Polynomials generalizing binomial coefficients and their application to the study of Fermat's last theorem

We study properties of the polynomials φ_k(X) which appear in the formal development Π_{k ? 0}ⁿ (a + bX^k)^rk = Σ_{k ≥ 0}φ_k(X) a^{r ? k}b^k, where r_k ∈ $\text{l}$ and r = Σr_k. this permits us to obtain the coefficients of all cyclotomic polynomials. Then we use these properties to expand the cyclotomic numbers G_r(ξ) = Π_{k = 1}^{p ? 1} (a + bξ^k)^kr, where p is a prime, ξ is a primitive pth root of 1, a, b ∈ $\text{l}$ and 1 ≤ r ≤ p ? 3, modulo powers of ξ ? 1 (until (ξ ? 1)^{2(p ? 1) ? r}). This gives more information than the usual logarithmic derivative. Suppose that $\text{p ? ab(a + b)}$. Let $\text{m = ?}\text{b}\text{a}$. We prove that G_r(ξ) ≡ c^p mod p(ξ ? 1)² for some c ∈ $\text{l}$, if and only if Σ_{k = 1}^{p ? 1}k^{p ? 2 ? r}m^k ≡ 0 (mod p). We hope to show in this work that this result is useful in the study of the first case of Fermat's last theorem.     

On the maximum number of permutations with given maximal or minimal distance

Let us denote by R(k, ? λ)[R(k, ? λ)] the maximal number $\text{M}$ such that there exist $\text{M}$ different permutations of the set {1,…, k} such that any two of them have at least λ (at most λ, respectively) common positions. We prove the inequalities R(k, ? λ) ? kR(k ? 1, ? λ ? 1), R(k, ? λ) ? R(k, ? λ ? 1) ? k!, R(k, ? λ) ? kR(k ? 1, ? λ ? 1). We show: R(k, ? k ? 2) = 2, R(k, ? 1) = (k ? 1)!, R(p^m, ? 2) = (p^m ? 2)!, R(p^m + 1, ? 3) = (p^m ? 2)!, $\text{R(k, ? k ? 3) =}\text{k!}\text{2}$, R(k, ? 0) = k, R(p^m, ? 1) = p^m(p^m ? 1), R(p^m + 1, ? 2) = (p^m + 1)p^m(p^m ? 1). The exact value of R(k, ? λ) is determined whenever k ? k₀(k ? λ); we conjecture that R(k, ? λ) = (k ? λ)! for k ? k₀(λ). Bounds for the general case are given and are used to determine that the minimum of |R(k, ? λ) ? R(k, ? λ)| is attained for $\text{λ = (}\text{k}\text{2}\text{) + O(}\text{k}\text{log}\text{k}\text{)}$.     

An asymptotic evaluation of the cycle index of a symmetric group

Let $\text{Z(S}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{;?(x))}$ denote the polynomial obtained from the cycle index of the symmetric group Z(S_n) by replacing each variable s_i by f(x¹). Let f(x) have a Taylor series with radius of convergence ? of the form f(x)=x^k + a_k+1x^k+1 + a_k+2x^k+2+? with every a₁?0. Finally, let 0<x<1 and let x??. We prove that

This limit is used to estimate the probability (for n and p both large) that a point chosen at random from a random p-point tree has degree n + 1. These limiting probabilities are independent of p and decrease geometrically in n, contrasting with the labeled limiting probabilities of $\text{1}\text{n!e}$.In order to prove the main theorem, an appealing generalization of the principle of inclusion and exclusion is presented.     

Forbidding just one intersection

Following a conjecture of P. Erdös, we show that if $\text{F}$ is a family of k-subsets of and n-set no two of which intersect in exactly l elements then for k ? 2l + 2 and n sufficiently large |$\text{F}$| ? (_{k ? l ? 1}^{n ? l ? 1}) with equality holding if and only if $\text{F}$ consists of all the k-sets containing a fixed (l + 1)-set. In general we show |$\text{F}$| ? d_kn^{max;{;l,k ? l ? 1};}, where d_k is a constant depending only on k. These results are special cases of more general theorems (Theorem 2.1–2.3).     

Cyclic quartic fields and genus theory of their subfields

Let k = $\text{Q}$(√u) (u ≠ 1 squarefree), K any possible cyclic quartic field containing k. A close relation is established between K and the genus group of k. In particular: (1) Each K can be written uniquely as K = $\text{Q}$(√vwη), where η is fixed in k and satisfies η ? 1, (η) = $\text{U}$²√u, |$\text{U}$²| = |(√u)|, (v, u) = 1, v ∈ $\text{Z}$ is squarefree, w|u, 0 < w < √u. Thus if u ≠ a² + b², there is no K ? k. If u = a² + b² then for each fixed v there are 2^{g ? 1}K ? k, where g is the number of prime divisors of u. (2) $\text{K}\text{k}$ has a relative integral basis (RIB) (i.e., O_K is free over O_k) iff N(ε₀) = ?1 and w = 1, where ε₀ is the fundamental unit of k, (or, equivalently, iff K = $\text{Q}$(√vε₀√u), (v, u) = 1). (3) A RIB is constructed explicitly whenever it exists. (4) disc(K) is given. In particular, the following results are special cases of (2): (i) Narkiewicz showed in 1974 that $\text{K}\text{k}$ has a RIB if u is a prime; (ii) Edgar and Peterson (J. Number Theory12 (1980), 77–83) showed that for u composite there is at least one K ? k having no RIB. Besides, it follows from (4) that the classification and integral basis of K given by Albert (Ann. of Math.31 (1930), 381–418) are wrong.     

Characterization of quadratic and cubic σ-polynomials

Here quadratic and cubic σ-polynomials are characterized, or, equivalently, chromatic polynomials of the graphs of order p, whose chromatic number is p ? 2 or p ? 3, are characterized. Also Robert Korfhage's conjecture that if σ² + bσ + a is a σ-polynomial then $\text{a ≤}\text{1}\text{2}\text{(b}{}^2\text{? 5b + 12)}$ is verified. In general, if σ(G) = Σ₀ⁿa_iσⁱ is a σ-polynomial of a graph G, then a_n?2 is determined.     

Convergence of weighted sums of tight random elements

Convergence of weighted sums of tight random elements {V_n} (in a separable Banach space) which have zero expected values and uniformly bounded rth moments (r > 1) is obtained. In particular, if {a_nk} is a Toeplitz sequence of real numbers, then | Σ_k=1^∞a_nkf(V_k)| → 0 in probability for each continuous linear functional f if and only if 6Σ_k=1^∞a_nkV_k 6→ 0 in probability. When the random elements are independent and max_{1≤k≤n | ank | = $\text{O}$(n^?8)} for some $\text{0 <}\text{1}\text{s}\text{< r ? 1}$, then |Σ_k=1^∞a_nkV_k 6→ 0 with probability 1. These results yield laws of large numbers without assuming geometric conditions on the Banach space. Finally, these results can be extended to random elements in certain Fréchet spaces.     

On the first case of Fermat's last theorem

Let p be an odd prime and suppose that for some a, b, c ? $\text{Z}$\p$\text{Z}$ we have that a^p + b^p + c^p = 0. In Part I a simple new expression and a simple proof of the congruences of Mirimanoff which appeared in his papers of 1910 and 1911 are given. As is known, these congruences have Wieferich and Mirimanoff criteria (2^{p ? 1} ≡ 1 mod p² and 3^{p ? 1} ≡ 1 mod p²) as immediate consequences. Mirimanoff's congruences are expressed in the form of polynomial congruences $\text{P}{}_{\mathrm{m}}\text{(}\text{?a}\text{b}\text{) ≡ 0}\text{mod}\text{p}$, 1 ≤ m ≤ p ? 1, and these polynomials P_m(X) are characterized by means of simple relations. In Part II a complement to Kummer-Mirimanoff congruences is given under the hypothesis that p does not divide the second factor of the class number of the p-cyclotomic field.     

Prime and prime power divisibility of Catalan numbers

For any prime p, the sequence of Catalan numbers

$\text{a}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{=}\text{1}\text{n}\text{2n?2}\text{n?1}$

is divided by the a_n prime to p into blocks B_k(k > 0) of a_n divisible by p. The lengths and positions of the B_k are determined. Additional results are obtained on prime power divisibility of Catalan numbers.     

Hermite series estimates of a probability density and its derivatives

The following estimate of the pth derivative of a probability density function is examined: $\text{Σ}{}_{\mathrm{k\; =\; 0}}{}^{\mathrm{N}}\text{a}\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{k}}\text{h}{}_{\mathrm{k}}\text{(x)}$, where h_k is the kth Hermite function and $\text{a}\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{k}}\text{= (}\text{(?1)}{}^{\mathrm{p}}\text{n}\text{)}$Σ_{i = 1}ⁿh_k^(p)(X_i) is calculated from a sequence X₁,…, X_n of independent random variables having the common unknown density. If the density has r derivatives the integrated square error converges to zero in the mean and almost completely as rapidly as O(n^?α) and O(n^?α log n), respectively, where $\text{α =}\text{2(r ? p)}\text{(2r + 1)}$. Rates for the uniform convergence both in the mean square and almost complete are also given. For any finite interval they are O(n^?β) and $\text{O(n}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>?\beta </mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{log}\text{n)}$, respectively, where $\text{β =}\text{(2(r ? p) ? 1)}\text{(2r + 1)}$.     

Extension de quelques theoremes sur les densites de series d'elements de n a des series de sous-ensembles finis de n

For a sequence A = {A_k} of finite subsets of N we introduce: $\text{δ(A) =}\text{inf}{}_{\mathrm{m?n}}\text{A(m)}\text{2}{}^{\mathrm{n}}$, $\text{d(A) =}\text{lim inf}{}_{\mathrm{n\to \infty }}\text{A(n)}\text{2}{}^{\mathrm{n}}$, where A(m) is the number of subsets A_k ? {1, 2, …, m}.The collection of all subsets of {1, …, n} together with the operation $\text{a ∪ b, (a ∩ b), (a 1 b = a ∪ b ? a ∩ b)}$ constitutes a finite semi-group N^∪ (semi-group N^∩) (group $\text{N}{}^1$). For N^∪, N^∩ we prove analogues of the Erdös-Landau theorem: δ(A+B) ? δ(A)(1+(2λ)^?1(1?δ(A>))), where B is a base of N of the average order λ. We prove for $\text{N}{}^{\mathrm{\cup }}\text{, N}{}^{\mathrm{\cap }}\text{, N}{}^1$ analogues of Schnirelmann's theorem (that δ(A) + δ(B) > 1 implies δ(A + B) = 1) and the inequalities λ ? 2h, where h is the order of the base.We introduce the concept of divisibility of subsets: a|b if b is a continuation of a. We prove an analog of the Davenport-Erdös theorem: if d(A) > 0, then there exists an infinite sequence {A_kr}, where A_kr | A_kr+1 for r = 1, 2, …. In Section 6 we consider for $\text{N∪, N∩, N1}$ analogues of Rohrbach inequality: $\text{2n}\text{? g(n) ? 2}\text{n}$, where g(n) = min k over the subsets {a₁ < … < a_k} ? {0, 1, 2, …, n}, such that every m? {0, 1, 2, …, n} can be expressed as m = a_i + a_j.Pour une série A = {A_k} de sous-ensembles finis de N on introduit les densités: $\text{δ(A) =}\text{inf}{}_{\mathrm{m?n}}\text{A(m)}\text{2}{}^{\mathrm{m}}$, $\text{d(A) =}\text{lim inf}{}_{\mathrm{n\to \infty }}\text{A(n)}\text{2}{}^{\mathrm{n}}$ où A(m) est le nombre d'ensembles A_k ? {1, 2, …, m}. L'ensemble de toutes les parties de {1, 2, …, n} devient, pour les opérations $\text{a ∪ b, a ∩ b, a 1 b = a ∪ b ? a ∩ b}$, un semi-groupe fini N^∪, N^∩ ou un groupe N¹ respectivement. Pour N^∪, N^∩ on démontre l'analogue du théorème de Erdös-Landau: δ(A + B) ? δ(A)(1 + (2λ)^?1(1?δ(A))), où B est une base de N d'ordre moyen λ. On démontre pour $\text{N}{}^{\mathrm{\cup }}\text{, N}{}^{\mathrm{\cap }}\text{, N}{}^1$ l'analogue du théorème de Schnirelmann (si δ(A) + δ(B) > 1, alors δ(A + B) = 1) et les inégalités λ ? 2h, où h est l'ordre de base. On introduit le rapport de divisibilité des enembles: a|b, si b est une continuation de a. On démontre l'analogue du théorème de Davenport-Erdös: si d(A) > 0, alors il existe une sous-série infinie {A_kr}, où A_kr|A_kr+1, pour r = 1, 2, … . Dans le Paragraphe 6 on envisage pour N^∪, $\text{N}{}^{\mathrm{\cap }}\text{, N}{}^1$ les analogues de l'inégalité de Rohrbach: $\text{2n}\text{? g(n) ? 2}\text{n}$, où g(n) = min k pour les ensembles {a₁ < … < a_k} ? {0, 1, 2, …, n} tels que pour tout m? {0, 1, 2, …, n} on a m = a_i + a_j.     

An extremal result for sum-free sequences

Let a₁ < a₂ < … be a sequence of positive integers such that no a_k is a sum of distinct other terms. Erdös conjectured that if a₁ ≥ n, then $\text{Σ1}\text{a}{}_{\mathrm{k}}\text{<}\text{log}\text{2 + ?}{}_{\mathrm{n}}$, where, ?_n → 0 as n → ∞. This result, which is the best possible, is established in this paper.     

Best quadrature formulas at equally spaced nodes

It has been known for some time that the trapezoidal rule $\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{f =}\text{1}\text{2}\text{f(0) + f(1) + … + f(n ? 1) +}\text{1}\text{2}\text{f(n)}$ is the best quadrature formula in the sense of Sard for the space W^1,p, all functions such that f′ ?L^p. In other words, the norm of the error functional Ef = ∝₀ⁿf(x) dx ? ∑_{k = 0}ⁿλ_kf(k) in W^1,p is uniquely minimized by the trapezoidal sum. This paper deals with quadrature formulas of the form ∑_{k = 0}ⁿ ∑_l?Jc_klf^(l)(k) where J is some subset of {0, 1,…, m ? 1}. For certain index sets J we identify the best quadrature formula for the space W^m,p, all functions such that f^(m)?L^p. As a result, we show that the Euler-Maclaurin quadrature formula

$\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{f +}\text{∑}\text{o<2v≤m}\text{B}{}_{\mathrm{2v}}\text{(2v)!}\text{(f (2v?1)(0) ? f (2v?1) (n))}$

is the best quadrature formula of the above form with J = {0, 1, 3,…, ?m ? 1} for the space W^m,p, providing m is an odd integer.     

On the integer points on some special hyper-elliptic curves over a finite field

If $\text{l}$_r(p) is the least positive integral value of x for which y² ≡ x(x + 1) ? (x + r ? 1)(modp) has a solution, we conjecture that $\text{l}$_r(p) ≤ r² ? r + 1 with equality for infinitely many primes p. A proof is sketched for r = 5. A further generalization to y² ≡ (x + a₁) ? (x + a_r) is suggested, where the a's are fixed positive integers.     

On differences and sums of integers,I

A set {b₁,b₂,…,b_i} ? {1,2,…,N} is said to be a difference intersector set if {a₁,a₂,…,a_s} ? {1,2,…,N}, j > ?N imply the solvability of the equation a_x ? a_y = b′; the notion of sum intersector set is defined similarly. The authors prove two general theorems saying that if a set {b₁,b₂,…,b_i} is well distributed simultaneously among and within all residue classes of small moduli then it must be both difference and sum intersector set. They apply these theorems to investigate the solvability of the equations ($\text{a}{}_{\mathrm{x}}\text{?}\text{a}{}_{\mathrm{y}}\text{p}\text{= + 1}$, $\text{(a}{}_{\mathrm{u}}\text{?}\text{a}{}_{\mathrm{v}}\text{p}\text{) = ? 1}$, $\text{(a}{}_{\mathrm{r}}\text{+}\text{a}{}_{\mathrm{s}}\text{p}\text{) = + 1}$, $\text{(a}{}_{\mathrm{t}}\text{+}\text{a}{}_{\mathrm{z}}\text{p}\text{) = ? 1}$ (where ($\text{a}\text{p}$) denotes the Legendre symbol) and to show that “almost all” sets form both difference and sum intersector sets.     

Estimates on the first eigenvalue of an integral equation

We show how inequalities of the type $\text{∥F∥}{}_{\mathrm{p}}\text{? C(p, q) a}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1\; +\; (</mtext><mtext>1</mtext><mtext>p</mtext><mtext>)?\; (</mtext><mtext>1</mtext><mtext>q</mtext><mtext>)</mtext>}}\text{∥ F ′ ∥}{}_{\mathrm{q\prime }}$ when F(0) = 0 can be used to find lower bounds of the first eigenvalue of the integral equation F(z) = λ ∝₀^ak(s, z)F(s) ds.     

Note on lower bounds for the rank of a matrix

The following results are proved: Let A = (a_ij) be an n × n complex matrix, n ? 2, and let k be a fixed integer, 1 ? k ? n ? 1.(1) If there exists a monotonic G-function f = (f₁,…,f_n) such that for every subset of S of {1,…,n} consisting of k + 1 elements we have

$\text{Π}\text{i∈S}\text{f}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{(A)<}\text{Π}\text{i∈S}\text{|a}{}_{\mathrm{ii}}\text{|,}$

then the rank of A is ? n ? k + 1. (2) If A is irreducible and if there exists a G-function f = (f₁,…,f_n) such that for every subset of S of {1,…,n} consisting of k + 1 elements we have

$\text{Π}\text{i∈S}\text{f}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{(A)<}\text{Π}\text{i∈S}\text{|a}{}_{\mathrm{ii}}\text{|,}$

then the rank of A is ? n ? k + 1 if k ? 2, n ? 3; it is ? n ? 1 if k = 1.     

Votes and a half-binomial

In two party elections with popular vote ratio $\text{p}\text{q}\text{,}\text{1}\text{2}\text{≤p=1 ?q}$, a theoretical model suggests replacing the so-called MacMahon cube law approximation $\text{(}\text{p}\text{q}\text{)}{}^3$, for the ratio $\text{P}\text{Q}$ of candidates elected, by the ratio $\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{k}}\text{(p)}\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{k}}\text{(q)}$ of the two half sums in the binomial expansion of (p+q)^2k+1 for some k. This ratio is nearly $\text{(}\text{p}\text{q}\text{)}{}^3$ when k = 6. The success probability $\text{g}{}_{\mathrm{k}}\text{(p)=(}\text{p}{}^{\mathrm{a}}\text{(p}{}^{\mathrm{a}}\text{+q}{}^{\mathrm{a}}\text{)}$ for the power law $\text{(}\text{p}\text{q}\text{)}{}^{\mathrm{a}}\text{?}\text{P}\text{Q}$ is shown to so closely approximate $\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{k}}\text{(p)=Σ}{}_0{}^{\mathrm{k}}\text{(}{}_{\mathrm{r}}{}^{\mathrm{2k+1}}\text{)p}{}^{\mathrm{2k+1?r}}\text{q}{}^{\mathrm{r}}$, if we choose $\text{a = a}{}_{\mathrm{k}}\text{=}\text{(2k+1)!}\text{4}{}^{\mathrm{k}}\text{k!k!}$, that $\text{1≤}\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{k}}\text{(p)}\text{g}{}_{\mathrm{k}}\text{(p)}\text{≤1.01884086}$ for $\text{k≥1}\text{if}\text{1}\text{2}\text{≤p≤1}$. Computationally, we avoid large binomial coefficients in computing $\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{k}}\text{(p)}$ for k>22 by expressing $\text{2?}{}_{\mathrm{k}}\text{(p)?1}$ as the sum $\text{(p?q) Σ}{}_0{}^{\mathrm{k}}\text{(4pq)}{}^{\mathrm{s}}\text{a}{}_{\mathrm{s}}\text{(2s+1)}$, whose terms decrease by the factors $\text{(4pq)(1?}\text{1}\text{2s}\text{)}$. Setting K = 4k+3, we compute a_k for the large k using a continued fraction $\text{πa}{}_{\mathrm{k}}{}^2\text{=}\text{K+1}{}^2\text{(}\text{2K+3}{}^2\text{(}\text{2K+5}{}^2\text{(2K+…)}\text{)}\text{)}$ derived from the ratio of π to the finite Wallis product approximation.     

Uniqueness of solutions of nonlinear Dirichlet problems

In this paper, we consider the uniqueness of radial solutions of the nonlinear Dirichlet problem $\text{Δu + ?(u) = 0}\text{in}\text{Ω}\text{with}\text{u = 0}\text{on}\text{?Ω,}\text{where}\text{Δ = ∑}{}_{\mathrm{i\; =\; 1}}{}^{\mathrm{n}}\text{?}{}^2\text{?x}{}_{\mathrm{i}}{}^2\text{,?}$ satisfies some appropriate conditions and Ω is a bounded smooth domain in $\text{R}$ⁿ which possesses radial symmetry. Our uniqueness results apply to, for instance, $\text{?(u) = u}{}^{\mathrm{p}}\text{, p > 1}$, or more generally λu + ∑_{i = 1}^ka_iu^pi, λ ? 0, a_i > 0 and p_i > 1 with appropriate upper bounds, and Ω a ball or an annulus.     

On a function due to S. Chowla

Let θ(k, pⁿ) be the least s such that the congruence $\text{x}{}_1{}^{\mathrm{k}}\text{+ ? + x}{}_{\mathrm{s}}{}^{\mathrm{k}}\text{≡ 0}$ (mod pⁿ) has a nontrivial solution. It is shown that if k is sufficiently large and divisible by p but not by p ? 1, then $\text{θ(k, p}{}^{\mathrm{n}}\text{) ≤ k}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$. We also obtain the average order of θ(k), the least s such that the above congruence has a nontrivial solution for every prime p and every positive integer n.