Differential operators associated with zonal polynomials. I

Summary Associated with each zonal polynomial,C _k(S), of a symmetric matrixS, we define a differential operator ∂_k, having the basic property that ∂_kC_λδ_kλ, δ being Kronecker's delta, whenever κ and λ are partitions of the non-negative integerk. Using these operators, we solve the problems of determining the coefficients in the expansion of (i) the product of two zonal polynomials as a series of zonal polynomials, and (ii) the zonal polynomial of the direct sum,S⊕T, of two symmetric matricesS andT, in terms of the zonal polynomials ofS andT. We also consider the problem of expanding an arbitrary homogeneous symmetric polynomial,P(S) in a series of zonal polynomials. Further, these operators are used to derive identities expressing the doubly generalised binomial coefficients ( _P ^λ ),P(S) being a monomial in the power sums of the latent roots ofS, in terms of the coefficients of the zonal polynomials, and from these, various results are obtained.     

A Lower Bound for the Norm of the Minimal Residual Polynomial

Let S be a compact infinite set in the complex plane with 0∉S, and let R _n be the minimal residual polynomial on S, i.e., the minimal polynomial of degree at most n on S with respect to the supremum norm provided that R _n (0)=1. For the norm L _n (S) of the minimal residual polynomial, the limit k(S):=lim_n?￥ⁿ?{L_n(S)}\kappa(S):=\lim_{n\to\infty}\sqrt[n]{L_{n}(S)} exists. In addition to the well-known and widely referenced inequality L _n (S)≥κ(S) ⁿ , we derive the sharper inequality L _n (S)≥2κ(S) ⁿ /(1+κ(S)²ⁿ ) in the case that S is the union of a finite number of real intervals. As a consequence, we obtain a slight refinement of the Bernstein–Walsh lemma.     

On Closed Weingarten Surfaces

We investigate closed surfaces in Euclidean 3-space satisfying certain functional relations κ = F(λ) between the principal curvatures κ, λ. In particular we find analytic closed surfaces of genus zero where F is a quadratic polynomial or F(λ) = cλ²ⁿ⁺¹. This generalizes results by H. Hopf on the case where F is linear and the case of ellipsoids of revolution where F(λ) = cλ³.     

Computing the Top Betti Numbers of Semialgebraic Sets Defined by Quadratic Inequalities in Polynomial Time

For any ℓ>0, we present an algorithm which takes as input a semi-algebraic set, S, defined by P ₁≤0,…,P _s ≤0, where each P _i ∈R[X ₁,…,X _k ] has degree≤2, and computes the top ℓ Betti numbers of S, b _k−1(S),…,b _k−ℓ (S), in polynomial time. The complexity of the algorithm, stated more precisely, is . For fixed ℓ, the complexity of the algorithm can be expressed as , which is polynomial in the input parameters s and k. To our knowledge this is the first polynomial time algorithm for computing nontrivial topological invariants of semialgebraic sets in R ^k defined by polynomial inequalities, where the number of inequalities is not fixed and the polynomials are allowed to have degree greater than one. For fixed s, we obtain, by letting ℓ=k, an algorithm for computing all the Betti numbers of S whose complexity is . An erratum to this article can be found at     

On the Asymptotics of the Meixner—Pollaczek Polynomials and Their Zeros

An infinite asymptotic expansion is derived for the Meixner—Pollaczek polynomials M _n (nα;δ, η) as n→∞ , which holds uniformly for -M≤α≤ M , where M can be any positive number. This expansion involves the parabolic cylinder function and its derivative. If α _{n, s} denotes the s th zero of M _n (nα;δ, η) , counted from the right, and if α˜ _n,s denotes its s th zero counted from the left, then for each fixed s , three-term asymptotic approximations are obtained for both α _n,s and α˜ _n,s as n→∞ . December 28, 1998. Date revised: June 4, 1999. Date accepted: September 6, 1999.     

Singularly perturbed elliptic boundary value problems

Summary The paper treats elliptic operators of the form L(ɛ∂₁, ..., ɛ∂_n), where L is a polynomial in a variables of order 2m₁, and ɛ is a small parameter. Solutionsu _ɛ of Lu=0 in a half space satisfyng conditions B_j(ɛ∂₁, ɛ∂₂, ..., ɛ∂_n)u=ɛγ_jϕ_j(x)(j=1, ..., m₁) on the boundary are constructed and estimated using H?lder norms, Poisson kernels, and an elaborate potential theory. Properties of the interior limit u₀=u _ɛ(κ) are studied. The paper is preparatory to a detailed investigation of Schauder estimates for such problems with variables coefficients. Supported in part by N. S. F. Grant GP-11660. Entrata in Redazione il 9 gennaio 1971.     

Partitioning series-parallel multigraphs into ν *-excluding edge covers

We prove that, for any given vertex ν* in a series-parallel graph G, its edge set can be partitioned into κ = min{κ′(G) + 1, δ(G)} subsets such that each subset covers all the vertices of G possibly except for ν*, where δ(G) is the minimum degree of G and κ′(G) is the edge-connectivity of G. In addition, we show that the results in this paper are best possible and a polynomial time algorithm can be obtained for actually finding such a partition by our proof.     

Minimal Bar Tableaux

Motivated by recent results of Stanley, we generalize the rank of a partition λ to the rank of a shifted partition S(λ). We show that the number of bars required in a minimal bar tableau of S(λ) is max(o, e + (ℓ(λ) mod 2)), where o and e are the number of odd and even rows of λ. As a consequence we show that the irreducible projective characters of S_n vanish on certain conjugacy classes. Another corollary is a lower bound on the degree of the terms in the expansion of Schur’s Q_λ symmetric functions in terms of the power sum symmetric functions. Received November 20, 2003     

Structures and Chromaticity of Extremal 3-Colourable Sparse Graphs

 Assume that G is a 3-colourable connected graph with e(G) = 2v(G) −k, where k≥ 4. It has been shown that s ₃(G) ≥ 2 ^{k −3}, where s _r (G) = P(G,r)/r! for any positive integer r and P(G, λ) is the chromatic polynomial of G. In this paper, we prove that if G is 2-connected and s ₃(G) < 2 ^{k −2}, then G contains at most v(G) −k triangles; and the upper bound is attained only if G is a graph obtained by replacing each edge in the k-cycle C _k by a 2-tree. By using this result, we settle the problem of determining if W(n, s) is χ-unique, where W(n, s) is the graph obtained from the wheel W _n by deleting all but s consecutive spokes. Received: January 29, 1999 Final version received: April 8, 2000     

Very weak solutions to elliptic equations with nonlinear Neumann boundary conditions

Consider the equation −Δu = 0 in a bounded smooth domain , complemented by the nonlinear Neumann boundary condition ∂_ν u = f(x, u) − u on ∂Ω. We show that any very weak solution of this problem belongs to L ^∞(Ω) provided f satisfies the growth condition |f(x, s)| ≤ C(1 + |s| ^p ) for some p ∈ (1, p*), where . If, in addition, f(x, s) ≥ −C + λs for some λ > 1, then all positive very weak solutions are uniformly a priori bounded. We also show by means of examples that p* is a sharp critical exponent. In particular, using variational methods we prove the following multiplicity result: if N ∈ {3, 4} and f(x, s) =  s ^p then there exists a domain Ω and such that our problem possesses at least two positive, unbounded, very weak solutions blowing up at a prescribed point of ∂Ω provided . Our regularity results and a priori bounds for positive very weak solutions remain true if the right-hand side in the differential equation is of the form h(x, u) with h satisfying suitable growth conditions.     

Exact controllability for the wave equation with variable coefficients

We consider in this paper the evolution systemy″−Ay=0, whereA =∂ _i(a_ij∂_j) anda _ij ∈C ¹ (ℝ⁺;W ^1,∞ (Ω)) ∩W ^1,∞ (Ω × ℝ⁺), with initial data given by (y ₀,y ₁) ∈L ²(Ω) ×H ⁻¹ (Ω) and the nonhomogeneous conditiony=v on Γ ×]0,T[. Exact controllability means that there exist a timeT>0 and a controlv such thaty(T, v)=y′(T, v)=0. The main result of this paper is to prove that the above system is exactly controllable whenT is “sufficiently large”. Moreover, we obtain sharper estimates onT.     

Solvability of Elliptic Boundary Value Problems without Standard Landesman-Lazer Condition

Abstract In this paper we prove a very general result concerning solvability of the resonant problem: Δu + λ_κ u + g(x, u) = h (x); u = 0, x ∈∂Ω, which immediately gives three generalized Landesman-Lazer conditions. The most interesting application of the general result is concerned with the problem when λ_κ = λ₁, in which case we prove solvability results for it under conditions which are not the standard Landesman-Lazer condition or only partly enjoy it. Furthermore, we propose a new sign condition and give a comprehensive extension of a main result of Figueiredo and Ni.     

On the non-existence of pair covering designs with at least as many points as blocks

We establish new lower bounds on the pair covering number C _λ (υ,k) for infinitely many values of υ, k and λ, including infinitely many values of υ and k for λ=1. Here, C _λ (υ,k) denotes the minimum number of k-subsets of a υ-set of points such that each pair of points occurs in at least λ of the k-subsets. We use these results to prove simple numerical conditions which are both necessary and sufficient for the existence of (K _k − e)-designs with more points than blocks.     

On convergence of gradient-dependent integrands

We study convergence properties of {υ(∇u _k )}k∈ℕ if υ ∈ C(ℝ ^m×m ), |υ(s)| ⩽ C(1+|s| ^p ), 1 < p < + ∞, has a finite quasiconvex envelope, u _k → u weakly in W ^1,p (Ω; ℝ ^m ) and for some g ∈ C(Ω) it holds that ∫_Ω g(x)υ(∇u _k (x))dx → ∫_Ω g(x)Qυ(∇u(x))dx as k → ∞. In particular, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for L ¹-weak convergence of {det ∇u _k } _k∈ℕ to det ∇u if m = n = p. Dedicated to Jiří V. Outrata on the occasion of his 60th birthday This work was supported by the grants IAA 1075402 (GA AV ČR) and VZ6840770021 (MŠMT ČR).     

A generalization of the Gagliardo inequality

Consider functions u₁, u₂,..., u_n ∈ D(ℝ^k) and assume that we are given a certain set of linear combinations of the form ∑_{i, j} a _ij ^(l) ∂_ju_i. Sufficient conditions in terms of coefficients a _ij ^(l) are indicated under which the norms are controlled in terms of the L¹-norms of these linear combinations. These conditions are mostly transparent if k = 2. The classical Gagliardo inequality corresponds to a single function u₁ = u and the collection of its partial derivatives ∂₁u,..., ∂_ku. Bibliography: 2 titles. __________ Translated from Zapiski Nauchnykh Seminarov POMI, Vol. 345, 2007, pp. 120–139.     

A polynomial rate of growth for the multiplicities in cocharacters of matrices

The sum of the multiplicitiesm _λ, as well as eachm _λ, in the cocharacterX _n (F _k) of thek×k matrices, have an upper bound of a polynomial rate of growth. Some have a lower bound which is also of a polynomial rate of growth.     

On Closed Weingarten Surfaces

We investigate closed surfaces in Euclidean 3-space satisfying certain functional relations κ = F(λ) between the principal curvatures κ, λ. In particular we find analytic closed surfaces of genus zero where F is a quadratic polynomial or F(λ) = cλ²ⁿ⁺¹. This generalizes results by H. Hopf on the case where F is linear and the case of ellipsoids of revolution where F(λ) = cλ³.     

An identity involving partitional generalized binomial coefficients

Define coefficients (_κ^λ) by C_λ(I_p + Z)/C_λ(I_p) = Σ_k=0^l Σ_{?∈$\text{P}$k} (_?^λ) C_κ(Z)/C_κ(I_p), where the C_λ's are zonal polynomials in p by p matrices. It is shown that C_?(Z) etr(Z)/k! = Σ_l=k^∞ Σ_{λ∈$\text{P}$l} (_?^λ) C_λ(Z)/l!. This identity is extended to analogous identities involving generalized Laguerre, Hermite, and other polynomials. Explicit expressions are given for all (_?^λ), ? ∈ $\text{P}$_k, k ≤ 3. Several identities involving the (_?^λ)'s are derived. These are used to derive explicit expressions for coefficients of $\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{\lambda }}\text{(Z)}\text{l}\text{!}$ in expansions of P(Z), $\text{etr}\text{(Z)}\text{k!}$ for all monomials P(Z) in s_j = tr Z^j of degree k ≤ 5.     

Upper bound on the characters of the symmetric groups

Let C be a conjugacy class in the symmetric group S _n , and λ be a partition of n. Let f ^λ be the degree of the irreducible representation S ^λ , χ ^λ (C)– the character of S ^λ at C, and r ^λ (C)– the normalized character χ ^λ (C) f ^λ . We prove that there exist constants b > 0 and 1 > q > 0 such that for n > 4, for every conjugacy class C in S _n and every irreducible representation S ^λ of S _n ∣r ^λ (C)∣≦ ( max {q,λ ₁ n, λ ₁ ′ n}) ^{b ⋅ supp(C)} where supp (C) is the number of non-fixed digits under the action of a permutation in C, λ ₁ is the size of the largest part in λ, and λ ₁ ′ is the number of parts in λ. The proof is obtained by enumeration of rim hook tableaux, the Hook formula and probabilistic arguments. Combinatorial, algebraic and statistical applications follow this result. In particular, we estimate the rate of mixing of random walks on the alternating groups with respect to conjugacy classes. Oblatum 14-III-1995 & 30-X-1995     

Two classes of optimal two-dimensional OOCs

Let Φ(u × v, k, λ _a , λ _c ) denote the largest possible size among all 2-D (u × v, k, λ _a , λ _c )-OOCs. In this paper, the exact value of Φ(u × v, k, λ _a , k − 1) for λ _a = k − 1 and k is determined. The case λ _a = k − 1 is a generalization of a result in Yang (Inform Process Lett 40:85–87, 1991) which deals with one dimensional OOCs namely, u = 1.