Oscillation Theorems for Nonlinear Second Order Differential Equations with Damping

Some oscillation criteria are given for the second order nonlinear differential equation (a(t)(x(t))k(x(t))) + p(t)k(x(t)) + q(t f(x(t)) = 0, t t ₀ where p is allowed to change sign on [t ₀, ). For this we use the averaging technique. Our results generalize and extend some known oscillation criteria in the literature.     

Stochastically monotone Markov Chains

Summary A real-valued discrete time Markov Chain {X _n} is defined to be stochastically monotone when its one-step transition probability function pr {X _n+1y¦ X _n=x} is non-increasing in x for every fixed y. This class of Markov Chains arises in a natural way when it is sought to bound (stochastically speaking) the process {X _n} by means of a smaller or larger process with the same transition probabilities; the class includes many simple models of applied probability theory. Further, a given stochastically monotone Markov Chain can readily be bounded by another chain {Y _n}, with possibly different transition probabilities and not necessarily stochastically monotone, and this is of particular value when the latter process leads to simpler algebraic manipulations. A stationary stochastically monotone Markov Chain {X _n} has cov(f(X ₀), f(X _n)) cov(f(X ₀), f(X _n+1))0 (n =1, 2,...) for any monotonic function f(·). The paper also investigates the definition of stochastic monotonicity on a more general state space, and the properties of integer-valued stochastically monotone Markov Chains.     

A convergent splitting of matrices

LetA, M, N ben ×n real matrices, letA = M– N, letA andM be nonsingular, letM y 0 implyN y 0, and letA y 0 implyN y 0 (where the prime denotes the transpose). Then the spectral radius(M ^–1 N) ofM ^–1 N is less than one, and the iterative processx ⁱ⁺¹ =M ^–1 N x ⁱ +M ^–1 b converges to the solution ofA x = b starting from anyx ⁰.Sponsored by the Mathematics Research Center, United States Army, Madison, Wisconsin, under Contract No. DA-31-124-ARO-D-462, and in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant NSF GP-6070.     

Computations on the growth of the first factor for prime cyclotomic fields

Denote byh(p) the first factor of the class number of the prime cyclotomic fieldk(exp (2i/p)). The theorem:h(p ₂)>h(p ₁) if 641 p ₂>p ₁ 19 is proved by straightforward computation.     

The limiting behaviour of the last exit time for sequences of independent,identically distributed random variables

Summary Let {X _k , k0} be i.i.d. random variables with EX ⁺< and define t =max{k0: X _k > k} if such a k exists and =0 else, the last exit time of the sequence X _k for fixed >0. We discuss weak limit laws for t as 0; in particular the limit distributions, the stability and the relative stability.This work is partially supported by a grant of the Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung, while the author was at the University of Pittsburgh, USAHerrn Prof. L. Schmetterer zu seinem 60. Geburtstag gewidmet     

Convex interpolating splines of arbitrary degree. III

For given data (x _i, f_i) _i=0 ⁿ (x ₀<x ₁<...<x _n) we consider the possibility of finding a spline functions of arbitrary degreek (k3) with preassigned smoothnessl, where 1l[(k-1)/2]. The splines should be such thats(x _i)=f _i (i=0, 1,...,n) ands is convex or nondecreasing and convex on [x ₀,x _n]. An explicit formula for this function as well as the conditions that guarantee the required properties are established. An algorithm for the determination of the splines and the error bounds is also included.     

Note on Fano 3-folds

LetE be an ample vector bundle of rankr on a compact complex manifoldX of dimension 3 with detE=–K _x, andi(X) the index ofX. Then it is proved in this note thati(X)r unless (X,E)(¹ × ²,p*O(1) q*), wherep,q are the projections and is isomorphic toO(2) O(1) or the tangent bundleT of ². This result gives a counterexample to the conjecture formed by T. Peternell.     

Some simple in-place merging algorithms

The theoretical presentation and analysis is given for two families of simple in-place merging algorithms and their limiting cases. The first family merges stably inO(k·n) time andO(n ^1/k ) additional space with a limiting case running inO(n logn) time and constant space. The second family merges unstably inO (k ·n) time andO(log ^k n) space with a limiting case running inO(nG(n)) time and constant space. HereG(n) is the leastk such thatF(k) n whereF(0)=1 andF(i)=2 ^F(i–1) fori1. Each algorithm gives rise to a corresponding merge sort.     

Multipliers of a Family of Almost Modular Functions

The goal of this paper is to complete an investigation begun by Cohn and Knopp in their 1994 paper, Application of Dedekind eta-multipliers to modular equations. The paper concerned _k (z), a family of modular forms on ⁰(N) (N a positive integer) with possibly non-trivial multiplier systems. Cohn and Knopp defined new functions _k (z) and a new group containing ⁰(N) and proved that for all S in the larger group and for all k, _k (Sz) = M _k(S) _k (z), where M _k(S)²⁴ = 1. This yielded interesting invariance properties of _k , dependent on the values of M _k(S). Fixing a constant integer e, independent of k, Cohn and Knopp proved that for all k and all S in the larger group, M _k(S) ^e = (±1) ^e . They determined the sign of M _k(S) ^e in many, but not all, cases. In this paper, we give a complete determination of the values of M _k(S) ^e in the remaining cases.     

A bounded law of the iterated logarithm for Hilbert space valued martingales and its application to U-statistics

Summary A bounded law of the iterated logarithm for martingales with values in a separable Hilbert space H is proved. It is then applied to prove invariance principles for U-statistics for independent identically distributed (-valued) random variables {X _j , j1} and a kernel h: ^m H, m2, which is degenerate for the common distribution function of X _j , j1. This extends to general m results of an earlier paper on this subject and even gives new results in the case H=.     

Lower bounds for coverings of pairs by large blocks

Letnkt be positive integers, andX—a set ofn elements. LetC(n, k, t) be the smallest integerm such that there existm k-tuples ofX B ₁ B ₂,...,B _m with the property that everyt-tuple ofX is contained in at least oneB _i . It is shown that in many cases the standard lower bound forC(n, k, 2) can be improved (k sufficiently large,n/k being fixed). Some exact values ofC(n, k, 2) are also obtained.     

Simplexes with Prescribed Edge Lengths in Minkowski and Banach Spaces

Existence of even a single regular d-simplex in an arbitrary Minkowski space M ^d of dimension d 4 is questionable. At least, for any d 4 there is an example of M ^d with four equidistant points in it which cannot be augmented by any fifth such point. At the same time, regular tetrahedra in M ^d , d 3, and regular triangles in M ^d , d 2, can be constructed as freely as in E ^d . Suppose that the Banach-Mazur distance between the unit balls of M ^d and E ^d satisfies

Semilinear Perturbations of Harmonic Spaces,Liouville Property and a Boundary Value Problem

Let (X,) be a P-harmonic Bauer space and let be a Borel measurable function on X×R satisfying conditions (A) through (D) of Section 2 (e.g., (x,t)=t|t|^–1 where >1). For every Kato family M of potential kernels on X let ^M U(X) denote the set of all real continuous functions on X such that u+K ^M _D (,u)(D) for every open relatively compact subset D of X. We study the existence of a non-trivial function in ^M U(X) which is dominated by a given positive harmonic function on X. If X is a domain of R ^d , is a positive Kato measure on X and L is a second-order differential operator in R ^d , we apply our study to derive a characterization of finite positive measures on the minimal Martin boundary ^M ₁ X for which the boundary value problem Lu=(,u) in X and u= on ^M ₁ X is solvable.     

On the Growth of the Maximum of the Modulus of an Entire Function on a Sequence

Let M _f(r) and _f(r) be, respectively, the maximum of the modulus and the maximum term of an entire function f and let be a continuously differentiable function convex on (–, +) and such that x = o((x)) as x +. We establish that, in order that the equality be true for any entire function f, it is necessary and sufficient that ln (x) = o((x)) as x +.     

On the rate of convergence of the sum of the sample extremes

Summary Let X ₁, X ₂,..., X _n be independent random variables having a common distribution in the domain of normal attraction of a completely asymmetric stable law with characteristic exponent }(0,1) and support bounded below. Let X _n:n X _n:n ^-1...X _n:1 denote the ordered sample. We obtain the rate of convergence of n ^-1/ (X _n:n +...+X _{n:n-k n+1} ) to the stable limit law as both n and k _n ». As a consequence we obtain a representation of the sum X _n:n +...+X _{n:n-k n+1} .     

Convex interpolating splines of arbitrary degree II

For given data {(x _i ,y _i )} _i=0 ⁿ , (x ₀<x ₁<...<x _n ) we consider the possibility of finding a spline functions of arbitrary degreek+1 (k 1) with preassigned smoothnessl, where 1 l [(k+1)/2]. The splines should be such thats(x _i )=y _i ,i=0, 1,...,n ands is increasing and convex on [x ₀,x _n ]. Sufficient conditions which guarantee the existence ofs and an explicit formula for this function are derived.     

The reverse spelling of an FPrt-universal word in two letters

ForX a set the expression Prt(X) denotes the composition monoid of all functionsf X ×X. Fork a positive integer the letterk denotes also the set of all nonnegative integers less thank. Whenk > 1 the expression r_k denotes the connected injective element {<i, i + 1>i k – 1} in Prt (k). We show for every word w=w(x,y) in a two-letter alphabet that if the equation w(x, y)=r_k has a solution =y) ²Prt(k) then ¯w(x,y)=r_k also has a solution in²Prt(k), where ¯w is the word obtained by spelling the wordw backwards. It is a consequence of this theorem that if for every finite setX and for everyf Prt(X) the equation w(x,y)=f has a solution in²Prt(X) then for every suchX andf the equation ¯w(x, y)=f has a solution in²Prt(X).Presented by J. Mycielski.     

Randomly Weighted Sums of Subexponential Random Variables with Application to Ruin Theory

Let {X _k , 1 k n} be n independent and real-valued random variables with common subexponential distribution function, and let {k, 1 k n} be other n random variables independent of {X _k , 1 k n} and satisfying a _k b for some 0 < a b < for all 1 k n. This paper proves that the asymptotic relations P (max_{1 m n k=1} ^m _k X _k > x) P (sum _k=1 ⁿ _k X _k > x) sum _k=1 ⁿ P ( _k X _k > x) hold as x . In doing so, no any assumption is made on the dependence structure of the sequence { _k , 1 k n}. An application to ruin theory is proposed.     

Vanishing theorems for tensor powers of an ample vector bundle

Summary LetE be a holomorphic vector bundle of rankr on a compact complex manifoldX of dimensionn. It is shown that the cohomology groupsH ^p,q (X, E^k (detE) ^l ) vanish ifE is ample andp+qn+1,ln–p+r–1. The proof rests on the well-known fact that every tensor powerE ^k , splits into irreducible representations of Gl(E). By Bott's theory, each component is canonically isomorphic to the direct image onX of a homogeneous line bundle over a flag manifold ofE. The proof is then reduced to the Kodaira-Akizuki-Nakano vanishing theorem for line bundles by means of the Leray spectral sequence, using backward induction onp. We also obtain a generalization of Le Potier's isomorphism theorem and a counterexample to a vanishing conjecture of Sommese.     

Extension of the Zorn lemma to general nontransitive binary relations

Let be an irreflexive (strict) binary relation on a nonempty setX. Denote the completion of by , i.e.,yx ifxy does not hold. An elementx ^* X is said to be a maximal element of onX ifx ^* x, xX. In this paper, an extension of the Zorn lemma to general nontrasitive binary relations (may lack antisymmetry) is established and is applied to prove existence of maximal elements for general nontrasitive (reflexive or irreflexive) binary relations on nonempty sets without assuming any topological conditions or linear structures. A necessary and sufficient condition has been also established to completely characterize the existence of maximal elements for general irreflexive nontrasitive binary relations. This is the first such result available in the literature to the best of our knowledge. Many recent known existence sults in the literature for vector optimization are shown to be special cases of our result.This work was supported in part by AFSOR Grant 91-0097.The author is grateful to the referees and Professor P. L. Yu for their comments and suggestions that led to this improved paper.