Euler Characteristics on virtually free products

We define Euler characteristics on classes of residually finite and virtually torsion free groups and we show that they satisfy certain formulas in the case of amalgamated free products and HNN extensions over finite subgroups. These formulas are obtained from a general result which applies to the rank gradient and the first L²?Betti number of a finitely generated group.     

A Cheeger–Müller theorem for delocalized analytic torsion

We study the delocalized L ²-analytic torsion introduced by John Lott, and define the delocalized L ²-combinatorial torsion. By using the method of Bismut–Zhang, under the conditions of positive Novikov–Shubin invariants and finite conjugacy class, we get the Cheeger–Müller type relation between the delocalized L ²-analytic torsion and the delocalized L ²-combinatorial torsion.      

The Problem of the Classification of the Nilpotent Class 2 Torsion Free Groups up to Geometric Equivalence

In this article, we consider the problem of classification of the nilpotent class 2 finitely generated torsion free groups up to geometric equivalence. By a very easy technique it is proved that this problem is equivalent to the problem of classification of the complete in the Maltsev sense nilpotent torsion free finite rank groups up to isomorphism. This result leads to better understanding of the complexity of the problem of the classification of the quasi-varieties of the nilpotent class 2 groups. It is well known that the variety of the nilpotent class s groups is Noetherian for every s ∈ ?. So the problem of the classification of the quasi-varieties generated even by a single nilpotent class 2 finitely generated torsion free group is equivalent to the problem of classification of the complete in the Maltsev sense nilpotent torsion free finite rank groups up to isomorphism.     

Grope cobordism of classical knots

Motivated by the lower central series of a group, we define the notion of a grope cobordism between two knots in a 3-manifold. Just like an iterated group commutator, each grope cobordism has a type that can be described by a rooted unitrivalent tree. By filtering these trees in different ways, we show how the Goussarov-Habiro approach to finite type invariants of knots is closely related to our notion of grope cobordism. Thus our results can be viewed as a geometric interpretation of finite type invariants.The derived commutator series of a group also has a three-dimensional analogy, namely knots modulo symmetric grope cobordism. On one hand this theory maps onto the usual Vassiliev theory and on the other hand it maps onto the Cochran-Orr-Teichner filtration of the knot concordance group, via symmetric grope cobordism in 4-space. In particular, the graded theory contains information on finite type invariants (with degree h terms mapping to Vassiliev degree 2^h), Blanchfield forms or S-equivalence at h=2, Casson-Gordon invariants at h=3, and for h=4 one finds the new von Neumann signatures of a knot.     

Zeta-determinant and torsion functions on Riemann surfaces of finite volume

We define ζ-determinant andL ²-analytic torsion functions for a Riemann surface of finite volume. We use the Selberg trace formula to express these determinant and torsion functions in terms of four Zeta functions which are related to the structure of discrete groups. A new invariant is also obtained.     

A characterization of a class of [Z] groups via Korovkin theory

We characterize all the central topological groupsG for which the centreZ(L ¹(G)) of the group algebra admits a finite universal Korovkin set. It is proved thatZ(L ¹(G)) has a finite universal Korovkin set iffĜ is a finite dimensional, separable metric space. This is equivalent to the fact thatG is separable, metrizable andG/K has finite torsion free rank, whereK is a compact open normal subgroup of certain direct summand ofG.     

Approximating absolute Galois groups

In this paper we identify a class of profinite groups (totally torsion free groups) that includes all separable Galois groups of fields containing an algebraically closed subfield, and demonstrate that it can be realized as an inverse limit of torsion free virtually finitely generated abelian (tfvfga) profinite groups. We show by examples that the condition is quite restrictive. In particular, semidirect products of torsion free abelian groups are rarely totally torsion free. The result is of importance for K-theoretic applications, since descent problems for tfvfga groups are relatively manageable.     

Extended balance of linear momentum from higher gradient stress field theory

We present the equation of linear momentum considering higher gradients for stress and body force. Both are approximated via Taylor series expansion within a finite Cauchy cube of dimensions L_c. Whereas linear terms of the series expansion result to the classical balance of linear momentum, terms up to third order yield an extended balance equation. The extension includes an internal length scale L²_c caused by surface integrals on the cube. The approach makes use of Cauchy's theorem and standard Newtonian mechanics but constitutive assumptions are not applied. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Adaptive finite element solution of the porous medium equation in pressure formulation

The pressure formulation of the porous medium equation has been commonly used in theoretical studies due to its much better regularities than the original formulation. The goal here is to study its use in the adaptive moving mesh finite element solution. The free boundary is traced explicitly through Darcy's law. The method is shown numerically second‐order in space and first‐order in time in the pressure variable. Moreover, the convergence order of the error in the location of the free boundary is almost second‐order in the maximum norm. However, numerical results also show that the convergence order in the original variable stays between first‐order and second‐order in L¹ norm or between 0.5th‐order and first‐order in L² norm. Nevertheless, the current method can offer some advantages over numerical methods based on the original formulation for situations with large exponents or when a more accurate location of the free boundary is desired.     

Lp error estimates and superconvergence for covolume or finite volume element methods

We consider convergence of the covolume or finite volume element solution to linear elliptic and parabolic problems. Error estimates and superconvergence results in the L^p norm, 2 ≤ p ≤ ∞, are derived. We also show second‐order convergence in the L^p norm between the covolume and the corresponding finite element solutions and between their gradients. The main tools used in this article are an extension of the “supercloseness” results in Chou and Li [Math Comp 69(229) (2000), 103–120] to the L^p based spaces, duality arguments, and the discrete Green's function method. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 19: 463–486, 2003     

Mixed finite element methods for generalized Forchheimer flow in porous media

Mixed finite element methods are analyzed for the approximation of the solution of the system of equations that describes the flow of a single‐phase fluid in a porous medium in ?^d, d ≤ 3, subject to Forchhheimer's law—a nonlinear form of Darcy's law. Existence and uniqueness of the approximation are proved, and optimal order error estimates in L^∞(J; L²(Ω)) and in L^∞(J; H(div; Ω)) are demonstrated for the pressure and momentum, respectively. Error estimates are also derived in L^∞(J; L^∞(Ω)) for the pressure. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2005     

Superconvergent error estimates for a class of discretization methods for a coupled first‐order system with discontinuous coefficients

Lithological discontinuities in a reservoir generate discontinuous coefficients for the first‐order system of equations used in the simulation of fluid flow in porous media. Systems of conservation laws with discontinuous coefficients also arise in many other physical applications. In this article, we present a class of discretization schemes that include variants of mixed finite element methods, finite volume element methods, and cell‐centered finite difference equations as special cases. Error estimates of the order O(h²) in certain discrete L²‐norms are established for both the primary independent variable and its flux, even in the presence of discontinuous coefficients in the flux term. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 15: 267–283, 1999     

On the computation of the projective surgery obstruction groups

The computation of the projective surgery obstruction groupsL _n ^p (ZG), forG a hyperelementary finite group, is reduced to standard calculations in number theory, mostly involving class groups. Both the exponent of the torsion subgroup and the precise divisibility of the signatures are determined. ForG a 2-hyperelementary group, theL _n ^p (ZG) are detected by restriction to certain subquotients ofG, and a complete set of invariants is given for oriented surgery obstructions.Partially supported by NSERC grant A4000.Partially supported by NSF grant DMS-8610730(1) and the Danish Research Council.     

Mortar element methods for parabolic problems

In this article a standard mortar finite element method and a mortar element method with Lagrange multiplier are used for spatial discretization of a class of parabolic initial‐boundary value problems. Optimal error estimates in L^∞(L²) and L^∞(H¹)‐norms for semidiscrete methods for both the cases are established. The key feature that we have adopted here is to introduce a modified elliptic projection. In the standard mortar element method, a completely discrete scheme using backward Euler scheme is discussed and optimal error estimates are derived. The results of numerical experiments support the theoretical results obtained in this article. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 2008     

Discontinuous Galerkin finite volume element methods for second‐order linear elliptic problems

In this article, a one parameter family of discontinuous Galerkin finite volume element methods for approximating the solution of a class of second‐order linear elliptic problems is discussed. Optimal error estimates in L² and broken H¹‐ norms are derived. Numerical results confirm the theoretical order of convergences. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2009     

Higher Intersection Theory on Algebraic Stacks: I

In this paper and the sequel we establish a theory of Chow groups and higher Chow groups on algebraic stacks locally of finite type over a field and establish their basic properties. This includes algebraic stacks in the sense of Deligne–Mumford as well as Artin. An intrinsic difference between our approach and earlier approaches is that the higher Chow groups of Bloch enter into our theory early on and depends heavily on his fundamental work. Our theory may be more appropriately called the (Lichtenbaum) motivic homology and cohomology of algebraic stacks. One of the main themes of these papers is that such a motivic homology does provide a reasonable intersection theory for algebraic stacks (of finite type over a field), with several key properties holding integrally and extending to stacks locally of finite type. While several important properties of our higher Chow groups, like covariance for projective representable maps (that factor as the composition of a closed immersion into the projective space associated to a locally free coherent sheaf and the obvious projection), an intersection pairing and contravariant functoriality for all smooth algebraic stacks, are shown to hold integrally, our theory works best with rational coefficients.The main results of Part I are the following. The higher Chow groups are defined in general with respect to an atlas, but are shown to be independent of the choice of the atlas for smooth stacks if one uses finite coefficients with torsion prime to the characteristics or in general for Deligne–Mumford stacks. (Using some results on motivic cohomology, we extend this integrally to all smooth algebraic stacks in Part II.) Using cohomological descent, we extend Bloch's fundamental localization sequence for quasi-projective schemes to long exact localization sequences of the higher Chow groups modulo torsion for all Artin stacks: this is one of the main results of the paper. We show that these higher Chow groups modulo torsion are covariant for all proper representable maps between stacks of finite type while being contravariant for all representable flat maps and, in Part II, that they are independent of the choice of an atlas for all stacks of finite type over the given field k. The comparison with motivic cohomology, as is worked out in Part II, enables us to provide an explicit comparison of our theory for quotient stacks associated to actions of linear algebraic groups on quasi-projective schemes with the corresponding Totaro–Edidin–Graham equivariant intersection theory. As an application of our theory we compute the higher Chow groups of Deligne–Mumford stacks and show that they are isomorphic modulo torsion to the higher Chow groups of their coarse moduli spaces. As a by-product of our theory we also produce localization sequences in (integral) higher Chow groups for all schemes locally of finite type over a field: these higher Chow groups are defined as the Zariski hypercohomology with respect to the cycle complex.     

Superconvergence of a stabilized finite element approximation for the Stokes equations using a local coarse mesh L2 projection

This article first recalls the results of a stabilized finite element method based on a local Gauss integration method for the stationary Stokes equations approximated by low equal‐order elements that do not satisfy the inf‐sup condition. Then, we derive general superconvergence results for this stabilized method by using a local coarse mesh L² projection. These supervergence results have three prominent features. First, they are based on a multiscale method defined for any quasi‐uniform mesh. Second, they are derived on the basis of a large sparse, symmetric positive‐definite system of linear equations for the solution of the stationary Stokes problem. Third, the finite elements used fail to satisfy the inf‐sup condition. This article combines the merits of the new stabilized method with that of the L² projection method. This projection method is of practical importance in scientific computation. Finally, a series of numerical experiments are presented to check the theoretical results obtained. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 28: 115‐126, 2012     

Stabilized mixed finite element methods for the Navier‐Stokes equations with damping

In this paper, the stabilized mixed finite element methods are presented for the Navier‐Stokes equations with damping. The existence and uniqueness of the weak solutions are proven by use of the Brouwer fixed‐point theorem. Then, optimal error estimates for the H¹‐norm and L²‐norm of the velocity and the L²‐norm of the pressure are derived. Moreover, on the basis of the optimal L²‐norm error estimate of the velocity, a stabilized two‐step method is proposed, which is more efficient than the usual stabilized methods. Finally, two numerical examples are implemented to confirm the theoretical analysis.     

Index theory on locally homogeneous spaces

We describe how the equivariant K homology class of an invariant elliptic operator on a homogeneous space of a linear semisimple Lie group determines the L ²-index of the associated operator on a finite volume locally homogeneous space. The machinery of equivariant K homology and of KK theory can be used to prove theorems about L ²-indices. We give an application motivated by the problem of calculating multiplicities of subrepresentations of quasi-regular representations.Supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DMS-8903472.Supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DMS-8901436.     

Finite volume element approximations of nonlocal reactive flows in porous media

In this article, we study finite volume element approximations for two‐dimensional parabolic integro‐differential equations, arising in the modeling of nonlocal reactive flows in porous media. These types of flows are also called NonFickian flows and exhibit mixing length growth. For simplicity, we consider only linear finite volume element methods, although higher‐order volume elements can be considered as well under this framework. It is proved that the finite volume element approximations derived are convergent with optimal order in H¹‐ and L²‐norm and are superconvergent in a discrete H¹‐norm. By examining the relationship between finite volume element and finite element approximations, we prove convergence in L^∞‐ and W^1,∞‐norms. These results are also new for finite volume element methods for elliptic and parabolic equations. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 16: 285–311, 2000