Υπάρχει μια ιδιαίτερη κατηγορία φυσικών συστημάτων, τα οποία καλούνται ολοκληρώσιμα. Η ολοκληρωσιμότητα ενός συστήματος συνεπάγεται άμεσα πως αυτό είναι ακριβώς επιλύσιμο, ενώ συνήθως το σύστημα παρουσιάζει μεγάλη συμμετρία. Η θεωρία των ο- λοκληρώσιμων συστημάτων, κλασικών και κβαντικών, παρέχει τα κατάλληλα εργαλεία για τη μελέτη των εν λόγω προτύπων με συστηματικό τρόπο. Στην παρούσα διατρι- βή μελετούμε τέτοιου είδους συστήματα, δίνοντας έμφαση στις αλγεβρικές δομές και τις συμμετρίες που βρίσκονται πίσω από αυτά. Στο πρώτο μέρος, περιγράφονται στοιχεία της θεωρίας των κλασικών ολοκληρώσιμων συστημάτων. Ο συστηματικός τρόπος περιγρα- φής τους επιτρέπει και την επέκταση αυτών, εισάγοντας για παράδειγμα μη τετριμμένες συνοριακές συνθήκες ή τοπικές ατέλειες, έτσι ώστε η ολοκληρωσιμότητα του συστήματος να διατηρείται. Στο δεύτερο κεφάλαιο περιγράφεται η θεωρία της ολοκληρωσιμότητας σε κβαντικό επίπεδο και το πλαίσιο ακριβούς επίλυσης τέτοιων συστημάτων μέσω ισχυρών μεθόδων, όπως η τεχνική Bethe ansatz. Σημαντικό ρόλο στο πεδίο αυτό διαδραματίζει η ομάδα braid και τα υποσύνολά της, καθώς εξασφαλίζουν την παραγωγή συμμετρικών λύσεων των εξισώσεων της κβαντικής ολοκληρωσιμότητας, με συστηματικό τρόπο. Στο κεφάλαιο αυτό περιγράφεται το πλαίσιο παραγωγής τέτοιων λύσεων, και συγκεκριμένα δημοσιευμένα αποτελέσματα. Τέλος, στο κεφάλαιο 3 περιγράφονται εμβαπτίσεις μεμβρα- νών σε σφαιρικές υποπολλαπλότητες, όπως αυτές υπεισέρχονται στη θεωρία των χορδών. Εκτός της κατασκευής των συγκεκριμένων εμβαπτίσεων, παρουσιάζεται και η σχέση τους με συστήματα της φυσικής της συμπυκνωμένης ύλης, χρησιμοποιώντας το ισχυρό πλαίσιο της αντιστοιχίας AdS/CFT. / There is a special category of physical systems, called integrable. The integrability of a system implies directly that this is exactly solvable, while there usually exists a large amount of symmetry. The theory of integrable systems, both classical and quantum, provides the appropriate tools for the study of these models in a systematic way. In this dissertation we study such systems, giving emphasis on the underlying algebraic structures and symmetries. In the first part, we describe elements of the theory of classic integrable systems. The systematic way of describing them leads to natural extensions, for example by introducing non-trivial boundary conditions or local defects, in a way that the integrability of the system is preserved. In the second chapter the theory of integrability at the quantum level is described, as well as the framework for exactly solving such systems through powerful methods, such as Bethe ansatz method. Important role in this framework is played by the braid group and its quotients, as they provide a systematic way of obtaining solutions of the equations of quantum integrability in a systematic manner. This chapter describes the framework for the construction of such solutions, and particular published results. Finally, chapter 3 describes brane embeddings in sphere submanifolds, which exist within string theory. Besides the construction of these embeddings, their relation with systems of physics of condensed matter is presented, using the powerful framework of the AdS/CFT correspondence.

We describe a method for computing rank (and determining quasipositivity) in the free group using dynamic programming. The algorithm is adapted to computing upper bounds on the rank for braids. We test our method on a table of knots by identifying quasipositive knots and calculating the ribbon genus. We consider the possibility that rank is not theoretically computable and prove some partial results that would classify its computational complexity. We then present a method for effectively brute force searching band presentations of small rank and conjugate length.

A graph configuration space is generated by the movement of a finite number of robots on a graph. These configuration spaces of points in a graph are topologically interesting objects. By using local, combinatorial properties, we define a new classification of graphs whose configuration spaces are pseudomanifolds with boundary. In algebraic topology, graph configuration spaces are closely related to classical braid groups, which can be described as fundamental groups of configuration spaces of points in the plane. We examine this relationship by finding a presentation for the fundamental group of one graph configuration space. / Master of Science

With the advent of quantum computers, the security of number-theoretic cryptography has been compromised. Consequently, new cryptosystems have been suggested in the field of non-commutative group theory. In this thesis, we provide all the necessary background to understand and work with the Artin groups. We then show that Artin groups of finite type and Artin groups of large type possess an easily-computable normal form by explicitly writing the algorithms. This solution to the word problem makes these groups candidates to be cryptographic platforms. Finally, we present some combinatorial problems that can be used in group-based cryptography and we conjecture, through empirical evidence, that the conjugacy problem in Artin groups of large type is not a hard problem.

With the advent of quantum computers, the security of number-theoretic cryptography has been compromised. Consequently, new cryptosystems have been suggested in the field of non-commutative group theory. In this thesis, we provide all the necessary background to understand and work with the Artin groups. We then show that Artin groups of finite type and Artin groups of large type possess an easily-computable normal form by explicitly writing the algorithms. This solution to the word problem makes these groups candidates to be cryptographic platforms. Finally, we present some combinatorial problems that can be used in group-based cryptography and we conjecture, through empirical evidence, that the conjugacy problem in Artin groups of large type is not a hard problem.

With the advent of quantum computers, the security of number-theoretic cryptography has been compromised. Consequently, new cryptosystems have been suggested in the field of non-commutative group theory. In this thesis, we provide all the necessary background to understand and work with the Artin groups. We then show that Artin groups of finite type and Artin groups of large type possess an easily-computable normal form by explicitly writing the algorithms. This solution to the word problem makes these groups candidates to be cryptographic platforms. Finally, we present some combinatorial problems that can be used in group-based cryptography and we conjecture, through empirical evidence, that the conjugacy problem in Artin groups of large type is not a hard problem.

Dans ce mémoire de thèse, on étudie le morphisme de monoïde $mu$du monoïde libre sur l'alphabet des entiers $nb$,`a valeurs dans le groupe modulaire $PSL_2(zb)$,considéré comme monoïde, défini pour tout entier $a$ par $mu(a)=begin{pmatrix} 0 & -1 1 & a+1 end{pmatrix}.$Les nombres de Catalan apparaissent naturellement dans l'étudede sous-ensembles du noyau de $mu$.Dans un premier temps, on met en évidence deux systèmes de réécriture, l'un sur l'alphabet fini ${0,1}$, l'autresur l'alphabet infini des entiers $nb$ et on montreque ces deux systèmes de réécriture définissent des présentations de monoïde de $PSL_2(zb)$ par générateurs et relations.Par ailleurs, on introduit le morphisme d'indice associé `a l'abélianisé du rev^etement universel de $PSL_2(zb)$,le groupe $B_3$ des tresses `a trois brins. Interprété dans deux contextes différents,le morphisme d'indice est associé au nombre de "demi-tours".Ensuite, dans les quatrième et cinquième parties, on dénombre des sous-ensembles du noyau de $mu_{|{0,1}}$ etdu noyau de $mu$, bigradués par la longueur et l'indice. La suite des nombres de Catalan et d'autres diagonales du triangle de Catalan interviennentsimplement dans les résultats.Enfin, on présente l'origine géométrique de cette étude : on explicite le lien entre l'objectif premier de la thèse qui était l'étudedes polygones convexes entiers d'aire minimale et notre intéret pour le monoïde engendré par ces matrices particulières de $PSL_2(zb)$. / In this thesis, we study a morphism of mono"id $mu$ between the free mono"id on the alphabet of integers $nb$and the modular group $PSL_2(zb)$ considered as a mono"id, defined for all integer $a$by $mu(a)=begin{pmatrix} 0 & -1 1 & a+1 end{pmatrix}.$ The Catalan Numbers arised naturally in the study ofsubsets of the kernel of the morphism $mu$.Firstly, we introduce two rewriting systems, one on the finite alphabet ${0,1}$, and the other on the infinite alphabet of integers $nb$. We proove that bothof these rewriting systems defines a mono"id presentation of $PSL_2(zb)$ by generators and relations.On another note, we introduce the morphism of loop associated to the abelianised of the universal covering group of $PSL_2(zb)$, the group $B_3$ ofbraid group on $3$ strands. In two different contexts, the morphism of loop is associated to the number of "half-turns".Then, in the fourth and the fifth parts, we numerate subsets of the kernel of $mu_{|{0,1}}$ and of the kernel of $mu$,bi-graduated by the morphism of lengthand the morphism of loop. The sequences of Catalan numbers and other diagonals of the Catalan triangle come into the results.Lastly, we present the geometrical origin of this research : we detail the connection between our first aim,which was the study of convex integer polygones ofminimal area, and our interest for the mono"id generated by these particular matrices of $PSL_2(zb)$.