Search

We use computational linear algebra and commutative algebra to study spaces of relations satisfied by quadrilinear operations. The relations are analogues of associativity in the sense that they are quadratic (every term involves two operations) and nonsymmetric (every term involves the identity permutation of the arguments). We focus on determining those quadratic relations whose cubic consequences have minimal or maximal rank. We approach these problems from the point of view of the theory of algebraic operads., Comment: 25 pages, 15 tables

Within the framework of mappings between affine spaces, the notion of $n$-th polarization of a function will lead to an intrinsic characterization of polynomial functions. We prove that the characteristic features of derivations, such as linearity, iterability, Leibniz and chain rules, are shared -- at the finite level -- by the polarization operators. We give these results by means of explicit general formulae, which are valid at any order $n$, and are based on combinatorial identities. The infinitesimal limits of the $n$-th polarizations of a function will yield its $n$-th derivatives (without resorting to the usual recursive definition), and the above mentioned properties will be recovered directly in the limit. Polynomial functions will allow us to produce a coordinate free version of Taylor's formula.