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We consider the open XYZ spin chain with boundary fields. We solve the model by the new Separation of Variables approach introduced in arXiv:1904.00852. In this framework, the transfer matrix eigenstates are obtained as a particular sub-class of the class of so-called separate states. We consider the problem of computing scalar products of such separate states. As usual, they can be represented as determinants with rows labelled by the inhomogeneity parameters of the model. We notably focus on the special case in which the boundary parameters parametrising the two boundary fields satisfy one constraint, hence enabling for the description of part of the transfer matrix spectrum and eigenstates in terms of some elliptic polynomial Q-solution of a usual TQ-equation. In this case, we show how to transform the aforementioned determinant for the scalar product into some more convenient form for the consideration of the homogeneous and thermodynamic limits: as in the open XXX or XXZ cases, our result can be expressed as some generalisation of the so-called Slavnov determinant., Comment: 33 pages

This paper is a continuation of [1], in which a set of matrix elements of local operators was computed for the XXZ spin-1/2 open chain with a particular case of unparallel boundary fields. Here, we extend these results to the more general case in which both fields are non-longitudinal and related by one constraint, allowing for a partial description of the spectrum by usual Bethe equations. More precisely, the complete spectrum and eigenstates can be characterized within the Separation of Variables (SoV) framework. One uses here the fact that, under the constraint, a part of this SoV spectrum can be described via solutions of a usual, homogeneous, TQ-equation, with corresponding transfer matrix eigenstates coinciding with generalized Bethe states. We explain how to generically compute the action of a basis of local operators on such kind of states, and this under the most general boundary condition on the last site of the chain. As a result, we can compute the matrix elements of some of these basis elements in any eigenstate described by the homogenous TQ-equation. Assuming, following a conjecture of Nepomechie and Ravanini, that the ground state itself can be described in this framework, we obtain multiple integral representations for these matrix elements in the half-infinite chain limit, generalizing those previously obtained in the case of longitudinal boundary fields and in the case of the special boundary conditions considered in [1]., Comment: Minor misprints corrected and some definitions/assumptions clarified, 29 pages

In this paper we continue our derivation of the correlation functions of open quantum spin 1/2 chains with unparallel magnetic fields on the edges; this time for the more involved case of the XXZ spin 1/2 chains. We develop our study in the framework of the quantum Separation of Variables (SoV), which gives us both the complete spectrum characterization and simple scalar product formulae for separate states, including transfer matrix eigenstates. Here, we leave the boundary magnetic field in the first site of the chain completely arbitrary, and we fix the boundary field in the last site $N$ of the chain to be a specific value along the $z$-direction. This is a natural first choice for the unparallel boundary magnetic fields. We prove that under these special boundary conditions, on the one side, we have a simple enough complete spectrum description in terms of homogeneous Baxter like $TQ$-equation. On the other side, we prove a simple enough description of the action of a basis of local operators on transfer matrix eigenstates as linear combinations of separate states. Thanks to these results, we achieve our main goal to derive correlation functions for a set of local operators both for the finite and half-infinite chains, with multiple integral formulae in this last case., Comment: 73 pages

In this first paper, we start the analysis of correlation functions of quantum spin chains with general integrable boundary conditions. We initiate these computations for the open XXX spin 1/2 quantum chains with some unparallel magnetic fields allowing for a spectrum characterization in terms of homogeneous Baxter like TQ-equations, in the framework of the quantum separation of variables (SoV). Previous SoV analysis leads to the formula for the scalar products of the so-called separate states. Here, we solve the remaining fundamental steps allowing for the computation of correlation functions. In particular, we rederive the ground state density in the thermodynamic limit thanks to SoV approach, we compute the so-called boundary-bulk decomposition of boundary separate states and the action of local operators on these separate states in the case of unparallel boundary magnetic fields. These findings allow us to derive multiple integral formulae for these correlation functions similar to those previously known for the open XXX quantum spin chain with parallel magnetic fields., Comment: 48 pages

We explain how to compute correlation functions at zero temperature within the framework of the quantum version of the Separation of Variables (SoV) in the case of a simple model: the XXX Heisenberg chain of spin 1/2 with twisted (quasi-periodic) boundary conditions. We first detail all steps of our method in the case of anti-periodic boundary conditions. The model can be solved in the SoV framework by introducing inhomogeneity parameters. The action of local operators on the eigenstates are then naturally expressed in terms of multiple sums over these inhomogeneity parameters. We explain how to transform these sums over inhomogeneity parameters into multiple contour integrals. Evaluating these multiple integrals by the residues of the poles outside the integration contours, we rewrite this action as a sum involving the roots of the Baxter polynomial plus a contribution of the poles at infinity. We show that the contribution of the poles at infinity vanishes in the thermodynamic limit, and that we recover in this limit for the zero-temperature correlation functions the multiple integral representation that had been previously obtained through the study of the periodic case by Bethe Ansatz or through the study of the infinite volume model by the q-vertex operator approach. We finally show that the method can easily be generalized to the case of a more general non-diagonal twist: the corresponding weights of the different terms for the correlation functions in finite volume are then modified, but we recover in the thermodynamic limit the same multiple integral representation than in the periodic or anti-periodic case, hence proving the independence of the thermodynamic limit of the correlation functions with respect to the particular form of the boundary twist., Comment: Some references and comments added, 52 pages

Using the framework of the quantum separation of variables (SoV) for higher rank quantum integrable lattice models [1], we introduce some foundations to go beyond the obtained complete transfer matrix spectrum description, and open the way to the computation of matrix elements of local operators. This first amounts to obtain simple expressions for scalar products of the so-called separate states (transfer matrix eigenstates or some simple generalization of them). In the higher rank case, left and right SoV bases are expected to be pseudo-orthogonal, that is for a given SoV co-vector, there could be more than one non-vanishing overlap with the vectors of the chosen right SoV basis. For simplicity, we describe our method to get these pseudo-orthogonality overlaps in the fundamental representations of the $\mathcal{Y}(gl_3)$ lattice model with $N$ sites, a case of rank 2. The non-zero couplings between the co-vector and vector SoV bases are exactly characterized. While the corresponding SoV-measure stays reasonably simple and of possible practical use, we address the problem of constructing left and right SoV bases which do satisfy standard orthogonality. In our approach, the SoV bases are constructed by using families of conserved charges. This gives us a large freedom in the SoV bases construction, and allows us to look for the choice of a family of conserved charges which leads to orthogonal co-vector/vector SoV bases. We first define such a choice in the case of twist matrices having simple spectrum and zero determinant. Then, we generalize the associated family of conserved charges and orthogonal SoV bases to generic simple spectrum and invertible twist matrices. Under this choice of conserved charges, and of the associated orthogonal SoV bases, the scalar products of separate states simplify considerably and take a form similar to the $\mathcal{Y}(gl_2)$ rank one case., Comment: v3, 65 pages, a section "conclusions and perspectives" added, a few typos corrected

We construct quantum Separation of Variables (SoV) bases for both the fundamental inhomogeneous $gl_{\mathcal{M}|\mathcal{N}}$ supersymmetric integrable models and for the inhomogeneous Hubbard model both defined with quasi-periodic twisted boundary conditions given by twist matrices having simple spectrum. The SoV bases are obtained by using the integrable structure of these quantum models,i.e. the associated commuting transfer matrices, following the general scheme introduced in [1]; namely, they are given by set of states generated by the multiple action of the transfer matrices on a generic co-vector. The existence of such SoV bases implies that the corresponding transfer matrices have non degenerate spectrum and that they are diagonalizable with simple spectrum if the twist matrices defining the quasi-periodic boundary conditions have that property. Moreover, in these SoV bases the resolution of the transfer matrix eigenvalue problem leads to the resolution of the full spectral problem, i.e. both eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Indeed, to any eigenvalue is associated the unique (up to a trivial overall normalization) eigenvector whose wave-function in the SoV bases is factorized into products of the corresponding transfer matrix eigenvalue computed on the spectrum of the separate variables. As an application, we characterize completely the transfer matrix spectrum in our SoV framework for the fundamental $gl_{1|2}$ supersymmetric integrable model associated to a special class of twist matrices. From these results we also prove the completeness of the Bethe Ansatz for that case. The complete solution of the spectral problem for fundamental inhomogeneous $gl_{\mathcal{M}|\mathcal{N}}$ supersymmetric integrable models and for the inhomogeneous Hubbard model under the general twisted boundary conditions will be addressed in a future publication., Comment: 53 pages, v3 - several footnotes and remarks added, references added and some further typos corrected

We implement our new Separation of Variables (SoV) approach for open quantum integrable models associated to higher rank representations of the reflection algebras. We construct the (SoV) basis for the fundamental representations of the $Y(gl_n)$ reflection algebra associated to general integrable boundary conditions. Moreover, we give the conditions on the boundary $K$-matrices allowing for the transfer matrix to be diagonalizable with simple spectrum. These SoV basis are then used to completely characterize the transfer matrix spectrum for the rank one and two reflection algebras. The rank one case is developed for both the rational and trigonometric fundamental representations of the 6-vertex reflection algebra. On the one hand, we extend the complete spectrum characterization to representations previously lying outside the SoV approach, e.g. those for which the standard Algebraic Bethe Ansatz applies. On the other hand, we show that our new SoV construction can be reduced to the generalized Sklyanin's one whenever it is applicable. The rank two case is developed explicitly for the fundamental representations of the $Y(gl_3)$ reflection algebra associated to general integrable boundary conditions. For both rank one and two our SoV approach leads to a complete characterization of the transfer matrix spectrum in terms of a set of polynomial solutions to the corresponding quantum spectral curve equation. Those are finite difference functional equations of order equal to the rank plus one, i.e., here two and three respectively for the $Y(gl_2)$ and $Y(gl_3)$ reflection algebras., Comment: 52 pages

We describe the extension, beyond fundamental representations of the Yang-Baxter algebra, of our new construction of separation of variables bases for quantum integrable lattice models. The key idea underlying our approach is to use the commuting conserved charges of the quantum integrable models to generate bases in which their spectral problem is separated, i.e. in which the wave functions are factorized in terms of specific solutions of a functional equation. For the so-called "non-fundamental" models we construct two different types of SoV bases. The first is given from the fundamental quantum Lax operator having isomorphic auxiliary and quantum spaces and that can be obtained by fusion of the original quantum Lax operator. The construction essentially follows the one we used previously for fundamental models and allows us to derive the simplicity and diagonalizability of the transfer matrix spectrum. Then, starting from the original quantum Lax operator and using the full tower of the fused transfer matrices, we introduce a second type of SoV bases for which the proof of the separation of the transfer matrix spectrum is naturally derived. We show that, under some special choice, this second type of SoV bases coincides with the one associated to Sklyanin's approach. Moreover, we derive the finite difference type (quantum spectral curve) functional equation and the set of its solutions defining the complete transfer matrix spectrum. This is explicitly implemented for the integrable quantum models associated to the higher spin representations of the general quasi-periodic Y(gl2) Yang-Baxter algebra. Our SoV approach also leads to the construction of a Q-operator in terms of the fused transfer matrices. Finally, we show that the Q-operator family can be equivalently used as the family of commuting conserved charges enabling to construct our SoV bases., Comment: 41 pages, presentation of sections 2 and 4 improved, conclusion section added, some typos corrected, several references added

In this paper we apply our new separation of variables approach to completely characterize the transfer matrix spectrum for quantum integrable lattice models associated to fundamental evaluation representations of $\mathcal{U}_{q} (\widehat{gl_{n}})$ with general quasi-periodic boundary conditions. We consider here the case of generic deformations associated to a parameter $q$ which is not a root of unity. The Separation of Variables (SoV) basis for the transfer matrix spectral problem is generated by using the action of the transfer matrix itself on a generic co-vector of the Hilbert space, following the general procedure described in our paper [1]. Such a SoV construction allows to prove that for general values of the parameters defining the model the transfer matrix is diagonalizable and with simple spectrum for any twist matrix which is also diagonalizable with simple spectrum. Then, using together the knowledge of such a SoV basis and of the fusion relations satisfied by the hierarchy of transfer matrices, we derive a complete characterization of the transfer matrix eigenvalues and eigenvectors as solutions of a system of polynomial equations of order $n+1$. Moreover, we show that such a SoV discrete spectrum characterization is equivalently reformulated in terms of a finite difference functional equation, the quantum spectral curve equation, under a proper choice of the set of its solutions. A construction of the associated Q-operator induced by our SoV approach is also presented., Comment: 39 pages

We apply our new approach of quantum Separation of Variables (SoV) to the complete characterization of the transfer matrix spectrum of quantum integrable lattice models associated to gl(n)-invariant R-matrices in the fundamental representations. We consider lattices with N sites and quasi-periodic boundary conditions associated to an arbitrary twist K having simple spectrum (but not necessarily diagonalizable). In our approach the SoV basis is constructed in an universal manner starting from the direct use of the conserved charges of the models, i.e., from the commuting family of transfer matrices. Using the integrable structure of the models, incarnated in the hierarchy of transfer matrices fusion relations, we prove that our SoV basis indeed separates the spectrum of the corresponding transfer matrices. Moreover, the combined use of the fusion rules, of the known analytic properties of the transfer matrices and of the SoV basis allows us to obtain the complete characterization of the transfer matrix spectrum and to prove its simplicity. Any transfer matrix eigenvalue is completely characterized as a solution of a so-called quantum spectral curve equation that we obtain as a difference functional equation of order n. Namely, any eigenvalue satisfies this equation and any solution of this equation having prescribed properties leads to an eigenvalue. We construct the associated eigenvector, unique up to normalization, by computing its decomposition on the SoV basis that is of a factorized form written in terms of the powers of the corresponding eigenvalues. If the twist matrix K is diagonalizable with simple spectrum then the transfer matrix is also diagonalizable with simple spectrum. In that case, we give a construction of the Baxter Q-operator satisfying a T-Q equation of order n, the quantum spectral curve equation, involving the hierarchy of the fused transfer matrices., Comment: 43 pages, v2: several references added

We present a new approach to construct the separate variables basis leading to the full characterization of the transfer matrix spectrum of quantum integrable lattice models. The basis is generated by the repeated action of the transfer matrix itself on a generically chosen state of the Hilbert space. The fusion relations for the transfer matrix, stemming from the Yang-Baxter algebra properties, provide the necessary closure relations to define the action of the transfer matrix on such a basis in terms of elementary local shifts, leading to a separate transfer matrix spectral problem. Hence our scheme extends to the quantum case a key feature of Liouville-Arnold classical integrability framework where the complete set of conserved charges defines both the level manifold and the flows on it leading to the construction of action-angle variables. We work in the framework of the quantum inverse scattering method. As a first example of our approach, we give the construction of such a basis for models associated to Y(gln) and argue how it extends to their trigonometric and elliptic versions. Then we show how our general scheme applies concretely to fundamental models associated to the Y(gl2) and Y(gl3) R-matrices leading to the full characterization of their spectrum. For Y(gl2) and its trigonometric deformation a particular case of our method reproduces Sklyanin's construction of separate variables. For Y(gl3) it gives new results, in particular through the proper identification of the shifts acting on the separate basis. We stress that our method also leads to the full characterization of the spectrum of other known quantum integrable lattice models, including in particular trigonometric and elliptic spin chains, open chains with general integrable boundaries, and further higher rank cases that we will describe in forthcoming publications., Comment: 61 pages, v2: small typos corrected and some references added

In our previous paper [1] we have obtained, for the XXX spin-1/2 Heisenberg open chain, new determinant representations for the scalar products of separate states in the quantum separation of variables (SoV) framework. In this article we perform a similar study in a more complicated case: the XXZ open spin-1/2 chain with the most general integrable boundary terms. To solve this model by means of SoV we use an algebraic Vertex-IRF gauge transformation reducing one of the boundary K-matrices to a diagonal form. As usual within the SoV approach, the scalar products of separate states are computed in terms of dressed Vandermonde determinants having an intricate dependency on the inhomogeneity parameters. We show that these determinants can be transformed into different ones in which the homogeneous limit can be taken straightforwardly. These representations generalize in a non-trivial manner to the trigonometric case the expressions found previously in the rational case. We also show that generically all scalar products can be expressed in a form which is similar to - although more cumbersome than - the well-known Slavnov determinant representation for the scalar products of the Bethe states of the periodic chain. Considering a special choice of the boundary parameters relevant in the thermodynamic limit to describe the half infinite chain with a general boundary, we particularize these representations to the case of one of the two states being an eigenstate. We obtain simplified formulas that should be of direct use to compute the form factors and correlation functions of this model., Comment: 55 pages

This article is a direct continuation of [1] where we begun the study of the transfer matrix spectral problem for the cyclic representations of the trigonometric 6-vertex reflection algebra associated to the Bazhanov-Stroganov Lax operator. There we addressed this problem for the case where one of the K-matrices describing the boundary conditions is triangular. In the present article we consider the most general integrable boundary conditions, namely the most general boundary K-matrices satisfying the reflection equation. The spectral analysis is developed by implementing the method of Separation of Variables (SoV). We first design a suitable gauge transformation that enable us to put into correspondence the spectral problem for the most general boundary conditions with another one having one boundary K-matrix in a triangular form. In these settings the SoV resolution can be obtained along an extension of the method described in [1]. The transfer matrix spectrum is then completely characterized in terms of the set of solutions to a discrete system of polynomial equations in a given class of functions and equivalently as the set of solutions to an analogue of Baxter's T-Q functional equation. We further describe scalar product properties of the separate states including eigenstates of the transfer matrix., Comment: 52 pages, v2: minor modifications and references added

We present a method for improving the phenomenological description of Mueller-Navelet jets at LHC, which is based on matching the BFKL resummation with fixed order calculations. We point out the need of a consistent identification of jets between experimental measurements and theoretical descriptions. We hope as well to motivate an extensive analysis of MN jets at LHC in run 2., Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, talk presented at the Low x workshop, June 13-18 2017, Bari, Italy

We study the transfer matrix spectral problem for the cyclic representations of the trigonometric 6-vertex reflection algebra associated to the Bazhanov-Stroganov Lax operator. The results apply as well to the spectral analysis of the lattice sine-Gordon model with integrable open boundary conditions. This spectral analysis is developed by implementing the method of separation of variables (SoV). The transfer matrix spectrum (both eigenvalues and eigenstates) is completely characterized in terms of the set of solutions to a discrete system of polynomial equations in a given class of functions. Moreover, we prove an equivalent characterization as the set of solutions to a Baxter's like T-Q functional equation and rewrite the transfer matrix eigenstates in an algebraic Bethe ansatz form. In order to explain our method in a simple case, the present paper is restricted to representations containing one constraint on the boundary parameters and on the parameters of the Bazhanov-Stroganov Lax operator. In a next article, some more technical tools (like Baxter's gauge transformations) will be introduced to extend our approach to general integrable boundary conditions., Comment: 39 pages, minor misprints corrected, some references added

We consider the XXX open spin-1/2 chain with the most general non-diagonal boundary terms, that we solve by means of the quantum separation of variables (SoV) approach. We compute the scalar products of separate states, a class of states which notably contains all the eigenstates of the model. As usual for models solved by SoV, these scalar products can be expressed as some determinants with a non-trivial dependance in terms of the inhomogeneity parameters that have to be introduced for the method to be applicable. We show that these determinants can be transformed into alternative ones in which the homogeneous limit can easily be taken. These new representations can be considered as generalizations of the well-known determinant representation for the scalar products of the Bethe states of the periodic chain. In the particular case where a constraint is applied on the boundary parameters, such that the transfer matrix spectrum and eigenstates can be characterized in terms of polynomial solutions of a usual T-Q equation, the scalar product that we compute here corresponds to the scalar product between two off-shell Bethe-type states. If in addition one of the states is an eigenstate, the determinant representation can be simplified, hence leading in this boundary case to direct analogues of algebraic Bethe ansatz determinant representations of the scalar products for the periodic chain., Comment: 39 pages

We study the inhomogeneous 8-vertex model (or equivalently the XYZ Heisenberg spin-1/2 chain) with all kinds of integrable quasi-periodic boundary conditions: periodic, $\sigma^x$-twisted, $\sigma^y$-twisted or $\sigma^z$-twisted. We show that in all these cases but the periodic one with an even number of sites $\mathsf{N}$, the transfer matrix of the model is related, by the vertex-IRF transformation, to the transfer matrix of the dynamical 6-vertex model with antiperiodic boundary conditions, which we have recently solved by means of Sklyanin's Separation of Variables (SOV) approach. We show moreover that, in all the twisted cases, the vertex-IRF transformation is bijective. This allows us to completely characterize, from our previous results on the antiperiodic dynamical 6-vertex model, the twisted 8-vertex transfer matrix spectrum (proving that it is simple) and eigenstates. We also consider the periodic case for $\mathsf{N}$ odd. In this case we can define two independent vertex-IRF transformations, both not bijective, and by using them we show that the 8-vertex transfer matrix spectrum is doubly degenerate, and that it can, as well as the corresponding eigenstates, also be completely characterized in terms of the spectrum and eigenstates of the dynamical 6-vertex antiperiodic transfer matrix. In all these cases we can adapt to the 8-vertex case the reformulations of the dynamical 6-vertex transfer matrix spectrum and eigenstates that had been obtained by $T$-$Q$ functional equations, where the $Q$-functions are elliptic polynomials with twist-dependent quasi-periods. Such reformulations enables one to characterize the 8-vertex transfer matrix spectrum by the solutions of some Bethe-type equations, and to rewrite the corresponding eigenstates as the multiple action of some operators on a pseudo-vacuum state, in a similar way as in the algebraic Bethe ansatz framework., Comment: 35 pages

We pursue our study of the antiperiodic dynamical 6-vertex model using Sklyanin's separation of variables approach, allowing in the model new possible global shifts of the dynamical parameter. We show in particular that the spectrum and eigenstates of the antiperiodic transfer matrix are completely characterized by a system of discrete equations. We prove the existence of different reformulations of this characterization in terms of functional equations of Baxter's type. We notably consider the homogeneous functional $T$-$Q$ equation which is the continuous analog of the aforementioned discrete system and show, in the case of a model with an even number of sites, that the complete spectrum and eigenstates of the antiperiodic transfer matrix can equivalently be described in terms of a particular class of its $Q$-solutions, hence leading to a complete system of Bethe equations. Finally, we compute the form factors of local operators for which we obtain determinant representations in finite volume., Comment: 52 pages

In the present article we study the form factors of quantum integrable lattice models solvable by the separation of variables (SoV) method. It was recently shown that these models admit universal determinant representations for the scalar products of the so-called separate states (a class which includes in particular all the eigenstates of the transfer matrix). These results permit to obtain simple expressions for the matrix elements of local operators (form factors). However, these representations have been obtained up to now only for the completely inhomogeneous versions of the lattice models considered. In this article we give a simple algebraic procedure to rewrite the scalar products (and hence the form factors) for the SoV related models as Izergin or Slavnov type determinants. This new form leads to simple expressions for the form factors in the homogeneous and thermodynamic limits. To make the presentation of our method clear, we have chosen to explain it first for the simple case of the $XXX$ Heisenberg chain with anti-periodic boundary conditions. We would nevertheless like to stress that the approach presented in this article applies as well to a wide range of models solved in the SoV framework., Comment: 46 pages

We determine the jet vertex for Mueller-Navelet jets and forward jets in the small-cone approximation for two particular choices of jet algoritms: the kt algorithm and the cone algorithm. These choices are motivated by the extensive use of such algorithms in the phenomenology of jets. The differences with the original calculations of the small-cone jet vertex by Ivanov and Papa, which is found to be equivalent to a formerly algorithm proposed by Furman, are shown at both analytic and numerical level, and turn out to be sizeable. A detailed numerical study of the error introduced by the small-cone approximation is also presented, for various observables of phenomenological interest. For values of the jet "radius" R=0.5, the use of the small-cone approximation amounts to an error of about 5% at the level of cross section, while it reduces to less than 2% for ratios of distributions such as those involved in the measure of the azimuthal decorrelation of dijets., Comment: 22 pages, 7 figures, 13 eps files

Generic inhomogeneous integrable XXZ chains with arbitrary spins are studied by means of the quantum separation of variables (SOV) method. Within this framework, a complete description of the spectrum (eigenvalues and eigenstates) of the antiperiodic transfer matrix is derived in terms of discrete systems of equations involving the inhomogeneity parameters of the model. We show here that one can reformulate this discrete SOV characterization of the spectrum in terms of functional T-Q equations of Baxter's type, hence proving the completeness of the solutions to the associated systems of Bethe-type equations. More precisely, we consider here two such reformulations. The first one is given in terms of Q-solutions, in the form of trigonometric polynomials of a given degree $N_s$, of a one-parameter family of T-Q functional equations with an extra inhomogeneous term. The second one is given in terms of Q-solutions, again in the form of trigonometric polynomials of degree $N_s$ but with double period, of Baxter's usual (i.e. without extra term) T-Q functional equation. In both cases, we prove the precise equivalence of the discrete SOV characterization of the transfer matrix spectrum with the characterization following from the consideration of the particular class of Q-solutions of the functional T-Q equation: to each transfer matrix eigenvalue corresponds exactly one such Q-solution and vice versa, and this Q-solution can be used to construct the corresponding eigenstate., Comment: 38 pages

We solve the longstanding problem to define a functional characterization of the spectrum of the transfer matrix associated to the most general spin-1/2 representations of the 6-vertex reflection algebra for general inhomogeneous chains. The corresponding homogeneous limit reproduces the spectrum of the Hamiltonian of the spin-1/2 open XXZ and XXX quantum chains with the most general integrable boundaries. The spectrum is characterized by a second order finite difference functional equation of Baxter type with an inhomogeneous term which vanishes only for some special but yet interesting non-diagonal boundary conditions. This functional equation is shown to be equivalent to the known separation of variable (SOV) representation hence proving that it defines a complete characterization of the transfer matrix spectrum. The polynomial character of the Q-function allows us then to show that a finite system of equations of generalized Bethe type can be similarly used to describe the complete transfer matrix spectrum., Comment: 28 pages

By resorting to measurements of physically characterizing observables of water samples perturbed by the presence of Nafion and by iterative filtration processes, we discuss their scale free, self-similar fractal properties. By use of algebraic methods the isomorphism is proved between such self-similarity features and the deformed coherent state formalism., Comment: 20 pages, 3 figures. International Journal of Modern Physics B, to appear