arXiv subjects

Gil Kalai

Publications and source records attributed to Gil Kalai.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

Influential coalitions for Boolean Functions

We improve results of Kahn, Kalai, and Linial from the late 80s on the existence of influential large coalitions for Boolean functions, and we give counterexamples to conjectures (of Benny Chor and others) also from the late 80s, by exhibiting functions for which the influences of large coalitions are unexpectedly small relative to the expectations of the functions. The large gaps between the new upper and lower bounds leave a lot of room for further study.

math.CO↗

arXiv2014

Bipartite Rigidity

We develop a bipartite rigidity theory for bipartite graphs parallel to the classical rigidity theory for general graphs, and define for two positive integers $k,l$ the notions of $(k,l)$-rigid and $(k,l)$-stress free bipartite graphs. This theory coincides with the study of Babson--Novik's balanced shifting restricted to graphs. We establish bipartite analogs of the cone, contraction, deletion, and gluing lemmas, and apply these results to derive a bipartite analog of the rigidity criterion for planar graphs. Our result asserts that for a planar bipartite graph $G$ its balanced shifting, $G^b$, does not contain $K_{3,3}$; equivalently, planar bipartite graphs are generically $(2,2)$-stress free. We also discuss potential applications of this theory to Jockusch's cubical lower bound conjecture and to upper bound conjectures for embedded simplicial complexes.

math.CO↗

arXiv2013

Bipartite Minors

We introduce a notion of bipartite minors and prove a bipartite analog of Wagner's theorem: a bipartite graph is planar if and only if it does not contain $K_{3,3}$ as a bipartite minor. Similarly, we provide a forbidden minor characterization for outerplanar graphs and forests. We then establish a recursive characterization of bipartite $(2,2)$-Laman graphs --- a certain family of graphs that contains all maximal bipartite planar graphs.

math.CO↗

arXiv2013

Functions without influential coalitions

We give counterexamples to a conjecture of Benny Chor and another of the second author, both from the late 80s, by exhibiting functions for which the influences of large coalitions are unexpectedly small relative to the expectations of the functions.

math.CO↗

arXiv2011

How Quantum Computers Fail: Quantum Codes, Correlations in Physical Systems, and Noise Accumulation

The feasibility of computationally superior quantum computers is one of the most exciting and clear-cut scientific questions of our time. The question touches on fundamental issues regarding probability, physics, and computability, as well as on exciting problems in experimental physics, engineering, computer science, and mathematics. We propose three related directions towards a negative answer. The first is a conjecture about physical realizations of quantum codes, the second has to do with correlations in stochastic physical systems, and the third proposes a model for quantum evolutions when noise accumulates. The paper is dedicated to the memory of Itamar Pitowsky.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2011

A Quantitative Version of the Gibbard-Satterthwaite Theorem for Three Alternatives

The Gibbard-Satterthwaite theorem states that every non-dictatorial election rule among at least three alternatives can be strategically manipulated. We prove a quantitative version of the Gibbard-Satterthwaite theorem: a random manipulation by a single random voter will succeed with a non-negligible probability for any election rule among three alternatives that is far from being a dictatorship and from having only two alternatives in its range.

math.CO↗

arXiv2010

Sharp Thresholds for Monotone Non Boolean Functions and Social Choice Theory

A key fact in the theory of Boolean functions $f : \{0,1\}^n \to \{0,1\}$ is that they often undergo sharp thresholds. For example: if the function $f : \{0,1\}^n \to \{0,1\}$ is monotone and symmetric under a transitive action with $\E_p[f] = \eps$ and $\E_q[f] = 1-\eps$ then $q-p \to 0$ as $n \to \infty$. Here $\E_p$ denotes the product probability measure on $\{0,1\}^n$ where each coordinate takes the value $1$ independently with probability $p$. The fact that symmetric functions undergo sharp thresholds is important in the study of random graphs and constraint satisfaction problems as well as in social choice.In this paper we prove sharp thresholds for monotone functions taking values in an arbitrary finite sets. We also provide examples of applications of the results to social choice and to random graph problems. Among the applications is an analog for Condorcet's jury theorem and an indeterminacy result for a large class of social choice functions.

math.CO↗

arXiv2009

Quantum Computers: Noise Propagation and Adversarial Noise Models

In this paper we consider adversarial noise models that will fail quantum error correction and fault-tolerant quantum computation. We describe known results regarding high-rate noise, sequential computation, and reversible noisy computation. We continue by discussing highly correlated noise and the "boundary," in terms of correlation of errors, of the "threshold theorem." Next, we draw a picture of adversarial forms of noise called (collectively) "detrimental noise." Detrimental noise is modeled after familiar properties of noise propagation. However, it can have various causes. We start by pointing out the difference between detrimental noise and standard noise models for two qubits and proceed to a discussion of highly entangled states, the rate of noise, and general noisy quantum systems.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2008

Detrimental Decoherence

We propose and discuss two conjectures on the nature of information leaks (decoherence) for quantum computers. These conjectures, if (or when) they hold, are damaging for quantum error-correction as required by fault-tolerant quantum computation. The first conjecture asserts that information leaks for a pair of substantially entangled qubits are themselves substantially positively correlated. The second conjecture asserts that in a noisy quantum computer with highly entangled qubits there will be a strong effect of error synchronization. We present more general conjectures for arbitrary noisy quantum systems.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2007

First Passage Percolation Has Sublinear Distance Variance

Let $0 1$ the distance $dist_ω(0,v)$ from the origin to a vertex $v$, $|v|>2$, has variance bounded by $C |v|/\log|v|$, where $C=C(a,b,d)$ is a constant which may only depend on $a$, $b$ and $d$. Some related variants are also discussed

math.PR↗

arXiv2007

Leray numbers of projections and a topological Helly type theorem

Let X be a simplicial complex on the vertex set V. The rational Leray number L(X) of X is the minimal d such that the rational reduced homology of any induced subcomplex of X vanishes in dimensions d and above. Let πbe a simplicial map from X to a simplex Y, such that the cardinality of the preimage of any point in |Y| is at most r. It is shown that L(π(X)) \leq r L(X)+r-1. One consequence is a topological extension of a Helly type result of Amenta.

math.CO↗

arXiv2007

Is the Universe Noise-Sensitive?

The dichotomy between noise-stable and (completely) noise-sensitive stochastic models is of recent interest in probability theory. Of particular interest is the study of lattice models coming from statistical physics. The Fourier transform of noise-sensitive lattice models is concentrated on high eigenvalues and is described by "large" stochastic geometric objects. Noise sensitivity occurs quite surprisingly in various models like critical percolation, and is forced by certain symmetry conditions. It appears that basic models from high-energy physics are noise stable; This is the impression from the basic mathematical frameworks used for describing them, and also from the description in terms of particles and interactions involving a small number of particles. More general stochastic models with noise-sensitive components will not make a difference in measurements involving particles and their interactions, but may provide additional modeling power to proceed where current models are insufficient.

hep-th↗

arXiv2007

How Quantum Computers Can Fail

We propose and discuss two postulates on the nature of errors in highly correlated noisy physical stochastic systems. The first postulate asserts that errors for a pair of substantially correlated elements are themselves substantially correlated. The second postulate asserts that in a noisy system with many highly correlated elements there will be a strong effect of error synchronization. These postulates appear to be damaging for quantum computers.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2006

Thresholds and expectation thresholds

Consider a random graph G in G(n,p) and the graph property: G contains a copy of a specific graph H. (Note: H depends on n; a motivating example: H is a Hamiltonian cycle.) Let q be the minimal value for which the expected number of copies of H' in G is at least 1/2 for every subgraph H' of H. Let p be the value for which the probability that G contains a copy of H is 1/2. Conjecture: p/q = O(log n). Related conjectures for general Boolean functions, and a possible connection with discrete isoperimetry are discussed.

math.CO↗

arXiv2006

Intersections of Leray complexes and regularity of monomial ideals

For a simplicial complex X and a field K, let h_i(X)=\dim \tilde{H}_i(X;K). It is shown that if X,Y are complexes on the same vertex set, then for all k h_{k-1}(X\cap Y) \leq \sum_{σ\in Y} \sum_{i+j=k} h_{i-1}(X[σ])\cdot h_{j-1}(\lk(Y,σ)) . A simplicial complex X is d-Leray over K, if h_i(Y)=0 for all induced subcomplexes Y \subset X and i \geq d. Let L_K(X) denote the minimal d such that X is d-Leray over K. The above theorem implies that if X,Y are simplicial complexes on the same vertex set then L_K(X \cap Y) \leq L_K(X) +L_K(Y). Reformulating this inequality in commutative algebra terms, we obtain the following result conjectured by Terai: If I,J are square-free monomial ideals in S=K[x_1,...,x_n], then reg(I+J) \leq reg(I)+reg(J)-1 where reg(I) denotes the Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity of I.

math.CO↗

arXiv2005

Thoughts on Noise and Quantum Computation

We will try to explore, primarily from the complexity-theoretic point of view, limitations of error-correction and fault-tolerant quantum computation. We consider stochastic models of quantum computation on $n$ qubits subject to noise operators that are obtained as products of tiny noise operators acting on a small number of qubits. We conjecture that for realistic random noise operators of this kind there will be substantial dependencies between the noise on individual qubits and, in addition, we propose that the dependence structure of the noise acting on individual qubits will necessarily depend (systematically) on the dependence structure of the qubits themselves. We point out that the majority function can repair, in the classical case, some forms of stochastic noise of this kind and conjecture that this healing power of majority has no quantum analog. The main hypothesis of this paper is that these properties of noise are sufficient to reduce quantum computation to probabilistic classical computation. Some potentially relevant mathematical issues and problems will be described. Our line of thought appears to be related to that of physicists Alicki, Horodecki, Horodecki and Horodecki [AHHH].

quant-ph↗

arXiv2004

A Law of Large Numbers for Weighted Majority

Consider an election between two candidates in which the voters' choices are random and independent and the probability of a voter choosing the first candidate is $p>1/2$. Condorcet's Jury Theorem which he derived from the weak law of large numbers asserts that if the number of voters tends to infinity then the probability that the first candidate will be elected tends to one. The notion of influence of a voter or its voting power is relevant for extensions of the weak law of large numbers for voting rules which are more general than simple majority. In this paper we point out two different ways to extend the classical notions of voting power and influences to arbitrary probability distributions. The extension relevant to us is the ``effect'' of a voter, which is a weighted version of the correlation between the voter's vote and the election's outcomes. We prove an extension of the weak law of large numbers to weighted majority games when all individual effects are small and show that this result does not apply to any voting rule which is not based on weighted majority.

math.PR↗

arXiv2000

Noise Sensitivity of Boolean Functions and Applications to Percolation

It is shown that a large class of events in a product probability space are highly sensitive to noise, in the sense that with high probability, the configuration with an arbitrary small percent of random errors gives almost no prediction whether the event occurs. On the other hand, weighted majority functions are shown to be noise-stable. Several necessary and sufficient conditions for noise sensitivity and stability are given. Consider, for example, bond percolation on an $n+1$ by $n$ grid. A configuration is a function that assigns to every edge the value 0 or 1. Let $ω$ be a random configuration, selected according to the uniform measure. A crossing is a path that joins the left and right sides of the rectangle, and consists entirely of edges $e$ with $ω(e)=1$. By duality, the probability for having a crossing is 1/2. Fix an $ε\in(0,1)$. For each edge $e$, let $ω'(e)=ω(e)$ with probability $1-ε$, and $ω'(e)=1-ω(e)$ with probability $ε$, independently of the other edges. Let $p(τ)$ be the probability for having a crossing in $ω$, conditioned on $ω'=τ$. Then for all $n$ sufficiently large, $P\{τ: |p(τ)-1/2|>ε\}<ε$.

math.PR↗