Varieties of religion–family linkages.

Topology of random linkages

Betti numbers of configuration spaces of mechanical linkages (known also as polygon spaces) depend on a large number of parameters – the lengths of the bars of the linkage. Motivated by applications in topological robotics, statistical shape theory and molecular biology, we view these lengths as random variables and study asymptotic values of the average Betti numbers as the number of links n t...

Secant Varieties of Toric Varieties

If X is a smooth projective toric variety of dimension n we give explicit conditions on characters of the torus giving an embedding X →֒ Pr that guarantee dimSecX = 2n+ 1. We also give necessary and sufficient conditions for a general point of SecX to lie on a unique secant line when X is embedded into Pr using a complete linear system. For X of dimension 2 and 3 we give formulas for deg SecX in...

Configuration Spaces of Linkages

This paper studies the configuration space of all possible positions of a linkage in R n. For example, it shows that for every compact algebraic set, there is a linkage whose configuration space is analytically isomorphic to a finite number of copies of the algebraic set. If flexible edges are allowed, any compact set given by polynomial equalities and inequalities is the configuration space of...

Liaison Linkages

The complete classification of hexapods — also known as Stewart Gough platforms — of mobility one is still open. To tackle this problem, we can associate to each hexapod of mobility one an algebraic curve, called the configuration curve. In this paper we establish an upper bound for the degree of this curve, assuming the hexapod is general enough. Moreover, we provide a construction of hexapods...

Linkages of Sustainability