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Let$M$be a smooth manifold and$V$a Euclidean space. Let $ \overline{{{\text{Emb}}}} $ ($M$,$V$) be the homotopy fiber of the map Emb($M$,$V$) → Imm($M$,$V$). This paper is about the rational homology of $ \overline{{{\text{Emb}}}} $ ($M$,$V$). We study it by applying embedding calculus and orthogonal calculus to the bifunctor ($M$,$V$)↦$HQ$∧ $ \overline{{{\text{Emb}}}} $ ($M$,$V$)_{+}. Our main theorem states that if $$ \dim V \geqslant 2{\text{ED}}{\left( M \right)} + 1 $$ (where ED($M$) is the embedding dimension of$M$), the Taylor tower in the sense of orthogonal calculus (henceforward called “the orthogonal tower”) of this functor splits as a product of its layers. Equivalently, the rational homology spectral sequence associated with the tower collapses at$E$^{1}. In the case of knot embeddings, this spectral sequence coincides with the Vassiliev spectral sequence. The main ingredients in the proof are embedding calculus and Kontsevich's theorem on the formality of the little balls operad. We write explicit formulas for the layers in the orthogonal tower of the functor $$ HQ \wedge \overline{{{\text{Emb}}}} {\left( {M,V} \right)}_{ + }. $$ The formulas show, in particular, that the (rational) homotopy type of the layers of the orthogonal tower is determined by the (rational) homotopy type of$M$. This, together with our rational splitting theorem, implies that, under the above assumption on codimension, rational homology equivalences of manifolds induce isomorphisms between the rational homology groups of $ \overline{{{\text{Emb}}}} $ (–,V).

We define an analogue of the Casimir element for a graded affine Hecke algebra $$ \mathbb{H} $$ , and then introduce an approximate square-root called the Dirac element. Using it, we define the Dirac cohomology$H$^{$D$}($X$) of an $$ \mathbb{H} $$ -module$X$, and show that$H$^{$D$}($X$) carries a representation of a canonical double cover of the Weyl group $$ \widetilde{W} $$ . Our main result shows that the $$ \widetilde{W} $$ -structure on the Dirac cohomology of an irreducible $$ \mathbb{H} $$ -module$X$determines the central character of$X$in a precise way. This can be interpreted as$p$-adic analogue of a conjecture of Vogan for Harish-Chandra modules. We also apply our results to the study of unitary representations of $$ \mathbb{H} $$ .

Motivated by a model proposed by Peng et al. [Advances in Coll. and Interf. Sci. 206 (2014)] for break-up of tear films on human eyes, we study the dynamics of a generalized thin film model. The governing equations form a fourth-order coupled system of nonlinear parabolic PDE for the film thickness and salt concentration subject to nonconservative effects representing evaporation. We analytically prove the global existence of solutions to this model with mobility exponents in several different ranges and the results are then validated against PDE simulations. We also numerically capture other interesting dynamics of the model, including finite-time rupture-shock phenomenon due to the instabilities caused by locally elevated evaporation rates, convergence to equilibrium and infinite-time thinning.

Necessary and sufficient conditions are given in order for a Borel measure on the Euclidean sphere to have an affine image that is isotropic. A sharp reverse affine isoperimetric inequality for Borel measures on the sphere is presented. This leads to sharp reverse affine isoperimetric inequalities for convex bodies.