Self-intersections of curves on surfaces

Let M be a compact orientable surface with nonempty boundary (x(M)<0) and fundamental group . Let be a geodesic on M (with a fixed hyperbolic structure), and let W be a (cyclically reduced) word in a fixed set of generators of which represents . In this paper, we give an algorithm to count the number of self-intersections of in terms of W, generalizing a result of Birman and Series, where an algorithm was given to decide if was simple. Some applications of the algorithm to surfaces with one boundary and the Markoff spectrum are also given.     

A Problem of Blocking Light Rays

Let K be an n-dimensional convex body with interior int(K). This article mainly deals with the following problem: How many nonoverlapping translates of K (or int(K)) are enough to block all the light rays (straight lines) starting from K?     

Degeneracy of holomorphic curves in surfaces

Let X be a complex projective algebraic manifold of dimension 2 and let D1,…,Du be distinct irreducible divisors on X such that no three of them share a common point. Let f: C→X\(U1≤i≤uDi) be a holomorphic map. Assume that u≥4 and that there exist positive integers n1,…,nu, c such that ninj(Di.Dj) = c for all pairs i, j. Then f is algebraically degenerate, i.e. its image is contained in an algebraic curve on X.     

A note on general blow-ups of abelian surfaces

In the paper we give numerical conditions for a line bundle on a general blow-up of abelian surface to be k-very ample.     

A martingale approach to minimal surfaces

We provide a probabilistic approach to studying minimal surfaces in R³. After a discussion of the basic relationship between Brownian motion on a surface and minimality of the surface, we introduce a way of coupling Brownian motions on two minimal surfaces. This coupling is then used to study two classes of results in minimal surface theory, maximum principle-type results, such as weak and strong halfspace theorems and the maximum principle at infinity, and Liouville theorems.     

Embeddings of general blowups of abelian surfaces

Blowups of algebraic surfaces polarized by tensor powers of ample line bundles were studied by Coppens [8]. In this note we complete the picture in the case of abelian surfaces studying blowups of surfaces polarized by primitive line bundles. Received: 16 November 1999 / Revised version: 13 June 2000     

Quasi-isometries of groups, graphs and surfaces

We give a characterization of virtual surface groups as groups quasi-isometric to complete simply-connected Riemannian surfaces. Results on the equivalence up to quasi-isometry of various bounded geometry conditions for Riemannian surfaces are also obtained. Received: January 18, 2000     

On a non-abelian invariant on complex surfaces of general type

In this paper, we give certain homotopy and diffeomorphism versions as a generalization to an earlier result due to W.S. Cheung, Bun Wong and Stephen S. T. Yau concerning a local rigidity problem of the tangent bundle over compact surfaces of general type.     

Splitting and cone avoidance in the D.C.E. degrees

It is shown that the Cooper splitting theorem for the n-c.e. degrees is not compatible with cone avoidance: For any n > 1, there exist n-c.e. degree a, c.e. degree b such that 0 < b < a and such that for any n-c.e. degrees x,y, if x ∨ y = a, then either b ≤ x or b ≤ y. This provides a new type of elementary difference between the classes of c.e. and d.c.e. degrees, implementable at lower levels of the high/low hierarchy.     

Embeddable anticonformal automorphisms of Riemann surfaces

Let S be a Riemann surface and f be an automorphism of finite order of S. We call f embeddable if there is a conformal embedding such that is the restriction to e(S) of a rigid motion. In this paper we show that an anticonformal automorphism of finite order is embeddable if and only if it belongs to one of the topological conjugation classes here described. For conformal automorphisms a similar result was known by R.A. Rüedy [R3]. Received: February 8, 1996     

On a non-abelian invariant on complex surfaces of general type Dedicated to Professor Sheng GONG on the occasion of his 75th birthday

In this paper, we give certain homotopy and diffeomorphism versions as a generalization to an earlier result due to W.S. Cheung, Bun Wong and Stephen S. T. Yau concerning a local rigidity problem of the tangent bundle over compact surfaces of general type.     

Cubic surfaces and Borcherds products

We apply Borcherds' methods for constructing automorphic forms to embed the moduli space of marked complex cubic surfaces into . Specifically, we construct 270 automorphic forms on the complex 4-ball , automorphic with respect to a particular discrete group . We use the identification from [ACT2] of with the Baily-Borel compactification of . Our forms span a 10-dimensional space, and we exhibit the image of in as the intersection of 270 cubic hypersurfaces. Finally, we interpret the pairwise ratios of our forms as the original invariants of cubic surfaces, the cross-ratios introduced by Cayley. It turns out that this model of was found by Coble [C] in an entirely different way; see [vG]. Received: December 5, 2000     

Complexity of Chow varieties and number of morphisms on surfaces of general type

We provide a general estimate for the number of irreducible components of a Chow variety, the variety that parametrizes algebraic cycles of given dimension and degree contained in a projective variety. The result is then applied to obtain an upper bound for the finite number of surfaces of general type that are images of a fixed surface. Received: 29 January 1998 / Revised version: 24 June 1998     

Nonexistence of certain complete minimal surfaces with planar ends

In this paper we prove that two lines bounding an immersed minimal surface in a slab in R ³ homeomorphic to a compact Riemann surface minus two disks and a finite number of points must be parallel. This theorem is extended to a higher dimensional minimal hypersurface. Also it is proved that if the Gauss map of a complete embedded minimal surface of finite total curvature at a planar end has order two, then the intersection of the surface with the plane asymptotic to the planar end cannot admit a one-to-one orthogonal projection onto any line in the plane. Received: November 26, 1998     

Closed incompressible surfaces in the complements of positive knots

We show that any closed incompressible surface in the complement of a positive knot is algebraically non-split from the knot, positive knots cannot bound non-free incompressible Seifert surfaces and that the splittability and the primeness of positive knots and links can be seen from their positive diagrams. Received: June 28, 2000     

Generalized Seifert surfaces and signatures of colored links

In this paper, we use `generalized Seifert surfaces' to extend the Levine-Tristram signature to colored links in . This yields an integral valued function on the -dimensional torus, where is the number of colors of the link. The case corresponds to the Levine-Tristram signature. We show that many remarkable properties of the latter invariant extend to this -variable generalization: it vanishes for achiral colored links, it is `piecewise continuous', and the places of the jumps are determined by the Alexander invariants of the colored link. Using a -dimensional interpretation and the Atiyah-Singer -signature theorem, we also prove that this signature is invariant by colored concordance, and that it provides a lower bound for the `slice genus' of the colored link.

     

2-Compressible non-Heegaard surfaces in small 3- manifolds

In the present paper, we investigate the non-Heegaard 2-compressible surfaces in small 3-manifolds, and show that such surfaces have some good properties.     

Entropy numbers of Besov classes of generalized smoothness on the sphere

We investigate the asymptotic behavior of the entropy numbers of Besov classes BBΩp,θ(Sd 1)of generalized smoothness on the sphere inL q(Sd 1)for 1≤p,q,θ≤∞,and get their asymptotic orders.We also obtain the exact orders of entropy numbers of Sobolev classesBWr p(Sd 1)inL q(Sd 1)whenpand/orqis equal to 1 or∞.This provides the last piece as far as exact orders of entropy numbers ofBWr p(Sd 1)inL q(Sd 1)are concerned.     

Constructive insertion theorems and extension theorems on extremally disconnected frames

Constructive insertion theorems and extensions theorems on extremally disconnected frames are proved. As a consequence, constructive Eilenberg-Steenrod-Taimanov extension theorem is presented. Received March 15, 1999; accepted in final form July 10, 2000.