Free Groups of Outer Commutator Varieties of Groups

If F is a free group, 1 < i j 2i and i k i + j + 1 thenF/[_j(F), _i(F), _k(F)] is residually nilpotent and torsion-free.This result is extended to 1 < i j 2i and i k 2i + 2j.It is proved that the analogous Lie rings, L/[L^j, Lⁱ, L^k] whereL is a free Lie ring, are torsion-free. Candidates are foundfor torsion in L/[L^j, Lⁱ, L^k] whenever k is the least of {i,j, k}, and the existence of torsion in L/[L^j, Lⁱ, L^k] is provedwhen i, j, k 5 and k is the least of {i, j, k}.     

Pad?-approximant Bounds and Approximate Solutions for Kirkwood-Riseman Integral Equations

Two-point Pad? approximants are used to calculate tight upperand lower bounds on the quantity <?, f> associated withKirkwood-Riseman integral equations (1+yL)?=f, which arise inthe diffusion theory of flexible macromolecules. The self-adjointoperator L is an integral operator on –1 x 1, with weaklysingular kernel |x – x'|^–?, and the two specificcases (i) f = 1, (ii) f = x² are studied. In case (i) directbounds on <?, 1> are obtained; this quantity is inverselyproportional to the translational diffusion constant. In case(ii) bounds on <?, 1 > are found by a new technique involvingcombinations of bounds for the three cases f = 1, f = x² andf = bx²?b^–1. Various types of Pade and related approximantsare compared, using the information <f, Lⁿf>, n = –2,–1, 0, 1, 2, 3 and (an upper bound on L) for severalvalues of the positive parameter y. Pad?-approximant-generating trial vectors are investigated anda convergence theorem is established. The vector consistingof an optimum linear combination of L^–1f, f and Lf isfound to be an accurate approximation to a numerical solutionin case (ii), for all values of y and x. Specific analyticalexpressions are derived for the approximate solutions.     

Perturbation Solutions of the Whittaker-Hill Equation

When the Helmholtz equation ²V+k²V = 0 is separated in the generalparaboloidal co-ordinate system, the three ordinary differentialequations obtained each take, after a suitable change of variable,the form of the Whittaker-Hill equation. For the case k²<0,a considerable amount is known about the periodic solutionsof this equation. For k²>0, however, very little is so farknown. In this paper solutions of the Whittaker-Hill equationfor small positive k² are derived. These are the first explicitsolutions to be obtained for the case k²>0, and they couldbe employed to solve the Dirichlet or Neumann problem for ageneral paraboloid when k² is small. Three limiting cases arenoted, involving the reduction of the solutions to Mathieu functionsand the reduction of the co-ordinate system to the rotation-paraboloidalsystem.     

Markov and Bernstein type Inequalities in Lp for Classes of Polynomials with Constraints

The Markov-type inequality is proved for all real algebraic polynomials f of degree atmost n having at most k, with 0 k n, zeros (counting multiplicities)in the open unit disk of the complex plane, and for all p >0, where c(p) = c^{p + 1}(l + p^–2) with some absolute constantc > 0. This inequality has been conjectured since 1983 whenthe L case of the above result was proved. It improves and generalizesmany earlier results. Up to the multiplicative constant c(p)>0 the above inequality is sharp. A sharp Bernstein-type analoguefor real trigonometric polynomials is also established, whichis interesting on its own, and plays a key role in the proofof the Markov-type inequality.     

(k, l)-Algebraic Stability of Runge-Kutta Methods

For ordinary differential equations satisfying a one-sided Lipschitzcondition with Lipschitz constant v, the solutions satisfy with l=hv, so that, in the case of Runge-Kutta methods, estimatesof the form ||y_n||²k(l)||y_n–1||² are desirable. Burrage(1986) has investigated the behaviour of the error-boundingfunction k for positive l for the family of s-stage Gauss methodsof order 2s, and has shown that k(l)=exp 2l+O(l³) (l0) for s3.In this paper, we extend the analysis of k to any irreduciblealgebraically stable Runge-Kutta method, and obtain resultsabout the maximum order of k as an approximation to exp 2l.As a particular example, we investigate the function k for allalgebraically stable methods of order 2s–1.     

Convergence rates for the coupling of FEM and collocation BEM

We prove convergence of the coupling of finite and boundaryelements where Galerkin's methd is used for finite elementsand collocation for boundary elements. We consider linear ellipticboundary value problems in two dimensions, in particular problemsin elasticity. The mesh width k of the boundary elements andthe mesh width h of the finite elements are required to satisfykßh with suitable ß. Asymptotic error estimatesin the energy norm and in the L²-norm are derived. Numericalexamples are included.     

Conditions for the Solvability of Systems of Two and Three Additive Forms Over p-Adic Fields

This paper is concerned with non-trivial solvability in p-adicintegers of systems of two and three additive forms. Assumingthat the congruence equation ax^k + by^k + cz^k d (modp) has asolution with xyz 0(modp) we have proved that any system oftwo additive forms of odd degree k with at least 6k + 1 variables,and any system of three additive forms of odd degree k withat least 14k + 1 variables always has non-trivial p-adic solutions,provided p does not divide k. The assumption of the solubilityof the congruence equation above is guaranteed for example ifp > k⁴. In the particular case of degree k = 5 we have proved the followingresults. Any system of two additive forms with at least n variablesalways has non-trivial p-adic solutions provided n 31 and p> 101 or n 36 and p > 11. Furthermore any system of threeadditive forms with at least n variables always has non-trivialp-adic solutions provided n 61 and p > 101 or n 71 andp > 11. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification 11D72, 11D79.     

Surgery on nullhomologous tori and simply connected 4-manifolds with b+ = 1

For 5 k 8, we show that an infinite family of exotic smoothstructures on CP²#k² can beobtained by 1/n-surgeries on a single embedded nullhomologoustorus in a manifold R_k which is homeomorphic to CP²#k². Received January 18, 2007.     

Differentiable Peak-Interpolation on Bounded Domains with Smooth Boundary

Let D be a bounded domain in Cⁿ with C² boundary, and, for 1 k , let A^k(D) be the algebra of functions holomorphic on Dand C^k on a neighbourhood of . It is shown that each peak-interpolation set for A^k(D) is afinite set.     

The Range of Possible Values of f(x)

The purpose of this paper is to explain how to compute the rangeof possible values of a function of one variable, f(x), givenvalues of the function at n distinct points x₁ < x₂ <... < x_M–1 < x_M, and given a finite bound on thekth derivative of f: ||f^(k)|| L, 1 k n.     

On the Small Squaring and Commutativity

Let G be a group and let k > 2 be an integer, such that (k²– 3)(k – 1) < |G|/15 if G is finite. Supposethat the condition |A²| k(k + 1)/2 + (k – 3)/2 is satisfiedby every it-element subset A G. Then G is abelian. The proofuses the structure of quasi-invariant sets.     

On a Comparison Principle and the Critical Fujita Exponents for Solutions of Semilinear Parabolic Inequalities

The paper examines blow-up phenomena for the inequality u_t–Lu–|u|^q–1u_t–L–||^q–1 (*) in the half-space x Rⁿ, n 1, where L is a linear second-order partial differential operatorin divergence form. The paper studies weak solutions of (*) that belong only locallyto the corresponding Sobolev spaces in the half-space x Rⁿ. It also requires no conditionsfor the behavior of solutions of (*) on the hyperplane t = 0. The existence of critical blow-up exponents is obtained forsolutions of (*) as a special case of a comparison principlefor the corresponding solutions of (*). For example, the well-knownFujita result is a consequence of the comparison principle. The approach developed in the paper is directly applicable tothe study of analogous problems involving nonlinear differentialoperators. Its elliptic analogue has been recently developedby the authors.     

Convolution complementarity problems with application to impact problems

^** Email: dstewart{at}math.uiowa.edu. Part of this work was carried out while visiting CMAF at the University of Lisbon and while visiting the University of Lyons 1. Convolution complementarity problems (CCPs) have the followingform: given a matrix-valued function k and a vector-valued functionq, find a vector-valued function u satisfying 0 u(t) (k*u)(t)+ q(t) 0 for all t. In this paper CCPs are applied to a mechanicalimpact problem, but they can also be applied to other dynamicproblems with hard constraints. CCPs are shown to have solutionsprovided q(0) 0 and q is sufficiently regular, k has locallybounded variation and k(0⁺) is a P-matrix. Uniqueness also holdsprovided, in addition, k(0⁺) is symmetric positive definite.This theory shows that the impact problem studied here has aunique solution, and that energy is conserved. Numerical methodshave been devised and implemented for the impact problem, andthe results are presented.     

Determination of a Convex Body from Minkowski Sums of its Projections

For a convex body K in R^d and 1 K d – 1, let P_K (K)be the Minkowski sum (average) of all orthogonal projectionsof K onto k-dimensional subspaces of R^d. It is Known that theoperator P_k is injective if kd/2, k=3 for all d, and if k =2, d 14. It is shown that P_2k (K) determines a convex body K among allcentrally symmetric convex bodies and P_2k+1(K) determines aconvex body K among all bodies of constant width. Correspondingstability results are also given. Furthermore, it is shown thatany convex body K is determined by the two sets P_k (K) and P_k'(K) if 1 < k < k'. Concerning the range of P_k , 1 k d–2, it is shown that its closure (in the Hausdorff-metric)does not contain any polytopes other than singletons.     

Construction of p-1 Irreducible Modules with Fundamental Highest Weight for the Symplectic Group in Characteristic p

Let K be a field and let V be a vector space of dimension 2mover K. Let V denote the exterior algebra of V and ^kV its kthexterior power for 0k2m. Let f be a non-degenerate alternatingbilinear form defined on VxV. The symplectic group Sp_2m(K) isthe group of all isometries of f and it acts as a group of vectorspace automorphisms on ^kV. In the case that K is algebraicallyclosed and 1km, it is known that ^kV contains a composition factorcorresponding to the fundamental weight _k of a root system oftype C_m. We shall refer to the irreducible module for Sp_2m(K)given by this composition factor as a fundamental module.     

Small Sets which meet all the n-Term Arithmetic Progressions in the Interval [1, n2]

For any positive integers n and k, let f(n, k) denote the smallestsize of a subset of the integer interval I =[l, n] which meetsall the k-term arithmetic progressions contained in I. We showthat n+(1/2)n^1/2–2 < f(n²,n) , where p is the largest prime n, and for any real number x,[x] is the least integer x.     

Finite-Element Approximation of Elliptic Equations with a Neumann or Robin Condition on a Curved Boundary

This paper considers a finite-element approximation of a second-orderself adjoint elliptic equation in a region Rⁿ (with n=2 or 3)having a curved boundary on which a Neumann or Robin conditionis prescribed. If the finite-element space defined over , a union of elements, has approximation power h^kin the L² norm, and if the region of integration is approximatedby ^h with dist (, ^h)Ch^k, then it is shown that one retains optimalrates of convergence for the error in the H¹ and L² norms, whetherQ^h is fitted or unfitted , provided that the numerical integration scheme has sufficientaccuracy.     

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions for Exponential Stability and Ultimate Boundedness of Systems Governed by Stochastic Partial Differential Equations

Consider the following infinite dimensional stochastic evolutionequation over some Hilbert space H with norm |·|: It is proved that under certain mild assumptions, the strongsolution X_t(x₀)VHV*, t 0, is mean square exponentially stableif and only if there exists a Lyapunov functional (·,·):HxR₊R¹ which satisfies the following conditions: (i)c₁|x|²–k₁e^–µ₁t(x,t)c₂|x|²+k₂+k₂e^–µ₂t; (ii) L(x,t)–c₃(x,t)+k₃e^–µ₃t, xV, t0; where L is the infinitesimal generator of the Markov processX_t and c_i, k_i, µ_i, i = 1, 2, 3, are positive constants.As a by-product, the characterization of exponential ultimateboundedness of the strong solution is established as the nulldecay rates (that is, µ_i = 0) are considered.     

Oscillation Criteria for First-Order Delay Equations

This paper is concerned with the oscillatory behaviour of first-orderdelay differential equations of the form (1) where is non-decreasing, (t)< t for t t₀ and . Let the numbers k andL be defined by It is proved here that when L < 1 and 0 < k 1/e all solutionsof equation (1) oscillate in several cases in which the condition holds, where ₁ is the smaller root of the equation = e^k. 2000Mathematics Subject Classification 34K11 (primary); 34C10 (secondary).     

On the Volume Ratio of Two Convex Bodies

Let K and L be two convex bodies in Rⁿ. The volume ratio vr(K,L) of K and L is defined by vr(K, L = inf(|K|/|T(L)|)^1/n, wherethe infimum is over all affine transformations T of Rⁿ for whichT(L) K. It is shown in this paper that vr(K, L) , where c > 0 is an absolute constant. This isoptimal up to the logarithmic term. 2000 Mathematics SubjectClassification 52A40, 46B07 (primary); 52A21, 52A20 (secondary).