An Inequality for Tail Probabilities of Martingales with Bounded Differences

Let M _n =X₁+...+X_n be a martingale with bounded differences X_m=M_m-M_m-1 such that {|X_m| _m}=1 with some nonnegative _m. Write ²= ₁ ² + ... + _n ² . We prove the inequalities {M _nx}c(1-(x/)), {M _n x} 1- c(1- (-x/)) with a constant . The result yields sharp inequalities in some models related to the measure concentration phenomena.     

On the smoothness of the moduli space of mathematical instanton bundles

In this paper we prove that the moduli spaces MI _2n+1(k) of mathematical instanton bundles on ²ⁿ⁺¹ with quantum number k are singular for n 2 and k 3 ,giving a positive answer to a conjecture made by Ancona and Ottaviani in 1993.     

The singularH 2,2-invariant quartic surfaces in ℙ3

AnH _2,2-invariant quartic surface in ₃ is a quartic surface in ₃ invariant under the Heisenberg groupH _2,2 of level (2, 2), the family ofH _2,2-invariant quartic surfaces is parametrized by ₄. For each ₄, the corresponding quartic surfaceX will be a Kummer surface, ifX is singular. The equation for { = 0} ₄ parametrizing all Kummer surfaces is well known. We find another more symmetric form (with respect to a 5-dimensional representation of the symmetric group S₆) for this equation.The aim of this note is to describe all singularH _2,2-invariant quartic surfaces in ₃.     

On the homogeneity of additive mappings

LetK be a ring with an identity 1 0 andM, L two unitaryK-modules. Then, for any additive mappingf:M L, the setH _f :={ K f(x)=f(x) for allx M} forms a subring ofK, the homogeneity ring off. It is shown that, forM {0},L {0} and any subringS ofK for whichM is a freeS-module, there exists an additive mappingf:ML such thatH _f =S. This result is applied to the four Cauchy functional equations, and it leads also to an answer to the question as to whether it is possible to introduce onM a multiplication ·:M × M M makingM into a ring but not into aK-algebra.     

Some best possible bounds concerning the traces of finite sets II

LetX be ann-element set and be a family of its subsets. Consider the family _x = {F – {x} : F } for a givenx X. We write(m, n) (m – k, n – 1), when for all with || m, there exists an elementx ofX such that| _x| m – k. We show that (m, n) (m – 10,n – 1) for allm 5n and (m, n) (m – 13,n – 1) for allm 29n/5.     

The Spectral Theory of Amenable Actions and Invariants of Discrete Groups

Let G denote a semisimple group, a discrete subgroup, B=G/P the Poisson boundary. Regarding invariants of discrete subgroups we prove, in particular, the following:(1) For any -quasi-invariant measure on B, and any probablity measure on , the norm of the operator () on L ²(B,) is equal to (), where is the unitary representation in L ²(X,), and is the regular representation of .(2) In particular this estimate holds when is Lebesgue measure on B, a Patterson–Sullivan measure, or a -stationary measure, and implies explicit lower bounds for the displacement and Margulis number of (w.r.t. a finite generating set), the dimension of the conformal density, the -entropy of the measure, and Lyapunov exponents of .(3) In particular, when G=PSL₂() and is free, the new lower bound of the displacement is somewhat smaller than the Culler–Shalen bound (which requires an additional assumption) and is greater than the standard ball-packing bound.We also prove that ()=_G() for any amenable action of G and L ¹(G), and conversely, give a spectral criterion for amenability of an action of G under certain natural dynamical conditions. In addition, we establish a uniform lower bound for the -entropy of any measure quasi-invariant under the action of a group with property T, and use this fact to construct an interesting class of actions of such groups, related to 'virtual' maximal parabolic subgroups. Most of the results hold in fact in greater generality, and apply for instance when G is any semi-simple algebraic group, or when is any word-hyperbolic group, acting on their Poisson boundary, for example.     

Local Recognition Of Non-Incident Point-Hyperplane Graphs

Let be a projective space. By H() we denote the graph whose vertices are the non-incident point-hyperplane pairs of , two vertices (p,H) and (q,I) being adjacent if and only if p I and q H. In this paper we give a characterization of the graph H() (as well as of some related graphs) by its local structure. We apply this result by two characterizations of groups G with PSL _n ( )GPGL _n ( ), by properties of centralizers of some (generalized) reflections. Here is the (skew) field of coordinates of .     

On a characterization of polynomials by divided differences

Summary We consider the functional equationf[x ₁,x ₂,, x _n ] =h(x ₁ + +x _n ) (x ₁,,x _n K, x _j x _k forj k), (D) wheref[x ₁,x ₂,,x _n ] denotes the (n – 1)-st divided difference off and prove Theorem. Let n be an integer, n 2, let K be a field, char(K) 2, with # K 8(n – 2) + 2. Let, furthermore, f, h: K K be functions. Then we have that f, h fulfil (D) if, and only if, there are constants a_j K, 0 j n (a := a_n, b := a_{n – 1}) such thatf = ax ⁿ +bx ^{n – 1} + +a ₀ and h = ax + b.     

Small potential corrections for the discrete eigenvalues of the Sturm-Liouville problem

Summary The inverse Sturm-Liouville problem is the problem of finding a good approximation of a potential functionq such that the eigenvalue problem (^*)–y +qy=y holds on (0, ) fory(0)=y()=0 and a set of given eigenvalues . Since this problem has to be solved numerically by discretization and since the higher discrete eigenvalues strongly deviate from the corresponding Sturm-Liouville eigenvalues , asymptotic corrections for the 's serve to get better estimates forq. Let _k (1kn) be the first eigenvalues of (^*), let _k be the corresponding discrete eigenvalues obtained by the finite element method for (^*) and let _{k k} for the special caseq=0. Then, starting from an asymptotic correction technique proposed by Paine, de Hoog and Anderssen, new estimates for the errors of the corrected discrete eigenvalues are obtained and confirm and improve the knownO(kh ²)(h:=/(n+1)) behaviour. The estimates are based on new Sobolev inequalities and on Fourier analysis and it is shown that for 4+c ₂ k(n+1)/2, wherec ₁ andc ₂ are constants depending onq which tend to 0 for vanishingq.     

A graded scale of parametric families of distributions,and parameter estimates based on the sample mean

Summary Denote by _k a class of familiesP={P} of distributions on the line R¹ depending on a general scalar parameter , being an interval of R¹, and such that the moments µ₁()=xdP ,...,µ_2k ()=x ^2k dP are finite, ₁ (), ..., _k (), _k+1 () ..., _k () exist and are continuous, with ₁ () 0, and _j +1 ()= ₁ () _j () +[₂() -₁()²] _j ()/ ₁ (), J=2, ..., k. Let ₁=¯x=x ₁ + ... +x _n/n, ₂=x ₁ ² + ... +x _n ²/n, ..., _k =(x ₁ ^k + ... +x _n ^k/n denote the sample moments constructed for a sample x₁, ..., x_n from a population with distribution Pg. We prove that the estimator of the parameter by the method of moments determined from the equation ₁= ₁() and depending on the observations x₁, ..., x_n only via the sample mean ¯x is asymptotically admissible (and optimal) in the class _k of the estimators determined by the estimator equations of the form ₀ () + ₁ () ₁ + ... + _k () _k =0 if and only ifP _k .The asymptotic admissibility (respectively, optimality) means that the variance of the limit, as n (normal) distribution of an estimator normalized in a standard way is less than the same characteristic for any estimator in the class under consideration for at least one 9 (respectively, for every ).The scales arise of classes _{1 2}... of parametric families and of classes _{1 2} ... of estimators related so that the asymptotic admissibility of an estimator by the method of moments in the class _k is equivalent to the membership of the familyP in the class _k .The intersection consists only of the families of distributions with densities of the form h(x) exp {C₀() + C₁() x } when for the latter the problem of moments is definite, that is, there is no other family with the same moments ₁ (), ₂ (), ...Such scales in the problem of estimating the location parameter were predicted by Linnik about 20 years ago and were constructed by the author in [1] (see also [2, 3]) in exact, not asymptotic, formulation.Translated from Problemy Ustoichivosti Stokhasticheskikh Modelei, pp. 41–47, 1981.     

Excesses of systems of exponential functions

Conditions on the closeness of real sequences {_n} and {_n} are studied which imply the equality of the excesses of the systems {exp(i_nx)} and {exp(i_nx)} in the space L²(–a, a). A theorem is formulated in terms of the difference of the sequences {_n} and {_n} enumerating the functions. In the corollaries of the theorem, conditions are given in terms of the behavior of the difference _n–_n0. An example is constructed showing that the condition _n–_n0 alone is not sufficient for equality of the excesses.Translated from Matematicheskie Zametki, Vol. 22, No. 6, pp. 803–814, December, 1977.     

Algebraic systems of quadratic forms of number fields and function fields

In this paper we examine for which Witt classes ,..., _n over a number field or a function fieldF there exist a finite extensionL/F and ₂,..., _n L^* such thatT _L/F ()=1 andTr _L/F (_i)=_i fori=2,...n.     

Differentiable structures with zero entropy on simply connected 4-manifolds

We show that a closed 4-dimensional simply connected topological manifoldM admits a differentiable structure with aC Riemannian metric whose geodesic flow has zero topological entropy if and only ifM is homeomorphic toS ⁴, ²,S ²×S ², or ²#².     

On Sums of Projections

In the paper, for all n, we describe the set _n of all real numbers admitting a collection of projections P ₁,...,P _n on a Hilbert space H such that _k=1 ⁿ P _k= I (I is the identity operator on H) and study the problem to find all collections of this kind for a given _n .     

The truncated Witten genus

In this paper we define and examine the truncated Witten genus. It is defined as the equivariant index of the Dirac operator on the manifold Map(C_p,M) with its natural C_p-action. Here, Map(C_p,M) is the space of maps from the cyclic group of order p into a closed, connected, spin manifold, M. By applying the Atiyah-Singer index theorem we give a topological formula for the truncated Witten genus which is related to the formula for the Witten genus by truncation of the infinite products. We also show that the equivariant index of the Dirac operator on the projective space Map(C_p,ⁿ⁺¹) is closely related to the truncated Witten genus of ⁿ. The spaces Map(C_p,ⁿ⁺¹) define a filtration of the space Map(S¹,ⁿ⁺¹) which has been used to study equivariant objects on the smooth loop space of ⁿ.Acknowledgement This work was mainly done while the author was studying for a Ph.D. at Warwick University under the supervision of J. D. S. Jones. The author would like to thank John Jones for originally suggesting the problem and for his guidance whilst the author was at Warwick, to thank the EPSRC for funding his Ph.D., and to thank the referee for his detailed comments which helped greatly with the writing of this paper.     

Une variante à la Coxeter du groupe de Steinberg

LetG _n ()be the semi-direct product of the symmetric groupS _n by the Steinberg groupSt _n ()of a ringWe first prove thatG _n ()has a Coxeter-type presentation. The canonical morphism St _n () GL _n ()extends to a group homo G_n() GL _n ()We next determine the kernel of for n = We also give an expression for the generator of the algebraic K group K ₂(Z)of the integers in terms of permutation matrices.     

Convergence of random products of compact contractions in Hilbert space

Let {T₁, ..., T_N} be a finite set of linear contraction mappings of a Hilbert space H into itself, and let r be a mapping from the natural numbers N to {1, ..., N}. One can form S_n=T_r(n)...T_r(1) which could be described as a random product of the T_i's. Roughly, the S_n converge strongly in the mean, but additional side conditions are necessary to ensure uniform, strong or weak convergence. We examine contractions with three such conditions. (W): x_n1, Tx_n1 implies (I-T)x_n0 weakly, (S): x_n1, Tx_n1 implies (I-T)x_n0 strongly, and (K): there exists a constant K>0 such that for all x, (I-T)x²K(x²–Tx²).We have three main results in the event that the T_i's are compact contractions. First, if r assumes each value infinitely often, then S_n converges uniformly to the projection Q on the subspace _i= ₁ ^N [x|T_ix=x]. Secondly we prove that for such compact contractions, the three conditions (W), (S), and (K) are equivalent. Finally if S=S(T₁, ..., T_N) denotes the algebraic semigroup generated by the T_i's, then there exists a fixed positive constant K such that each element in S satisfies (K) with that K.     

More on P-Stable Convex Sets in Banach Spaces

We study the asymptotic behavior and limit distributions for sums S _n =b_n ^-1 _i=1 ⁿ _i,where _i, i 1, are i.i.d. random convex compact (cc) sets in a given separable Banach space B and summation is defined in a sense of Minkowski. The following results are obtained: (i) Series (LePage type) and Poisson integral representations of random stable cc sets in B are established; (ii) The invariance principle for processes S _n(t) =b_n ^-1 _i=1 ^[nt] _i, t[0, 1], and the existence of p-stable cc Levy motion are proved; (iii) In the case, where _i are segments, the limit of S _n is proved to be countable zonotope. Furthermore, if B = R ^d , the singularity of distributions of two countable zonotopes Y_{p 1}, ₁,Y_{p 2}, ₂, corresponding to values of exponents p ₁, p ₂ and spectral measures ₁, ₂, is proved if either p ₁ p ₂ or _{1 2}; (iv) Some new simple estimates of parameters of stable laws in R ^d , based on these results are suggested.     

The Product of Independent Random Variables with Regularly Varying Tails

A distribution is said to have regularly varying tail with index – (0) if lim _x(kx,)/(x,)=k ^– for each k>0. Let X and Y be independent positive random variables with distributions and , respecitvely. The distribution of product XY is called Mellin–Stieltjes convolution (MS convolution) of and . It is known that D() (the class of distributions on (0,) that have regularly varying tails with index –) is closed under MS convolution. This paper deals with decomposition problem of distributions in D() related to MS convolution. A representation of a regularly varying function F of the following form is investigated: F(x)= _k=0 ^n–1 b _k f(a ^k x), where f is a measurable function and a and b _k (k=1,...,n–1) are real constants. A criterion is given for these constants in order that f be regularly varying. This criterion is applicable to show that there exist two distributions and such that neither nor belongs to D() (>0) and their MS convolution belongs to D().     

Best approximations of continuous functions by spline functions

An investigation of the approximation on [0, 1] of functionsf (x) by spline functions s(f,; x) of degree 2r-1 and of deficiency r (r>1) depending on the vector function = ₁ (x),..., _r-1(x) and interpolatingf (x) at fixed points. For the optimal choice of the vector ₀, exact estimates are obtained of the norms f(x)-s (f, ₀; x)_C[0,1] and f (x)-s (f, ₀; x)_{L[0, 1]} on the function classes H Translated from Matematicheskie Zametki, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 41–46, July, 1970.In conclusion we would like to thank N. P. Korneichuk for suggesting this problem and for his valuable advice.