Piecewise-linear ball complexes: calculations with GAP

In summary, Igor Korepanov is inviting interested mathematicians to work together on a project focused on making calculations in topological quantum field theories on PL ball complexes of any dimension. He explains the structure of a PL ball complex and how to represent it, and mentions that some initial programs and functions have already been written. Igor believes that this project may be of interest to mathematicians and is open to collaboration.
  • #1
korepanov
3
0
Dear all,

Recently, some young people and I started a project that may be called "Piecewise-linear ball complexes: calculations with GAP". As to me, my direct aim is to make calculations in some TQFT's (topological quantum field theories) naturally defined on PL ball complexes of any dimensions. I think, however, that calculations with PL ball complexes may be of broader interest.

So, I invite interested mathematicians to work together. As far as I know, great mathematicians of the past liked calculations, and did not limit themselves to scratching something on themselves and waiting for a flash of genius.

Some first programs/functions are already written. I will give a more detailed account of this if needed. Right now let me just explain how we represent a PL ball complex.

First, we assume that all vertices in the complex are numbered (from 1 to their total number N_0). Hence, in this sense, the 0-skeleton of the complex is described. Next, assuming that the k-skeleton is already given, which implies (in particular) the numeration of all k-cells, we describe the (k+1)-skeleton as the list of all (k+1)-cells, each of which, in its turn, is the set of numbers of k-cells in its boundary. Then we compose the list of length n, where n - is the dimension of the complex, whose elements are lists of 1-, ..., n-cells.

Thus, a three-dimensional ball B^3 can be represented by the following PL ball complex with two vertices 1 and 2:

[
[ [1,2], [1,2] ], # two one-dimensional simplexes, each with
# ends 1 and 2, of which the first is referred to
# in the next line as 1, the second - as 2;
[ [1,2], [1,2] ], # two digons (=bigons) bounded each by
# one-dimensional simplexes 1 and 2;
[ [1,2] ] # the three-ball bounded by digons 1 and 2
]

With the best New Year wishes,

Igor Korepanov
 
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  • #2
Perhaps it will be of use if I add here what "PL ball complex" means, just a quotation from Nikolai Mnev's paper arXiv:math/0609257v3 :

A PL-ball complex is a pair (X, U), where X is a compact Euclidean polyhedron and U is a covering of X by closed PL-balls such that the following axioms are satisfied:

plbc1: the relative interiors of balls from U form a partition of X.
plbc2: The boundary of each ball from U is a union of balls from U.

A PL-ball complex is defined up to PL-homeomorphism only by the combinatorics of adjunctions of its balls.

Igor
 

Related to Piecewise-linear ball complexes: calculations with GAP

1. What is a piecewise-linear ball complex?

A piecewise-linear ball complex is a geometric structure made up of simplices (e.g. points, line segments, triangles) that are glued together along their faces. These structures are used in algebraic topology to study the topology and geometry of spaces.

2. What is GAP?

GAP (Groups, Algorithms, and Programming) is a software system designed for computational discrete algebra. It is used for algebraic and combinatorial calculations, and has a wide range of applications in mathematics, computer science, and physics.

3. How are piecewise-linear ball complexes calculated with GAP?

Piecewise-linear ball complexes are calculated in GAP using a special package called "PL" that is specifically designed for working with these structures. The package provides functions for creating, manipulating, and visualizing ball complexes, as well as for performing topological and algebraic calculations on them.

4. What are some applications of piecewise-linear ball complexes?

Piecewise-linear ball complexes have many applications in mathematics and other fields. They are used to study topological spaces, to classify manifolds, and to compute homology and cohomology groups. They also have applications in physics, such as in the study of crystal structures and other physical systems.

5. Are there any limitations to using piecewise-linear ball complexes?

While piecewise-linear ball complexes are a useful tool for studying spaces, they do have some limitations. For example, they can only represent spaces that can be decomposed into simplices, and they do not capture all of the geometric information about a space. Additionally, the calculations involved in working with ball complexes can be computationally intensive, so they may not be practical for large or complex structures.

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