General decomposition theorems form-convex sets in the plane

A setS inR ^dis said to bem-convex,m≧2, if and only if for everym distinct points inS, at least one of the line segments determined by these points lies inS. Clearly any union ofm?1 convex sets ism-convex, yet the converse is false and has inspired some interesting mathematical questions: Under what conditions will anm-convex set be decomposable intom?1 convex sets? And for everym≧2, does there exist aσ(m) such that everym-convex set is a union ofσ(m) convex sets? Pathological examples convince the reader to restrict his attention to closed sets of dimension≦3, and this paper provides answers to the questions above for closed subsets of the plane. IfS is a closedm-convex set in the plane,m ≧ 2, the first question may be answered in one way by the following result: If there is some lineH supportingS at a pointp in the kernel ofS, thenS is a union ofm ? 1 convex sets. Using this result, it is possible to prove several decomposition theorems forS under varying conditions. Finally, an answer to the second question is given: Ifm≧3, thenS is a union of (m?1)³2 ^m?3 or fewer convex sets.     

A decomposition theorem for χ1-convex sets

A set S in $\text{R}$ is said to be χ-convex if and only if S does not contain a visually independent subset having cardinality χ. It is natural to ask when an χ-convex set may be expressed as a countable union of convex sets. Here it is proved that if S is a closed χ-convex set in the plane and $\text{R}$ has at most finitely many bounded components, then S is a countable union of convex sets. A parallel result holds in $\text{R}$ when S is a closed χ-convex set which contains all triangular regions whose relative boundaries are in S. However, the result fails for arbitrary χ-convex sets, even in the plane.     

Retarded equations on the sphere induced by linear equations

Using a Poincaré compactification, the linear homogeneous system of delay equations {x = Ax(t ? 1) (A is an n × n real matrix) induces a delay system π(A) on the sphere Sⁿ. The points at infinity belong to an invariant submanifold S^{n ? 1} of Sⁿ. For an open and dense set of 2 × 2 matrices A with distinct eigenvalues, the system π(A) has only hyperbolic critical points (including the critical points at infinity). For an open and dense set of 2 × 2matrices $\text{A}$ with complex eigenvalues, the nonwandering set at infinity is the union of an odd number of hyperbolic periodic orbits; if $\text{(}\text{det}\text{A}\text{)}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{<}\text{3π}\text{2}$, the restriction of $\text{π(}\text{A}\text{)}$ to S¹ is Morse-Smale. For n = 1 there exist periodic orbits of period 4 provided that $\text{?A >}\text{π}\text{2}$ and Hopf bifurcation of a center occurs for ?A near $\text{(}\text{π}\text{2}\text{) + 2kπ, k ? Z}$.     

AnR danalogue of Valentine’s theorem on 3-convex sets

This paper deals with anR ^danalogue of a theorem of Valentine which states that a closed 3-convex setS in the plane is decomposable into 3 or fewer closed convex sets. In Valentine’s proof, the points of local nonconvexity ofS are treated as vertices of a polygonP contained in the kernel ofS, yielding a decomposition ofS into 2 or 3 convex sets, depending on whetherP has an even or odd number of edges. Thus the decomposition actually depends onc(P′), the chromatic number of the polytopeP′ dual toP. A natural analogue of this result is the following theorem: LetS be a closed subset ofR ^d, and letQ denote the set of points of local nonconvexity ofS. We require thatQ be contained in the kernel ofS and thatQ coincide with the set of points in the union of all the (d − 2)-dimensional faces of somed-dimensional polytopeP. ThenS is decomposable intoc(P′) closed convex sets.     

On admissible shifts of generalized white noises

Let $\text{S}$ be the Schwartz space of rapidly decreasing real functions. The dual space $\text{S}$¹ consists of the tempered distributions and the relation $\text{S}$ ? L²($\text{R}$) ? $\text{S}$¹ holds. Let γ be the Gaussian white noise on $\text{S}$¹ with the characteristic functional $\text{γ}\text{(ξ) =}\text{exp}\text{{?∥ξ∥}{}^2\text{/2}}$, ξ ∈ $\text{S}$, where ∥·∥ is the L²($\text{R}$)-norm. Let ν be the Poisson white noise on $\text{S}$¹ with the characteristic functional $\text{ν}\text{(ξ)}$ = exp?_$\text{R}$∫_$\text{R}$ {[exp(iξ(t)u)] ? 1 ? (1 + u²)^?1(iξ(t)u)} dη(u)dt), ξ ∈ $\text{S}$, where the Lévy measure is assumed to satisfy the condition ∫_$\text{R}$u²dη(u) < ∞. It is proved that γ1ν has the same dichotomy property for shifts as the Gaussian white noise, i.e., for any ω ∈ $\text{S}$¹, the shift $\text{(γ1ν)}{}_{\mathrm{\omega }}$ of γ1ν by ω and γ1ν are either equivalent or orthogonal. They are equivalent if and only if when ω ∈ L²($\text{R}$) and the Radon-Nikodym derivative is derived. It is also proved that for the Poisson white noice ν_ω is orthogonal to ν for any non-zero ω in $\text{S}$¹.     

Subnormal weighted translation semigroups

A weighted translation semigroup {S_t} on L²($\text{R}$₊) is defined by $\text{(S}{}_{\mathrm{t}}\text{f)(x) =}\text{(φ(x)}\text{φ(x ? t)}\text{)f(x ? t)}$ for x ? t and 0 otherwise, where φ is a continuous nonzero scalar-valued function on $\text{R}$₊. It is shown that {S_t} is subnormal if and only if φ² is the product of an exponential function and the Laplace-Stieltjes transform of an increasing function of total variation one. A necessary and sufficient condition for similarity of weighted translation semigroups is developed.     

A general rice formula,palm measures,and horizontal-window conditioning for random fields

In the first main result the mean (m?n)-dimensional Hausdorff measure of the set of crossing points of a level y ? $\text{R}$ⁿ by an m-dimensional continuous random vector field with values in R _ⁿ, m?n, is computed. The second one deals with horizontal-window conditional (Palm) distributions for such random fields. For this purpose, a general concept of Palm measures is introduced, which contains both the ‘stationary’ and the ‘nonstationary’ one.     

Regularizing the abstract convex program

Characterizations of optimality for the abstract convex program $\text{μ =}\text{inf}\text{{p(x) : g(x) ? ?S, x ? Ω}}$ (P) where S is an arbitrary convex cone in a finite dimensional space, Ω is a convex set, and p and g are respectively convex and S-convex (on Ω), were given in [10]. These characterizations hold without any constraint qualification. They use the “minimal cone” S^f of (P) and the cone of directions of constancy D_g⁼ (S^f). In the faithfully convex case these cones can be used to regularize (P), i.e., transform (P) into an equivalent program (P_r) for which Slater's condition holds. We present an algorithm that finds both S^f and D_g⁼(S^f). The main step of the algorithm consists in solving a particular complementarity problem. We also present a characterization of optimality for (P) in terms of the cone of directions of constancy of a convex functional D_φg⁼ rather than D_g⁼(S^f).     

On the maximum number of permutations with given maximal or minimal distance

Let us denote by R(k, ? λ)[R(k, ? λ)] the maximal number $\text{M}$ such that there exist $\text{M}$ different permutations of the set {1,…, k} such that any two of them have at least λ (at most λ, respectively) common positions. We prove the inequalities R(k, ? λ) ? kR(k ? 1, ? λ ? 1), R(k, ? λ) ? R(k, ? λ ? 1) ? k!, R(k, ? λ) ? kR(k ? 1, ? λ ? 1). We show: R(k, ? k ? 2) = 2, R(k, ? 1) = (k ? 1)!, R(p^m, ? 2) = (p^m ? 2)!, R(p^m + 1, ? 3) = (p^m ? 2)!, $\text{R(k, ? k ? 3) =}\text{k!}\text{2}$, R(k, ? 0) = k, R(p^m, ? 1) = p^m(p^m ? 1), R(p^m + 1, ? 2) = (p^m + 1)p^m(p^m ? 1). The exact value of R(k, ? λ) is determined whenever k ? k₀(k ? λ); we conjecture that R(k, ? λ) = (k ? λ)! for k ? k₀(λ). Bounds for the general case are given and are used to determine that the minimum of |R(k, ? λ) ? R(k, ? λ)| is attained for $\text{λ = (}\text{k}\text{2}\text{) + O(}\text{k}\text{log}\text{k}\text{)}$.     

On strictly positively invariant cones

For a matrix A ∈ R^{n × n}, it is shown that strict positive invariance of a proper cone $\text{C}$ ? Rⁿ (that is, e^tA$\text{C}\text{/{0}}$ ? int $\text{C}$ ?t 0) implies the existence of a certain direct sum decomposition of Rⁿ into A-invariant subspaces. Our results lead to a characterization of the set of initial points which give rise to solution curves that reach $\text{S}$, under the differential equation ? = Ax. Also given is an application in stability theory.     

Prime interchange graphs of classes of matrices of zeros and ones

Let R = (r₁,…, r_m) and S = (s₁,…, s_n) be nonnegative integral vectors, and let $\text{U}$(R, S) denote the class of all m × n matrices of 0's and 1's having row sum vector R and column sum vector S. An invariant position of $\text{U}$(R, S) is a position whose entry is the same for all matrices in $\text{U}$(R, S). The interchange graph G(R, S) is the graph where the vertices are the matrices in $\text{U}$(R, S) and where two matrices are joined by an edge provided they differ by an interchange. We prove that when 1 ≤ r_i ≤ n ? 1 (i = 1,…, m) and 1 ≤ s_j ≤ m ? 1 (j = 1,…, n), G(R, S) is prime if and only if $\text{U}$(R, S) has no invariant positions.     

A decomposition theorem form-convex sets

LetS be a closedm-convex subset of the plane,m≧2,Q the set of points of local nonconvexity ofS, with convQ ⊆S. If there is some pointp in [(bdryS) ∩ (kerS)] ∼Q, thenS is a union ofm−1 closed convex sets. The result is best possible for everym.     

Equivalence of measures for some class of Gaussian random fields

We consider two Gaussian measures P₁ and P₂ on (C(G), $\text{B}$) with zero expectations and covariance functions R₁(x, y) and R₂(x, y) respectively, where R_ν(x, y) is the Green's function of the Dirichlet problem for some uniformly strongly elliptic differential operator A^(ν) of order $\text{2m, m ≥ [}\text{d}\text{2}\text{] + 1}$, on a bounded domain G in $\text{R}$^d (ν = 1, 2). It is shown that if the order of A⁽²⁾ ? A⁽¹⁾ is at most $\text{2m ? [}\text{d}\text{2}\text{] ? 1}$, then P₁ and P₂ are equivalent, while if the order is greater than $\text{2m ? [}\text{d}\text{2}\text{] ? 1}$, then P₁ and P₂ are not always equivalent.     

Duality theorems for linear systems and convex systems

We show that, if (F →^uX) is a linear system, $\text{Ω ? X}$ a convex target set and $\text{h: X →}\text{R}\text{?}$ a convex functional, then, under suitable assumptions, the computation of inf $\text{h({y ? F ¦ u(y) ? Ω}}$) can be reduced to the computation of the infimum of h on certain strips or hyperplanes in F, determined by elements of $\text{u}{}^1\text{(X}{}^1\text{)}$, or of the infima on F of Lagrangians, involving elements of $\text{u}{}^1\text{(X}{}^1\text{)}$. Also, we prove similar results for a convex system (F →^uX) and the convex cone Ω of all non-positive elements in X.     

On the decomposition of the tensor algebra of the classical Lie algebras

Let $\text{g}$_n be the Lie algebra gl_n(C), let S($\text{g}$_n) be the symmetric algebra of $\text{g}$_n, and let T($\text{g}$_n) be the tensor algebra of $\text{g}$_n. In a recent paper, R. K. Gupta studied certain sequences of representations R_∞ = (R_n)^∞_{n = 1}, where R_n is a representation of $\text{g}$_n. These sequences have the property that every irreducible representation occurring in S($\text{g}$_n) is in exactly one of these sequences. Fixing f, she considers s(R_∞, f) which is the limit on n of the multiplicity of R_n in S^f($\text{g}$_n), the fth-graded piece of S($\text{g}$_n). She and R. P. Stanley independently showed that the limit s(R_∞, f) exists and is given by an amazingly elegant formula. They call s(R_∞, f) the stable multiplicity of R_n in S^f($\text{g}$_n). In this paper, an entirely different approach is used to extend the above result in several directions. Appropriately defined sequences R_∞ for all of the classical Lie algebras $\text{g}$_n are studied, and a simple formula for the stable multiplicity m(R)_∞, ψ, f, $\text{g}$_∞) of R_n in the ψ-isotypic component of T^f($\text{g}$_n), where ψ is any irreducible character of the symmetric group tS_f, is obtained. As in the work of Gupta and Stanley, the expressions for m(R)_∞, ψ, f, $\text{g}$_∞) are amazingly simple. Special cases include the stable decomposition of the tensor algebra, the symmetric algebra and the exterior algebra of $\text{g}$_n. As a byproduct of our proof, a “stable” decomposition of every isotypic component of T($\text{g}$_n) is obtained. This combinatorial decomposition is in some sense a generalization of Kostant's decomposition of S($\text{g}$_n) into direct sum of the harmonics and the ideal generated by the invariants of positive degree. To be precise, for f <n the combinatorial decomposition of T^f($\text{g}$_n) projects onto Kostant's decomposition of S^f($\text{g}$_n).     

Characterization of the closed convex hull of the range of a vector-valued measure

For a set K in a locally convex topological vector space X there exists a set T, a σ-algebra $\text{S}$ of subsets of T and a σ-additive measure m: $\text{S}$ → X such that K is the closed convex hull of the range {m(E): E ∈ $\text{S}$} of the measure m if and only if there exists a conical measure u on X so that K K_u,K_u, the set of resultants of all conical measures v on X such that v < u.     

A remark to the preceding paper by Chernoff

It is shown that the method of Chernoff developed in the preceding paper can be modified to prove the essential self-adjointness on C₀^∞(R^m) of all positive powers of the Schrödinger operator T = ? Δ + q if q real and in C^∞(R^m) and if $\text{T ? ?a ? b ¦ x ¦}{}^2\text{on}\text{C}{}_0{}^{\mathrm{\infty }}\text{(R}{}^{\mathrm{m}}\text{)}$.     

A note on the conditional moments of a multivariate normal distribution confined to a convex set

Let Y be an N(μ, Σ) random variable on R^m, 1 ≤ m ≤ ∞, where Σ is positive definite. Let C be a nonempty convex set in R^m with closure $\text{C}$. Let (·,-·) be the Eculidean inner product on R^m, and let μ_c be the conditional expected value of Y given Y ∈ C. For v ∈ R^m and s ≥ 0, let β_s(v) be the expected value of |(v, Y) ? (v, μ)|^s and let γ_s(v) be the conditional expected value of |(v, Y) ? (v, μ_c)|^s given Y ∈ C. For s ≥ 1, γ_s(v) < β_s(v) if and only if $\text{C}\text{+ Σ v ≠}\text{C}$, and γ_s(v) < β_s(v) for all v ≠ 0 if and only if $\text{C}\text{+ v ≠}\text{C}$ for any v ∈ R^m such that v ≠ 0.     

Some improvements in Neuberger's iteration procedure for solving partial differential equations

If m and n are positive integers then let S(m, n) denote the linear space over R whose elements are the real-valued symmetric n-linear functions on E_m with operations defined in the usual way. If $\text{U}$ is a function from some sphere S in E_m to R then let $\text{U}$⁽ⁱ⁾(x) denote the ith Frechet derivative of $\text{U}$ at x. In general $\text{U}$⁽ⁱ⁾(x)∈S(m,i). In the paper “An Iterative Method for Solving Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations” [Advances in Math. 19 (1976), 245–265] Neuberger presents an iterative procedure for solving a partial differential equation of the form

$\text{AU}{}^{\mathrm{n}}\text{(x)=F(x, U(x), U′(x),…,U}{}^{\mathrm{k}}\text{(x))}$

, where k > n, $\text{U}$ is the unknown from some sphere in E_m to R, A is a linear functional on S(m, n), and F is analytic. The defect in the theory presented there was that in order to prove that the iterates converged to a solution $\text{U}$ the condition $\text{k ?}\text{n}\text{2}$ was needed. In this paper an iteration procedure that is a slight variation on Neuberger's procedure is considered. Although the condition $\text{k ?}\text{n}\text{2}$ cannot as yet be eliminated, it is shown that in a broad class of cases depending upon the nature of the functional A the restriction $\text{k ?}\text{n}\text{2}$ may be replaced by the restriction $\text{k ?}\text{3n}\text{4}$.