Illuminating high-dimensional convex sets

A setL of points in thed-spaceE ^d is said toilluminate a familyF={S ₁, ...,S _n } ofn disjoint compact sets inE ^d if for every setS _i inF and every pointx in the boundary ofS _i there is a pointv inL such thatv illuminatesx, i.e. the line segment joiningv tox intersects the union of the elements ofF in exactly {x}.The problem we treat is the size of a setS needed to illuminate a familyF={S ₁, ...,S _n } ofn disjoint compact sets inE ^d . We also treat the problem of putting these convex sets in mutually disjoint convex polytopes, each one having at most a certain number of facets.     

Existence of subgraph with orthogonal (g,f)-factorization

Simple graphs are considered. Let G be a graph andg(x) andf(x) integer-valued functions defined on V(G) withg(x)⩽f(x) for everyxɛV(G). For a subgraphH ofG and a factorizationF=|F ₁,F ₂,⃛,F ₁| ofG, if |E(H)∩E(F ₁)|=1,1⩽i⩽j, then we say thatF orthogonal toH. It is proved that for an (mg(x)+k,mf(x) -k)-graphG, there exists a subgraphR ofG such that for any subgraphH ofG with |E(H)|=k,R has a (g,f)-factorization orthogonal toH, where 1⩽k<m andg(x)⩾1 orf(x)⩾5 for everyxɛV(G). Project supported by the Chitia Postdoctoral Science Foundation and Chuang Xin Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.     

Representability of Hom implies flatness

LetX be a projective scheme over a noetherian base schemeS, and letF be a coherent sheaf onX. For any coherent sheaf ε onX, consider the set-valued contravariant functor Hom(ε,F)S-schemes, defined by Hom(ε,F) (T)= Hom(ε _T ,F _T) where ε _T andF _T are the pull-backs of ε andF toX _T =X x _S T. A basic result of Grothendieck ([EGA], III 7.7.8, 7.7.9) says that ifF is flat over S then Kom_ε,F) is representable for all ε. We prove the converse of the above, in fact, we show that ifL is a relatively ample line bundle onX over S such that the functor Hom(L ^-n ,F) is representable for infinitely many positive integersn, thenF is flat overS. As a corollary, takingX =S, it follows that ifF is a coherent sheaf on S then the functorT ↦H°(T, F _t) on the category ofS-schemes is representable if and only ifF is locally free onS. This answers a question posed by Angelo Vistoli. The techniques we use involve the proof of flattening stratification, together with the methods used in proving the author’s earlier result (see [N1]) that the automorphism group functor of a coherent sheaf onS is representable if and only if the sheaf is locally free.     

Bounds on the number of cycles of length three in a planar graph

LetG be ap-vertex planar graph having a representation in the plane with nontriangular facesF ₁,F ₂, …,F _r. Letf ₁,f ₂, …,f _r denote the lengths of the cycles bounding the facesF ₁,F ₂, …,F _r respectively. LetC ₃(G) be the number of cycles of length three inG. We give bounds onC ₃(G) in terms ofp,f ₁,f ₂, …,f _r. WhenG is 3-connected these bounds are bounds for the number of triangles in a polyhedron. We also show that all possible values ofC ₃(G) between the maximum and minimum value are actually achieved. This research was supported in part by the U.S.A.F. Office of Scientific Research, Systems Command, under Grant AFOSR-76-3017 and the National Science Foundation under Grant ENG79-09724.     

On the algebraic independence in the selberg class

We prove that a functionF of the Selberg class ℐ is ab-th power in ℐ, i.e.,F=H ^b for someHσ ℐ, if and only ifb divides the order of every zero ofF and of everyp-componentF _p. This implies that the equationF ^a=G^b with (a, b)=1 has the unique solutionF=H ^b andG=H ^a in ℐ. As a consequence, we prove that ifF andG are distinct primitive elements of ℐ, then the transcendence degree of ℂ[F,G] over ℂ is two.     

Random ergodic theorems and real cocycles

We study mean convergence of ergodic averages associated to a measure-preserving transformation or flow τ along the random sequence of times κ _n (ω) given by the Birkhoff sums of a measurable functionF for an ergodic measure-preserving transformationT. We prove that the sequence (k _n(ω)) is almost surely universally good for the mean ergodic theorem, i.e., that, for almost every, ω, the averages (*) converge for every choice of τ, if and only if the “cocycle”F satisfies a cohomological condition, equivalent to saying that the eigenvalue group of the “associated flow” ofF is countable. We show that this condition holds in many natural situations. When no assumption is made onF, the random sequence (k _n(ω)) is almost surely universally good for the mean ergodic theorem on the class of mildly mixing transformations τ. However, for any aperiodic transformationT, we are able to construct an integrable functionF for which the sequence (k _n(ω)) is not almost surely universally good for the class of weakly mixing transformations.     

A hasse principle for function fields over pac fields

LetK be a perfect pseudo-algebraically closed field and letF be an extension ofK of relative transcendence degree 1. It is shown that the restriction map Res: Br(F)→Π_p Br(F _p ^h ) is injective, where p ranges over all non-trivialK-places ofF, andF _p ^h is the corresponding henselization. Conversely, the validity of this Hasse principle for all such extensionsF implies a weaker version of pseudo-algebraic closedness. As an application we determine the finitely generated pro-p closed subgroups of the absolute Galois group ofK(t).     

Classes caractéristiques non triviales des feuilles de sous-feuilletages localement homogènes

We discuss the computation of the secondary characteristic classes and of the holonomy classes for the leaves of locally homogeneous subfoliations. Furthermore, we shall construct some examples of locally homogeneous subfoliations (F ₁, F ₂) so that a leaf (L ₁, L ₂) of (F ₁, F ₂) admits non-trivial secondary characteristic classes and non-trivial holonomy classes which cannot be obtained if we consider each leaf separately.     

Class groups and Brauer groups

LetF be a global field,n a positive integer not divisible by the characteristic ofF. Then there exists a finite extensionE ofF whose class group has a cyclic direct summand of ordern. This theorem, in a slightly stronger form, is applied to determine completely, on the basis of the work of Fein and Schacher, the structure of the Brauer group Br(F()) of the rational function fieldF(t). As a consequence of this, an additional theorem of the above authors, together with a note at the end of the paper, imply that Br(F(t)) ≊ Br(F(t ₁, ···,t _n)), wheret ₁, ···,t _n are algebraically independent overF.     

The courant-fischer theorem and the spectrum of selfadjoint block band Toeplitz operators

We show that ifT(F) is a selfadjoint block Toeplitz operator generated by a trigonometric matrix polynomialF, then the spectrum ofT(F) as well as the limiting set (F) of the eigenvalues of the truncationsT _n (F) is the union of a finite collection of segments (the spectral range ofF) and at most a finite set of points for which we give an upper bound.