Graduate Studies

 

First Advisor

Jamie Radcliffe

Second Advisor

Alexandra Seceleanu

Department

Mathematics

Date of this Version

Spring 2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Comments

Copyright 2024, Nikola Kuzmanovski. Used by permission

Abstract

This thesis is concerned with discrete isoperimetric inequalities and Hilbert functions. Two generalizations of the Ahlswede-Cai local global principle are presented. These results give positive answers to two questions posed by Harper. One of these results is achieved by proving uniqueness of the lexicographic and colexicographic orders in two dimensions. The other result generalizes the technique which is commonly known as compression and includes almost all previously published results in this direction. The Ahlswede-Cai local global principle is a direct corollary of this result. Optimal downsets are studied in rectangles and triangles. All optimal downsets are found. The main result in this direction gives a unified description, optimal downsets are those that are a symmetrization/stabilization of initial segments of the lexicographic and colexicographic orders. Lindsay’s Theorem and the Ahlswede-Katona Edge Isoperimetric Theorem are corollaries. The theory of Macaulay posets is connected to that of Hilbert functions. Several old and new results in both commutative algebra and extremal combinatorics are obtained. Hoefel’s questions on applying Macaulay poset theory to commutative algebra is answered in the affirmative as a by product. A question of Bezrukov and Leck on taking the product of a Macaulay poset with a chain is answered by using a result of Mermin and Peeva. Several answers are given to a problem of Mermin and Peeva.

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