Some Properties of Strongly Regular Graphs

An approach to the enumeration of feasible parameters for strongly regular graphs is described, based on the pair of structural parameters (a,c) and the positive eigenvalue e. The Krein bound ensures that there are only finitely many possibilities for c, given a and e, and the standard divisibility conditions can be used to reduce the possibilities further. Many sets of feasible parameters appear to be accidents of arithmetic, but in some cases the conditions are satisfied for algebraic reasons. As an example, we discuss an infinite family of feasible parameters for which the corresponding graphs necessarily have a closed neighborhood as a star complement for e.Comment: 15 page

Oral History

published or submitted for publicatio

What US law libraries have to offer

In 2001 Paul Norman spent time at the New York University Law School Library and also visited a number of America’s other leading law libraries. In this article he passes on his impressions of low libraries have been renovated, new technology accommodated, and user services and practices developed. Article by Paul Norman (Reference and online services librarian, IALS). Published in Amicus Curiae - Journal of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and its Society for Advanced Legal Studies. The Journal is produced by the Society for Advanced Legal Studies at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London

Genotypic variation of dormancy in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Agricultural Science, Department of Plant Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Embryo dormancy and α - amylase dormancy are desirable in wheat to minimise pre-harvest sprouting damage. The current work focuses on the embryo and graincoat colour. A loose association between grain redness and dormancy in wheat is common knowledge. But the causal relationships between colour and dormancy are not clear and need to account for dormancy variability in the gene - pool. The study's working hypothesis was that colour formation triggers hypo - oxia synthesis of ABA (vs. gibberellins) which triggers dormancy if the timing with embryo development is optimal. Development profiles for eight attributes (including dormancy) of grain were investigated from five white and five red wheat cultivars representing a wide genetic base. Tagged ears were sampled from pollination to harvest ripeness (days after pollination to 12.5% moisture). All the white - grained cultivars did not have dormancy at harvest ripeness, and there was considerable variation of dormancy levels in the red - grained cultivars. The total-grain abscisic acid was not associated with redness nor dormancy, and no evidence of ABA sensitivity could be found in cv. Brevor. The failure to detect the putative dormancy of cvs. Brevor and Kenya 321 was probably due to fine detail employed in the present work, but may also have been due to the single ripening environment used. Base α amylase and flavanol levels did not contribute to the variation in embryo dormancy. Gibberellic acid insensitivity in the Rht/Gai genotypes was not expressed in terms of embryo dormancy. Examination of the profiles suggested that redness was necessary to permit dormancy, but that dormancy timing was independent of colour. This led to varying levels of dormancy at harvest ripeness. No association with ABA was evident, nor with colour precursor. However timing and duration of polymerisation (flavanol) development (hypo-oxia) did show a weak association with dormancy delay and level. The new hypothesis suggests that colour formation hypo-oxia permits dormancy, but that its timing is flexible with respect to harvest ripeness. Broader genetic control (other than the Redness gene) is indicated. Heritability estimates indicated that timings, rather than levels, are more useful selection criteria. This included embryo dormancy attributes, colour, and harvest ripeness. For plant breeders it suggested that grain sampled at harvest ripeness could be selected for dormancy as measured in this study

President Fainstein\u27s 88th Commencement Address

President Fainstein advises graduates: I do not insist that you all see four decades of history my way or draw the same lessons as I do. But, please, don’t wait for things to fall apart before you take a hard look at the world and act to make it a better place — better according to each of your lights, better according to the values each of you holds dear

Organizing the Internet

This paper examines XML and its relationships with SGML (Standardized General Markup Language) and HTML (HyperText Markup Language). It examines the importance of metatags and the XML Document Type Definition (DTD) and proposed alternatives. It looks at the differences between the two types of XML data: “valid” and “well-formed” documents