cyclic) we also characterise topological freeness of this action. We are then able to establish a dichotomy for simple C*-algebras associated to generalised Baumslag-Solitar graphs of groups: they are either a Kirchberg algebra, or a stable Bunce-Deddens algebra.

math.OA

Palindromic automorphisms of right-angled Artin groups

We introduce the palindromic automorphism group and the palindromic Torelli group of a right-angled Artin group A_G. The palindromic automorphism group Pi A_G is related to the principal congruence subgroups of GL(n,Z) and to the hyperelliptic mapping class group of an oriented surface, and sits inside the centraliser of a certain hyperelliptic involution in Aut(A_G). We obtain finite generating sets for Pi A_G and for this centraliser, and determine precisely when these two groups coincide. We also find generators for the palindromic Torelli group.

math.GR