The combinatorial objects known as association schemes arise in group theory, extremal graph theory, coding theory, the design of experiments, and even quantum information theory. One may think of a d-class association scheme as a (d + 1)-dimensional matrix algebra over R closed under entrywise products. In this context, an imprimitive scheme is one which admits a subalgebra of block matrices, also closed under the entrywise product. Such systems of imprimitivity provide us with quotient schemes, smaller association schemes which are often easier to understand, providing useful information about the structure of the larger scheme. One important property of any association scheme is that we may find a basis of d + 1 idempotent matrices for our algebra. A cometric scheme is one whose idempotent basis may be ordered E0, E1, . . . , Ed so that there exists polynomials f0, f1, . . . , fd with fi ◦ (E1) = Ei and deg(fi) = i for each i. Imprimitive cometric schemes relate closely to t-distance sets, sets of unit vectors with only t distinct angles, such as equiangular lines and mutually unbiased bases. Throughout this thesis we are primarily interested in three distinct goals: building new examples of cometric association schemes, drawing connections between cometric association schemes and other objects either combinatorial or geometric, and finding new realizability conditions on feasible parameter sets — using these conditions to rule out open parameter sets when possible. After introducing association schemes with relevant terminology and definitions, this thesis focuses on a few recent results regarding cometric schemes with small d. We begin by examining the matrix algebra of any such scheme, first looking for low rank positive semidefinite matrices with few distinct entries and later establishing new conditions on realizable parameter sets. We then focus on certain imprimitive examples of both 3- and 4-class cometric association schemes, generating new examples of the former while building realizability conditions for both. In each case, we examine the related t-distance sets, giving conditions which work towards equivalence; in the case of 3-class Q-antipodal schemes, an equivalence is established. We conclude by partially extending a result of Brouwer and Koolen concerning the connectivity of graphs arising from metric association schemes.

Putting fractions in lowest terms is a common problem for basic algebra courses, but it is rarely discussed in abstract algebra. In a 1990 paper, D.D. Anderson, D.F. Anderson, and M. Zafrullah published a paper called Factorization in Integral Domains, which summarized the results concerning different factorization properties in domains. In it, they defined an LT domain as one where every fraction is equal to a fraction in lowest terms. That is, for any x/y in the field of fractions of D, there is some a/b with x/y=a/b and the greatest common divisor of a and b is 1. In addition, R. Gilmer included a brief exercise concerning lowest terms over a domain in his book Multiplicative Ideal Theory. In this thesis, we expand upon those definitions. First, in Chapter 2 we make a distinction between putting a fraction in lowest terms and reducing it to lowest terms. In the first case, we simply require the existence of an equal fraction which is in lowest terms, while the second requires an element which divides both the numerator and the denominator to reach lowest terms. We also define essentially unique lowest terms, which requires a fraction to have only one lowest terms representation up to unit multiples. We prove that a reduced lowest terms domain is equivalent to a weak GCD domain, and that a domain which is both a reduced lowest terms domain and a unique lowest terms domain is equivalent to a GCD domain. We also provide an example showing that not every domain is a lowest terms domain as well as an example showing that putting a fraction in lowest terms is a strictly weaker condition than reducing it to lowest terms. Next, in Chapter 3 we discuss how lowest terms in a domain interacts with the polynomial ring. We prove that if D[T] is a unique lowest terms domain, then D must be a GCD domain. We also provide an alternative approach to some of the earlier results using the group of divisibility. So far, all fractions have been representatives of the field of fractions of a domain. However, in Chapter 4 we examine fractions in other localizations of a domain. We define a necessary and sufficient condition on the multiplicatively closed set, and then examine how this relates to existing properties of multiplicatively closed sets. Finally, in Chapter 5 we briefly examine lowest terms in rings with zero divisors. Because many properties of GCDs do not hold in such rings, this proved difficult. However, we were able to prove some results from Chapter 2 in this more general case.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Mathematics, June 1997. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

In this dissertation we study the algebraic properties of the intersection algebra of two ideals I and J in a Noetherian ring R. A major part of the dissertation is devoted to the finite generation of these algebras and developing methods of obtaining their generators when the algebra is finitely generated. We prove that the intersection algebra is a finitely generated R-algebra when R is a Unique Factorization Domain and the two ideals are principal, and use fans of cones to find the algebra generators. This is done in Chapter 2, which concludes with introducing a new class of algebras called fan algebras. Chapter 3 deals with the intersection algebra of principal monomial ideals in a polynomial ring, where the theory of semigroup rings and toric ideals can be used. A detailed investigation of the intersection algebra of the polynomial ring in one variable is obtained. The intersection algebra in this case is connected to semigroup rings associated to systems of linear diophantine equations with integer coefficients, introduced by Stanley. In Chapter 4, we present a method for obtaining the generators of the intersection algebra for arbitrary monomial ideals in the polynomial ring.

Formulas which derive common concordance invariants for satellite knots tend to lose information regarding the axis a of the satellite operation R(a,J). The Alexander polynomial, the Blanchfield linking form, and Casson-Gordon invariants all fail to distinguish concordance classes of satellites obtained by slightly varying the axis. By applying higher-order invariants and using filtrations of the knot concordance group, satellite concordance may be distinguished by determining which term of the derived series of the fundamental group of the knot complement the axes lie. There is less hope when the axes lie in the same term. We introduce new conditions to distinguish these latter classes by considering the axes in higher-order Alexander modules in three situations. In the first case, we find that R(a,J) and R(b,J) are non-concordant when a and b have distinct orders viewed as elements of the classical Alexander module of R. In the second, we show that R(a,J) and R(b,J) may be distinguished when the classical Blanchfield form of a with itself differs from that of b with itself. Ultimately, this allows us to find infinitely many concordance classes of R(-,J) whenever R has nontrivial Alexander polynomial. Finally, we find sufficient conditions to distinguish these satellites when the axes represent equivalent elements of the classical Alexander module by analyzing higher-order Alexander modules and localizations thereof.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 152-155) and index. Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

The thesis considers two distinct strategies for algebraic computation with polynomials in high dimension. The first concerns ideals and varieties with symmetry, which often arise in applications from areas such as algebraic statistics and optimization. We explore the commutative algebra properties of such objects, and work towards classifying when symmetric ideals admit finite descriptions including equivariant Gröbner bases and generating sets. Several algorithms are given for computing such descriptions. Specific focus is given to the case of symmetric toric ideals. A second area of research is on problems in numerical algebraic geometry. Numerical algorithms such as homotopy continuation can efficiently compute the approximate solutions of systems of polynomials, but generally have trouble with multiplicity. We develop techniques to compute local information about the scheme structure of an ideal at approximate zeros. This is used to create a hybrid numeric-symbolic algorithm for computing a primary decomposition of the ideal.

In this thesis, we study Hilbert functions of monomial ideals in the polynomial ring and the Kruskal-Katona ring. In particular, we classify Gotzmann edge ideals and, more generally, Gotzmann squarefree monomial ideals. In addition, we discuss Betti numbers of Gotzmann ideals and measure how far certain edge ideals are from Gotzmann. This thesis also contains a thorough account the combinatorial relationship between lex segments and Macaulay representations of their dimensions and codimensions.

<p>This dissertation refines and extends the theory of mesoprimary decomposition, as introduced by Kahle and Miller. We begin with an overview of the existing theory of mesoprimary decomposition </p><p>in both the combinatorial setting of monoid congruences and the arithmetic setting of binomial ideals. We state all definitions and results that are relevant for subsequent chapters. </p><p>We classify redundant mesoprimary components in both the combinatorial and arithmetic settings. Kahle and Miller give a class of redundant components in each setting that are redundant in every mesoprimary decomposition. After identifying a further class of redundant components at the level of congruences, we give a condition on the associated monoid primes that guarantees the existence of unique irredundant mesoprimary decompositions in both settings. </p><p>We introduce soccular congruences as combinatorial approximations of irreducible binomial quotients and use the theory of mesoprimary decomposition to give a combinatorial method of constructing irreducible decompositions of binomial ideals. We also demonstrate a binomial ideal which does not admit a binomial irreducible decomposition, answering a long-standing problem of Eisenbud and Sturmfels. </p><p>We extend mesoprimary decomposition of monoid congruences to congruences on monoid modules. Much of the theory for monoid congruences extends to this new setting, including a characterization of mesoprimary monoid module congruences in terms of associated prime monoid congruences and a method for constructing coprincipal decompositions of monoid module congruences using key witnesses. </p><p>We conclude with a collection of open problems for future study.</p> / Dissertation

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Mathematics, June 2000. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.