We define a restricted structure for Lie triple systems in the characteristic p ) 2 setting, akin to the restricted structure for Lie algebras, and initiate a study of a theory of restricted modules. In general, Lie triple systems have natural embeddings into certain canonical Lie algebras, the so-called ''standard'' and ''universal'' embeddings, and any Lie triple system can be shown to arise precisely as the Ž . y1-eigenspace of an involution an automorphism which squares to the identity on some Lie algebra. We specialize to Lie triple systems which arise as the differentials of involutions on simple, simply connected algebraic groups over algebraically closed fields of characteristic p. Under these hypotheses we completely classify the universal and standard embeddings in terms of the Lie algebra and its universal central extension.

Abstract. In this paper, we take a new look at the representation theory of Lie triple systems. We consider both ordinary Lie triple systems and restricted Lie triple systems in the sense of Hodge (2001). In a final section, we begin a study of the cohomology of Lie triple systems.

Abstract. Balanced minimum evolution (BME) is a statistically consistent distance-based method to reconstruct a phylogenetic tree from an alignment of molecular data. In 2000, Pauplin showed that the BME method is equivalent to optimizing a linear functional over the BME polytope, the convex hull of the BME vectors obtained from Pauplin's formula applied to all binary trees. The BME method is related to the Neighbor Joining (NJ) algorithm, now known to be a greedy optimization of the BME principle. Further, the NJ and BME algorithms have been studied previously to understand when the NJ Algorithm returns a BME tree for small numbers of taxa. In this paper we aim to elucidate the structure of the BME polytope and strengthen knowledge of the connection between the BME method and NJ Algorithm. We first prove that any subtree-prune-regraft move from a binary tree to another binary tree corresponds to an edge of the BME polytope. Moreover, we describe an entire family of faces parametrized by disjoint clades. We show that these clade-faces are smaller dimensional BME polytopes themselves. Finally, we show that for any order of joining nodes to form a tree, there exists an associated distance matrix (i.e., dissimilarity map) for which the NJ Algorithm returns the BME tree. More strongly, we show that the BME cone and every NJ cone associated to a tree T have an intersection of positive measure.

We describe an ongoing collaborative curriculum materials development project between Sweet Briar College and Western Michigan University, with support from the National Science Foundation. We present a collection of modules under development that can be used in existing mathematics and biology courses, and we address a critical national need to introduce students to mathematical methods beyond the interface of biology with calculus. Based on ongoing research, and designed to use the project-based-learning approach, the modules highlight applications of modern discrete mathematics and algebraic statistics to pressing problems in molecular biology. For the majority of projects, calculus is not a required prerequisite and, due to the modest amount of mathematical background needed for some of the modules, the materials can be used for an early introduction to mathematical modeling. At the same time, most modules are connected with topics in linear and abstract algebra, algebraic geometry, and probability, and they can be used as meaningful applied introductions into the relevant advanced-level mathematics courses. Open-source software is used to facilitate the relevant computations. As a detailed example, we outline a module that focuses on Boolean models of the lac operon network.

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