Jean Leray and nonlinear integral equations: A partially forgotten legacy

Some applications given in Jean Leray’s thesis of 1933 seem to have been forgotten, before being rediscovered and then widely developed. The reason may be found in the fact that the Arzelà–Schmidt’s method introduced in the thesis was superseded one year later by the more general and fruitful Leray-Schauder’s method. We also show that, despite its fame and a steadily increasing number of applications, some aspects of Leray–Schauder’s paper were somewhat forgotten too. Dedicated, with admiration, to the living memory of Jean Leray     

Majoration principles and some inequalities for polynomials and rational functions with prescribed poles

The paper considers the equality cases in the rnajoration principle for meromorphic functions established earlier by V. N. Dubinin and S. I. Kalmykov [Mat. Sb., 198, No. 12, 37–46 (2007)]. As corollaries of this principle, new inequalities for the coefficients and derivatives of polynomials satisfying certain conditions on two intervals are obtained. Simple proofs of some Lukashov’s theorems on the derivatives of rational functions on several intervals are provided. Bibliography: 13 titles. Translated from Zapiski Nauchnykh Seminarov POMI, Vol. 357, 2008, pp. 143–157.     

Growth-type invariants for ℤ<Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">d</Emphasis></Superscript> subshifts of finite type and arithmetical classes of real numbers

We discuss some numerical invariants of multidimensional shifts of finite type (SFTs) which are associated with the growth rates of the number of admissible finite configurations. Extending an unpublished example of Tsirelson (A strange two-dimensional symbolic system, 1992), we show that growth complexities of the form exp (n ^α+o(1)) are possible for non-integer α’s. In terminology of de Carvalho (Port. Math. 54(1):19–40, 1997), such subshifts have entropy dimension α. The class of possible α’s are identified in terms of arithmetical classes of real numbers of Weihrauch and Zheng (Math. Log. Q. 47(1):51–65, 2001).     

Comments on an ancient Greek racecourse: finding minimum width annuluses

For a set of measured points, we describe a linear-programming model that enables us to find concentric circumscribed and inscribed circles whose annulus encompasses all the points and whose width tends to be minimum in a Chebychev minmax sense. We illustrate the process using the data of Rorres and Romano (SIAM Rev. 39: 745–754, 1997) that is taken from an ancient Greek stadium in Corinth. The stadium’s racecourse had an unusual circular arc starting line, and measurements along this arc form the basic data sets of Rorres and Romano (SIAM Rev. 39: 745–754, 1997). Here we are interested in finding the center and radius of the circle that defined the starting line arc. We contrast our results with those found in Rorres and Romano (SIAM Rev. 39: 745–754, 1997).     

Ring semigroups whose subsemigroups form a chain

A multiplicative semigroup S is called a ring semigroup if an addition may be defined on S so that (S,+,⋅) is a ring. Such semigroups have been well-studied in the literature (see Bell in Words, Languages and Combinatorics, pp. 24–31, World Scientific, Singapore, 1994; Jones in Semigroup Forum 47(1):1–6, 1993; Jones and Ligh in Semigroup Forum 17(2):163–173, 1979). In this note, we use Mihăilescu’s Theorem (formerly Catalan’s Conjecture) to characterize the ring semigroups whose subsemigroups containing 0 form a chain with respect to set inclusion.     

On Howard’s conjecture in heterogeneous shear flow problem

Howard’s conjecture, which states that in the linear instability problem of inviscid heterogeneous parallel shear flow growth rate of an arbitrary unstable wave must approach zero as the wave length decreases to zero, is established in a mathematically rigorous fashion for plane parallel heterogeneous shear flows with negligible buoyancy forcegΒ ≪ 1 (Miles J W,J. Fluid Mech. 10 (1961) 496–508), where Β is the basic heterogeneity distribution function). An erratum to this article is available at .     

Ruzsa’s problem on sets of recurrence

The main purpose of this paper is to prove the existence of Poincaré sequences of integers which are not van der Corput sets. This problem was considered in I. Ruzsa’s expository article [R₁] (1982–83) on correlative and intersective sets. Thus the existence is shown of a positive non-continuous measureμ on the circle which Fourier transform vanishes on a set of recurrence, i.e.S={n ∈Z; (n)=0} is a set of recurrence but not a van der Corput set. The method is constructive and involves some combinatorial considerations. In fact, we prove that the generic density condition for both properties are the same.     

Indefinite higher Riesz transforms

Stein’s higher Riesz transforms are translation invariant operators on L ²(R ⁿ ) built from multipliers whose restrictions to the unit sphere are eigenfunctions of the Laplace–Beltrami operators. In this article, generalizing Stein’s higher Riesz transforms, we construct a family of translation invariant operators by using discrete series representations for hyperboloids associated to the indefinite quadratic form of signature (p,q). We prove that these operators extend to L ^r -bounded operators for 1<r<∞ if the parameter of the discrete series representations is generic.     

Spiral Anchoring in Media with Multiple Inhomogeneities: A Dynamical System Approach

The spiral is one of nature’s more ubiquitous shapes: It can be seen in various media, from galactic geometry to cardiac tissue. Mathematically, spiral waves arise as solutions to reaction–diffusion partial differential equations (RDS). In the literature, various experimentally observed dynamical states and bifurcations of spiral waves have been explained using the underlying Euclidean symmetry of the RDS—see for example (Barkley in Phys. Rev. Lett. 68:2090–2093, 1992; Phys. Rev. Lett. 76:164–167, 1994; Sandstede et al. in C. R. Acad. Sci. 324:153–158, 1997; J. Differ. Equ. 141:122–149, 1997; J. Nonlinear Sci. 9:439–478, 1999), or additionally using the concept of forced Euclidean symmetry-breaking for situations where an inhomogeneity or anisotropy is present—see (LeBlanc in Nonlinearity 15:1179–1203, 2002; LeBlanc and Wulff in J. Nonlinear Sci. 10:569–601, 2000). In this paper, we further investigate the role of medium inhomogeneities on spiral wave dynamics by considering the effects of several localized sites of inhomogeneity. Using a model-independent approach based on n>1 simultaneous translational symmetry-breaking perturbations of the dynamics near rotating waves, we fully characterize the local anchoring behavior of the spiral wave in the n-dimensional parameter space of relative “amplitudes” of the individual perturbations. For the case n=2, we supplement the local anchoring results with a classification of the generic one-parameter bifurcation diagrams of anchored states which can be obtained by circling the origin of the two-dimensional amplitude parameter space. Numerical examples are given to illustrate our various results.     

Oriented matroids and Ky Fan’s theorem

L. Lovász (Matroids and Sperner’s Lemma, Europ. J. Comb. 1 (1980), 65–66) has shown that Sperner’s combinatorial lemma admits a generalization involving a matroid defined on the set of vertices of the associated triangulation. We prove that Ky Fan’s theorem admits an oriented matroid generalization of similar nature. Classical Ky Fan’s theorem is obtained as a corollary if the underlying oriented matroid is chosen to be the alternating matroid C ^m,r .     

On identities of the Rogers-Ramanujan type

A generalized Bailey pair, which contains several special cases considered by Bailey (Proc. London Math. Soc. (2), 50, 421–435 (1949)), is derived and used to find a number of new Rogers-Ramanujan type identities. Consideration of associated q-difference equations points to a connection with a mild extension of Gordon’s combinatorial generalization of the Rogers-Ramanujan identities (Amer. J. Math., 83, 393–399 (1961)). This, in turn, allows the formulation of natural combinatorial interpretations of many of the identities in Slater’s list (Proc. London Math. Soc. (2) 54, 147–167 (1952)), as well as the new identities presented here. A list of 26 new double sum–product Rogers-Ramanujan type identities are included as an Appendix. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification Primary—11B65; Secondary—11P81, 05A19, 39A13     

New series of weakly implicative selector sets

In this paper we specify classes of weakly implicative selector sets and describe their interconnections for the case when the number of variables n does exceed 3 (see A. N. Degtev and D. I. Ivanov, “Weakly Implicative Selector Sets of Dimension 3” Diskretn. Matem. 11 (3), 126–132 (1999)).     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis><Superscript>1+<Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis></Superscript>-Regularity for Two-Dimensional Almost-Minimal Sets in ℝ<Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Superscript>

We give a new proof and a partial generalization of Jean Taylor’s result (Ann. Math. (2) 103(3), 489–539, 1976) that says that Almgren almost-minimal sets of dimension 2 in ℝ³ are locally C ^1+α -equivalent to minimal cones. The proof is rather elementary, but uses a local separation result proved in Ann. Fac. Sci. Toulouse 18(1), 65–246, 2009 and an extension of Reifenberg’s parameterization theorem (David et al. in Geom. Funct. Anal. 18, 1168–1235, 2008). The key idea is still that if X is the cone over an arc of small Lipschitz graph in the unit sphere, but X is not contained in a disk, we can use the graph of a harmonic function to deform X and substantially diminish its area. The local separation result is used to reduce to unions of cones over arcs of Lipschitz graphs. A good part of the proof extends to minimal sets of dimension 2 in ℝ ⁿ , but in this setting our final regularity result on E may depend on the list of minimal cones obtained as blow-up limits of E at a point.     

Fermats ?ad?quare? – und kein Ende?

In his papers on the determination of maxima and minima and on the calculation of tangents Pierre Fermat uses two different Latin verbs, ?quare and ad?quare, which do not differ semantically but are used by him obviously in different meanings. While ?quabitur is used unambiguously in the sense of “is equal” the meaning of ad?quabitur is disputed by the experts since Tannery’s French translation (Œuvres complètes de Fermat, Vol. III, 1896). Herbert Breger (Arch. Hist. Exact Sci. 46, 193–219, (1994), p. 197 f), for instance, holds the view that Fermat used the word ad?quare in the sense of “to put equal” and adds: In a mathematical context, the only difference between “?quare” and “ad?quare” (if there is any) seems to be that the latter gives more stress on the fact that the equality is achieved. In contrast to this Michael Mahoney holds the thesis that ad?quare describes a counterfactual equality (Mahoney, M.S.: Fermat, Pierre de. In: Dictionary of Scientific Biography, vol. IV (1971), p. 569) or a pseudo-equality (Mahoney, M.S.: The Mathematical Career of Pierre de Fermat (1601–1665), (1973), p. 164), whatever that may mean. This viewpoint has been taken up again recently by Enrico Giusti (Ann. Fac. Sci. Toulouse, Math. (6), 18 fascicule spécial, 59–85 (2009)) in order to bring arguments to bear against Breger. In contrast to these (and other) authors, I show that Fermat makes a subtle logical distinction between the words ?quare and ad?quare. The same distinction is made by Nicolas Bourbaki introducing his ?théorie égalitaire?. Notwithstanding: both verbs stand for a ?relation d’égalité?. On this premiss, I describe—using six selected examples—that Fermat’s “method” may be justified right down to the last detail, even from the view of today’s mathematical knowledge.     

Remarks on an overdetermined boundary value problem

We modify and extend proofs of Serrin’s symmetry result for overdetermined boundary value problems from the Laplace-operator to a general quasilinear operator and remove a strong ellipticity assumption in Philippin (Maximum principles and eigenvalue problems in partial differential equations (Knoxville, TN, 1987), Longman Sci. Tech., Pitman Res. Notes Math. Ser., Harlow, 175, pp. 34–48, 1988) and a growth assumption in Garofalo and Lewis (A symmetry result related to some overdetermined boundary value problems, Am. J. Math. 111, 9–33, 1989) on the diffusion coefficient A, as well as a starshapedness assumption on Ω in Fragalà et al. (Overdetermined boundary value problems with possibly degenerate ellipticity: a geometric approach. Math. Zeitschr. 254, 117–132, 2006).     

Asymptotic expansions for the conditional sojourn time distribution in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis>/<Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis>/1-PS queue

We consider the M/M/1 queue with processor sharing. We study the conditional sojourn time distribution, conditioned on the customer’s service requirement, in various asymptotic limits. These include large time and/or large service request, and heavy traffic, where the arrival rate is only slightly less than the service rate. The asymptotic formulas relate to, and extend, some results of Morrison (SIAM J. Appl. Math. 45:152–167, [1985]) and Flatto (Ann. Appl. Probab. 7:382–409, [1997]). This work was partly supported by NSF grant DMS 05-03745.     

Some notes on densely continuous forms

We consider a special space of set-valued functions (multifunctions), the space of densely continuous forms D(X, Y) between Hausdorff spaces X and Y, defined in [HAMMER, S. T.—McCOY, R. A.: Spaces of densely continuous forms, Set-Valued Anal. 5 (1997), 247–266] and investigated also in [HOLá, L’.: Spaces of densely continuous forms, USCO and minimal USCO maps, Set-Valued Anal. 11 (2003), 133–151]. We show some of its properties, completing the results from the papers [HOLY, D.—VADOVIČ, P.: Densely continuous forms, pointwise topology and cardinal functions, Czechoslovak Math. J. 58(133) (2008), 79–92] and [HOLY, D.—VADOVIČ, P.: Hausdorff graph topology, proximal graph topology and the uniform topology for densely continuous forms and minimal USCO maps, Acta Math. Hungar. 116 (2007), 133–144], in particular concerning the structure of the space of real-valued locally bounded densely continuous forms D _p ^*(X) equipped with the topology of pointwise convergence in the product space of all nonempty-compact-valued multifunctions. The paper also contains a comparison of cardinal functions on D _p ^*(X) and on real-valued continuous functions C _p (X) and a generalization of a sufficient condition for the countable cellularity of D _p ^*(X). This work was supported by Science and Technology Assistance Agency under the contract No. APVT-51-006904 and by the Eco-Net (EGIDE) programme of the Laboratoire de Mathématiques de l’Université de Saint-Etienne (LaMUSE), France.     

A shorter proof of Kanter’s Bessel function concentration bound

We give a shorter proof of Kanter’s (J. Multivariate Anal. 6, 222–236, 1976) sharp Bessel function bound for concentrations of sums of independent symmetric random vectors. We provide sharp upper bounds for the sum of modified Bessel functions I₀(x) + I₁(x), which might be of independent interest. Corollaries improve concentration or smoothness bounds for sums of independent random variables due to Čekanavičius & Roos (Lith. Math. J. 46, 54–91, 2006); Roos (Bernoulli, 11, 533–557, 2005), Barbour & Xia (ESAIM Probab. Stat. 3, 131–150, 1999), and Le Cam (Asymptotic Methods in Statistical Decision Theory. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, 1986).      

Univalence Criteria Starting from the Method of Loewner Chains

The paper continues the work of Royster (Duke Math J 19:447–457, 1952), Mocanu [Mathematica (Cluj) 22(1):77–83, 1980; Mathematica (Cluj) 29:49–55, 1987], Cristea [Mathematica (Cluj) 36(2):137–144, 1994; Complex Var 42:333–345, 2000; Mathematica (Cluj) 43(1):23–34, 2001; Mathematica (Cluj), 2010, to appear; Teoria Topologica a Functiilor Analitice, Editura Universitatii Bucuresti, Romania, 1999] of extending univalence criteria for complex mappings to C ¹ mappings. We improve now the method of Loewner chains which is usually used in complex univalence theory for proving univalence criteria or for proving quasiconformal extensions of holomorphic mappings f : B → C ⁿ to C ⁿ . The results are surprisingly strong. We show that the usual results from the theory, like Becker’s univalence criteria remain true for C ¹ mappings and since we use a stronger form of Loewner’s theory, we obtain results which are stronger even for holomorphic mappings f : B → C ⁿ . In our main result (Theorem 4.1) we end the researches dedicated to quasiconformal extensions of K-quasiregular and holomorphic mappings f : B → C ⁿ to C ⁿ . We show that a C ¹ quasiconformal map f : B → C ⁿ can be extended to a quasiconformal map F : C ⁿ → C ⁿ , without any metric condition imposed to the map f.     

Applications of Klee’s Dehn–Sommerville Relations

We use Klee’s Dehn–Sommerville relations and other results on face numbers of homology manifolds without boundary to (i) prove Kalai’s conjecture providing lower bounds on the f-vectors of an even-dimensional manifold with all but the middle Betti number vanishing, (ii) verify Kühnel’s conjecture that gives an upper bound on the middle Betti number of a 2k-dimensional manifold in terms of k and the number of vertices, and (iii) partially prove Kühnel’s conjecture providing upper bounds on other Betti numbers of odd- and even-dimensional manifolds. For manifolds with boundary, we derive an extension of Klee’s Dehn–Sommerville relations and strengthen Kalai’s result on the number of their edges. I. Novik research partially supported by Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship and NSF grant DMS-0500748. E. Swartz research partially supported by NSF grant DMS-0600502.