The Number of Directions Determined by Points in the Three-Dimensional Euclidean Space

   Abstract. Let X be a set of n points in the three-dimensional Euclidean space such that no three points in X are on the same line and there is no plane containing all points in X . An old conjecture states that pairs of points in X determine at least 2n-3 directions. We prove the weaker result that X determines at least 1.75n-2 directions.     

The Number of Geometric Bistellar Neighbors of a Triangulation

The theory of secondary and fiber polytopes implies that regular (also called convex or coherent) triangulations of configurations with n points in R ^d have at least n-d-1 geometric bistellar neighbors. Here we prove that, in fact, all triangulations of n points in R ² have at least n-3 geometric bistellar neighbors. In a similar way, we show that for three-dimensional point configurations, in convex position and with no three points collinear, all triangulations have at least n-4 geometric bistellar flips. In contrast, we exhibit three-dimensional point configurations, with a single interior point, having deficiency on the number of geometric bistellar flips. A lifting technique allows us to obtain a triangulation of a simplicial convex 4-polytope with less than n-5 neighbors. We also construct a family of point configurations in R ³ with arbitrarily large flip deficiency. Received November 25, 1996, and in revised form March 10, 1997.     

Multiregular Point Systems

This paper gives several conditions in geometric crystallography which force a structure X in R ⁿ to be an ideal crystal. An ideal crystal in R ⁿ is a finite union of translates of a full-dimensional lattice. An (r,R) -set is a discrete set X in R ⁿ such that each open ball of radius r contains at most one point of X and each closed ball of radius R contains at least one point of X . A multiregular point system X is an (r,R) -set whose points are partitioned into finitely many orbits under the symmetry group Sym(X) of isometries of R ⁿ that leave X invariant. Every multiregular point system is an ideal crystal and vice versa. We present two different types of geometric conditions on a set X that imply that it is a multiregular point system. The first is that if X ``looks the same' when viewed from n+2 points { y <sub>i</sub> : 1 i n + 2 } , such that one of these points is in the interior of the convex hull of all the others, then X is a multiregular point system. The second is a ``local rules' condition, which asserts that if X is an (r,R) -set and all neighborhoods of X within distance ρ of each x∈X are isometric to one of k given point configurations, and ρ exceeds CRk for C = 2(n ² +1) log ₂ (2R/r+2) , then X is a multiregular point system that has at most k orbits under the action of Sym(X) on R ⁿ . In particular, ideal crystals have perfect local rules under isometries. Received September 13, 1996, and in revised form September 27, 1996, February 6, 1997, and May 7, 1997.     

An affirmative answer to a question of Ciliberto

We give an example of a nondegeneraten-dimensional smooth projective varietyX inP ²ⁿ⁺¹ with the canonical bundle ample a varietyX whose tangent variety TanX has dimension less than 2n over an algebraically closed field of any characteristic whenn≥9. This varietyX is not ruled by lines and the embedded tangent space at a general point ofX intersectsX at some other points, so that this yields an affirmative answer to a question of Ciliberto.     

Manifolds polarized by vector bundles

LetX be a complex projective manifold of dimension n and let ε be an ample vector bundle of rank r. Let also τ = τ (X,ε) = min {t ∈ ℝ : K_X + t det ε is nef} be the nef value of the pair (X, ε). In this paper we classify the pairs (X, ε) such that{ Mathematics Subject Classification (2000)14J60; 14J40; 14E30     

Guarding galleries where every point sees a large area

We prove a conjecture of Kavraki, Latombe, Motwani and Raghavan that ifX is a compact simply connected set in the plane of Lebesgue measure 1, such that any pointx∈X sees a part ofX of measure at least ɛ, then one can choose a setG of at mostconst1/ɛ log 1/ɛ points inX such that any point ofX is seen by some point ofG. More generally, if for anyk points inX there is a point seeing at least 3 of them, then all points ofX can be seen from at mostO(k ³ logk) points. Research supported by grants from the Sloan Foundation, the Israeli Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and by G.I.F. Research supported by Czech Republic Grant GAČR 201/94/2167 and Charles University grants No. 351 and 361. Part of the work was done while the author was visiting The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.     

Notes on minimal compactifications of the affine plane

In this paper, we consider the minimal compactifications X of the complex affine plane with at most log canonical singular points. We classify the surfaces X in the case X has at least one non-log terminal singular point.      

Anchored Hyperplane Location Problems

   Abstract. The anchored hyperplane location problem is to locate a hyperplane passing through some given points P

Densely Continuous Forms in Vietoris Hyperspaces

For countably paracompact normal spaces X and locally compact separable metric spaces Y, a characterization is given for the closure of the set of densely continuous forms from X to Y in the hyperspace of nonempty closed subsets of X × Y under the Vietoris topology. This shows that for such X having no isolated points, every closed subset of X × R that is dense over X can be Vietoris approximated by a semicontinuous function on X.     

Asymptotic conditional distribution of exceedance counts: fragility index with different margins

We consider a random vector X, whose components are neither necessarily independent nor identically distributed. The fragility index (FI), if it exists, is defined as the limit of the expected number of exceedances among the components of X above a high threshold, given that there is at least one exceedance. It measures the asymptotic stability of the system of components. The system is called stable if the FI is one and fragile otherwise. In this paper, we show that the asymptotic conditional distribution of exceedance counts exists, if the copula of X is in the domain of attraction of a multivariate extreme value distribution, and if the marginal distribution functions satisfy an appropriate tail condition. This enables the computation of the FI corresponding to X and of the extended FI as well as of the asymptotic distribution of the exceedance cluster length also in that case, where the components of X are not identically distributed.     

Lower bounds for weak epsilon-nets and stair-convexity

A set N ⊂ ℝ ^d is called a weak ɛ-net (with respect to convex sets) for a finite X ⊂ ℝ ^d if N intersects every convex set C with |X ∩ C| ≥ ɛ|X|. For every fixed d ≥ 2 and every r ≥ 1 we construct sets X ⊂ ℝ ^d for which every weak 1/r -net has at least Ω(r log ^d−1 r) points; this is the first superlinear lower bound for weak ɛ-nets in a fixed dimension.     

Note on g-Hilbertian fields and nonrational curves¶with the Hilbert property

In a recent paper, Fried and Jarden prove the existence, for all integers g, of non-Hilbertian fields K which cannot be covered by a finite number of sets of the form ϕ (X(K)), where X is a curve of genus ≤g and ϕ is a rational function on X of degree ≥ 2. (If no bound is given on the genus we recover the notion of Hilbertian field.) This generalizes the case g=0, obtained previously by Corvaja and Zannier with a more elementary method. By a suitable modification of that method, we give here a new proof of the result of Fried and Jarden which avoids the use of deep group theoretical results. By a somewhat related construction we give an example of a curve X/Q of any prescribed genus and a Hilbertian field K⊂ˉQ such that X/K has the Hilbert property, i.e. the set of rational points X(K) is not thin. Received: 10 March 1998 / Revised version: 20 April 1998     

Rings of Continuous Functions on Spaces of Finite Rank and the SV Property

Let X be a compact topological space and let C(X) denote the f-ring of all continuous real-valued functions defined on X. A point x in X is said to have rank n if, in C(X), there are n minimal prime ?-ideals contained in the maximal ?-ideal M _x  = {f ? C(X):f(x) = 0}. The space X has finite rank if there is an n ? N such that every point x ? X has rank at most n. We call X an SV space (for survaluation space) if C(X)/P is a valuation domain for each minimal prime ideal P of C(X). Every compact SV space has finite rank. For a bounded continuous function h defined on a cozeroset U of X, we say there is an h-rift at the point z if h cannot be extended continuously to U ∪ {z}. We use sets of points with h-rift to investigate spaces of finite rank and SV spaces. We show that the set of points with h-rift is a subset of the set of points of rank greater than 1 and that whether or not a compact space of finite rank is SV depends on a characteristic of the closure of the set of points with h-rift for each such h. If X has finite rank and the set of points with h-rift is an F-space for each h, then X is an SV space. Moreover, if every x ? X has rank at most 2, then X is an SV space if and only if for each h, the set of points with h-rift is an F-space.     

Lines, Circles, Planes and Spheres

Let S be a set of n points in ℝ³, no three collinear and not all coplanar. If at most n−k are coplanar and n is sufficiently large, the total number of planes determined is at least 1+k\binomn-k2-\binomk2(\fracn-k2)1+k\binom{n-k}{2}-\binom{k}{2}(\frac{n-k}{2}). For similar conditions and sufficiently large n, (inspired by the work of P.D.T.A. Elliott in Acta Math. Sci. Hung. 18:181–188, 1967) we also show that the number of spheres determined by n points is at least 1+\binomn-13-t₃^orchard(n-1)1+\binom{n-1}{3}-t_{3}^{\mathrm{orchard}}(n-1), and this bound is best possible under its hypothesis. (By t₃^orchard(n)t_{3}^{\mathrm{orchard}}(n), we are denoting the maximum number of three-point lines attainable by a configuration of n points, no four collinear, in the plane, i.e., the classic Orchard Problem.) New lower bounds are also given for both lines and circles.     

SPACES WITH WALLMAN EQUIVALENT INTERMEDIATE SPACES

Abstract

If every infinite closed subset of the Wallman compactification, WX, of a space X must contain at least one element of X, then for any space Y intermediate between X and WX the Wallman compactification WY is homeomorphic to WX. This extends a property which characterizes normality inducing spaces. In the case where X is not normal, however, this is not a characterization, since there are nonnormal spaces for which all intermediate spaces are Wallman equivalent, but have infinite closed subsets contained in WX/X.     

The Size of Spanning Disks for Polygonal Curves

Abstract. For each integer n ≥ 0 , there is a closed, unknotted, polygonal curve K _n in R ³ having less than 10n+9 edges, with the property that any piecewise-linear triangulated disk spanning the curve contains at least 2 ^n-1 triangles.     

Configurations of 2 n - 2 Quadrics in R n with 3 · 2 n-1 Common Tangent Lines

   Abstract. We construct 2n-2 smooth quadrics in R ⁿ whose equations have the same degree 2 homogeneous parts such that these quadrics have 3⋅ 2 ^n-1 isolated common real tangent lines. Special cases of the construction give examples of 2n-2 spheres with affinely dependent centres such that all but one of the radii are equal, and of 2n-2 quadrics which are translated images of each other.     

Subtractive Categories

We introduce a notion of a subtractive category. It generalizes the notion of a pointed subtractive variety of universal algebras in the sense of A. Ursini. Subtractive categories are closely related to Mal’tsev and additive categories: (i) a category C with finite limits is a Mal’tsev category if and only if for every object X in C the category Pt(X)=((X,1_X)↓(C↓X)) of “points over X” is subtractive; (ii) a pointed category C with finite limits is additive if and only if C is subtractive and half-additive.Mathematics Subject Classifications (2000) 18C99, 18E05, 08B05.     

Smooth threefolds in ${\Bbb P}^5$ without apparent triple or quadruple points and a quadruple-point formula

For a projective variety X of codimension 2 in defined over the complex number field , it is traditionally said that X has no apparent -ple points if the -secant lines of X do not fill up the ambient projective space , equivalently, the locus of -ple points of a generic projection of X to ${\Bbb P}^{n+1}$ is empty. We show that a smooth threefold in has no apparent triple points if and only if it is contained in a quadric hypersurface. We also obtain an enumerative formula counting the quadrisecant lines of X passing through a general point of and give necessary cohomological conditions for smooth threefolds in without apparent quadruple points. This work is intended to generalize the work of F. Severi [fSe] and A. Aure [Au], where it was shown that a smooth surface in has no triple points if and only if it is either a quintic elliptic scroll or contained in a hyperquadric. Furthermore we give open questions along these lines. Received: 24 January 2000 / Published online: 18 June 2001