Normal Transversality and Uniform Bounds

Let A be a commutative ring. A graded A-algebra U = _n0 U_n isa standard A-algebra if U₀ = A and U = A[U₁] is generated asan A-algebra by the elements of U₁. A graded U-module F = _n0F_nis a standard U-module if F is generated as a U-module by theelements of F₀, that is, F_n = U_nF₀ for all n 0. In particular,F_n = U₁F_n–1 for all n 1. Given I, J, two ideals of A,we consider the following standard algebras: the Rees algebraof I, R(I) = _n0Iⁿtⁿ = A[It] A[t], and the multi-Rees algebraof I and J, R(I, J) = _n0(_p+q=nI^pJ^qu^pv^q) = A[Iu, Jv] A[u, v].Consider the associated graded ring of I, G(I) = R(I) A/I =_n0Iⁿ/Iⁿ⁺¹, and the multi-associated graded ring of I and J,G(I, J) = R(I, J) A/(I+J) = _n0(_p+q=nI^pJ^q/(I+J)I^pJ^q). We canalways consider the tensor product of two standard A-algebrasU = _p0U_p and V = _q0V_q as a standard A-algebra with the naturalgrading U V = _n0(_p+q=nU_p V_q). If M is an A-module, we havethe standard modules: the Rees module of I with respect to M,R(I; M) = _n0IⁿMtⁿ = M[It] M[t] (a standard R(I)-module), andthe multi-Rees module of I and J with respect to M, R(I, J;M) = _n0(_p+q=nI^pJ^qMu^pv^q) = M[Iu, Jv] M[u, v] (a standard R(I,J)-module). Consider the associated graded module of M withrespect to I, G(I; M) = R(I; M) A/I = _n0IⁿM/Iⁿ⁺¹M (a standardG(I)-module), and the multi-associated graded module of M withrespect to I and J, G(I, J; M) = R(I, J; M) A/(I+J) = _n0(_p+q=nI^pJ^qM/(I+J)I^pJ^qM)(a standard G(I, J)-module). If U, V are two standard A-algebras,F is a standard U-module and G is a standard V-module, thenF G = _n0(_p+q=nF_p G_q) is a standard U V-module. Denote by :R(I) R(J; M) R(I, J; M) and :R(I, J; M) R(I+J;M) the natural surjective graded morphisms of standard RI) R(J)-modules. Let :R(I) R(J; M) R(I+J; M) be . Denote by :G(I) G(J; M) G(I, J; M) and :G(I, J; M) G(I+J; M) the tensor productof and by A/(I+J); these are two natural surjective gradedmorphisms of standard G(I) G(J)-modules. Let :G(I) G(J; M) G(I+J; M) be . The first purpose of this paper is to prove the following theorem.     

A Class of Infinite Dimensional Simple Lie Algebras

Let A be an abelian group, F be a field of characteristic 0,and , ß be linearly independent additive maps fromA to F, and let ker()\{0}. Then there is a Lie algebra L = L(A,, ß, ) = _xA Fe_x under the product [e_x, e_y]]=(x–y)e_x+y+(ß) (x, y) e_x+y–. If, further, ß() = 1, and ß(A) = Z, thereis a subalgebra L⁺:=L(A⁺, , ß, ) = _xA⁺ Fe_x, whereA⁺ = {xA|ß(x)0}. The necessary and sufficient conditionsare given for L' = [L, L] and L⁺ to be simple, and all semi-simpleelements in L' and L⁺ are determined. It is shown that L' andL⁺ cannot be isomorphic to any other known Lie algebras andL' is not isomorphic to any L⁺, and all isomorphisms betweentwo L' and all isomorphisms between two L⁺ are explicitly described.     

Lp Lq Estimates for Parabolic Systems in Non-Divergence Form with VMO Coefficients

Consider a parabolic NxN-system of order m on ⁿ with top-ordercoefficients a VMOL. Let 1 < p, q < and let be a Muckenhouptweight. It is proved that systems of this kind possess a uniquesolution u satisfying whereAu = _||m a Du and J = [0,). In particular, choosing = 1, therealization of A in L^p(ⁿ)^N has maximal L^p – L^q regularity.     

On Artin's Braid Group And Polyconvexity In The Calculus Of Variations

Let R² be a bounded Lipschitz domain and let be a Carathèodory integrand such that F(x,·) is polyconvex for L²-a.e. x . Moreover assume thatF is bounded from below and satisfies the condition as det for L²-a.e. x . The paper describes the effect of domain topologyon the existence and multiplicity of strong local minimizersof the functional wherethe map u lies in the Sobolev space W_id^1,p (, R²) with p 2and satisfies the pointwise condition u(x) >0 for L²-a.e.x . The question is settled by establishing that F[·]admits a set of strong local minimizers on that can be indexed by the group P_n Zⁿ, the directsum of Artin's pure braid group on n strings and n copies ofthe infinite cyclic group. The dependence on the domain topologyis through the number of holes n in and the different mechanismsthat give rise to such local minimizers are fully exploitedby this particular representation.     

The l{infty} direct sum of Lp (1 < p < {infty}) is primary

Using Szemeredi's theorem on arithmetic progressions, it isshown that, for 1 < p < , the infinite l direct sum (L^p L^p · · · )_l is a primary Banach space.     

Generators and defining relations for ring of invariants of commuting locally nilpotent derivations or automorphisms

Let A be an algebra over a field K of characteristic zero andlet ₁, ..., _sDer _K(A) be commuting locally nilpotent K-derivationssuch that _i(x_j) equals _ij, the Kronecker delta, for some elementsx₁, ..., x_sA. A set of generators for the algebra is found explicitly and a set of defining relationsfor the algebra A is described. Similarly, let ₁, ..., _s Aut_K(A)be commuting K-automorphisms of the algebra A is given suchthat the maps _i – id_A are locally nilpotent and _i (x_j)= x_j + _ij, for some elements x₁, ..., x_s A. A set of generatorsfor the algebra A: = {a A | ₁(a) = ... = _s(a) = a} is foundexplicitly and a set of defining relations for the algebra Ais described. In general, even for a finitely generated non-commutativealgebra A the algebras of invariants A and A are not finitelygenerated, not (left or right) Noetherian and a minimal numberof defining relations is infinite. However, for a finitely generatedcommutative algebra A the opposite is always true. The derivations(or automorphisms) just described appear often in many differentsituations (possibly) after localization of the algebra A.     

Linear Automorphisms that are Symplectomorphisms

Let K be the field of real or complex numbers. Let (X K²ⁿ,) be a symplectic vector space and take 0 < k < n,N =. Let L₁,...,L_N X be 2k-dimensionallinear subspaces which are in a sufficiently general position.It is shown that if F : X X is a linear automorphism whichpreserves the form ^k on all subspaces L₁,...,L_N, then F is an_k-symplectomorphism (that is, F^* = _k, where ). In particular, if K = R and k is odd then F mustbe a symplectomorphism. The unitary version of this theoremis proved as well. It is also observed that the set A_l,2r ofall l-dimensional linear subspaces on which the form has rank 2r is linear in the Grassmannian G(l,2n), that is, there isa linear subspace L such that A_l,2r = L G(l, 2n). In particular,the set A_l,2r can be computed effectively. Finally, the notionof symplectic volume is introduced and it is proved that itis another strong invariant.     

Immanant Inequalities, Induced Characters, and Rank Two Partitions

If = {₁, ₂, ..., _s}, where _{1 2} ... _s > 0, is a partitionof n then denotes the associated irreducible character of S_n,the symmetric group on {1, 2, ..., n}, and, if cCS_n, the groupalgebra generated by C and S_n, then d_c(·) denotes thegeneralized matrix function associated with c. If c₁, c₂ CS_nthen we write c₁ c₂ in case (A) (A) for each n x n positivesemi-definite Hermitian matrix A. If cCS_n and c(e) 0, wheree denotes the identity in S_n, then or denotes (c(e))^–1 c. The main result, an estimate for the norms of tensors of a certainanti-symmetry type, implies that if = {₁, ₂, ..., _s, 1^t} isa partition of n such that s > 1 and _s = 2, and ' denotes{₁, ₂, ..., _s-1, 1^t} then (, _{2}) where denotes characterinduction from S_n–2 x S₂ to S_n. This in turn implies thatif = {₁, ₂, ..., _s, 1^t} with s > 1, _s = 2, and ßdenotes {₁ + 2, ₂, ..., _s-1, 1^t} then _ß which,in conjunction with other known results, provides many new inequalitiesamong immanants. In particular it implies that the permanentfunction dominates all normalized immanants whose associatedpartitions are of rank 2, a result which has proved elusivefor some years. We also consider the non-relationship problem for immanants– that is the problem of identifying pairs, (,ß)such that _ß and _ß are both false.     

Residual Finiteness of Quasi-Positive One-Relator Groups

A criterion is given for showing that certain one-relator groupsare residually finite. This is applied to a one-relator groupwith torsion G = a₁,...,a_r|Wⁿ. It is shown that G is residuallyfinite provided that W is outside the commutator subgroup andn is sufficiently large. An important ingredient in the proofis a criterion which implies that a subgroup of a group is malnormal.A graded small-cancellation criterion is developed which detectswhether a map A B between graphs induces a ₁-injection, andwhether ₁A maps to a malnormal subgroup of ₁B.     

Direct Sums of Operator Spaces

It is proved that if X and Y are operator spaces such that everycompletely bounded operator from X into Y is completely compactand Z is a completely complemented subspace of X Y, then thereexists a completely bounded automorphism : X Y X Y with completelybounded inverse such that Z = X₀ Y₀, where X₀ and Y₀ are completelycomplemented subspaces of X and Y, respectively. If X and Yare homogeneous, the existence is proved of such a under aweaker assumption that any operator from X to Y is strictlysingular. An upper estimate is obtained for ||||_cb||^–1||_cbif X and Y are separable homogeneous Hilbertian operator spaces.Also proved is the uniqueness of a ‘completely unconditional’basis in X Y if X and Y satisfy certain conditions.     

A Criterion for the Existence of Transversals of Set Systems

Nash-Williams [6] formulated a condition that is necessary andsufficient for a countable family A=(A_i)_iI of sets to have atransversal. In [7] he proved that his criterion applies alsowhen we allow the set I to be arbitrary and require only that_iJA_i=Ø for any uncountable JI. In this paper, we formulateanother criterion of a similar nature, and prove that it isequivalent to the criterion of Nash-Williams for any familyu. We also present a self-contained proof that if _iJA_i=Øfor any uncountable JI, then our condition is necessary andsufficient for the family u to have a transversal.     

Extremal Subgroups in Chevalley Groups

Throughout this paper G(k) denotes a Chevalley group of rankn defined over the field k, where n3. Let be the root systemassociated with G(k) and let ={₁, ₂, ..., _n} be a set of fundamentalroots of , with ⁺ being the set of positive roots of with respectto . For and ⁺, let n() be the coefficient of in the expressionof as a sum of fundamental roots; so =n(). Also we recall thatht(), the height of , is given by ht()=n(). The highest rootin ⁺ will be denoted by . We additionally assume that the Dynkindiagram of G(k) is connected.     

Tensor Products of C*-Algebras Over Abelian Subalgebras

Suppose that A is a C*-algebra and C is a unital abelian C*-subalgebrawhich is isomorphic to a unital subalgebra of the centre ofM(A), the multiplier algebra of A. Letting = , so that we maywrite C = C(), we call A a C()-algebra (following Blanchard[7]). Suppose that B is another C()-algebra, then we form A_CB, the algebraic tensor product of A with B over C as follows:A B is the algebraic tensor product over C, I_C = {ⁿ_i–1(f_i 1–1f_i)x|f_iC, xAB} is the ideal in AB generated by f1–1f|fC,and A _CB = AB/I_C. Then A_CB is an involutive algebra over C,and we shall be interested in deciding when A_CB is a pre-C*-algebra;that is, when is there a C*-norm on A_C B? There is a C*-semi-norm,which we denote by ||·||_C-min, which is minimal in thesense that it is dominated by any semi-norm whose kernel containsthe kernel of ||·||_C-min. Moreover, if A _C B has a C*-norm,then ||·||_C-min is a C*-norm on A_C B. The problem isto decide when ||·||_C-min is a norm. It was shown byBlanchard [7, Proposition 3.1] that when A and B are continuousfields and C is separable, then ||·||_C-min is a norm.In this paper we show that ||·||_C-min is a norm whenC is a von Neumann algebra, and then we examine some consequences.     

Eigenvectors of Order-Preserving Linear Operators

Suppose that K is a closed, total cone in a real Banach spaceX, that A:XX is a bounded linear operator which maps K intoitself, and that A' denotes the Banach space adjoint of A. Assumethat r, the spectral radius of A, is positive, and that thereexist x₀0 and m1 with A^m(x₀)=r^mx₀ (or, more generally, thatthere exist x₀(–K) and m1 with A^m(x₀)r^mx₀). If, in addition,A satisfies some hypotheses of a type used in mean ergodic theorems,it is proved that there exist uK–{0} and K'–{0}with A(u)=ru, A'()=r and (u)>0. The support boundary of Kis used to discuss the algebraic simplicity of the eigenvaluer. The relation of the support boundary to H. Schaefer's ideasof quasi-interior elements of K and irreducible operators Ais treated, and it is noted that, if dim(X)>1, then thereexists an xK–{0} which is not a quasi-interior point.The motivation for the results is recent work of Toland, whoconsidered the case in which X is a Hilbert space and A is self-adjoint;the theorems in the paper generalize several of Toland's propositions.     

Geometry of Critical Loci

Let :(Z,z)(U,0) be the germ of a finite (that is, proper with finite fibres)complex analytic morphism from a complex analytic normal surfaceonto an open neighbourhood U of the origin 0 in the complexplane C². Let u and v be coordinates of C² defined on U. Weshall call the triple (, u, v) the initial data. Let stand for the discriminant locus of the germ , that is,the image by of the critical locus of . Let ()_A be the branches of the discriminant locus at O whichare not the coordinate axes. For each A, we define a rational number d by where I(–, –) denotes the intersection number at0 of complex analytic curves in C². The set of rational numbersd, for A, is a finite subset D of the set of rational numbersQ. We shall call D the set of discriminantal ratios of the initialdata (, u, v). The interesting situation is when one of thetwo coordinates (u, v) is tangent to some branch of , otherwiseD = {1}. The definition of D depends not only on the choiceof the two coordinates, but also on their ordering. In this paper we prove that the set D is a topological invariantof the initial data (, u, v) (in a sense that we shall definebelow) and we give several ways to compute it. These resultsare first steps in the understanding of the geometry of thediscriminant locus. We shall also see the relation with thegeometry of the critical locus.     

Sierpinski and non-Sierpinski curve Julia sets in families of rational maps

We discuss the dynamics as well as the structure of the parameterplane of certain families of rational maps with few criticalorbits. Our paradigm is the family R_t(z) = (1 + (4/27)z³/(1– z)), with dynamics governed by the behaviour of thepostcritical orbit (Rⁿ())_n. In particular, it is shown thatif escapes (that is, Rⁿ() tends to infinity), then the Juliaset of R is a Cantor set, or a Sierpiski curve, or a curve withone or else infinitely many cut-points; each of these casesactually occurs.     

Betti Numbers of Semialgebraic and Sub-Pfaffian Sets

Let X be a subset in [–1,1]^n₀R^n₀ defined by the formula X={x₀|Q₁x₁Q₂x₂...Qx ((x₀,x₁,...x)X)}, where Q_i{ }, Q_i Q_i+1, x_i [–1, 1]^n_i, and X may be eitheran open or a closed set in [–1,1]^n₀+...+n, being the differencebetween a finite CW-complex and its subcomplex. An upper boundon each Betti number of X is expressed via a sum of Betti numbersof some sets defined by quantifier-free formulae involving X. In important particular cases of semialgebraic and semi-Pfaffiansets defined by quantifier-free formulae with polynomials andPfaffian functions respectively, upper bounds on Betti numbersof X are well known. The results allow to extend the boundsto sets defined with quantifiers, in particular to sub-Pfaffiansets.     

Sharp Upper Bound to the First Nonzero Neumann Eigenvalue for Bounded Domains in Spaces of Constant Curvature

The main result of this paper is that for a domain containedin a hemisphere of the n-dimensional sphere Sⁿ the first nonzeroNeumann eigenvalue µ₁() is less than or equal to the firstnonzero Neumann eigenvalue µ₁(D) where D is a geodesicball in Sⁿ of the same measure as . Equality occurs if and onlyif is isometric to D. This result generalizes old results ofSzegö and Weinberger which gave the corresponding upperbound for µ₁() in the Euclidean case, and a result ofChavel for domains in Sⁿ which restricted to lie in a geodesicball of radius when n = 2and to even smaller geodesic balls for larger n. The techniquesused are analogous to those for our recent proof of the Payne-Pólya-Weinbergerconjecture: rearrangement inequalities and properties of specialfunctions are the key elements. The general approach is a directextension of Weinberger's for domains in Rⁿ.     

The Isolated Points of G{rho} and the w*-Strongly Exposed Points of P{rho}(G)0

Let G be a separable locally compact group and let be its dualspace with Fell's topology. It is well known that the set P(G)of continuous positive-definite functions on G can be identifiedwith the set of positive linear functionals on the group C^*-algebraC^*(G). We show that if is discrete in , then there exists anonzero positive-definite function associated with such that is a w^*-strongly exposed point of P(G)₀, where P(G)₀={f P(G):f(e)1. Conversely, if some nonzero positive-definite function associatedwith is a w^*-strongly exposed point of P(G)₀, then is isolatedin . Consequently, G is compact if and only if, for every ,there exists a nonzero positive-definite function associatedwith that is a w^*-strongly exposed point of P(G)₀. If, in addition,G is unimodular and , then is isolated in if and only if somenonzero positive-definite function associated with is a w^*-stronglyexposed point of P(G)₀, where is the left regular representationof G and is the reduced dual space of G. We prove that if B(G)has the Radon–Nikodym property, then the set of isolatedpoints of (so square-integrable if G is unimodular) is densein . It is also proved that if G is a separable SIN-group, thenG is amenable if and only if there exists a closed point in. In particular, for a countable discrete non-amenable groupG (for example the free group F₂ on two generators), there isno closed point in its reduced dual space .     

2-Ruled Calibrated 4-Folds in R7 and R8

This article introduces the notion of 2-ruled 4-folds: submanifoldsof Rⁿ fibred over a 2-fold by affine 2-planes. This is motivatedby a paper by Joyce and previous work of the present author.A 2-ruled 4-fold M is r-framed if an oriented basis is smoothlyassigned to each fibre, and then we may write M in terms oforthogonal smooth maps ₁,₂ : S^n–1 and a smooth map : Rⁿ. We focus on 2-ruled Cayley 4-folds in R⁸ as certainother calibrated 4-folds in R⁷ and R⁸ can be considered as specialcases. The main result characterizes non-planar, r-framed, 2-ruledCayley 4-folds, using a coupled system of nonlinear, first-order,partial differential equations that ₁ and ₂ satisfy, and anothersuch equation on which is linear in . We give a means of constructing2-ruled Cayley 4-folds starting from particular 2-ruled Cayleycones using holomorphic vector fields. This is used to giveexplicit examples of U(1)-invariant 2-ruled Cayley 4-folds asymptoticto a U(1)³-invariant 2-ruled Cayley cone. Examples are alsogiven based on ruled calibrated 3-folds in C³ and R⁷ and complexcones in C⁴.