This investigation completely classifies the spatial chaos problem in plane edge coloring (Wang tiles) with two symbols. For a set of Wang tiles B, spatial chaos occurs when the spatial entropy h(B) is positive. B is called a minimal cycle generator if P(B) 6= ∅ and P(B′) = ∅ whenever B′ $ B, where P(B) is the set of all periodic patterns on Z2 generated by B. Given a set of Wang tiles B, write B = C1 ∪ C2 ∪ · · · ∪ Ck ∪ N, where Cj, 1 ≤ j ≤ k, are minimal cycle generators and B contains no minimal cycle generator except those contained in C1 ∪ C2 ∪ · · · ∪ Ck. Then, the positivity of spatial entropy h(B) is completely determined by C1 ∪ C2 ∪ · · · ∪ Ck. Furthermore, there are 39 equivalent classes of marginal positive-entropy (MPE) sets of Wang tiles and 18 equivalent classes of saturated zero-entropy (SZE) sets of Wang tiles. For a set of Wang tiles B, h(B) is positive if and only if B contains an MPE set, and h(B) is zero if and only if B is a subset of an SZE set.

We study generalized Hopf–Cole transformations motivated by the Schrödinger bridge problem, which can be seen as a boundary value Hamiltonian system on the Wasserstein space. We prove that generalized Hopf–Cole transformations are symplectic submersions in the Wasserstein symplectic geometry. Many examples, including a Hopf–Cole transformation for the shallow water equations, are given. Based on this transformation, energy splitting inequalities are provided.

We study the critical Ising model on the square lattice in bounded simply connected domains with + and free boundary conditions. We relate the energy density of the model to a discrete fermionic correlator and compute its scaling limit by discrete complex analysis methods. As a consequence, we obtain a simple exact formula for the scaling limit of the energy field one-point function in terms of the hyperbolic metric. This confirms the predictions originating in physics, but also provides a higher precision.

We prove a mean ergodic theorem for amenable discrete quantum groups. As an application, we prove a Wiener type theorem for continuous measures on compact metrizable groups.

Multistep cell fate transitions with stepwise changes of transcriptional profiles are common to many developmental, regenerative and pathological processes. The multiple intermediate cell lineage states can serve as differentiation checkpoints or branching points for channeling cells to more than one lineages. However, mechanisms underlying these transitions remain elusive. Here, we explored gene regulatory circuits that can generate multiple intermediate cellular states with stepwise modulations of transcription factors. With unbiased searching in the network topology space, we found a motif family containing a large set of networks can give rise to four attractors with the stepwise regulations of transcription factors, which limit the reversibility of three consecutive steps of the lineage transition. We found that there is an enrichment of these motifs in a transcriptional network controlling the early T cell development, and a mathematical model based on this network recapitulates multistep transitions in the early T cell lineage commitment. By calculating the energy landscape and minimum action paths for the T cell model, we quantified the stochastic dynamics of the critical factors in response to the differentiation signal with fluctuations. These results are in good agreement with experimental observations and they suggest the stable characteristics of the intermediate states in the T cell differentiation. These dynamical features may help to direct the cells to correct lineages during development. Our findings provide general design principles for multistep cell linage transitions and new insights into the early T cell development. The network motifs containing a large family of topologies can be useful for analyzing diverse biological systems with multistep transitions.