Algebraic aspects of Abelian sandpile models

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Publication:4889286




Abstract: The abelian sandpile models feature a finite abelian group G generated by the operators corresponding to particle addition at various sites. We study the canonical decomposition of G as a product of cyclic groups G=Zd1imesZd2imesZd3>...imesZdg where g is the least number of generators of G, and di is a multiple of di+1. The structure of G is determined in terms of the toppling matrix Delta. We construct scalar functions, linear in height variables of the pile, that are invariant under toppling at any site. These invariants provide convenient coordinates to label the recurrent configurations of the sandpile. For an LimesL square lattice, we show that g=L. In this case, we observe that the system has nontrivial symmetries, transcending the obvious symmetries of the square, viz. those coming from the action of the cyclotomic Galois group GalL of the 2(L+1)--th roots of unity (which operates on the set of eigenvalues of Delta). We use GalL to define other simpler, though under-complete, sets of toppling invariants.




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