Multi-compartment models described by systems of linear ordinary differential equations are considered. Catenary models are a particular class where the compartments are arranged in a chain. A unified methodology based on the Laplace transform is utilised to solve direct and inverse problems for multi-compartment models. Explicit formulas for the parameters in a catenary model are obtained in terms of the roots of elementary symmetric polynomials. A method to estimate parameters for a general multi-compartment model is also provided. Results of numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the approach.

Skew-gentle algebras are a generalisation of the well-known class of gentle algebras with which they share many common properties. In this work, using non-commutative Gröbner basis theory, we show that these algebras are strong Koszul and that the Koszul dual is again skew-gentle. We give a geometric model of their bounded derived categories in terms of polygonal dissections of surfaces with orbifold points, establishing a correspondence between curves in the orbifold and indecomposable objects. Moreover, we show that the orbifold dissections encode homological properties of skew-gentle algebras such as their singularity categories, their Gorenstein dimensions and derived invariants such as the determinant of their q-Cartan matrices.

A noncomplete graph is $2$-distance-transitive if, for $i \in \{1,2\}$ and for any two vertex pairs $(u_1,v_1)$ and $(u_2,v_2)$ with the same distance i in the graph, there exists an element of the graph automorphism group that maps $(u_1,v_1)$ to $(u_2,v_2)$. This paper determines the family of $2$-distance-transitive Cayley graphs over dihedral groups, and it is shown that if the girth of such a graph is not $4$, then either it is a known $2$-arc-transitive graph or it is isomorphic to one of the following two graphs: $ {\mathrm {K}}_{x[y]}$, where $x\geq 3,y\geq 2$, and $G(2,p,({p-1})/{4})$, where p is a prime and $p \equiv 1 \ (\operatorname {mod}\, 8)$. Then, as an application of the above result, a complete classification is achieved of the family of $2$-geodesic-transitive Cayley graphs for dihedral groups.

Let $Q$ be an acyclic quiver and $w \geqslant 1$ be an integer. Let $\mathsf {C}_{-w}({\mathbf {k}} Q)$ be the $(-w)$-cluster category of ${\mathbf {k}} Q$. We show that there is a bijection between simple-minded collections in $\mathsf {D}^b({\mathbf {k}} Q)$ lying in a fundamental domain of $\mathsf {C}_{-w}({\mathbf {k}} Q)$ and $w$-simple-minded systems in $\mathsf {C}_{-w}({\mathbf {k}} Q)$. This generalises the same result of Iyama–Jin in the case that $Q$ is Dynkin. A key step in our proof is the observation that the heart $\mathsf {H}$ of a bounded t-structure in a Hom-finite, Krull–Schmidt, ${\mathbf {k}}$-linear saturated triangulated category $\mathsf {D}$ is functorially finite in $\mathsf {D}$ if and only if $\mathsf {H}$ has enough injectives and enough projectives. We then establish a bijection between $w$-simple-minded systems in $\mathsf {C}_{-w}({\mathbf {k}} Q)$ and positive $w$-noncrossing partitions of the corresponding Weyl group $W_Q$.

We study the free metabelian group $M(2,n)$ of prime power exponent n on two generators by means of invariants $M(2,n)'\to \mathbb {Z}_n$ that we construct from colorings of the squares in the integer grid $\mathbb {R} \times \mathbb {Z} \cup \mathbb {Z} \times \mathbb {R}$. In particular, we improve bounds found by Newman for the order of $M(2,2^k)$. We study identities in $M(2,n)$, which give information about identities in the Burnside group $B(2,n)$ and the restricted Burnside group $R(2,n)$.

Let G be a simple complex algebraic group, and let $K \subset G$ be a reductive subgroup such that the coordinate ring of $G/K$ is a multiplicity-free G-module. We consider the G-algebra structure of $\mathbb C[G/K]$ and study the decomposition into irreducible summands of the product of irreducible G-submodules in $\mathbb C[G/K]$. When the spherical roots of $G/K$ generate a root system of type $\mathsf A$, we propose a conjectural decomposition rule, which relies on a conjecture of Stanley on the multiplication of Jack symmetric functions. With the exception of one case, we show that the rule holds true whenever the root system generated by the spherical roots of $G/K$ is a direct sum of subsystems of rank 1.

We compare crystal combinatorics of the level $2$ Fock space with the classification of unitary irreducible representations of type B rational Cherednik algebras to study how unitarity behaves under parabolic restriction. We show that the crystal operators that remove boxes preserve the combinatorial conditions for unitarity, and that the parabolic restriction functors categorifying the crystals send irreducible unitary representations to unitary representations. Furthermore, we find the supports of the unitary representations.

Fix a poset Q on $\{x_1,\ldots ,x_n\}$. A Q-Borel monomial ideal $I \subseteq \mathbb {K}[x_1,\ldots ,x_n]$ is a monomial ideal whose monomials are closed under the Borel-like moves induced by Q. A monomial ideal I is a principal Q-Borel ideal, denoted $I=Q(m)$, if there is a monomial m such that all the minimal generators of I can be obtained via Q-Borel moves from m. In this paper we study powers of principal Q-Borel ideals. Among our results, we show that all powers of $Q(m)$ agree with their symbolic powers, and that the ideal $Q(m)$ satisfies the persistence property for associated primes. We also compute the analytic spread of $Q(m)$ in terms of the poset Q.

For a finite-dimensional Lie algebra $\mathfrak {L}$ over $\mathbb {C}$ with a fixed Levi decomposition $\mathfrak {L} = \mathfrak {g} \ltimes \mathfrak {r}$, where $\mathfrak {g}$ is semisimple, we investigate $\mathfrak {L}$-modules which decompose, as $\mathfrak {g}$-modules, into a direct sum of simple finite-dimensional $\mathfrak {g}$-modules with finite multiplicities. We call such modules $\mathfrak {g}$-Harish-Chandra modules. We give a complete classification of simple $\mathfrak {g}$-Harish-Chandra modules for the Takiff Lie algebra associated to $\mathfrak {g} = \mathfrak {sl}_2$, and for the Schrödinger Lie algebra, and obtain some partial results in other cases. An adapted version of Enright’s and Arkhipov’s completion functors plays a crucial role in our arguments. Moreover, we calculate the first extension groups of infinite-dimensional simple $\mathfrak {g}$-Harish-Chandra modules and their annihilators in the universal enveloping algebra, for the Takiff $\mathfrak {sl}_2$ and the Schrödinger Lie algebra. In the general case, we give a sufficient condition for the existence of infinite-dimensional simple $\mathfrak {g}$-Harish-Chandra modules.

For a Weyl group W of rank r, the W-Catalan number is the number of antichains of the poset of positive roots, and the W-Narayana numbers refine the W-Catalan number by keeping track of the cardinalities of these antichains. The W-Narayana numbers are symmetric – that is, the number of antichains of cardinality k is the same as the number of cardinality $r-k$. However, this symmetry is far from obvious. Panyushev posed the problem of defining an involution on root poset antichains that exhibits the symmetry of the W-Narayana numbers.

Rowmotion and rowvacuation are two related operators, defined as compositions of toggles, that give a dihedral action on the set of antichains of any ranked poset. Rowmotion acting on root posets has been the subject of a significant amount of research in the recent past. We prove that for the root posets of classical types, rowvacuation is Panyushev’s desired involution.

We study normal reflection subgroups of complex reflection groups. Our approach leads to a refinement of a theorem of Orlik and Solomon to the effect that the generating function for fixed-space dimension over a reflection group is a product of linear factors involving generalised exponents. Our refinement gives a uniform proof and generalisation of a recent theorem of the second author.

For any given subgroup H of a finite group G, the Quillen poset ${\mathcal {A}}_p(G)$ of nontrivial elementary abelian p-subgroups is obtained from ${\mathcal {A}}_p(H)$ by attaching elements via their centralisers in H. We exploit this idea to study Quillen’s conjecture, which asserts that if ${\mathcal {A}}_p(G)$ is contractible then G has a nontrivial normal p-subgroup. We prove that the original conjecture is equivalent to the ${{\mathbb {Z}}}$-acyclic version of the conjecture (obtained by replacing ‘contractible’ by ‘${{\mathbb {Z}}}$-acyclic’). We also work with the ${\mathbb {Q}}$-acyclic (strong) version of the conjecture, reducing its study to extensions of direct products of simple groups of p-rank at least $2$. This allows us to extend results of Aschbacher and Smith and to establish the strong conjecture for groups of p-rank at most $4$.

We consider two natural gradings on the space of symmetric functions: by degree and by length. We introduce a differential operator T that leaves the components of this double grading invariant and exhibit a basis of bihomogeneous symmetric functions in which this operator is triangular. This allows us to compute the eigenvalues of T, which turn out to be nonnegative integers.

In 2010, Rhoades proved that promotion on rectangular standard Young tableaux, together with the associated fake-degree polynomial, provides an instance of the cyclic sieving phenomenon. We extend this result to m-tuples of skew standard Young tableaux of the same shape, for fixed m, subject to the condition that the mth power of the associated fake-degree polynomial evaluates to nonnegative integers at roots of unity. However, we are unable to specify an explicit group action. Put differently, we determine in which cases the mth tensor power of a skew character of the symmetric group carries a permutation representation of the cyclic group.

To do so, we use a method proposed by Amini and the first author, which amounts to establishing a bound on the number of border-strip tableaux of skew shape. Finally, we apply our results to the invariant theory of tensor powers of the adjoint representation of the general linear group. In particular, we prove the existence of a bijection between permutations and Stembridge’s alternating tableaux, which intertwines rotation and promotion.

Involution Schubert polynomials represent cohomology classes of K-orbit closures in the complete flag variety, where K is the orthogonal or symplectic group. We show they also represent $\mathsf {T}$-equivariant cohomology classes of subvarieties defined by upper-left rank conditions in the spaces of symmetric or skew-symmetric matrices. This geometry implies that these polynomials are positive combinations of monomials in the variables $x_i + x_j$, and we give explicit formulas of this kind as sums over new objects called involution pipe dreams. Our formulas are analogues of the Billey–Jockusch–Stanley formula for Schubert polynomials. In Knutson and Miller’s approach to matrix Schubert varieties, pipe dream formulas reflect Gröbner degenerations of the ideals of those varieties, and we conjecturally identify analogous degenerations in our setting.

Immanants are functions on square matrices generalizing the determinant and permanent. Kazhdan–Lusztig immanants, which are indexed by permutations, involve $q=1$ specializations of Type A Kazhdan–Lusztig polynomials, and were defined by Rhoades and Skandera (2006, Journal of Algebra 304, 793–811). Using results of Haiman (1993, Journal of the American Mathematical Society 6, 569–595) and Stembridge (1991, Bulletin of the London Mathematical Society 23, 422–428), Rhoades and Skandera showed that Kazhdan–Lusztig immanants are nonnegative on matrices whose minors are nonnegative. We investigate which Kazhdan–Lusztig immanants are positive on k-positive matrices (matrices whose minors of size $k \times k$ and smaller are positive). The Kazhdan–Lusztig immanant indexed by v is positive on k-positive matrices if v avoids 1324 and 2143 and for all noninversions $i< j$ of v, either $j-i \leq k$ or $v_j-v_i \leq k$. Our main tool is Lewis Carroll’s identity.

We study the back stable Schubert calculus of the infinite flag variety. Our main results are:

• – a formula for back stable (double) Schubert classes expressing them in terms of a symmetric function part and a finite part;

• – a novel definition of double and triple Stanley symmetric functions;

• – a proof of the positivity of double Edelman–Greene coefficients generalizing the results of Edelman–Greene and Lascoux–Schützenberger;

• – the definition of a new class of bumpless pipedreams, giving new formulae for double Schubert polynomials, back stable double Schubert polynomials, and a new form of the Edelman–Greene insertion algorithm;

• – the construction of the Peterson subalgebra of the infinite nilHecke algebra, extending work of Peterson in the affine case;

• – equivariant Pieri rules for the homology of the infinite Grassmannian;

• – homology divided difference operators that create the equivariant homology Schubert classes of the infinite Grassmannian.

Extending a result by Alon, Linial, and Meshulam to abelian groups, we prove that if G is a finite abelian group of exponent m and S is a sequence of elements of G such that any subsequence of S consisting of at least $$|S| - m\ln |G|$$ elements generates G, then S is an additive basis of G . We also prove that the additive span of any l generating sets of G contains a coset of a subgroup of size at least $$|G{|^{1 - c{ \in ^l}}}$$ for certain c=c(m) and $$ \in=\in (m) < 1$$; we use the probabilistic method to give sharper values of c(m) and $$ \in (m)$$ in the case when G is a vector space; and we give new proofs of related known results.

For an indifference graph G, we define a symmetric function of increasing spanning forests of G. We prove that this symmetric function satisfies certain linear relations, which are also satisfied by the chromatic quasisymmetric function and unicellular $\textrm {LLT}$ polynomials. As a consequence, we give a combinatorial interpretation of the coefficients of the $\textrm {LLT}$ polynomial in the elementary basis (up to a factor of a power of $(q-1)$), strengthening the description given in [4].