Weakly Regular Semigroups of Isotone Transformations

Let X be a partially ordered set and O(X) be the semigroup of all mappings X → X that preserve the order, i.e., x ≤ y ? xα ≤ yα for all x, y ∈ X. It is proved that the semigroup O(X) is weakly regular in the wide sense if and only if at least one of the following conditions holds: (1) X is a quasi-complete chain; (2) the elements of X are not comparable pairwise; (3) X = Y ∪ Z, where y < z for y ∈ Y, z ∈ Z; (4) X = Y ∪ Z, where y ₀ ∈ Y, z ₀ ∈ Z, and y ₀ < z for z ∈ Z, y < z0 for y ∈ Y; (5) X = {a, c} ∪ B, where a < b < c for b ∈ B; (6) X = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}, where 1 < 4, 1 < 5, 2 < 5, 2 < 6, 3 < 4, 3 < 6. Moreover, if X is a quasi-ordered set but not partially ordered, then the semigroup O(X) is weakly regular in the wide sense if and only if x ≤ y for all x, y ∈ X.     

On the Gomory–Hu Inequality

It was proved by R. Gomory and T. Hu in 1961 that, for every finite nonempty ultrametric space (X, d), the inequaliy \( \left| {\mathrm{Sp}(X)} \right|\leq \left| X \right|-1 \), where Sp(X) = {d(x, y) : x, y ∈ X, x ≠ y} , holds. We characterize the spaces X for which the equality is attained by the structural properties of some graphs and show that the set of isometric types of such X is dense in the Gromov–Hausdorff space of the isometric types of compact ultrametric spaces.     

Applications of utility functions defined on quasi-metric spaces

A quasi-metric space (X,d) is called sup-separable if (X,d^s) is a separable metric space, where d^s(x,y)=max{d(x,y),d(y,x)} for all x,y∈X. We characterize those preferences, defined on a sup-separable quasi-metric space, for which there is a semi-Lipschitz utility function. We deduce from our results that several interesting examples of quasi-metric spaces which appear in different fields of theoretical computer science admit semi-Lipschitz utility functions. We also apply our methods to the study of certain kinds of dynamical systems defined on quasi-metric spaces.     

Commutativity of rings with derivations

I. N. Herstein [10] proved that a prime ring of characteristic not two with a nonzero derivation d satisfying d(x)d(y) = d(y)d(x) for all x, y must be commutative, and H. E. Bell and M. N. Daif [8] showed that a prime ring of arbitrary characteristic with nonzero derivation d satisfying d(xy) = d(yx) for all x, y in some nonzero ideal must also be commutative. For semiprime rings, we show that an inner derivation satisfying the condition of Bell and Daif on a nonzero ideal must be zero on that ideal, and for rings with identity, we generalize all three results to conditions on derivations of powers and powers of derivations. For example, let R be a prime ring with identity and nonzero derivation d, and let m and n be positive integers such that, when charR is finite, m ∨ n < charR. If d(x ^m y ⁿ ) = d(y ⁿ x ^m ) for all x, y ∈ R, then R is commutative. If, in addition, charR≠ 2 and the identity is in the image of an ideal I under d, then d(x) ^m d(y) ⁿ = d(y) ⁿ d(x) ^m for all x, y ∈ I also implies that R is commutative.     

Generalized weak peripheral multiplicativity in algebras of Lipschitz functions

Let (X, d _X ) and (Y,d _Y ) be pointed compact metric spaces with distinguished base points e _X and e _Y . The Banach algebra of all $\mathbb{K}$ -valued Lipschitz functions on X — where $\mathbb{K}$ is either?or ? — that map the base point e _X to 0 is denoted by Lip₀(X). The peripheral range of a function f ∈ Lip₀(X) is the set Ran_µ(f) = {f(x): |f(x)| = ‖f‖_∞} of range values of maximum modulus. We prove that if T ₁, T ₂: Lip₀(X) → Lip₀(Y) and S ₁, S ₂: Lip₀(X) → Lip₀(X) are surjective mappings such that $Ran_\pi (T_1 (f)T_2 (g)) \cap Ran_\pi (S_1 (f)S_2 (g)) \ne \emptyset $ for all f, g ∈ Lip₀(X), then there are mappings φ₁φ₂: Y → $\mathbb{K}$ with φ₁(y)φ₂(y) = 1 for all y ∈ Y and a base point-preserving Lipschitz homeomorphism ψ: Y → X such that T _j (f)(y) = φ _j (y)S _j (f)(ψ(y)) for all f ∈ Lip₀(X), y ∈ Y, and j = 1, 2. In particular, if S ₁ and S ₂ are identity functions, then T ₁ and T ₂ are weighted composition operators.     

Finite quasihypermetric spaces

Let (X, d) be a compact metric space and let (X) denote the space of all finite signed Borel measures on X. Define I: (X) → ℝ by I(μ) = ∫ _X ∫ _X d(x, y)dμ(x)dμ(y), and set M(X) = sup I(μ), where μ ranges over the collection of measures in (X) of total mass 1. The space (X, d) is quasihypermetric if I(μ) ≦ 0 for all measures μ in (X) of total mass 0 and is strictly quasihypermetric if in addition the equality I(μ) = 0 holds amongst measures μ of mass 0 only for the zero measure. This paper explores the constant M(X) and other geometric aspects of X in the case when the space X is finite, focusing first on the significance of the maximal strictly quasihypermetric subspaces of a given finite quasihypermetric space and second on the class of finite metric spaces which are L ¹-embeddable. While most of the results are for finite spaces, several apply also in the general compact case. The analysis builds upon earlier more general work of the authors [11] [13].      

Convexity in finite metric spaces

A subsetS of a metric space (X,d) is calledd-convex if for any pair of pointsx,y S each pointz X withd(x,z) +d(z,y) =d(x,y) belongs toS. We give some results and open questions concerning isometric and convexity-preserving embeddings of finite metric spaces into standard spaces and the number ofd-convex sets of a finite metric space.     

Engel type identities with derivations for right ideals in prime rings

Let R be a prime ring of char R≠2, d a non-zero derivation of R and ρ a non-zero right ideal of R such that [[d(x),d(y)]_n [y,x]_m] = 0 for all x,y ∈ ρ or [[d(x),d(y)]_n d[y,x]_m] = 0 for all x,y ∈ ρ, n, m ≥ 0 are fixed integers. If [ρ,ρ]ρ ≠ 0, then d(ρ)ρ = 0.     

On metrizable enveloping semigroups

When a topological group G acts on a compact space X, its enveloping semigroup E(X) is the closure of the set of g-translations, g ∈ G, in the compact space X ^X . Assume that X is metrizable. It has recently been shown by the first two authors that the following conditions are equivalent: (1) X is hereditarily almost equicontinuous; (2) X is hereditarily nonsensitive; (3) for any compatible metric d on X the metric d _G (x, y) ≔ sup{d(gx, gy): g ∈ G} defines a separable topology on X; (4) the dynamical system (G, X) admits a proper representation on an Asplund Banach space. We prove that these conditions are also equivalent to the following: the enveloping semigroup E(X) is metrizable.     

On metric spaces with the Haver property which are Menger spaces

A metric space (X,d) has the Haver property if for each sequence ?₁,?₂,… of positive numbers there exist disjoint open collections V₁,V₂,… of open subsets of X, with diameters of members of Vi less than ?i and covering X, and the Menger property is a classical covering counterpart to σ-compactness. We show that, under Martin's Axiom MA, the metric square (X,d)×(X,d) of a separable metric space with the Haver property can fail this property, even if X² is a Menger space, and that there is a separable normed linear Menger space M such that (M,d) has the Haver property for every translation invariant metric d generating the topology of M, but not for every metric generating the topology. These results answer some questions by L. Babinkostova [L. Babinkostova, When does the Haver property imply selective screenability? Topology Appl. 154 (2007) 1971-1979; L. Babinkostova, Selective screenability in topological groups, Topology Appl. 156 (1) (2008) 2-9].     

Vertical versus horizontal Poincaré inequalities on the Heisenberg group

Let ? = 〈a, b|a[a, b] = [a, b]a ∧ b[a, b] = [a, b]b〉 be the discrete Heisenberg group, equipped with the left-invariant word metric d _W (·, ·) associated to the generating set {a, b, a ^?1, b ^?1}. Letting B _n = {x ∈ ?: d _W (x, e _?) ? n} denote the corresponding closed ball of radius n ∈ ?, and writing c = [a, b] = aba ^?1 b ^?1, we prove that if (X, ‖ · ‖X) is a Banach space whose modulus of uniform convexity has power type q ∈ [2,∞), then there exists K ∈ (0, ∞) such that every f: ? → X satisfies $$\sum\limits_{k = 1}^{{n^2}} {\sum\limits_{x \in {B_n}} {\frac{{\left\| {f(x{c^k}) - f(x)} \right\|_X^q}}{{{k^{1 + q/2}}}}} } \leqslant K\sum\limits_{x \in {B_{21n}}} {(\left\| {f(xa) - f(x)} \right\|_X^q + \left\| {f(xb) - f(x)} \right\|_X^q)} $$ . It follows that for every n ∈ ? the bi-Lipschitz distortion of every f: B _n → X is at least a constant multiple of (log n)^1/q , an asymptotically optimal estimate as n → ∞.     

On an internal property of absolute retracts,II

Let X be a (metrizable) space. A mixer for X is, roughly speaking, a map μ:X³→X such that μ(x, x, y) = μ(x, y, x) = μ(y, x, x) = x for all x, y ∈ X. We show that each AR has a mixer and that a finite dimensional path connected space with a mixer is an AR. Our main result is that each separable space with a mixer and having an open cover by sets contractible within the whole space, is LEC.     

Properties of functions with monotone graphs

A metric space (X,d) is monotone if there is a linear order < on X and a constant c>0 such that d(x,y)≦cd(x,z) for all x<y<z∈X. Properties of continuous functions with monotone graph (considered as a planar set) are investigated. It is shown, for example, that such a function can be almost nowhere differentiable, but must be differentiable at a dense set, and that the Hausdorff dimension of the graph of such a function is 1.     

Low distortion euclidean embeddings of trees

We consider the problem of embedding a certain finite metric space to the Euclidean space, trying to keep the bi-Lipschitz constant as small as possible. We introduce the notationc ₂(X, d) for the least distortion with which the metric space (X, d) may be embedded in a Euclidean space. It is known that if (X, d) is a metric space withn points, thenc ₂(X, d)≤0(logn) and the bound is tight. LetT be a tree withn vertices, andd be the metric induced by it. We show thatc ₂(T, d)≤0(log logn), that is we provide an embeddingf of its vertices to the Euclidean space, such thatd(x, y)≤‖f(x)−f(y) ‖≤c log lognd(x, y) for some constantc. Supported in part by grants from the Israeli Academy of Sciences and the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation. Supported in part by NSF under grants CCR-9215293 and by DIMACS, which is supported by NSF grant STC-91-19999 and by the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology.     

Absence of eigenvalues for the periodic Schrödinger operator with singular potential in a rectangular cylinder

We consider the periodic Schrödinger operator on a d-dimensional cylinder with rectangular section. The electric potential may contain a singular component of the form σ(x, y)δ _Σ(x,y), where Σ is a periodic system of hypersurfaces. We establish that there are no eigenvalues in the spectrum of this operator, provided that Σ is sufficiently smooth and σ ∈ L _p,loc(Σ), p > d ? 1.     

Construction of spherical 4- and 5-designs

A finite subsetX of thed-dimensional unit sphereS ^d-1 is called a sphericalt-design, if and only if $$\frac{1}{{\left| {S^{d - 1} } \right|}}\int_{S^{d - 1} } {f(x)d\omega (x)} = \frac{1}{{\left| x \right|}}\sum\limits_{x \in X} {f(x)} $$ holds for all polynomialsf(x) =f(x ₁,x ₂,...,x _d ) of degree at mostt. In 1984 Seymour and Zaslavsky proved the existence of sphericalt-designs for anyt andd, but for sufficiently large |X|. Since spherical designs can be used for numerical integration, it is of interest to give explicit constructions. Mimura gave a construction fort = 2,d ∈ ? and |X| ≥n ₂ for somen ₂ ∈ ? (n ₂ is sharp). Here we will give an explicit construction fort = 4 and 5,d ∈ ? and |X| ≥n ₄ for somen ₄ ∈ ?.     

Best trigonometric and bilinear approximations of classes of functions of several variables

Order-sharp estimates of the best orthogonal trigonometric approximations of the Nikol’skii-Besov classes B _p,θ ^r of periodic functions of several variables in the space L _q are obtained. Also the orders of the best approximations of functions of 2d variables of the form g(x, y) = f(x?y), x, y ∈ $\mathbb{T}$ ^d = Π _j=1 ^d [?π, π], f(x) ∈ B _p,θ ^r , by linear combinations of products of functions of d variables are established.     

Two special cases of the assignment problem

The assignment problem may be stated as follows: Given finite sets of points S and T, with|S| ? |T|, and given a “metric” which assigns a distance d(x, y) to each pair (x, y) such that x ∈ T and y ∈ S find a 1?1 function Q: T→ S which minimizes Σ_x∈Td(x, Q(x)) We consider the two special cases in which the points lie (1) on a line segment and (2) on a circle, and the metric is the distance along the line segment or circle, respectively. In each case, we show that the optimal assignment Q can be computed in a number of steps (additions and comparisons) proportional to the number of points. The problem arose in connection with the efficient rearrangement of desks located in offices along a corridor which encircles one floor of a building.     

On the average distance property and certain energy integrals

One of our main results is the following: LetX be a compact connected subset of the Euclidean spaceR ⁿ andr(X, d ₂) the rendezvous number ofX, whered ₂ denotes the Euclidean distance inR ⁿ . (The rendezvous numberr(X, d ₂) is the unique positive real number with the property that for each positive integern and for all (not necessarily distinct)x ₁,x ₂,...,x _n inX, there exists somex inX such that .) Then there exists some regular Borel probability measure μ₀ onX such that the value of ∫ _X d ₂(x, y)dμ₀ (y) is independent of the choicex inX, if and only ifr(X, d ₂) = sup_μ ∫ _X ∫ _X d ₂(x, y)dμ(x)dμ(y), where the supremum is taken over all regular Borel probability measures μ onX.