Positive sectional curvature, symmetry and Chern's conjecture

Let M be a n-manifold of positive sectional curvature. Suppose that M admits an isometrical torus Tk-action with . The main results of the paper are: (1) the fundamental group π₁(M) contains no Zp⊕Zp subgroup with p prime and p≠3 (a partial positive answer to Chern's conjecture); (2) the 2-order element of π₁(M) belongs to the center of π₁(M).     

The Hopf conjecture for positively curved manifolds with discrete abelian group actions

Let M be a closed even n-manifold of positive sectional curvature. The main result asserts that the Euler characteristic of M is positive, if M admits an isometric -action with prime p?p(n) (a constant depending only on n) and k satisfies any one of the following conditions: (i) and n≠12, 18 or 20; (ii) , and n≡0 mod 4 with n≠12 or 20; (iii) , and n≡0,4 or 12 mod 20 with n≠20. This generalizes some results in [T. Püttmann, C. Searle, The Hopf conjecture for manifolds with low cohomogeneity or high symmetry rank, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 130 (2002) 163-166; X. Rong, Positively curved manifolds with almost maximal symmetry rank, Geom. Dedicata 59 (2002) 157-182; X. Rong, X. Su, The Hopf conjecture for positively curved manifolds with abelian group actions, Comm. Cont. Math. 7 (2005) 121-136].     

On the ideal structure of some Banach algebras related to convolution operators on L(G)

Let G be a locally compact group and let p∈(1,∞). Let be any of the Banach spaces C_δ,p(G), PF_p(G), M_p(G), AP_p(G), WAP_p(G), UC_p(G), PM_p(G), of convolution operators on L^p(G). It is shown that PF_p(G)′ can be isometrically embedded into UC_p(G)′. The structure of maximal regular ideals of (and of MA_p(G)″, B_p(G)″, W_p(G)″) is studied. Among other things it is shown that every maximal regular left (right, two sided) ideal in is either dense or is the annihilator of a unique element in the spectrum of A_p(G). Minimal ideals of is also studied. It is shown that a left ideal M in is minimal if and only if , where Ψ is either a right annihilator of or is a topologically x-invariant element (for some x∈G). Some results on minimal right ideals are also given.     

A Morita type equivalence for dual operator algebras

We generalize the main theorem of Rieffel for Morita equivalence of W^∗-algebras to the case of unital dual operator algebras: two unital dual operator algebras A,B have completely isometric normal representations α,β such that α(A)=[M^∗β(B)M]^−w∗ and β(B)=[Mα(A)M^∗]^−w∗ for a ternary ring of operators M (i.e. a linear space M such that MM^∗M⊂M) if and only if there exists an equivalence functor which “extends” to a ∗-functor implementing an equivalence between the categories and . By we denote the category of normal representations of A and by the category with the same objects as and Δ(A)-module maps as morphisms (Δ(A)=A∩A^∗). We prove that this functor is equivalent to a functor “generated” by a B,A bimodule, and that it is normal and completely isometric.     

Smooth approximation of Lipschitz functions on Riemannian manifolds

We show that for every Lipschitz function f defined on a separable Riemannian manifold M (possibly of infinite dimension), for every continuous , and for every positive number r>0, there exists a C^∞ smooth Lipschitz function such that |f(p)−g(p)|?ε(p) for every p∈M and Lip(g)?Lip(f)+r. Consequently, every separable Riemannian manifold is uniformly bumpable. We also present some applications of this result, such as a general version for separable Riemannian manifolds of Deville-Godefroy-Zizler's smooth variational principle.     

A new variational characterization of the Wulff shape

Given a positive function F on Sn which satisfies a convexity condition, we define the rth anisotropic mean curvature function Mr for hypersurfaces in Rn+1 which is a generalization of the usual rth mean curvature function. Let be an n-dimensional closed hypersurface with , for some r with 1?r?n−1, which is a critical point for a variational problem. We show that X(M) is stable if and only if X(M) is the Wulff shape.     

Blaschke products and the rank of backward shift invariant subspaces over the bidisk

Let H²(D²) be the Hardy space over the bidisk. For sequences of Blaschke products {φn(z):−∞<n<∞} and {ψn(w):−∞<n<∞} satisfying some additional conditions, we may define a Rudin type invariant subspace M. We shall determine the rank of H²(D²)?M for the pair of operators and .     

Locally strongly convex hypersurfaces with constant affine mean curvature

Let be a locally strongly convex hypersurface, given by a strictly convex function xn+1=f(x₁,…,xn) defined in a convex domain Ω⊂An. We consider the Riemannian metric G# on M, defined by . In this paper we prove that if M is a locally strongly convex surface with constant affine mean curvature and if M is complete with respect to the metric G#, then M must be an elliptic paraboloid.     

Stabilizers and orbits of smooth functions

Let be a smooth function such that f(0)=0. We give a condition J(id) on f when for arbitrary preserving orientation diffeomorphism such that ?(0)=0 the function ?○f is right equivalent to f, i.e. there exists a diffeomorphism such that ?○f=f○h at 0∈Rm. The requirement is that f belongs to its Jacobi ideal. This property is rather general: it is invariant with respect to the stable equivalence of singularities, and holds for non-degenerated, simple, and many other singularities.We also globalize this result as follows. Let M be a smooth compact manifold, a surjective smooth function, DM the group of diffeomorphisms of M, and the group of diffeomorphisms of R that have compact support and leave [0,1] invariant. There are two natural right and left-right actions of DM and on C^∞(M,R). Let SM(f), SMR(f), OM(f), and OMR(f) be the corresponding stabilizers and orbits of f with respect to these actions. We prove that if f satisfies J(id) at each critical point and has additional mild properties, then the following homotopy equivalences hold: SM(f)≈SMR(f) and OM(f)≈OMR(f). Similar results are obtained for smooth mappings M→S¹.     

Harmonicity of unit vector fields with respect to Riemannian g-natural metrics

Let (M,g) be a compact Riemannian manifold and T₁M its unit tangent sphere bundle. Unit vector fields defining harmonic maps from (M,g) to , being the Sasaki metric on T₁M, have been extensively studied. The Sasaki metric, and other well known Riemannian metrics on T₁M, are particular examples of g-natural metrics. We equip T₁M with an arbitrary Riemannian g-natural metric , and investigate the harmonicity of a unit vector field V of M, thought as a map from (M,g) to . We then apply this study to characterize unit Killing vector fields and to investigate harmonicity properties of the Reeb vector field of a contact metric manifold.     

Linearized inverse problem for the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map on differential forms

For a compact n-dimensional Riemannian manifold (M,g) with boundary i:∂M⊂M, the Dirichlet-to-Neumann (DN) map Λg:Ωk(∂M)→Ωn−k−1(∂M) is defined on exterior differential forms by Λgφ=i^∗(?dω), where ω solves the boundary value problem Δω=0, i^∗ω=φ, i^∗δω=0. For a symmetric second rank tensor field h on M, let be the Gateaux derivative of the DN map in the direction h. We study the question: for a given (M,g), how large is the subspace of tensor fields h satisfying ? Potential tensor fields belong to the subspace since the DN map is invariant under isomeries fixing the boundary. For a manifold of an even dimension n, the DN map on (n/2−1)-forms is conformally invariant, therefore spherical tensor fields belong to the subspace in the case of k=n/2−1. The manifold is said to be Ωk-rigid if there is no other h satisfying . We prove that the Ωk-rigidity is equivalent to the density of the range of some bilinear form on the space of exact harmonic fields.     

Stability of spacelike hypersurfaces in foliated spacetimes

Given a generalized Robertson-Walker spacetime whose warping function verifies a certain convexity condition, we classify strongly stable spacelike hypersurfaces with constant mean curvature. More precisely, we will show that given a closed, strongly stable spacelike hypersurface of with constant mean curvature H, if the warping function ? satisfying ?^″?max{H?^′,0} along M, then Mn is either maximal or a spacelike slice Mt₀={t₀}×F, for some t₀∈I.     

Moment conditions and support theorems for Radon transforms on affine Grassmann manifolds

Let G(p,n) and G(q,n) be the affine Grassmann manifolds of p- and q-planes in Rⁿ, respectively, and let be the Radon transform from smooth functions on G(p,n) to smooth functions on G(q,n) arising from the inclusion incidence relation. When p<q and dimG(p,n)=dimG(p,n), we present a range characterization theorem for via moment conditions. We then use this range result to prove a support theorem for . This complements a previous range characterization theorem for via differential equations when dimG(p,n)<dimG(p,n). We also present a support theorem in this latter case.     

Existence-uniqueness results for a class of singular boundary value problems-II

In this paper we establish existence-uniqueness of solution of a class of singular boundary value problem −(p(x)y^′′(x))=q(x)f(x,y) for 0<x?b and y(0)=a, α₁y(b)+β₁y^′(b)=γ₁, where p(x) satisfies (i) p(x)>0 in (0,b), (ii) p(x)∈C¹(0,r), and for some r>b, (iii) is analytic in and q(x) satisfies (i) q(x)>0 in (0,b), (ii) q(x)∈L¹(0,b) and for some r>b, (iii) is analytic in with quite general conditions on f(x,y). Region for multiple solutions have also been determined.     

p-Catalan numbers and squarefree binomial coefficients

In this paper, we consider the generalized Catalan numbers , which we call s-Catalan numbers. For p prime, we find all positive integers n such that p^q divides F(p^q,n), and also determine all distinct residues of , q?1. As a byproduct we settle a question of Hough and the late Simion on the divisibility of the 4-Catalan numbers by 4. In the second part of the paper we prove that if pq?99999, then is not squarefree for n?τ₁(p^q) sufficiently large (τ₁(p^q) computable). Moreover, using the results of the first part, we find n<τ₁(p^q) (in base p), for which may be squarefree. As consequences, we obtain that is squarefree only for n=1,3,45, and is squarefree only for n=1,4,10.     

Interior estimates for solutions of a fourth order nonlinear partial differential equation

Let be a locally strongly convex hypersurface, given by the graph of a convex function xn+1=f(x₁,…,xn) defined in a convex domain Ω⊂Rn. M is called a α-extremal hypersurface, if f is a solution of

     

Collapse of warped foliations

The aim of this note is to generalize the concept of warped product to a foliated manifold (M,F,g) as follows: If is a smooth function constant along the leaves of the foliation F then new metric structure gf on the manifold M is constructed as follows: gf(v,w)=f²g(v,w) if v,w are tangent to F and gf(v,w)=g(v,w) if v or w is perpendicular to F. A foliated manifold (M,F,gf) is called warped foliation while f is called warping function.Next, if is a sequence of warping functions on M, the question of the existence of the limit in Gromov-Hausdorff of a sequence ((M,F,gfn))_n∈N warped foliation is asked. A number of examples is considered such foliations with dense leaf or foliations consisting of finite number of Reeb components. Next, sufficient and necessary condition of converging in Gromov-Hausdorff sense of a Riemannian foliation with all leaves compact to the space of leaves with a metric defined by Hausdorff distance of leaves is developed. Finally some results on Hausdorff foliations with all leaves compact are shown.