Pure elements and intertwining classes of simple strata in local central simple algebras

Let S be a semigroup of words over an alphabet ∑ . Suppose tliar every two words u and e over ∑ are equal in S if (1) the sets of subwords of length k of the words a and b coincide and are non-empty. (2) the prefix (suffix) of u of length k1 is equal to the prefix (suffix) of e. Then S is called k-testable. A semigroup is locally testable if it is k-testable for some k > 0.

We present a finite basis of identities of the variety of A'-testable semigroups. The structure of k-testable semigroup is studied. Necessarv and sufficient conditions for local testability will be given. A solution to one problem from the survey of Shevrin and Sukhanov (1985) will be presented.     

Globals of Idempotent Semigroups

If S is a semigroup, the global (or the power semigroup) of S is the set P(S) of all nonempty subsets of S equipped with a naturally defined multiplication. A class K of semigroups is globally determined if any two semigroups of K with isomorphic globals are themselves isomorphic. We study properties of globals of idempotent semigroups and show, in particular, that the class of normal bands is globally determined.     

Large Finite Lattice Packings

A finite lattice packing of a centrally symmetric convex body K in ^d is a family C+K for a finite subset C of a packing lattice of K. For >0 the density (C;K,) is defined by (C;K,) = card C·V(K)/V(conv C+K). Assume that C ⁿ is the optimal packing with given n=card C, n large. It was known that conv C ⁿ is a segment if is less than the sausage radius _s (>0), and the inradius r(conv C ⁿ ) tends to infinity with n if is greater than the critical radius _c ( _s ). We prove that if > _c in ^d , then the shape of conv C ⁿ is not too far from being a ball. In addition, if r(conv C ⁿ ) is bounded but the radius of the largest (d–2)-ball in C ⁿ tends to infinity, then eventually C ⁿ is contained in some k–plane and its shape is not too far from being a k-ball where either k=d–1 or k=d–2. This yields in ³ that if _s << _c , then conv C ⁿ is eventually planar and its shape is not too far from being a disc. As an example, we show that _s = _c if K is a 3-ball, verifying the Strong Sausage Conjecture in this case. On the other hand, if K is the octahedron then _s < _c holds even for general (not only lattice) packings.     

Radical Semigroup Rings and the Thue--Morse Semigroup

Let R be an associative ring with unit, let S be a semigroup with zero, and let RS be a contracted semigroup ring. It is proved that if RS is radical in the sense of Jacobson and if the element 1 has infinite additive order, then S is a locally finite nilsemigroup. Further, for any semigroup S, there is a semigroup T S such that the ring RT is radical in the Brown--McCoy sense. Let S be the semigroup of subwords of the sequence abbabaabbaababbab..., and let F be the two-element field. Then the ring FS is radical in the Brown--McCoy sense and semisimple in the Jacobson sense.     

Automorphisms on a Lie group contracting modulo a compact subgroup and applications to semistable convolution semigroups

Let ( _t ) _t0 be a -semistable convolution semigroup of probability measures on a Lie groupG whose idempotent ₀ is the Haar measure on some compact subgroupK. Then all the measures ₁ are supported by theK-contraction groupC _K() of the topological automorphism ofG. We prove here the structure theoremC _K()=C()K, whereC() is the contraction group of . Then it turns out that it is sufficient to study semistable convolution semigroups on simply connected nilpotent Lie groups that have Lie algebras with a positive graduation.     

Orbits and Invariants Associated with a Pair of Spherical Varieties: Some Examples

Let H and K be spherical subgroups of a reductive complex group G. In many cases, detailed knowledge of the double coset space H\G/K is of fundamental importance in group theory and representation theory. If H or K is parabolic, then H\G/K is finite, and we recall the classification of the double cosets in several important cases. If H=K is a symmetric subgroup of G, then the double coset space K\G/K (and the corresponding invariant theoretic quotient) are no longer finite, but several nice properties hold, including an analogue of the Chevalley restriction theorem. These properties were generalized by Helminck and Schwarz (Duke Math. J. 106(2) (2001), pp. 237–279) to the case where H and K are fixed point groups of commuting involutions. We recall Helminck and Schwarz's main results. We also give examples to show the difficulty in extending these results if we allow H=K to be a reductive spherical (nonsymmetric) subgroup or if we have H symmetric and K spherical reductive.     

On the Decomposition of an Operator into a Sum of Four Idempotents

We prove that operators of the form (2 ± 2/n)I + K are decomposable into a sum of four idempotents for integer n > 1 if there exists the decomposition K = K ₁ K ₂ ... K _n, , of a compact operator K. We show that the decomposition of the compact operator 4I + K or the operator K into a sum of four idempotents can exist if K is finite-dimensional. If n trK is a sufficiently large (or sufficiently small) integer and K is finite-dimensional, then the operator (2 – 2/n)I + K [or (2 + 2/n)I + K] is a sum of four idempotents.     

The property of having independent basis in semigroup varieties

There exist independently based semigroup varieties and , , such that has no cover in the interval [ ; ].Translated from Algebra i Logika, Vol. 44, No. 1, pp. 81–96, January–February, 2005.     

Method of moments on semigroups

If ( _j ) is a sequence of measures onR ^k having momentss _n ( _j ) of all ordersnN ₀ ^k and if for eachnN ₀ ^k the sequence (s _{n j} )) _jN converges to somet _n R then some subsequence of ( _j ) converges weakly to a measure with moments of all orders satisfyings _n ()=t _n for allnN^0/k . Thisindeterminate method of moments and the continuity theorems in probability theory suggest a common generalization, dealing with a commutative semigroupS, with involution and a neutral element, and measures on the dual semigroupS ^* ofcharacters on S—hermitian multiplicative complex functions not identically zero. In this setting, a continuity theorem holds for measures on the set of bounded characters,⁽²⁾ and an indeterminate method of moments whenS is finitely generated.⁽²⁾ The latter result is generalized in the present paper to the case of arbitraryS. This leads to a generalization of Haviland's criterion for theK-moment problem, and to a continuity theorem for the so-called perfect semigroups.     

Vector bundles as direct images of line bundles

LetX be a smooth irreducible projective variety over an algebraically closed fieldK andE a vector bundle onX. We prove that, if dimX ≥ 1, there exist a smooth irreducible projective varietyZ overK, a surjective separable morphismf:Z →X which is finite outside an algebraic subset of codimension ≥ 3 inX and a line bundleL onX such that the direct image ofL byf is isomorphic toE. WhenX is a curve, we show thatZ, f, L can be so chosen thatf is finite and the canonical mapH ¹(Z, O) →H ¹(X, EndE) is surjective. Dedicated to the memory of Professor K G Ramanathan     

Varieties of restriction semigroups and varieties of categories

The variety of restriction semigroups may be most simply described as that generated from inverse semigroups (S, ·, ^?1) by forgetting the inverse operation and retaining the two operations x⁺ = xx^?1 and x* = x^?1x. The subvariety B of strict restriction semigroups is that generated by the Brandt semigroups. At the top of its lattice of subvarieties are the two intervals [B₂, B₂M = B] and [B₀, B₀M]. Here, B₂ and B₀ are, respectively, generated by the five-element Brandt semigroup and that obtained by removing one of its nonidempotents. The other two varieties are their joins with the variety of all monoids. It is shown here that the interval [B₂, B] is isomorphic to the lattice of varieties of categories, as introduced by Tilson in a seminal paper on this topic. Important concepts, such as the local and global varieties associated with monoids, are readily identified under this isomorphism. Two of Tilson's major theorems have natural interpretations and application to the interval [B₂, B] and, with modification, to the interval [B₀, B₀M] that lies below it. Further exploration may lead to applications in the reverse direction.     

Finite-to-finite universal quasivarieties are Q-universal

Let K be a quasivariety of algebraic systems of finite type. K is said to be universal if the category G of all directed graphs is isomorphic to a full subcategory of K. If an embedding of G may be effected by a functor F:G K which assigns a finite algebraic system to each finite graph, then K is said to be finite-to-finite universal. K is said to be Q-universal if, for any quasivariety M of finite type, L(M) is a homomorphic image of a sublattice of L(K), where L(M) and L(K) are the lattices of quasivarieties contained in M and K, respectively.?We establish a connection between these two, apparently unrelated, notions by showing that if K is finite-to-finite universal, then K is Q-universal. Using this connection a number of quasivarieties are shown to be Q-universal. Received February 8, 2000; accepted in final form December 23, 2000.     

Additive Kernels and Integral Representation of Potentials

Let P=(P _t ) _t>0 be a submarkovian semigroup of kernels on a measurable space (X,). An additive kernel of P is a kernel K from X into ]0,[ such that P _t K(x,A)=K(x,A+t) for every t>0,xX and every Borel subset A of ]0,[. It is proved in this paper that for every potential f of P, there exits an additive kernel K of P, unique (up to equivalence) such that f=K1=₀ K(,dt). This result is already well known for regular potentials of right processes. If U=(U _p ) _p>0 is a sub-Markovian resolvent of kernels on (X,), we give a notion of additive kernel of U and we prove a similar integral representation of potentials of U.     

Galois Theory for the Selmer Group of an Abelian Variety

This paper concerns the Galois theoretic behavior of the p-primary subgroup Sel _A (F) _p of the Selmer group for an Abelian variety A defined over a number field F in an extension K/F such that the Galois group G(K/F) is a p-adic Lie group. Here p is any prime such that A has potentially good, ordinary reduction at all primes of F lying above p. The principal results concern the kernel and the cokernel of the natural map s _K/F Sel _A (F) _p Sel _A (K) _p ^G(K/F) where F is any finite extension of F contained in K. Under various hypotheses on the extension K/F, it is proved that the kernel and cokernel are finite. More precise results about their structure are also obtained. The results are generalizations of theorems of B.Mazurand M. Harris.     

The Rank of a Direct Power of a Small-Cancellation Group

We construct an example of a finitely generated group G such that rank((G )ⁿ)=2 for all n1. For each n, we construct a finitely presented group G _n such that rank((G _n )ⁿ)=2. We conjecture that if G is a word-hyperbolic group then rank(G ⁿ ) as $ n. For each m we give an example of a residually finite group K _m such that K _m has exactly two relators, but K _m has no proper subgroups of index $ m. We construct a finitely generated group D such that there is an epimorphism DD×D.     

Semigroup Varieties on Whose Free Objects Almost All Fully Invariant Congruences are Weakly Permutable

A semigroup variety is said to be of index 2 if all nil-semigroups of the variety are semigroups with zero multiplication. We describe all semigroup varieties V of index 2 on free objects of which every two fully invariant congruences contained in the least semilattice congruence are weakly permutable, and semigroup varieties of index 2 all of whose subvarieties share the above-mentioned property.     

On projective planes of type (4, m)

If a group G acts on a finite projective plane to make it a plane of type (4, m) and if G/K is the related 2-transitive representation of G then either G/K has a normal regular subgroup or PSL(2, q)G/KPL(2, q) for some prime power q.     

Order Varieties and Monotone Retractions of Finite Posets

In this paper we introduce a new version of the concept of order varieties. Namely, in addition to closure under retracts and products we require that the class of posets should be closed under taking idempotent subalgebras. As an application we prove that the variety generated by an order-primal algebra on a finite connected poset P is congruence modular if and only if every idempotent subalgebra of P is connected. We give a polynomial time algorithm to decide whether or not a variety generated by an order-primal algebra admits a near unanimity function and so we answer a problem of Larose and Zádori.     

Interpretability Types for Regular Varieties of Algebras

It is proved that for every regular variety V of algebras, an interpretability type [V] in the lattice is primary w.r.t. intersection, and so has at most one covering. Moreover, the sole covering, if any, for [V] is necessarily infinite. For a locally finite regular variety V, [V] has no covering. Cyclic varieties of algebras turn out to be particularly interesting among the regular. Each of these is a variety of n-groupoids (A; f) defined by an identity , where is an n-cycle of degree n 2. Interpretability types of the cyclic varieties form, in , a subsemilattice isomorphic to a semilattice of square-free natural numbers n 2, under taking m n=[m,n] (l.c.m.).     

Finitely generated relatively universal varieties of Heyting algebras

Given distinct varieties and of the same type, we say that is relatively -universal if there exists an embedding :K from a universal categoryK such that for every pairA, B ofK-objects, a homomorphismf:A B has the formf=_g for someK-morphismg:A B if and only if Im(f) . Finitely generated relatively -universal varieties of Heyting algebras are described for the variety of Boolean algebras, the variety generated by a three element chain, and for the variety generated by the four element Boolean algebra with an added greatest element.Dedicated to the memory of Alan DayPresented by J. Sichler.The support of the NSERC is gratefully acknowledged.