There are three connected two-sheeted covering spaces of the wedge of two circles, distinguished by the three nonzero homomorphisms from its fundamental group to $\mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z}$. If exactly one circle exchanges sheets, the covering graph has two parallel joining edges and one loop at each vertex. If both circles exchange sheets, it has four parallel joining edges. These give two homeomorphism types of total spaces even though they give three inequivalent covers of the fixed base.

For an $n$-sheeted covering space $f:X\to Y$, define the transfer of a singular simplex as the sum of its $n$ lifts. Restriction of these lifts to any face gives exactly the lifts of that face, so transfer is a chain map. Its induced map $\mathrm{tr}:H_i(Y;R)\to H_i(X;R)$ satisfies $f_{\ast }\mathrm{tr}=n\mathrm{id}$ for any commutative coefficient ring $R$. If $n$ is invertible in $R$, then $n^{-1}\mathrm{tr}$ is a right inverse of $f_{\ast }$. In particular a finite covering surjects onto the base's rational homology.

A covering map between Riemannian manifolds that is a local isometry. The metric on the covering manifold is the pullback of the base metric; its deck transformations are isometries. This local metric agreement makes the Laplace-Beltrami operator commute with pullback of smooth functions.

A topological space is semilocally simply connected if every point has an open neighbourhood whose loops based at that point become null-homotopic in the whole space. The neighbourhood itself need not be simply connected. Together with path connectedness and local path connectedness, this condition gives the classical existence and classification of connected covering spaces by subgroups of the fundamental group.

For $d=26$, $q^2=-2$ and the physical string state $[{\zeta }_{\mu \nu }{\alpha }_{-1}^{\mu }{\alpha }_{-1}^{\nu }+b_{\mu }{\alpha }_{-2}^{\mu }]|p⟩$, the Virasoro constraints give $b_{\nu }=-q^{\mu }{\zeta }_{\mu \nu }$ and $t={\zeta }^{\mu }{}_{\mu }=-2q\cdot b$. Every solution has the displayed decomposition, where $q\cdot A=0$ and $c$ is symmetric, traceless and transverse to $q$. The vector piece is $L_{-1}(2A\cdot {\alpha }_{-1}|p⟩)$; the scalar piece is $t(L_{-2}+3L_{-1}^2/2)|p⟩/10$. These are null string states, leaving the transverse traceless massive tensor as the physical polarization.

In flat 26-dimensional bosonic string theory, at ordinary nonzero momentum, take physical string states satisfying $L_{n>0}|\psi ⟩=0$ and $(L_0-1)|\psi ⟩=0$. The inner product restricted to these states is positive semidefinite. Quotienting by physical null string states removes the degeneracy; the resulting Hilbert space is represented by the 24 transverse string oscillators. This is a statement about negative-norm matter states, not about removing the auxiliary Faddeev-Popov ghosts. It does not remove the bosonic tachyon.

DDF operators are transverse physical string oscillators constructed as contour integrals of weight-one string vertex operators. Choose a null reference momentum $q$ and transverse polarizations ${ϵ}_i$ orthogonal to it and to a reference on-shell momentum. The integrand is proportional to ${ϵ}_i\cdot \partial X{e}^{inq\cdot X}$; its normalization and $q\cdot p$ are fixed so the operators obey the oscillator algebra in the title and commute with the positive-mode Virasoro constraints. For an open-string tachyon seed, one can use $2{\alpha }^{\prime }q\cdot p=1$. Acting with negative modes shifts momentum and raises oscillator level while preserving the physical mass-shell condition. Their transverse Fock space has positive norm and makes the physical content of the no-ghost theorem for the critical bosonic string explicit.

For integer target dimension $2\le d\le 26$, intercept $a=1$ and ordinary nonzero momentum, the old covariant string quantization conditions leave a positive-semidefinite physical inner product. Quotienting its physical null string states removes gauge degeneracy. A DDF operator basis displays $d-2$ positive transverse oscillators; below dimension 26 the remaining physical longitudinal sector can be organized as a unitary Virasoro algebra sector with central charge $26-d$ and highest weight zero. At $d=26$ this extra sector becomes null and the quotient reduces to the 24 transverse oscillators. The result concerns negative-norm states, not the removal of the bosonic tachyon, and it does not itself cancel the worldsheet Weyl anomaly of a subcritical matter theory.

The Coulomb potential energy is the interaction potential energy of two point charges in vacuum. With separation $r>0$, electric charges $q_1,q_2$, $k=1/(4\pi {\epsilon }_0)$ and zero potential energy at infinite separation,This is mutual interaction energy; it does not include the divergent self-energies of ideal point charges. Unlike electric potential, which has units of volts, $U$ has SI units of joules. With charge 1 fixed and positive radial direction away from it, the conservative force in Coulomb's law givesThus the $1/r$ potential energy and the inverse-square law for force are two descriptions of the same interaction. ^[ref].

For $q_1=+2\mathrm{nC}$, $q_2=-3\mathrm{nC}$ and $r=0.20\mathrm{m}$, using the stipulated approximation $k=8.99\times 10^9\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{m}}^2/{\mathrm{C}}^2$,At $r=0.40\mathrm{m}$, $U=-1.3485\times 10^{-7}\mathrm{J}$. Separating the pair from $0.20$ to $0.40\mathrm{m}$ therefore requires external work $\Delta U=+1.3485\times 10^{-7}\mathrm{J}$ if the initial and final kinetic energies agree; the electric force does $-1.3485\times 10^{-7}\mathrm{J}$ of work. Separating them all the way to infinity requires $+2.697\times 10^{-7}\mathrm{J}$. The negative initial potential energy means that the pair lies below the chosen separated reference; it does not mean a negative kinetic energy.

Like-signed electric charges have positive $U$, which decreases as they separate, so their electric force is repulsive. Opposite-signed electric charges have negative $U$, which decreases as they approach, so their electric force is attractive. This attractive interaction supplies the Coulomb potential used in the hydrogen atom; determining its stationary quantum states also requires quantum mechanics. ^[ref]. Dividing $U$ by a nonzero test electric charge $q_2$ gives the source's electric potential ${\Phi }_1=k{q}_1/r$. More generally, the electrostatic potential energy of point charges sums each unordered charge pair once. This energy description is useful because work between two separations follows from endpoint values, without integrating a complicated trajectory.

Couette-Poiseuille flow superposes wall-driven shear and pressure-driven parabolic flow between no-slip parallel plates. With one plate moving at $U$, separation $a$, and $dp/dx=-\rho \nu G$, the displayed profile has volume flux $Ua/2+G{a}^3/12$ per unit width. Requiring zero flux gives $G=-6U/a^2$ and $u=U[3(y/a{)}^2-2y/a]$, with a pressure gradient induced by return-flow constraints.

Away from integer poles,The series is locally uniformly convergent. Integrate $\pi \cot (\pi \zeta )/({\zeta }^2-z^2)$ around the square with sides $\mathrm{Re}\zeta ,\mathrm{Im}\zeta =\pm (N+1/2)$. The cotangent is uniformly bounded there, so the integral tends to zero. The residue theorem then gives $\pi \cot (\pi z)/z+{\sum }_{n\in \mathbb{Z}}(n^2-z^2{)}^{-1}=0$, which is the expansion. Differentiation generates higher integer-lattice pole sums. Setting $w=e^{2\pi iz}$ gives $\pi \cot \pi z=\pi i(w+1)/(w-1)$. On $0<|z|<1$, expansion of each paired summand gives $\pi \cot \pi z=z^{-1}-2{\sum }_{m\ge 0}\zeta (2m+2)z^{2m+1}$, relating this trigonometric function to the Riemann zeta function.

A voter is pivotal when changing only that voter's participation changes the election result. For an opponent facing two independent supporters with participation probabilities $\beta ,\gamma$, under a rule requiring strictly more votes in favour, the opponent is pivotal when exactly one supporter votes. This probability is $\beta (1-\gamma )+(1-\beta )\gamma$.

// Target: mathematical-optimization.bigb

Suppose turnout costs $3c>0$, each supporter gains $4c$ on passage, and the opponent loses $8c$. The symmetric-supporter Nash equilibria $(\alpha ,\beta ,\gamma )$ are $(0,1/4,1/4)$ and $(1,3/4,3/4)$. Allowing different supporter probabilities adds $(1/4,0,3/8)$ and $(1/4,3/8,0)$. These follow by comparing the pivotal voting probabilities with the turnout cost; no player benefits by changing their mixed strategy.

// Target: mathematical-optimization.bigb

For a barotropic perfect fluid with constant $w$, its cosmological adiabatic sound speed satisfies $c_s^2=w$. If $w<0$, the short-wavelength pressure term has the wrong sign for restoring oscillations: a mode grows as $\exp (\sqrt{-w}k\tau )$ when expansion can be neglected. For $w=-1/3$ in a coasting background with constant conformal expansion rate $K$, the exponents are $-K\pm \sqrt{K^2+k^2/3}$. This is a gradient instability, not ordinary positive-pressure Jeans instability. A network with tension or elastic anisotropic stress needs different constitutive perturbation equations; a negative background equation of state alone does not establish its perturbation sound speed.

Frequency ratios multiply when a photon is transformed first between a source and its local comoving frame, then propagated through an expanding universe. Thus the kinematic redshift and cosmological redshift factors multiply. Their redshifts themselves add only to first order when both are small.

A cosmological redshift relates a particular emission event to a particular reception event along a null geodesic. Two sources' redshifts on Earth's past light cone do not specify the light exchanged between those sources. If a photon from B passes through A before reaching Earth, and A's comparison emission lies at that passage event, then $1+z_{BA}=(1+z_B)/(1+z_A)$. Without this causal and temporal specification the ratio need not give the redshift measured in A.

During a decelerating expansion the comoving Hubble radius grows. A fixed comoving wavenumber then passes from a superhorizon scale to a shorter scale when $k\simeq aH$. In radiation domination, $aH=1/\tau$, so this occurs at $k\tau \simeq 1$. Here horizon entry refers to Hubble radius crossing; a true causal horizon instead depends on a conformal-time integral.

A comoving source's spectral luminosity $L_{{\nu }_e}$ specifies emitted power per unit emitted frequency. The cosmological redshift reduces photon energy and arrival rate by two factors of $1+z$, but also narrows the received frequency interval by one factor. Consequently its observed spectral flux density is $L_{{\nu }_e}/[4\pi a_0^2{r}^2(1+z)]$, with ${\nu }_e=(1+z){\nu }_0$. Substituting luminosity distance $d_L=(1+z)a_{0}r$ gives the displayed relation. Integrating over received frequency recovers the bolometric radiative flux $L/(4\pi d_L^2)$. A fixed-frequency comparison must evaluate the source spectrum at the shifted emitted frequency.

For physical density ${\bar{\rho }}_i$ and conformal time, $\mathcal{H}=a^{\prime }/a=aH$. Substitution into the definition ${\Omega }_i=8\pi G{\bar{\rho }}_i/(3H^2)$ gives the displayed formula. Omitting $a^2$ gives ${\Omega }_i/a^2$, which need not equal one even in a spatially flat matter-only universe. In particular, the conformal growth source $\frac{3}{2}{\mathcal{H}}^2{\Omega }_m$ equals $4\pi G{a}^2{\bar{\rho }}_m$ with the physical density parameter.

The matter density parameter is the ratio of total nonrelativistic matter density, including baryonic and dark matter, to the critical density ${\rho }_{\mathrm{crit}}=3H^2/(8\pi G)$ at the same epoch. A present-epoch value uses $H_0$ and ${\rho }_{m,0}$. It is not the total cosmological density parameter when radiation or vacuum energy also contributes.