Rigid representations of triangle groups

We prove a generalization of a conjecture of C. Marion on generation properties of finite groups of Lie type, by considering geometric properties of an appropriate representation variety and associated tangent spaces.

On a question of Kulshammer for homomorphisms of algebraic groups

Let $G$ be a linear algebraic group over an algebraically closed field of characteristic $pgeq 0$. We show that if $H_1$ and $H_2$ are connected subgroups of $G$ such that $H_1$ and $H_2$ have a common maximal unipotent subgroup and $H_1/R_u(H_1)$ and $H_2/R_u(H_2)$ are semisimple, then $H_1$ and $H_2$ are $G$-conjugate. Moreover, we show that if $H$ is a semisimple linear algebraic group with maximal unipotent subgroup $U$ then for any algebraic group homomorphism $sigmacolon Urightarrow G$, there are only finitely many $G$-conjugacy classes of algebraic group homomorphisms $rhocolon Hrightarrow G$ such that $rho|_U$ is $G$-conjugate to $sigma$. This answers an analogue for connected algebraic groups of a question of B. Kulshammer. In Kulshammers original question, $H$ is replaced by a finite group and $U$ by a Sylow $p$-subgroup of $H$; the answer is then known to be no in general. We obtain some results in the general case when $H$ is non-connected and has positive dimension. Along the way, we prove existence and conjugacy results for maximal unipotent subgroups of non-connected linear algebraic groups. When $G$ is reductive, we formulate Kulshammers question and related conjugacy problems in terms of the nonabelian 1-cohomology of unipotent radicals of parabolic subgroups of $G$, and we give some applications of this cohomological approach. In particular, we analyse the case when $G$ is a semisimple group of rank 2.

Generic stabilisers for actions of reductive groups

Let $G$ be a reductive algebraic group over an algebraically closed field and let $V$ be a quasi-projective $G$-variety. We prove that the set of points $vin V$ such that ${rm dim}(G_v)$ is minimal and $G_v$ is reductive is open. We also prove some results on the existence of principal stabilisers in an appropriate sense.

On a question of Kulshammer for representations of finite groups in reductive groups

Let $G$ be a simple algebraic group of type $G_2$ over an algebraically closed field of characteristic $2$. We give an example of a finite group $Gamma$ with Sylow $2$-subgroup $Gamma_2$ and an infinite family of pairwise non-conjugate homomorphisms $rhocolon Gammarightarrow G$ whose restrictions to $Gamma_2$ are all conjugate. This answers a question of Burkhard Kulshammer from 1995. We also give an action of $Gamma$ on a connected unipotent group $V$ such that the map of 1-cohomologies ${rm H}^1(Gamma,V)rightarrow {rm H}^1(Gamma_p,V)$ induced by restriction of 1-cocycles has an infinite fibre.

Evolving A-Type Artificial Neural Networks

We investigate Turings notion of an A-type artificial neural network. We study a refinement of Turings original idea, motivated by work of Teuscher, Bull, Preen and Copeland. Our A-types can process binary data by accepting and outputting sequences of binary vectors; hence we can associate a function to an A-type, and we say the A-type {em represents} the function. There are two modes of data processing: clamped and sequential. We describe an evolutionary algorithm, involving graph-theoretic manipulations of A-types, which searches for A-types representing a given function. The algorithm uses both mutation and crossover operators. We implemented the algorithm and applied it to three benchmark tasks. We found that the algorithm performed much better than a random search. For two out of the three tasks, the algorithm with crossover performed better than a mutation-only version.

Dark matter, Elko fields and Weinbergs quantum field theory formalism

The Elko quantum field was introduced by Ahluwalia and Grumiller, who proposed it as a candidate for dark matter. We study the Elko field in Weinbergs formalism for quantum field theory. We prove that if one takes the symmetry group to be the full Poincare group then the Elko field is not a quantum field in the sense of Weinberg. This confirms results of Ahluwalia, Lee and Schritt, who showed using a different approach that the Elko field does not transform covariantly under rotations and hence has a preferred axis.

Quantum fields, dark matter and non-standard Wigner classes

The Elko field of Ahluwalia and Grumiller is a quantum field for massive spin-1/2 particles. It has been suggested as a candidate for dark matter. We discuss our attempts to interpret the Elko field as a quantum field in the sense of Weinberg. Our work suggests that one should investigate quantum fields based on representations of the full Poincare group which belong to one of the non-standard Wigner classes.

Definable equivalence relations and zeta functions of groups

We prove that the theory of the $p$-adics ${mathbb Q}_p$ admits elimination of imaginaries provided we add a sort for ${rm GL}_n({mathbb Q}_p)/{rm GL}_n({mathbb Z}_p)$ for each $n$. We also prove that the elimination of imaginaries is uniform in $p$. Using $p$-adic and motivic integration, we deduce the uniform rationality of certain formal zeta functions arising from definable equivalence relations. This also yields analogous results for definable equivalence relations over local fields of positive characteristic. The appendix contains an alternative proof, using cell decomposition, of the rationality (for fixed $p$) of these formal zeta functions that extends to the subanalytic context. As an application, we prove rationality and uniformity results for zeta functions obtained by counting twist isomorphism classes of irreducible representations of finitely generated nilpotent groups; these are analogous to similar results of Grunewald, Segal and Smith and of du Sautoy and Grunewald for subgroup zeta functions of finitely generated nilpotent groups.