Schur functions and the invariant polynomials characterizing U(n) tensor operators

We give a direct formulation of the invariant polynomials _μG_q⁽ⁿ⁾(, Δ_i,;, x_{i,i + 1},) characterizing U(n) tensor operators p, q, …, q, 0, …, 0 in terms of the symmetric functions S_λ known as Schur functions. To this end, we show after the change of variables Δ_i = γ_i − δ_i and x_{i, i + 1} = δ_i − δ_{i + 1} that_μG_q⁽ⁿ⁾(,Δ_i;, x_{i, i + 1},) becomes an integral linear combination of products of Schur functions S_α(, γ_i,) · S_β(, δ_i,) in the variables {γ₁,…, γ_n} and {δ₁,…, δ_n}, respectively. That is, we give a direct proof that _μG_q⁽ⁿ⁾(,Δ_i,;, x_{i, i + 1},) is a bisymmetric polynomial with integer coefficients in the variables {γ₁,…, γ_n} and {δ₁,…, δ_n}. By making further use of basic properties of Schur functions such as the Littlewood-Richardson rule, we prove several remarkable new symmetries for the yet more general bisymmetric polynomials _μ^mG_q⁽ⁿ⁾(γ₁,…, γ_n; δ₁,…, δ_m). These new symmetries enable us to give an explicit formula for both _μ^mG₁⁽ⁿ⁾(γ; δ) and ₁G₂⁽ⁿ⁾(γ; δ). In addition, we describe both algebraic and numerical integration methods for deriving general polynomial formulas for _μ^mG_q⁽ⁿ⁾(γ; δ).     

On consecutive edge magic total labeling of graphs

Let G=(V,E) be a finite (non-empty) graph, where V and E are the sets of vertices and edges of G. An edge magic total labeling is a bijection α from VE to the integers 1,2,…,n+e, with the property that for every xyE, α(x)+α(y)+α(xy)=k, for some constant k. Such a labeling is called an a-vertex consecutive edge magic total labeling if α(V)={a+1,…,a+n} and a b-edge consecutive edge magic total if α(E)={b+1,b+2,…,b+e}. In this paper we study the properties of a-vertex consecutive edge magic and b-edge consecutive edge magic graphs.     

Two New Classes of Difference Families

A Z-cyclic triplewhist tournament for 4n+1 players, or briefly a TWh(4n+1), is equivalent to a n-set {(a_i, b_i, c_i, d_i) | i=1, …, n} of quadruples partitioning Z_4n+1−{0} with the property that ⁿ_i=1 {±(a_i−c_i), ±(b_i−d_i)}=ⁿ_i=1 {±(a_i−b_i), ±(c_i−d_i)}=ⁿ_i=1 {±(a_i−d_i), ±(b_i−c_i)}=Z_4n+1−{0}. The existence problem for Z-cyclic TWh(p)'s with p a prime has been solved for p1 (mod 16). I. Anderson et al. (1995, Discrete Math.138, 31–41) treated the case of p≡5 (mod 8) while Y. S. Liaw (1996, J. Combin. Des.4, 219–233) and G. McNay (1996, Utilitas Math.49, 191–201) treated the case of p≡9 (mod 16). In this paper, besides giving easier proofs of these authors' results, we solve the problem also for primes p≡1 (mod 16). The final result is the existence of a Z-cyclic TWh(v) for any v whose prime factors are all≡1 (mod 4) and distinct from 5, 13, and 17.     

On a conjecture of J. Pelikán

There exist infinitely many finite sequences (a₁, …, a_n) (a_i {0, 1}) such that Φ_{i = 1}^{n − k} a_ia_{i + k} is odd for each k = 0, 1, …, n − 1.     

On confidence sequences for the mean vector of a multivariate normal distribution

Let X₁, X₂,… be idd random vectors with a multivariate normal distribution N(μ, Σ). A sequence of subsets {R_n(a₁, a₂,…, a_n), n ≥ m} of the space of μ is said to be a (1 − α)-level sequence of confidence sets for μ if P(μ R_n(X₁, X₂,…, X_n) for every n ≥ m) ≥ 1 − α. In this note we use the ideas of Robbins Ann. Math. Statist. 41 (1970) to construct confidence sequences for the mean vector μ when Σ is either known or unknown. The constructed sequence R_n(X₁, X₂, …, X_n) depends on Mahalanobis' or Hotelling's according as Σ is known or unknown. Confidence sequences for the vector-valued parameter in the general linear model are also given.     

A binary linear recurrence sequence of composite numbers

Let (a,b)∈Z², where b≠0 and (a,b)≠(±2,−1). We prove that then there exist two positive relatively prime composite integers x₁, x₂ such that the sequence given by xn+1=axn+bxn−1, n=2,3,… , consists of composite terms only, i.e., |xn| is a composite integer for each n∈N. In the proof of this result we use certain covering systems, divisibility sequences and, for some special pairs (a,±1), computer calculations. The paper is motivated by a result of Graham who proved this theorem in the special case of the Fibonacci-like sequence, where (a,b)=(1,1).     

Classes of orderings of measures and related correlation inequalities II. Multivariate reverse rule distributions

A function f(x) defined on = ₁ × ₂ × … × _n where each _i is totally ordered satisfying f(x y) f(x y) ≥ f(x) f(y), where the lattice operations and refer to the usual ordering on , is said to be multivariate totally positive of order 2 (MTP₂). A random vector Z = (Z₁, Z₂,…, Z_n) of n-real components is MTP₂ if its density is MTP₂. Classes of examples include independent random variables, absolute value multinormal whose covariance matrix Σ satisfies −DΣ⁻¹D with nonnegative off-diagonal elements for some diagonal matrix D, characteristic roots of random Wishart matrices, multivariate logistic, gamma and F distributions, and others. Composition and marginal operations preserve the MTP₂ properties. The MTP₂ property facilitate the characterization of bounds for confidence sets, the calculation of coverage probabilities, securing estimates of multivariate ranking, in establishing a hierarchy of correlation inequalities, and in studying monotone Markov processes. Extensions on the theory of MTP₂ kernels are presented and amplified by a wide variety of applications.     

More on Stochastic Comparisons and Dependence among Concomitants of Order Statistics

For a sample of iid observations {(X_i, Y_i)} from an absolutely continuous distribution, the multivariate dependence of concomitants Y_[]=(Y_[1], Y_[2], …, Y_[n]) and the stochastic order of subsets of Y_[] are studied. If (X, Y) is totally positive dependent of order 2, Y_[] is multivariate totally positive dependent of order 2. If the conditional hazard rate function of Y given X, h_YX(yx), is decreasing in x for every y, Y_[] is multivariate right corner set increasing. And if Y is stochastically increasing in X, the concomitants are increasing in multivariate stochastic order.     

On Chebyshev–Markov Rational Functions over Several Intervals

Chebyshev–Markov rational functions are the solutions of the following extremal problem

Full-size image

withKbeing a compact subset of andω_n(x) being a fixed real polynomial of degree less thann, positive onK. A parametric representation of Chebyshev–Markov rational functions is found forK=[b₁, b₂]…[b_2p−1, b_2p], −∞<b₁b₂<…<b_2p−1b_2p<+∞ in terms of Schottky–Burnside automorphic functions.     

On the conditional probability density functions of multivariate uniform random vectors and multivariate normal random vectors

It is shown that the conditional probability density function of Y₁ given (1/n) Σ_i=1ⁿ Y_i=1Y_i^t = Σ, where Y₁, Y₂,…, Y_n are i.i.d, p-variate uniform random vectors with mean 0 equals to that of Y₁ given (1/n) Σ_i=1ⁿ Y_iY_i^t,…, Y_n are i.i.d, p-variate normal random vectors with mean 0 and covariance matrix Σ.     

Rado Numbers fora(x+y)=bz

In the case of existence the smallest numberN=Ra_kis called a Rado number if it is guaranteed that anyk-coloring of the numbers 1, 2, …, Ncontains a monochromatic solution of a given system of linear equations. We will determine Ra_k(a, b) for the equationa(x+y)=bzifb=2 andb=a+1. Also, the case of monochromatic sequences {x_n} generated bya(x_n+x_n+1)=bx_n+2 is discussed.     

Extremal values of continuants and transcendence of certain continued fractions

We prove a criterion for the transcendence of continued fractions whose partial quotients are contained in a finite set {b₁,…,b_r} of positive integers such that the density of occurrences of b_i in the sequence of partial quotients exists for 1ir. As an application we study continued fractions [0,a₁,a₂,a₃,…] with a_n=1+([nθ]modd) where θ is irrational and d2 is a positive integer.     

Method of solution to fuzzy relation equations in a complete Brouwerian lattice

Up to now, how to solve a fuzzy relation equation in a complete Brouwerian lattice is still an open problem as Di Nola et al. point out. To this problem, the key problem is whether there exists a minimal element in the solution set when a fuzzy relation equation is solvable. In this paper, we first show that there is a minimal element in the solution set of a fuzzy relation equation AX=b (where A=(a₁,a₂,…,a_n) and b are known, and X=(x₁,x₂,…,x_n)^T is unknown) when its solution set is nonempty, and b has an irredundant finite join-decomposition. Further, we give the method to solve AX=b in a complete Brouwerian lattice under the same conditions. Finally, a method to solve a more general fuzzy relation equation in a complete Brouwerian lattice when its solution set is nonempty is also given under similar conditions.     

A Minimax Problem Admitting the Equioscillation Characterization of Bernstein and Erd?s

This paper shows that under certain conditions a solution of the minimax problem min_{a<x1<…<xn<b} max_1in+1 f_i(x₁, …, x_n) admits the equioscillation characterizations of Bernstein and Erd s and has strong uniqueness. This problem includes as a particular example the optimal Lagrange interpolation problem.     

Expected Sums of General Parking Functions

A (u₁, u₂, . . . )-parking function of length n is a sequence (x₁, x₂, . . . , x_n) whose order statistics (the sequence (x₍₁₎, x₍₂₎, . . . , x_(n)) obtained by rearranging the original sequence in non-decreasing order) satisfy x_(i) u_(i). The Gonarov polynomials g _n (x; a₀, a ₁, . . . , a _n-1) are polynomials biorthogonal to the linear functionals (a _i) Dⁱ, where (a) is evaluation at a and D is differentiation. In this paper, we give explicit formulas for the first and second moments of sums of u-parking functions using Gonarov polynomials by solving a linear recursion based on a decomposition of the set of sequences of positive integers. We also give a combinatorial proof of one of the formulas for the expected sum. We specialize these formulas to the classical case when u _i=a+ (i-1)b and obtain, by transformations with Abel identities, different but equivalent formulas for expected sums. These formulas are used to verify the classical case of the conjecture that the expected sums are increasing functions of the gaps u_i+1 - u_i. Finally, we give analogues of our results for real-valued parking functions.AMS Subject Classification: 05A15, 05A19, 05A20, 05E35.     

Cycle Lemma, Parking Functions and Related Multigraphs

For positive integers a and b, an ${(a, \overline{b})}$ -parking function of length n is a sequence (p ₁, . . . , p _n ) of nonnegative integers whose weakly increasing order q ₁ ≤ . . . ≤ q _n satisfies the condition q _i  < a + (i ? 1)b. In this paper, we give a new proof of the enumeration formula for ${(a, \overline{b})}$ -parking functions by using of the cycle lemma for words, which leads to some enumerative results for the ${(a, \overline{b})}$ -parking functions with some restrictions such as symmetric property and periodic property. Based on a bijection between ${(a, \overline{b})}$ -parking functions and rooted forests, we enumerate combinatorially the ${(a, \overline{b})}$ -parking functions with identical initial terms and symmetric ${(a, \overline{b})}$ -parking functions with respect to the middle term. Moreover, we derive the critical group of a multigraph that is closely related to ${(a, \overline{b})}$ -parking functions.     

Multivariate Liouville distributions

A random vector (X₁, …, X_n), with positive components, has a Liouville distribution if its joint probability density function is of the formf(x₁ + … + x_n)x₁^a₁.1 … x_n^a_n.1 with thea_i all positive. Examples of these are the Dirichlet and inverted Dirichlet distributions. In this paper, a comprehensive treatment of the Liouville distributions is provided. The results pertain to stochastic representations, transformation properties, complete neutrality, marginal and conditional distributions, regression functions, and total positivity and reverse rule properties. Further, these topics are utilized in various characterizations of the Dirichlet and inverted Dirichlet distributions. Matrix analogs of the Liouville distributions are also treated, and many of the results obtained in the vector setting are extended appropriately.     

Characterization of generalized convex functions by their best approximation in sign-monotone norms

Let {u₀, u₁,… u_{n − 1}} and {u₀, u₁,…, u_n} be Tchebycheff-systems of continuous functions on [a, b] and let f ε C[a, b] be generalized convex with respect to {u₀, u₁,…, u_{n − 1}}. In a series of papers ([1], [2], [3]) D. Amir and Z. Ziegler discuss some properties of elements of best approximation to f from the linear spans of {u₀, u₁,…, u_{n − 1}} and {u₀, u₁,…, u_n} in the L_p-norms, 1 p ∞, and show (under different conditions for different values of p) that these properties, when valid for all subintervals of [a, b], can characterize generalized convex functions. Their methods of proof rely on characterizations of elements of best approximation in the L_p-norms, specific for each value of p. This work extends the above results to approximation in a wider class of norms, called “sign-monotone,” [6], which can be defined by the property: ¦ f(x)¦ ¦ g(x)¦,f(x)g(x) 0, a x b, imply f g . For sign-monotone norms in general, there is neither uniqueness of an element of best approximation, nor theorems characterizing it. Nevertheless, it is possible to derive many common properties of best approximants to generalized convex functions in these norms, by means of the necessary condition proved in [6]. For {u₀, u₁,…, u_n} an Extended-Complete Tchebycheff-system and f ε C⁽ⁿ⁾[a, b] it is shown that the validity of any of these properties on all subintervals of [a, b], implies that f is generalized convex. In the special case of f monotone with respect to a positive function u₀(x), a converse theorem is proved under less restrictive assumptions.     

Persistence, contractivity and global stability in logistic equations with piecewise constant delays

We establish sufficient conditions for the persistence and the contractivity of solutions and the global asymptotic stability for the positive equilibrium N^*=1/(a+∑_i=0^mb_i) of the following differential equation with piecewise constant arguments:

where r(t) is a nonnegative continuous function on [0,+∞), r(t)0, ∑_i=0^mb_i>0, b_i0, i=0,1,2,…,m, and a+∑_i=0^mb_i>0. These new conditions depend on a,b₀ and ∑_i=1^mb_i, and hence these are other type conditions than those given by So and Yu (Hokkaido Math. J. 24 (1995) 269–286) and others. In particular, in the case m=0 and r(t)≡r>0, we offer necessary and sufficient conditions for the persistence and contractivity of solutions. We also investigate the following differential equation with nonlinear delay terms:

where r(t) is a nonnegative continuous function on [0,+∞), r(t)0, 1−ax−g(x,x,…,x)=0 has a unique solution x^*>0 and g(x₀,x₁,…,x_m)C¹[(0,+∞)×(0,+∞)××(0,+∞)].     

On Rado numbers for

For all integers m3 and all natural numbers a₁,a₂,…,a_m−1, let n=R(a₁,a₂,…,a_m−1) represent the least integer such that for every 2-coloring of the set {1,2,…,n} there exists a monochromatic solution to

a₁x₁+a₂x₂++a_m−1x_m−1=x_m.