We propose a definition of mass for characteristic hypersurfaces in asymptotically vacuum space-times with non-vanishing cosmological constant Λ ∈ R ∗ , generalising the definition of Trautman and Bondi for Λ = 0. We show that our definition reduces to some standard definitions in several situations. We establish a balance formula linking the characteristic mass and a suitably defined renormalised volume of the null hypersurface, generalising the positivity identity of one of us (PTC) and Paetz proved when Λ = 0.

Over time, a population acquires neutral genetic substitutions as a consequence of random drift. A famous result in population genetics asserts that the rate, K, at which these substitutions accumulate in the population coincides with the mutation rate, u, at which they arise in individuals: K = u. This identity enables genetic sequence data to be used as a “molecular clock” to estimate the timing of evolutionary events. While the molecular clock is known to be perturbed by selection, it is thought that K = u holds very generally for neutral evolution. Here we show that asymmetric spatial population structure can alter the molecular clock rate for neutral mutations, leading to either K<u or K>u. Our results apply to a general class of haploid, asexually reproducing, spatially structured populations. Deviations from K = u occur because mutations arise unequally at different sites and have different probabilities of fixation depending on where they arise. If birth rates are uniform across sites, then K
u. In general, K can take any value between 0 and Nu. Our model can be applied to a variety of population structures. In one example, we investigate the accumulation of genetic mutations in the small intestine. In another application, we analyze over 900 Twitter networks to study the effect of network topology on the fixation of neutral innovations in social evolution.

Bosonic topological insulators (BTI) in three dimensions are symmetry-protected topological phases (SPT) protected by time-reversal and boson number conservation symmetries. BTI in three dimensions were first proposed and classified by the group cohomology theory which suggests two distinct root states, each carrying a Z2 index. Soon after, surface anomalous topological orders were proposed to identify different root states of BTI, which even leads to a new BTI root state beyond the group cohomology classification. In this paper, we propose a universal physical mechanism via vortex-line condensation from a 3d superfluid to achieve all three root states. It naturally produces bulk topological quantum field theory (TQFT) description for each root state. Topologically ordered states on the surface are rigorously derived by placing TQFT on an open manifold, which allows us to explicitly demonstrate the bulk-boundary correspondence. Finally, we generalize the mechanism to ZN symmetries and discuss potential SPT phases beyond the group cohomology classification.

For a self-similar measure in d-dimensional Euclidean space with overlaps but satisfies the so-called bounded measure type condition introduced by Tang and the authors, we set up a framework for deriving a closed formula for the Lq-spectrum of the measure for nonnegative q. The framework allows us to include iterated function systems that have different contraction ratios and those in higher dimension. For self-similar measures with overlaps, closed formulas for the Lq-spectrum have only been obtained earlier for measures satisfying Strichartz second-order identities. We illustrate how to use our results to prove the differentiability of the Lq-spectrum, obtain the multifractal dimension spectrum, and compute the Hausdorff dimension of the measure.

We study free scalar field theory on a graph, which gives rise to a modified version of discrete Green’s function on a graph studied in [8]. We show that this gives rise to a graph invariant, which is closely related to the 2-dimensional Weisfeiler-Lehman algorithm for graph isomorphism testing. We then consider the same theory over the integers, which leads to the consideration of certain quadratic forms over the integers as initiated in [14], associated to the graphs. The quadratic form represented by the combinatorial Laplacian respects a well-behaved wedge sum of graphs, and appears to capture important graph properties reg