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We give uniform, explicit, and simple face-pairing descriptions of all the branched cyclic covers of the 3-sphere, branched over two-bridge knots. Our method is to use the bi-twisted face-pairing constructions of Cannon, Floyd, and Parry; these examples show that the bi-twist construction is often efficient and natural. Finally, we give applications to computations of fundamental groups and homology of these branched cyclic covers., Comment: 28 pages, 19 figures. V2 has been shortened, with exposition clarified, and referee comments addressed

Erling Folner proved that the amenability or nonamenability of a countable group depends on the complexity of its finite subsets. Complexity has three measures: maximum Folner ratio, optimal cooling function, and minimum cooling norm. Our first aim is to show that, for a fixed finite subset, these three measures are tightly bound to one another. We then explore their algorithmic calculation. Our intent is to provide a theoretical background for algorithmically exploring the amenability and nonamenability of discrete groups.

This paper is concerned with realizing Lattes maps as subdivision maps of finite subdivision rules. The main result is that the Lattes maps in all but finitely many analytic conjugacy classes can be realized as subdivision maps of finite subdivision rules with one tile type. An example is given of a Lattes map which is not the subdivision map of a finite subdivision rule with either i) two tile types and 1-skeleton of the subdivision complex a circle or ii) one tile type., Comment: 28 pages, 17 figures

The theorem on squaring a rectangle from a tiling of a quadrilateral (Schramm and Cannon-Floyd-Parry) gives a combinatorial version of the Riemann mapping theorem. We elucidate by example (the dumbbell) some of the limitations of rectangle-squaring as an approximation to the classical Riemamnn mapping.

Our earlier twisted-face-pairing construction showed how to modify an arbitrary orientation-reversing face-pairing on a faceted 3-ball in a mechanical way so that the quotient is automatically a closed, orientable 3-manifold. The modifications were, in fact, parametrized by a finite set of positive integers, arbitrarily chosen, one integer for each edge class of the original face-pairing. This allowed us to find very simple face-pairing descriptions of many, though presumably not all, 3-manifolds. Here we show how to modify the construction to allow negative parameters, as well as positive parameters, in the twisted-face-pairing construction. We call the modified construction the bitwist construction. We prove that all closed connected orientable 3-manifolds are bitwist manifolds. As with the twist construction, we analyze and describe the Heegaard splitting naturally associated with a bitwist description of a manifold.

This paper deepens the connections between critically finite rational maps and finite subdivision rules. The main theorem is that if f is a critically finite rational map with no periodic critical points, then for any sufficiently large integer n the iterate f^n is the subdivision map of a finite subdivision rule., Comment: 10 pages

The twisted face-pairing construction of our earlier papers gives an efficient way of generating, mechanically and with little effort, myriads of relatively simple face-pairing descriptions of interesting closed 3-manifolds. The corresponding description in terms of surgery, or Dehn-filling, reveals the twist construction as a carefully organized surgery on a link. In this paper, we work out the relationship between the twisted face-pairing description of closed 3-manifolds and the more common descriptions by surgery and Heegaard diagrams. We show that all Heegaard diagrams have a natural decomposition into subdiagrams called Heegaard cylinders, each of which has a natural shape given by the ratio of two positive integers. We characterize the Heegaard diagrams arising naturally from a twisted face-pairing description as those whose Heegaard cylinders all have integral shape. This characterization allows us to use the Kirby calculus and standard tools of Heegaard theory to attack the problem of finding which closed, orientable 3-manifolds have a twisted face-pairing description., Comment: Published by Algebraic and Geometric Topology at http://www.maths.warwick.ac.uk/agt/AGTVol3/agt-3-10.abs.html

The distribution of natural vegetation on North Merritt Island, Florida, was studied by computer analysis of ERTS satellite multispectral-scanner data. The boundaries of six distinct plant associations were located in photos produced on the image analyzer with an insignificant mean error of -24.38 meters. The six plant associations are described as: aquatic estuarine association, mangrove, spartina swamp, wooded swamp, sabal hammock, and oak-palmetto. The difference in average reflectance 'grey level' between the lowest of the four spectral scanning bands and the highest spectral scanning band for each of the six vegetation types is described. The decreasing trend of the differences is strongly negatively correlated with height of land, the coefficient of correlation being -0.9696.

The distribution of natural vegetation types on North Merritt Island, Florida, was studied by analysis of ERTS multispectral scanner data on the image-100 computer system. The boundaries of six distinct plant associations were located on photos made on the image analyzer, with an insignificant mean error of -24.38 meters. The six plant associations are described; each had a characteristic spectral signature. The difference in average reflectance grey level between the lowest of the four spectral scanning bands and the highest spectral scanning band for the six vegetation types was determined. The decreasing trend of the differences is strongly negatively correlated with height of land.

A simplified system for classification of multispectral data was used for making a generalized map of ground features of North Merritt Island. Subclassification of vegetation within broad categories yielded promising results which led to a completely automatic method and to the production of satisfactory detailed maps. Changes in an area north of Happy Hammocks are evidently related to water relations of the soil and are not associated with the last winter freeze-damage which affected mainly the mangrove species, likely to reestablish themselves by natural processes. A supplementary investigation involving reflectance studies in the laboratory has shown that the reflectance by detached citrus leaves, of wavelengths lying between 400 microns and 700 microns, showed some variation over a period of seven days during which the leaves were kept in a laboratory atmosphere.