arXiv subjects

Mike Stillman

Publications and source records attributed to Mike Stillman.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2023

Algebraic aspects of homogeneous Kuramoto oscillators

We investigate algebraic and topological signatures of networks of coupled oscillators. Translating dynamics into a system of algebraic equations enables us to identify classes of network topologies that exhibit unexpected behaviors. Many previous studies focus on synchronization of networks having high connectivity, or of a specific type (e.g. circulant networks). We introduce the Kuramoto ideal; an algebraic analysis of this ideal allows us to identify features beyond synchronization, such as positive dimensional components in the set of potential solutions (e.g. curves instead of points). We prove sufficient conditions on the network structure for such solutions to exist. The points lying on a positive dimensional component of the solution set can never correspond to a linearly stable state. We apply this framework to give a complete analysis of linear stability for all networks on at most eight vertices. Furthermore, we describe a construction of networks on an arbitrary number of vertices having linearly stable states that are not twisted stable states.

math.DS↗

arXiv2023

Counting Calabi-Yau Threefolds

We enumerate topologically-inequivalent compact Calabi-Yau threefold hypersurfaces. By computing arithmetic and algebraic invariants and the Gopakumar-Vafa invariants of curves, we prove that the number of distinct simply connected Calabi-Yau threefold hypersurfaces resulting from triangulations of four-dimensional reflexive polytopes is 4, 27, 183, 1,184 and 8,036 at $h^{1,1}$ = 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. We also establish that there are ten equivalence classes of Wall data of non-simply connected Calabi-Yau threefolds from the Kreuzer-Skarke list. Finally, we give a provisional count of threefolds obtained by enumerating non-toric flops at $h^{1,1} =2$.

hep-th↗

arXiv2022

Algebraic network reconstruction of discrete dynamical systems

We present a computational algebra solution to reverse engineering the network structure of discrete dynamical systems from data. We use monomial ideals to determine dependencies between variables that encode constraints on the possible wiring diagrams underlying the process generating the discrete-time, continuous-space data. Our work assumes that each variable is either monotone increasing or decreasing. We prove that with enough data, even in the presence of small noise, our method can reconstruct the correct unique wiring diagram.

q-bio.QM↗

arXiv2022

Superpotentials from Singular Divisors

We study Euclidean D3-branes wrapping divisors $D$ in Calabi-Yau orientifold compactifications of type IIB string theory. Witten's counting of fermion zero modes in terms of the cohomology of the structure sheaf $\mathcal{O}_D$ applies when $D$ is smooth, but we argue that effective divisors of Calabi-Yau threefolds typically have singularities along rational curves. We generalize the counting of fermion zero modes to such singular divisors, in terms of the cohomology of the structure sheaf $\mathcal{O}_{\overline{D}}$ of the normalization $\overline{D}$ of $D$. We establish this by detailing compactifications in which the singularities can be unwound by passing through flop transitions, giving a physical incarnation of the normalization process. Analytically continuing the superpotential through the flops, we find that singular divisors whose normalizations are rigid can contribute to the superpotential: specifically, $h^{\bullet}_{+}(\mathcal{O}_{\overline{D}})=(1,0,0)$ and $h^{\bullet}_{-}(\mathcal{O}_{\overline{D}})=(0,0,0)$ give a sufficient condition for a contribution. The examples that we present feature infinitely many isomorphic geometric phases, with corresponding infinite-order monodromy groups $\Gamma$. We use the action of $\Gamma$ on effective divisors to determine the exact effective cones, which have infinitely many generators. The resulting nonperturbative superpotentials are Jacobi theta functions, whose modular symmetries suggest the existence of strong-weak coupling dualities involving inversion of divisor volumes.

hep-th↗

arXiv2021

Quaternary quartic forms and Gorenstein rings

A quaternary quartic form, a quartic form in four variables, is the dual socle generator of an Artinian Gorenstein ring of codimension and regularity 4. We present a classification of quartic forms in terms of rank and powersum decompositions which corresponds to the classification by the Betti tables of the corresponding Artinian Gorenstein rings. This gives a stratification of the space of quaternary quartic forms which we compare with the Noether-Lefschetz stratification. We discuss various phenomena related to this stratification. We study the geometry of powersum varieties for a general form in each stratum. In particular, we show that the powersum variety $VSP(F,9)$ of a general quartic with singular middle catalecticant is again a quartic surface, thus giving a rational map between two divisors in the space of quartics. Finally, we provide various explicit constructions of general Artinian Gorenstein rings corresponding to each stratum and discuss their lifting to higher dimension. These provide constructions of codimension four varieties, which include canonical surfaces, Calabi-Yau threefolds and Fano fourfolds. In the particular case of quaternary quartics, our results yield answers to questions posed by Geramita, Iarrobino-Kanev, and Reid.

math.AC↗

arXiv2020

Calabi-Yau threefolds in $\mathbb{P}^n$ and Gorenstein rings

A projectively normal Calabi-Yau threefold $X \subseteq \mathbb{P}^n$ has an ideal $I_X$ which is arithmetically Gorenstein, of Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity four. Such ideals have been intensively studied when $I_X$ is a complete intersection, as well as in the case where $X$ is codimension three. In the latter case, the Buchsbaum-Eisenbud theorem shows that $I_X$ is given by the Pfaffians of a skew-symmetric matrix. A number of recent papers study the situation when $I_X$ has codimension four. We prove there are 16 possible betti tables for an arithmetically Gorenstein ideal $I$ with $\mathrm{codim}(I)=4=\mathrm{reg}(I)$, and that exactly 8 of these occur for smooth irreducible nondegenerate threefolds. We investigate the situation in codimension five or more, obtaining examples of $X$ with $h^{p,q}(X)$ not among those appearing for $I_X$ of lower codimension or as complete intersections in toric Fano varieties. A key tool in our approach is the use of inverse systems to identify possible betti tables for $X$.

math.AG↗

arXiv2019

A new bound for smooth spline spaces

For a planar simplicial complex Delta contained in R^2, Schumaker proved that a lower bound on the dimension of the space C^r_k(Delta) of planar splines of smoothness r and polynomial degree at most k on Delta is given by a polynomial P_Delta(r,k), and Alfeld-Schumaker showed this polynomial gives the correct dimension when k >= 4r+1. Examples due to Morgan-Scott, Tohaneanu, and Yuan show that the equality dim C^r_k(Delta) = P_Delta(r,k) can fail when k = 2r or 2r+1. We prove that the equality dim C^r_k(Delta)= P_Delta(r,k) cannot hold in general for k <= (22r+7)/10.

math.AC↗

arXiv2019

Minimal Surfaces and Weak Gravity

We show that the Weak Gravity Conjecture (WGC) implies a nontrivial upper bound on the volumes of the minimal-volume cycles in certain homology classes that admit no calibrated representatives. In compactification of type IIB string theory on an orientifold $X$ of a Calabi-Yau threefold, we consider a homology class $[\Sigma] \in H_4(X,\mathbb{Z})$ represented by a union $\Sigma_{\cup}$ of holomorphic and antiholomorphic cycles. The instanton form of the WGC applied to the axion charge $[\Sigma]$ implies an upper bound on the action of a non-BPS Euclidean D3-brane wrapping the minimal-volume representative $\Sigma_{\mathrm{min}}$ of $[\Sigma]$. We give an explicit example of an orientifold $X$ of a hypersurface in a toric variety, and a hyperplane $\mathcal{H} \subset H_4(X,\mathbb{Z})$, such that for any $[\Sigma] \in H$ that satisfies the WGC, the minimal volume obeys $\mathrm{Vol}(\Sigma_{\mathrm{min}}) \ll \mathrm{Vol}(\Sigma_{\cup})$: the holomorphic and antiholomorphic components recombine to form a much smaller cycle. In particular, the sub-Lattice WGC applied to $X$ implies large recombination, no matter how sparse the sublattice. Non-BPS instantons wrapping $\Sigma_{\mathrm{min}}$ are then more important than would be predicted from a study of BPS instantons wrapping the separate components of $\Sigma_{\cup}$. Our analysis hinges on a novel computation of effective divisors in $X$ that are not inherited from effective divisors of the toric variety.

hep-th↗

arXiv2019

Quadratic Gorenstein rings and the Koszul property I

Let $R$ be a standard graded Gorenstein algebra over a field presented by quadrics. Conca, Rossi, and Valla have shown that such a ring is Koszul if $\mathrm{reg}\, R \leq 2$ or if $\mathrm{reg}\, = 3$ and $c= \mathrm{codim}\, R \leq 4$, and they ask whether this is true for $\mathrm{reg}\, R = 3$ in general. We determine sufficient conditions on a non-Koszul quadratic Cohen-Macaulay ring $R$ that guarantee the Nagata idealization $\tilde{R} = R \ltimes \omega_R(-a-1)$ is a non-Koszul quadratic Gorenstein ring. We use this to negatively answer the question of Conca-Rossi-Valla, constructing non-Koszul quadratic Gorenstein rings of regularity 3 for all $c \geq 9$.

math.AC↗

arXiv2019

Quadratic Gorenstein rings and the Koszul property II

A question of Conca, Rossi, and Valla asks whether every quadratic Gorenstein ring $R$ of regularity three is Koszul. In a previous paper, we use idealization to answer their question, proving that in nine or more variables there exist quadratic Gorenstein rings of regularity three which are not Koszul. In this paper, we study the analog of the Conca-Rossi-Valla question when the regularity of $R$ is four or more. Let $R$ be a quadratic Gorenstein ring having $\mathrm{codim}\, R = c$ and $\mathrm{reg}\, R = r \ge 4$. We prove that if $c = r+1$ then $R$ is always Koszul, and for every $c \geq r+2$, we construct quadratic Gorenstein rings that are not Koszul, answering questions of Matsuda and Migliore-Nagel concerning the $h$-vectors of quadratic Gorenstein rings.

math.AC↗

arXiv2018

The Kreuzer-Skarke Axiverse

We study the topological properties of Calabi-Yau threefold hypersurfaces at large $h^{1,1}$. We obtain two million threefolds $X$ by triangulating polytopes from the Kreuzer-Skarke list, including all polytopes with $240 \le h^{1,1}\le 491$. We show that the K\"ahler cone of $X$ is very narrow at large $h^{1,1}$, and as a consequence, control of the $\alpha^{\prime}$ expansion in string compactifications on $X$ is correlated with the presence of ultralight axions. If every effective curve has volume $\ge 1$ in string units, then the typical volumes of irreducible effective curves and divisors, and of $X$ itself, scale as $(h^{1,1})^p$, with $3\lesssim p \lesssim 7$ depending on the type of cycle in question. Instantons from branes wrapping these cycles are thus highly suppressed.

hep-th↗

arXiv2010

High rank linear syzygies on low rank quadrics

We study the linear syzygies of a homogeneous ideal I in a polynomial ring S, focusing on the graded betti numbers b_(i,i+1) = dim_k Tor_i(S/I, k)_(i+1). For a variety X and divisor D with S = Sym(H^0(D)*), what conditions on D ensure that b_(i,i+1) is nonzero? Eisenbud has shown that a decomposition D = A + B such that A and B have at least two sections gives rise to determinantal equations (and corresponding syzygies) in I_X; and conjectured that if I_2 is generated by quadrics of rank at most 4, then the last nonvanishing b_(i,i+1) is a consequence of such equations. We describe obstructions to this conjecture and prove a variant. The obstructions arise from toric specializations of the Rees algebra of Koszul cycles, and we give an explicit construction of toric varieties with minimal linear syzygies of arbitrarily high rank. This gives one answer to a question posed by Eisenbud and Koh about specializations of syzygies.

math.AG↗

arXiv2009

Geometric properties derived from generic initial spaces

For a vector space V of homogeneous forms of the same degree in a polynomial ring, we investigate what can be said about the generic initial ideal of the ideal generated by V, from the form of the generic initial space gin(V) for the revlex order. Our main result is a considerable generalisation of a previous result by the first author.

math.AC↗

arXiv2006

Groebner bases, monomial group actions, and the Cox rings of Del Pezzo surfaces

We introduce the notion of monomial group action and study some of its consequences for Groebner basis theory. As an application we prove a conjecture of V. Batyrev and O. Popov describing the Cox rings of Del Pezzo surfaces (of degree at least 3) as quotients of a polynomial ring by an ideal generated by quadrics.

math.AC↗

arXiv2000

Cohomology on Toric Varieties and Local Cohomology with Monomial Supports

We study the local cohomology modules H^i_B(R) for a reduced monomial ideal B in a polynomial ring R=k[X_1,...,X_n]. We consider a grading on R which is coarser than the Z^n-grading such that each component of H^i_B(R) is finite dimensional and we give an effective way to compute these components. Using Cox's description for sheaves on toric varieties, we apply these results to compute the cohomology of coherent sheaves on toric varieties. We give algorithms for this computation which have been implemented in the Macaulay 2 system. We obtain also a topological description for the cohomology of rank one torsionfree sheaves on toric varieties.

math.AG↗

arXiv1992

Grobner bases and extension of scalars

This paper studies the behavior of Grobner bases with respect to extensions of scalars. We prove that an extension of scalars commutes with taking Grobner bases iff the extension is flat. We consider what information can be deduced about fibers of a family, from the Grobner basis of the defining ideal of the family itself. This information can be used to construct algorithms, such as to find locii over which a map is finite, or an isomorphism.

alg-geom↗