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.     

TURAN'S EXTREMAL PROBLEM FOR POSITIVE DEFINITE FUNCTIONS ON GROUPS

We study the following question: given an open set , symmetricabout 0, and a continuous, integrable, positive definite functionf, supported in and with f(0) = 1, how large can f be? Thisproblem has been studied so far mostly for convex domains inEuclidean space. In this paper we study the question in arbitrarylocally compact abelian groups and for more general domains.Our emphasis is on finite groups as well as Euclidean spacesand ^d. We exhibit upper bounds for f assuming geometric propertiesof of two types: (a) packing properties of and (b) spectralproperties of . Several examples and applications of the maintheorems are shown. In particular, we recover and extend severalknown results concerning convex domains in Euclidean space.Also, we investigate the question of estimating f over possiblydispersed sets solely in dependence of the given measure m :=||of . In this respect we show that in and the integral is maximalfor intervals.     

Properties of Removable Singularities for Hardy Spaces of Analytic Functions

Removable singularities for Hardy spaces H^p() = {f Hol(): |f|^p u in for some harmonic u}, 0 < p < are studied. A setE = is a weakly removable singularity for H^p(\E) if H^p(\E) Hol(), and a strongly removable singularity for H^p(\E) if H^p(\E)= H^p(). The two types of singularities coincide for compactE, and weak removability is independent of the domain . The paper looks at differences between weak and strong removability,the domain dependence of strong removability, and when removabilityis preserved under unions. In particular, a domain and a setE that is weakly removable for all H^p, but not strongly removablefor any H^p(\E), 0 < p < , are found. It is easy to show that if E is weakly removable for H^p(\E)and q > p, then E is also weakly removable for H^q(\E). Itis shown that the corresponding implication for strong removabilityholds if and only if q/p is an integer. Finally, the theory of Hardy space capacities is extended, anda comparison is made with the similar situation for weightedBergman spaces.     

Movement and Separation of Subsets of Points Under Group Actions

Let G be a permutation group on a set , and let m and k be integerswhere 0<m<k. For a subset of , if the cardinalities ofthe sets ^g\, for gG, are finite and bounded, then is said tohave bounded movement, and the movement of is defined as move()=max_gG|^g\|. If there is a k-element subset such that move()m, it is shown that some G-orbit has length at most (k²–m)/(k–m).When combined with a result of P. M. Neumann, this result hasthe following consequence: if some infinite subset has boundedmovement at most m, then either is a G-invariant subset withat most m points added or removed, or nontrivially meets aG-orbit of length at most m²+m+1. Also, if move ()m for allk-element subsets and if G has no fixed points in , then either||k+m (and in this case all permutation groups on have thisproperty), or ||5m–2. These results generalise earlierresults about the separation of finite sets under group actionsby B. J. Birch, R. G. Burns, S. O. Macdonald and P. M. Neumann,and groups in which all subsets have bounded movement (by theauthor).     

Smooth Approximation of Sobolev Functions on Planar Domains

We examine two related problems concerning a planar domain .The first is whether Sobolev functions on can be approximatedby global C functions, and the second is whether approximationcan be done by functions in C() which, together with all derivatives,are bounded on . We find necessary and sufficient conditionsfor certain types of domains, such as starshaped domains, andwe construct several examples which show that the general problemis quite difficult, even in the simply connected case.     

A Torsion-Free Milnor-Moore Theorem

Let X be the space of Moore loops on a finite, q-connected,n-dimensional CW complex X, and let R Q be a subring containing1/2. Let (R) be the least non-invertible prime in R. For a gradedR-module M of finite type, let FM = M/Torsion M. We show thatthe inclusion P FH_*(X;R) of the sub-Lie algebra of primitiveelements induces an isomorphism of Hopf algebras provided that (R) n/q. Furthermore, the Hurewiczhomomorphism induces an embedding of F(_*(X) R) in P, with P/F(_*(X)R)torsion. As a corollary, if X is elliptic, then FH_*(X;R) isa finitely generated R-algebra.     

BOUNDARY CONCENTRATION IN RADIAL SOLUTIONS TO A SYSTEM OF SEMILINEAR ELLIPTIC EQUATIONS

We study concentration phenomena for the system in the unit ball B₁ of ³ with Dirichlet boundaryconditions. Here , , > 0 and p > 1. We prove the existenceof positive radial solutions (, ) such that concentrates ata distance (/2)|log | away from the boundary B₁ as the parameter tends to 0. The approach is based on a combination of Lyapunov–Schmidtreduction procedure together with a variational method.     

Maximal Convex Subgroups of the Automorphism Group of a Doubly Transitive Chain

We characterise all maximal convex l-subgroups of A(), the automorphismgroup of a doubly transitive chain of countable coterminality.We then determine, up to isomorphism, all doubly transitiveactions of the l-group A(). Finally, assuming the ContinuumHypothesis, we show that there exists an unbounded chain ofproper prime subgroups of A().     

Scharlemann-Thompson Invariant for Knots with Unknotting Tunnels and the Distance of (1,1)-Splittings

Scharlemann and Thompson introduced an invariant (K,) Q/2Z forthe pair of a knot K in the 3-sphere and an unknotting tunnel for K. The paper studies the relationship between the invariant(K, ) of a (1,1)-knot and the distance of its (1,1)-splittingintroduced by the author.     

Compact Embeddings of Besov Spaces in Exponential Orlicz Spaces

Let 1 < p < , 0 < v < p', let be a bounded domainin Rⁿ, and denote by id the limiting compact embedding of theBesov space (Rⁿ) into the exponentialOrlicz space L_exp(t^v)(), mapping a function f onto its restrictionf|. In 1993 Triebel established, among others, two-sided estimatesfor the entropy numbers of id, which are even asymptoticallyoptimal for ‘small’ . The aim of the paper is toimprove the upper bounds in the case of ‘large’, where Triebel's estimates are not yet sharp, thus making afurther step towards the conjectured correct asymptotic behaviour.     

POSITIVE SOLUTIONS FOR A NONLINEAR ELLIPTIC PROBLEM WITH STRONG LACK OF COMPACTNESS

This paper deals with the lack of compactness in the nonlinearelliptic problem – u + u = |u|^p–2u in , u > 0in , u = 0 on , when is un unbounded domain in ⁿ and 2 <p < 2n/(n–2). In particular, a domain is provided where non-converging Palais–Smale sequences existat every energy level. Nevertheless, it is proved that the problemhas infinitely many solutions on .     

Some Compactness Results in Real Interpolation for Families of Banach Spaces

The paper shows that, if the operator T:A()B() is compact foralmost every , then is compact when or is the interpolation functor constructed for infinitefamilies of Banach spaces and S satisfies certain conditions.     

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.     

Minimal Geodesics on Manifolds with Discontinuous Metrics

The paper describes some qualitative properties of minimizerson a manifold M endowed with a discontinuous metric. The discontinuityoccurs on a hypersurface disconnecting M. Denote by ₁ and₂ the open subsets of M such that M\ =₁₂. Assume that and are endowed with metrics ·, · ₍₁₎ and ·,·₍₂₎, respectively, such that (i=1, 2) is convex or concave. The existence of a minimizerof the length functional on curves joining two given pointsof M is proved. The qualitative properties obtained allows therefraction law in a very general situation to be described.     

On the Reflexivity of Operator Algebras with Isometric Functional Calculus

Every subalgebra of L(H) which is isometrically weak*-homeomorphicwith H() is reflexive, when is a finitely connected regionin the complex plane.     

Real Interpolation and Two Variants of Gehring's Lemma

Let be a fixed open cube in Rⁿ. For r[1, ) and [0, ) we define where Q is a cube in Rⁿ (with sides parallel to the coordinateaxes) and _Q stands for the characteristic function of the cubeQ. A well-known result of Gehring [5] states that if (1.1) for some p(1, ) and c(0, ), then there exist q(p, ) and C=C(p,q, n, c)(0, ) such that for all cubes Q, where |Q| denotes the n-dimensional Lebesguemeasure of Q. In particular, a function fL¹() satisfying (1.1)belongs to L^q(). In [9] it was shown that Gehring's result is a particular caseof a more general principle from the real method of interpolation.Roughly speaking, this principle states that if a certain reversedinequality between K-functionals holds at one point of an interpolationscale, then it holds at other nearby points of this scale. Usingan extension of Holmstedt's reiteration formulae of [4] andresults of [8] on weighted inequalities for monotone functions,we prove here two variants of this principle involving extrapolationspaces of an ordered pair of (quasi-) Banach spaces. As an applicationwe prove the following Gehring-type lemmas.     

Positive Eigenfunctions of a Schrodinger Operator

The paper considers the eigenvalue problem where , and for some bounded open set R^N. Given >0, does there exist a value of >0 for which theproblem has a positive solution? It is shown that this occursif and only if lies in a certain interval (,₁) and that inthis case the value of is unique, =(). The properties of thefunction () are also discussed.     

Base Sizes and Regular Orbits for Coprime Affine Permutation Groups

Let G be a permutation group on a finite set . A sequence B=(₁,..., _b) of points in is called a base if its pointwise stabilizerin G is the identity. Bases are of fundamental importance incomputational algorithms for permutation groups. For both practicaland theoretical reasons, one is interested in the minimal basesize for (G, ), For a nonredundant base B, the elementary inequality2^|B||G|||^|B| holds; in particular, |B|log|G|/log||. In the casewhen G is primitive on , Pyber [8, p. 207] has conjectured thatthe minimal base size is less than Clog|G|/log|| for some (large)universal constant C. It appears that the hardest case of Pyber's conjecture is thatof primitive affine groups. Let H=GV be a primitive affine group;here the point stabilizer G acts faithfully and irreduciblyon the elementary abelian regular normal subgroup V of H, andwe may assume that =V. For positive integers m, let mV denotethe direct sum of m copies of V. If (v₁, ..., v_m)mV belongsto a regular G-orbit, then (0, v₁, ..., v_m) is a base for theprimitive affine group H. Conversely, a base (₁, ..., _b) forH which contains 0V= gives rise to a regular G-orbit on (b–1)V. Thus Pyber's conjecture for affine groups can be viewed asa regular orbit problem for G-modules, and it is therefore aspecial case of an important problem in group representationtheory. For a related result on regular orbits for quasisimplegroups, see [4, Theorem 6].     

On the Total Coloring of Graphs Embeddable in Surfaces

The paper shows that any graph G with the maximum degree (G) 8, which is embeddable in a surface of Euler characteristic() 0, is totally ((G)+2)-colorable. In general, it is shownthat any graph G which is embeddable in a surface and satisfiesthe maximum degree (G) (20/9) (3–())+1 is totally ((G)+2)-colorable.     

On the Asymptotics of the Growth of 2-Step Nilpotent Groups

Pansu has shown that the growth function of every virtuallynilpotent group with respect to any finite generating set hasasymptotics (n)n^d, where d is the degree of growth of . Thepaper refines his result in the special case of 2-step nilpotentgroups to obtain (n)=n^d+O(n^d–1).