Non-smooth approximations of steep sigmoidal switching networks, such as those used as qualitative models of gene regulation, lead to analytic and computational challenges that arise as a result of the discontinuities in the vector fields. In order to highlight the need for care in dealing with such systems, several particular phenomena are presented here through illustrative examples, including ‘Zeno breaking’, or computing beyond the finite time convergence of an infinite sequence of threshold transitions; the ‘Contact’ effect, in which in the discontinuous limit, trajectories can pass through a ‘saddle point’ without stopping, though these solutions are not unique and other solutions stop for arbitrary time intervals; and sensitive behaviour that arises from exotic dynamics within switching regions.

Colmez [Périodes des variétés abéliennes a multiplication complexe, Ann. of Math. (2)138(3) (1993), 625–683; available at http://www.math.jussieu.fr/∼colmez] conjectured a product formula for periods of abelian varieties over number fields with complex multiplication and proved it in some cases. His conjecture is equivalent to a formula for the Faltings height of CM abelian varieties in terms of the logarithmic derivatives at $s=0$ of certain Artin $L$-functions. In a series of articles we investigate the analog of Colmez’s theory in the arithmetic of function fields. There abelian varieties are replaced by Drinfeld modules and their higher-dimensional generalizations, so-called $A$-motives. In the present article we prove the product formula for the Carlitz module and we compute the valuations of the periods of a CM $A$-motive at all finite places in terms of Artin $L$-series. The latter is achieved by investigating the local shtukas associated with the $A$-motive.

In this paper, we introduce the notion of complex product structures on hom-Lie algebras and show that a hom-Lie algebra carrying a complex product structure is a double hom-Lie algebra and it is also endowed with a hom-left symmetric product. Moreover, we show that a complex product structure on a hom-Lie algebra determines uniquely a left symmetric product such that the complex and the product structures are invariant with respect to it. Finally, we introduce the notion of hyper-para-Kähler hom-Lie algebras and we present an example of hyper-para-Kähler hom-Lie algebras.

We define branching systems for finitely aligned higher-rank graphs. From these, we construct concrete representations of higher-rank graph C*-algebras on Hilbert spaces. We prove a generalized Cuntz–Krieger uniqueness theorem for periodic single-vertex 2-graphs. We use this result to give a sufficient condition under which representations of periodic single-vertex 2-graph C*-algebras arising from branching systems are faithful.

The Tutte polynomial of a graph is a two-variable polynomial whose zeros and evaluations encode many interesting properties of the graph. In this article we investigate the real zeros of the Tutte polynomials of graphs, and show that they form a dense subset of certain regions of the plane. This is the first density result for the real zeros of the Tutte polynomial in a region of positive volume. Our result almost confirms a conjecture of Jackson and Sokal except for one region which is related to an open problem on flow polynomials.

Let k ⩾ 3 be an integer, hk(G) be the number of vertices of degree at least 2k in a graph G, and ℓk(G) be the number of vertices of degree at most 2k − 2 in G. Dirac and Erdős proved in 1963 that if hk(G) − ℓk(G) ⩾ k2 + 2k − 4, then G contains k vertex-disjoint cycles. For each k ⩾ 2, they also showed an infinite sequence of graphs Gk(n) with hk(Gk(n)) − ℓk(Gk(n)) = 2k − 1 such that Gk(n) does not have k disjoint cycles. Recently, the authors proved that, for k ⩾ 2, a bound of 3k is sufficient to guarantee the existence of k disjoint cycles, and presented for every k a graph G0(k) with hk(G0(k)) − ℓk(G0(k)) = 3k − 1 and no k disjoint cycles. The goal of this paper is to refine and sharpen this result. We show that the Dirac–Erdős construction is optimal in the sense that for every k ⩾ 2, there are only finitely many graphs G with hk(G) − ℓk(G) ⩾ 2k but no k disjoint cycles. In particular, every graph G with |V(G)| ⩾ 19k and hk(G) − ℓk(G) ⩾ 2k contains k disjoint cycles.

A problem from the class of unsteady plane flows of an ideal fluid with a free boundary is considered. A conformal mapping of the exterior of a unit circle onto the region occupied by the fluid is sought. The solution is constructed in the form of power series in time or Laurent series which are analytically continued with the use of Padé approximants and change of variables of a certain special type. The free boundary shape and the pressure and velocity distributions are found. Singularities of the solution are studied.

During the 125th European Study Group with Industry held in Limassol, Cyprus, 5–9 December 2016, one of the participating companies, Engino.net Ltd, posed a very interesting challenge to the members of the study group. Engino.net Ltd is a Cypriot company, founded in 2004, that produces a series of toy sets – the Engino® toy sets – consisting of a number of building blocks, which can be assembled by pupils to compose toy models. Depending on the contents of a particular toy set, the company has developed a number of models that can be built utilizing the blocks present in the set; however, the production of a step-by-step assembly manual for each model could only be done manually. The goal of the challenge posed by the company was to implement a procedure to automatically generate the assembly instructions for a given toy. In the present paper, we propose a graph-theoretic approach to model the problem and provide a series of results to solve it by employing modified versions of well-established algorithms in graph theory. An algorithmic procedure to obtain a hierarchical, physically feasible decomposition of a given toy model, from which a series of step-by-step assembly instructions can be recovered, is proposed.

The space of n distinct points and adisjoint parametrized hyperplane in projective d-space up to projectivity – equivalently, configurations of n distinct points in affine d-space up to translation and homothety – has a beautiful compactification introduced by Chen, Gibney and Krashen. This variety, constructed inductively using the apparatus of Fulton–MacPherson configuration spaces, is a parameter space of certain pointed rational varieties whose dual intersection complex is a rooted tree. This generalizes $\overline M _{0,n}$ and shares many properties with it. In this paper, we prove that the normalization of the Chow quotient of (ℙd)n by the diagonal action of the subgroup of projectivities fixing a hyperplane, pointwise, is isomorphic to this Chen–Gibney–Krashen space Td, n. This is a non-reductive analogue of Kapranov's famous quotient construction of $\overline M _{0,n}$, and indeed as a special case we show that $\overline M _{0,n}$ is the Chow quotient of (ℙ1)n−1 by an action of 𝔾m ⋊ 𝔾a.

The Lie symmetry classification of the known three-component reaction–diffusion system modelling the spread of an initially localized population of farmers into a region occupied by hunter-gatherers is derived. The Lie symmetries obtained for reducing the system in question to systems of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) and constructing exact solutions are applied. Several exact solutions of travelling front type are also found, their properties are identified and biological interpretation is discussed.

The Burau representation of the braid group can be used to recover the Alexander polynomial of the closure of a braid. We define twisted Burau maps and use them to compute twisted Alexander polynomials.

Algebraic limit cycles in quadratic polynomial differential systems started to be studied in 1958, and a few years later the following conjecture appeared: quadratic polynomial differential systems have at most one algebraic limit cycle. We prove that a quadratic polynomial differential system having an invariant algebraic curve with at most one pair of diametrically opposite singular points at infinity has at most one algebraic limit cycle. Our result provides a partial positive answer to this conjecture.

We define the projective stable category of a coherent scheme. It is the homotopy category of an abelian model structure on the category of unbounded chain complexes of quasi-coherent sheaves. We study the cofibrant objects of this model structure, which are certain complexes of flat quasi-coherent sheaves satisfying a special acyclicity condition.

We prove that every endomorphism of an infinite-dimensional vector space over a field splits into the sum of four idempotents and into the sum of four square-zero endomorphisms, a result that is optimal in general.

We discuss the cobordism type of spin manifolds with non-negative sectional curvature. We show that in each dimension 4k ⩾ 12, there are infinitely many cobordism types of simply connected and non-negatively curved spin manifolds. Moreover, we raise and analyse a question about possible cobordism obstructions to non-negative curvature.

The dynamics of moving solids with unilateral contacts are often modelled by assuming rigidity, point contacts, and Coulomb friction. The canonical example of a rigid rod with one endpoint slipping in two dimensions along a fixed surface (sometimes referred to as Painlevé rod) has been investigated thoroughly by many authors. The generic transitions of that system include three classical transitions (slip-stick, slip reversal, and liftoff) as well as a singularity called dynamic jamming, i.e., convergence to a codimension 2 manifold in state space, where rigid body theory breaks down. The goal of this paper is to identify similar singularities arising in systems with multiple point contacts, and in a broader setting to make initial steps towards a comprehensive list of generic transitions from slip motion to other types of dynamics. We show that – in addition to the classical transitions – dynamic jamming remains a generic phenomenon. We also find new forms of singularity and solution indeterminacy, as well as generic routes from sliding to self-excited microscopic or macroscopic oscillations.