Let X⊂Pr be an integral and non-degenerate variety. Set n:=dim(X). We prove that if the (k+n−1)-secant variety of X has (the expected) dimension (k+n−1)(n+1)−1<r and X is not uniruled by lines, then X is not k-weakly defective and hence the k-secant variety satisfies identifiability, i.e. a general element of it is in the linear span of a unique S⊂X with ♯(S)=k. We apply this result to many Segre-Veronese varieties and to the identifiability of Gaussian mixtures G1,d. If X is the Segre embedding of a multiprojective space we prove identifiability for the k-secant variety (assuming that the (k+n−1)-secant variety has dimension (k+n−1)(n+1)−1<r, this is a known result in many cases), beating several bounds on the identifiability of tensors.

We associate to a finite digraph D a lattice polytope PD whose vertices are the rows of the Laplacian matrix of D. This generalizes a construction introduced by Braun and the third author. As a consequence of the Matrix-Tree Theorem, we show that the normalized volume of PD equals the complexity of D, and PD contains the origin in its relative interior if and only if D is strongly connected. Interesting connections with other families of simplices are established and then used to describe reflexivity, the h∗-polynomial, and the integer decomposition property of PD in these cases. We extend Braun and Meyer’s study of cycles by considering cycle digraphs. In this setting, we characterize reflexivity and show there are only four non-trivial reflexive Laplacian simplices having the integer decomposition property.

Let G be a reductive algebraic group over a field of positive characteristic and denote by C(G) the category of rational G-modules. In this note, we investigate the subcategory of C(G) consisting of those modules whose composition factors all have highest weights linked to the Steinberg weight. This subcategory is denoted ST and called the Steinberg component. We give an explicit equivalence between ST and C(G) and we derive some consequences. In particular, our result allows us to relate the Frobenius contracting functor to the projection functor from C(G) onto ST.

In this paper we start the classification of strongly bracket-generated sub-symmetric spaces. We prove a structure theorem and analyze the nilpotent case.

We discuss the problem of deciding when a metrisable topological group G has a canonically defined local Lipschitz geometry. This naturally leads to the concept of minimal metrics on G, that we characterise intrinsically in terms of a linear growth condition on powers of group elements. Combining this with work on the large scale geometry of topological groups, we also identify the class of metrisable groups admitting a canonical global Lipschitz geometry. In turn, minimal metrics connect with Hilbert’s fifth problem for completely metrisable groups and we show, assuming that the set of squares is sufficiently rich, that every element of some identity neighbourhood belongs to a 1-parameter subgroup.