A finiteness result for Heegaard splittings

In this paper we show that for a given 3-manifold and a given Heegaard splitting there are finitely many preferred decomposing systems of 3g−3 disjoint essential disks. These are characterized by a combinatorial criterion which is a slight strengthening of Casson-Gordon's rectangle condition. This is in contrast to fact that in general there can exist infinitely many such systems of disks which satisfy just the Casson-Gordon rectangle condition.     

Universal WCG banach spaces and universal Eberlein Compacts

We prove that for cardinalsτ satisfying τ^ω=τ and forτ=ω ₁, there do not exist universal Eberlein Compacts of weightτ, or universal WCG spaces of density characterτ. Ifτ is a strong limit cardinal of countable cofinality such universal spaces do exist. Thus under GCH universal spaces exist forτ iff cof(τ)=ω. The research of the second author was supported by a grant from the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation and the Fund for the Promotion of Research at the Technion.     

Periodic solitons in nonlocal nonlinear media

We identify periodic solitons in nonlocal nonlinear media: multi-hump soliton solutions propagating in a fully periodic fashion. We also demonstrate recurrences and breathers whose evolution is statistically periodic and discuss why some systems support periodic solitons while others do not.     

Finite quotients of the multiplicative group of a finite dimensional division algebra are solvable

We prove that finite quotients of the multiplicative group of a finite dimensional division algebra are solvable. Let be a finite dimensional division algebra having center , and let be a normal subgroup of finite index. Suppose is not solvable. Then we may assume that is a minimal nonsolvable group (MNS group for short), i.e. a nonsolvable group all of whose proper quotients are solvable. Our proof now has two main ingredients. One ingredient is to show that the commuting graph of a finite MNS group satisfies a certain property which we denote Property . This property includes the requirement that the diameter of the commuting graph should be , but is, in fact, stronger. Another ingredient is to show that if the commuting graph of has Property , then is open with respect to a nontrivial height one valuation of (assuming without loss of generality, as we may, that is finitely generated). After establishing the openness of (when is an MNS group) we apply the Nonexistence Theorem whose proof uses induction on the transcendence degree of over its prime subfield to eliminate as a possible quotient of , thereby obtaining a contradiction and proving our main result.

     

Pattern formation in a cavity longer than the coherence length of the light in it

We study, theoretically and experimentally, the evolution of patterns in a passive nonlinear cavity that is longer than the coherence length of the light circulating in it. The patterns exhibit spatial line narrowing as the feedback is increased, resembling the line narrowing in lasers.