Theta-characteristics on singular curves

On a smooth curve a theta-characteristic is a line bundle L,the square of which is the canonical line bundle . The equivalentcondition om(L, ) L generalizes well to singular curves, asapplications show. More precisely, a theta-characteristic isa torsion-free sheaf of rank 1 with om(, ) . If the curvehas non-ADE singularities, then there are infinitely many theta-characteristics.Therefore, theta-characteristics are distinguished by theirlocal type. The main purpose of this article is to compute thenumber of even and odd theta-characteristics (that is withh⁰(C, ) 0 and h⁰(C, ) 1 modulo 2, respectively) in terms ofthe geometric genus of the curve and certain discrete invariantsof a fixed local type.     

The Isolated Points of G{rho} and the w*-Strongly Exposed Points of P{rho}(G)0

Let G be a separable locally compact group and let be its dualspace with Fell's topology. It is well known that the set P(G)of continuous positive-definite functions on G can be identifiedwith the set of positive linear functionals on the group C^*-algebraC^*(G). We show that if is discrete in , then there exists anonzero positive-definite function associated with such that is a w^*-strongly exposed point of P(G)₀, where P(G)₀={f P(G):f(e)1. Conversely, if some nonzero positive-definite function associatedwith is a w^*-strongly exposed point of P(G)₀, then is isolatedin . Consequently, G is compact if and only if, for every ,there exists a nonzero positive-definite function associatedwith that is a w^*-strongly exposed point of P(G)₀. If, in addition,G is unimodular and , then is isolated in if and only if somenonzero positive-definite function associated with is a w^*-stronglyexposed point of P(G)₀, where is the left regular representationof G and is the reduced dual space of G. We prove that if B(G)has the Radon–Nikodym property, then the set of isolatedpoints of (so square-integrable if G is unimodular) is densein . It is also proved that if G is a separable SIN-group, thenG is amenable if and only if there exists a closed point in. In particular, for a countable discrete non-amenable groupG (for example the free group F₂ on two generators), there isno closed point in its reduced dual space .     

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.     

Constructible Functions on Artin Stacks

Let be an algebraically closed field, let X be a -variety,and let X() be the set of closed points in X. A constructibleset C in X() is a finite union of subsets Y() for subvarietiesY in X. A constructible function f : X() has f(X()) finiteand f^–1(c) constructible for all c 0. Write CF(X) forthe vector space of such f. Let : X Y and : Y Z be morphismsof -varieties. MacPherson defined a linear pushforward CF(): CF(X) CF(Y) by ‘integration’ with respect tothe topological Euler characteristic. It is functorial, thatis, CF( ) = CF() CF(). This was extended to of characteristiczero by Kennedy. This paper generalizes these results to -schemes and Artin -stackswith affine stabilizer groups. We define the notions of Eulercharacteristic for constructible sets in -schemes and -stacks,and pushforwards and pullbacks of constructible functions, withfunctorial behaviour. Pushforwards and pullbacks commute inCartesian squares. We also define pseudomorphisms, a generalizationof morphisms well suited to constructible functions problems.     

An Access Theorem for Continuous Functions

Let f be a continuous function on an open subset of R² suchthat for every x there exists a continuous map : [–1,1] with (0) = x and f increasing on [–1, 1]. Thenfor every there exists a continuous map : [0, 1) suchthat (0) = y, f is increasing on [0; 1), and for every compactsubset K of , max{t : (t) K} < 1. This result gives an answerto a question posed by M. Ortel. Furthermore, an example showsthat this result is not valid in higher dimensions.     

Random walks on free products of cyclic groups

Let G be a free product of a finite family of finite groups,with the set of generators being formed by the union of thefinite groups. We consider a transient nearest-neighbour randomwalk on G. We give a new proof of the fact that the harmonicmeasure is a special Markovian measure entirely determined bya finite set of polynomial equations. We show that in severalsimple cases of interest, the polynomial equations can be explicitlysolved to get closed form formulae for the drift. The examplesconsidered are /2 /3, /3 /3, /k /k and the Hecke groups /2 /k.We also use these various examples to study Vershik's notionof extremal generators, which is based on the relation betweenthe drift, the entropy and the growth of the group.     

Higher Generation Subgroup Sets and the Virtual Cohomological Dimension of Graph Products of Finite Groups

We introduce panels of stabilizer schemes (K, G_*) associatedwith finite intersection-closed subgroup sets of a given groupG, generalizing in some sense Davis' notion of a panel structureon a triangulated manifold for Coxeter groups. Given (K, G_*),we construct a G-complex X with K as a strong fundamental domainand simplex stabilizers conjugate to subgroups in . It turnsout that higher generation properties of in the sense of Abels-Holzare reflected in connectivity properties of X. Given a finite simplicial graph and a non-trivial group G()for every vertex of , the graph product G() is the quotientof the free product of all vertex groups modulo the normal closureof all commutators [G(), G(w)] for which the vertices , w areadjacent. Our main result allows the computation of the virtualcohomological dimension of a graph product with finite vertexgroups in terms of connectivity properties of the underlyinggraph .     

On the Edge Reconstruction of Graphs Embedded in Surfaces II

In this paper, we prove the following theorems. (i) Let G bea graph of minimum degree 5. If G is embeddable in a surface and satisfies (–5)|V(G)|+6()0, then G is edge reconstructible.(ii) Any graph of minimum degree 4 that triangulates a surfaceis edge reconstructible. (iii) Any graph which triangulatesa surface of characteristic 0 is edge reconstructible.     

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.     

COHOMOLOGICAL DIMENSION OF MACKEY FUNCTORS FOR INFINITE GROUPS

We consider the cohomology of Mackey functors for infinite groupsand define the Mackey-cohomological dimension cdG of a groupG. We will relate this dimension to other cohomological dimensionssuch as the Bredon-cohomological dimension cdG and the relativecohomological dimension -cdG. In particular, we show that forvirtually torsion free groups the Mackey-cohomological dimensionis equal to both -cdG and the virtual cohomological dimension.     

Identity Theorems for Functions of Bounded Characteristic

Suppose that f(z) is a meromorphic function of bounded characteristicin the unit disk :|z|<1. Then we shall say that f(z)N. Itfollows (for example from [3, Lemma 6.7, p. 174 and the following])that where h₁(z), h₂(z) are holomorphic in and have positive realpart there, while ₁(z), ₂(z) are Blaschke products, that is, where p is a positive integer or zero, 0<|a_j|<1, c isa constant and (1–|a_j|)<. We note in particular that, if c0, so that f(z)0, (1.1) so that f(z)=0 only at the points a_j. Suppose now that z_j isa sequence of distinct points in such that |z_j|1 as j and (1–|z_j|)=. (1.2) If f(z_j)=0 for each j and fN, then f(z)0. N. Danikas [1] has shown that the same conclusion obtains iff(z_j)0 sufficiently rapidly as j. Let _j, _j be sequences of positivenumbers such that _j< and _j as j. Danikas then defines and proves Theorem A.     

Livsic Regularity Theorems for Twisted Cocycle Equations Over Hyperbolic Systems

Let be a hyperbolic map. Cocycle equations of the form f =u·g·u^–1 are considered, with f, g, u takingvalues in a compact connected Lie group G, being an automorphismof G and f, g being Hölder continuous. When the eigenvaluesof the derivative of have modulus 1, it is proved that anymeasurable solution u has a Hölder continuous version.This condition on is optimal. When f, g are C^k then u may betaken to be C^k–1+ for any (0, 1).     

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.     

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).     

Herman Rings and Arnold Disks

For (,a) C* x C, let f_,a be the rational map defined by f_,a(z)= z² (az+1)/(z+a). If R/Z is a Brjuno number, we let D bethe set of parameters (,a) such that f_,a has a fixed Hermanring with rotation number (we consider that (e²ⁱ,0) D). Resultsobtained by McMullen and Sullivan imply that, for any g D, theconnected component of D(C* x (C/{0,1})) that contains g isisomorphic to a punctured disk. We show that there is a holomorphic injection F:DD such thatF(0) = (e²ⁱ ,0) and , where r is the conformal radius at 0 of the Siegel disk of the quadraticpolynomial z e²ⁱ z(1+z). As a consequence, we show that for a (0,1/3), if f_l,a has afixed Herman ring with rotation number and if m_a is the modulusof the Herman ring, then, as a0, we have e m_a=(r/a) + O(a). We finally explain how to adapt the results to the complex standardfamily z e^(a/2)(z-1/z).     

Faithful Representations of Free Products

In 1940 Nisnevi published the following theorem [3]. Let (G) be a family of groups indexed by some set and (F) a family of fields of the same characteristic p0. Iffor each the group G has a faithful representation of degreen over F then the free product* G has a faithful representationof degree n+1 over some field of characteristic p. In [6] Wehrfritzextended this idea. If (G) GL(n, F) is a family of subgroupsfor which there exists ZGL(n, F) such that for all the intersectionGF.1_n=Z, then the free product of the groups *_ZG with Z amalgamatedvia the identity map is isomorphic to a linear group of degreen over some purely transcendental extension of F. Initially, the purpose of this paper was to generalize theseresults from the linear to the skew-linear case, that is, togroups isomorphic to subgroups of GL(n, D) where the D are divisionrings. In fact, many of the results can be generalized to ringswhich, although not necessarily commutative, contain no zero-divisors.We have the following.     

Symmetrization and norm of the Hardy-Littlewood maximal operator on Lorentz and Marcinkiewicz spaces

We prove that when a function on the real line is symmetricallyrearranged, the distribution function of its uncentered Hardy–Littlewoodmaximal function increases pointwise, while it remains unchangedonly when the function is already symmetric. Equivalently, if is the maximal operator and the symmetrization, then f(x)f(x)for every x, and equality holds for all x if and only if, upto translations, f(x) = f(x) almost everywhere. Using theseresults, we then compute the exact norms of the maximal operatoracting on Lorentz and Marcinkiewicz spaces, and we determineextremal functions that realize these norms.     

Normal families and omitted functions II

Let k 2 be an integer and let be a family of functions meromorphicon a domain D in , all of whose poles are multiple and whosezeros all have multiplicity at least k + 1. Let h be a functionmeromorphic on D, h 0, . Suppose that for each f , f^(k)(z) h(z) for z D. Then is a normal family on D.     

On Prime Ends and Plane Continua

Let f be a conformal map of the unit disk D onto the domainG = C{}. We shall always use the spherical metric in . Carathéodory [3] introduced the concept of a prime endof G in order to describe the boundary behaviour of f in geometricterms; see for example [6, Chapter 9] or [12, Section 2.4].There is a bijective map of T = D onto the set of prime ends of G.     

Evasion and Prediction II

A subgroup G Z exhibits the Specker phenomenon if every homomorphismG Z maps almost all unit vectors to 0. We give several combinatorialcharacterizations of the cardinal e, the size of the smallestG Z exhibiting the Specker phenomenon. We also prove the consistencyof > e, where is the unbounding number and e the evasionnumber. Our results answer several questions addressed by Blass.