Related papers: The palindromization map
A word $w$ of letters on edges of underlying graph $\Gamma$ of deterministic finite automaton (DFA) is called synchronizing if $w$ sends all states of the automaton to a unique state. J. \v{C}erny discovered in 1964 a sequence of $n$-state…
Let L be an infinite regular language on a totally ordered alphabet (A,<). Feeding a finite deterministic automaton (with output) with the words of L enumerated lexicographically with respect to < leads to an infinite sequence over the…
We introduce a new geometric approach to Sturmian words by means of a mapping that associates certain lines in the n x n -grid and sets of finite Sturmian words of length n. Using this mapping, we give new proofs of the formulas enumerating…
We introduce and study natural derivatives for Christoffel and finite standard words, as well as for characteristic Sturmian words. These derivatives, which are realized as inverse images under suitable morphisms, preserve the…
This article analyses some paragraphs of the Dissertatio de Arte Combinatoria (1666) where G.W. Leibniz considers the syntax of a language with a given number of primitive terms. We propose a new formulation which generalizes the…
We regard a finite word $u=u_1u_2\cdots u_n$ up to word isomorphism as an equivalence relation on $\{1,2,\ldots, n\}$ where $i$ is equivalent to $j$ if and only if $x_i=x_j.$ Some finite words (in particular all binary words) are generated…
We study those automatic sequences which are produced by an automaton whose underlying graph is the Cayley graph of a finite group. For $2$-automatic sequences, we find a characterization in terms of what we call homogeneity, and among…
Tandem duplication is an evolutionary process whereby a segment of DNA is replicated and proximally inserted. The different configurations that can arise from this process give rise to some interesting combinatorial questions. Firstly, we…
We give a brief survey of recent results on word maps on simple groups and polynomial maps on simple associative and Lie algebras. Our focus is on parallelism between these theories, allowing one to state many new open problems and giving…
We associate in a canonical way a substitution to any abstract numeration system built on a regular language. In relationship with the growth order of the letters, we define the notion of two independent substitutions. Our main result is…
We extend many known results for harmonic maps from the 2-sphere into a Grassmannian to harmonic maps of finite uniton number from an arbitrary Riemann surface. Our method relies on a new theory of nilpotent cycles arising from the diagrams…
Generalizing the notion of the boundary sequence introduced by Chen and Wen, the $n$th term of the $\ell$-boundary sequence of an infinite word is the finite set of pairs $(u,v)$ of prefixes and suffixes of length $\ell$ appearing in…
Let $\mathcal{L}$ be a finite-dimensional semisimple Lie algebra of rank $N$ over an algebraically closed field of characteristic $0$. Associated to $\mathcal{L}$ is a family of polynomial folding maps…
The automatic complexity of a finite word (string) is an analogue for finite automata of Sipser's distinguishing complexity (1983) and was introduced by Shallit and Wang (2001). For a finite alphabet $\Sigma$ of at least two elements, we…
We construct non-power words which have small image in SL(2; 22n) for each n. In particular, the corresponding word maps are non-surjective. We also use this to construct word maps whose values are precisely the identity and a single…
In this paper, we study combinatorial and structural properties of a new class of finite and infinite words that are 'rich' in palindromes in the utmost sense. A characteristic property of so-called "rich words" is that all complete returns…
Palindromes are those reduced words of free products of groups that coincide with their reverse words. We prove that a free product of groups $G$ has infinite palindromic width, provided that $G$ is not the free product of two cyclic groups…
Given a set $F$ of words, one associates to each word $w$ in $F$ an undirected graph, called its extension graph, and which describes the possible extensions of $w$ on the left and on the right. We investigate the family of sets of words…
The notion of a two-dimensional word arises naturally in the study of combinatorics on words, while the iterative construction of pedal triangles results in a rich dynamical system in the study of geometry. At first, these two classes of…
The automorphism group of a finitely generated free group is the normal closure of a single element of order 2. If $m$ is less than $n$ then a homomorphism $Aut(F_n)\to Aut(F_m)$ can have cardinality at most 2. More generally, this is true…