Transcendence degree one function fields over a finite field with many automorphisms

Let $\mathbb{K}$ be the algebraic closure of a finite field ${\mathbb{F}}_q$ of odd characteristic p. For a positive integer m prime to p, let $F=\mathbb{K}(x,y)$ be the transcendence degree 1 function field defined by $y^q+y=x^m+x^{?m}$. Let $t=x^{m(q?1)}$ and $H=\mathbb{K}(t)$. The extension $F|H$ is a non-Galois extension. Let K be the Galois closure of F with respect to H. By Stichtenoth [20], K has genus $\mathfrak{g}(K)=(qm?1)(q?1)$, p-rank (Hasse–Witt invariant) $\gamma (K)={(q?1)}^2$ and a $\mathbb{K}$-automorphism group of order at least $2q^{2}m(q?1)$. In this paper we prove that this subgroup is the full $\mathbb{K}$-automorphism group of K; more precisely ${\text{Aut}}_{\mathbb{K}}(K)=\mathrm{\Delta }?D$ where Δ is an elementary abelian p-group of order $q^2$ and D has an index 2 cyclic subgroup of order $m(q?1)$. In particular, $\sqrt{m}|{\text{Aut}}_{\mathbb{K}}(K)|>\mathfrak{g}{(K)}^{3/2}$, and if K is ordinary (i.e. $\mathfrak{g}(K)=\gamma (K)$) then $|{\text{Aut}}_{\mathbb{K}}(K)|>{\mathfrak{g}}^{3/2}$. On the other hand, if G is a solvable subgroup of the $\mathbb{K}$-automorphism group of an ordinary, transcendence degree 1 function field L of genus $\mathfrak{g}(L)\ge 2$ defined over $\mathbb{K}$, then $|{\text{Aut}}_{\mathbb{K}}(K)|\le 34{(\mathfrak{g}(L)+1)}^{3/2}<68\sqrt{2}\mathfrak{g}{(L)}^{3/2}$; see [15]. This shows that K hits this bound up to the constant $68\sqrt{2}$.Since ${\text{Aut}}_{\mathbb{K}}(K)$ has several subgroups, the fixed subfield $F^N$ of such a subgroup N may happen to have many automorphisms provided that the normalizer of N in ${\text{Aut}}_{\mathbb{K}}(K)$ is large enough. This possibility is worked out for subgroups of Δ.     

On mixed codes with covering radius 1 and minimum distance 2: (extended abstract)

Let R, S and T be finite sets with $|R|=r$, $|S|=s$ and $|T|=t$. A code $C\subset R\times S\times T$ with covering radius 1 and minimum distance 2 is closely connected to a certain generalized partial Latin rectangle. We present various constructions of such codes and some lower bounds on their minimal cardinality $K(r,s,t;2)$. These bounds turn out to be best possible in many instances. Focussing on the special case $t=s$ we determine $K(r,s,s;2)$ when r divides s, when $r=s-1$, when s is large, relative to r, when r is large, relative to s, as well as $K(3r,2r,2r;2)$. Finally, a table with bounds on $K(r,s,s;2)$ is given.     

A continuum of periodic solutions to the planar four-body problem with two pairs of equal masses

In this paper, we apply the variational method with Structural Prescribed Boundary Conditions (SPBC) to prove the existence of periodic and quasi-periodic solutions for the planar four-body problem with two pairs of equal masses $m_1=m_3$ and $m_2=m_4$. A path $q(t)$ on $[0,T]$ satisfies the SPBC if the boundaries $q(0)\in \mathbf{A}$ and $q(T)\in \mathbf{B}$, where A and B are two structural configuration spaces in ${({\mathbf{R}}^2)}^4$ and they depend on a rotation angle $\theta \in (0,2\pi )$ and the mass ratio $\mu =\frac{m_2}{m_1}\in {\mathbf{R}}^{+}$.We show that there is a region $\mathrm{\Omega }?(0,2\pi )\times R^{+}$ such that there exists at least one local minimizer of the Lagrangian action functional on the path space satisfying the SPBC $\{q(t)\in H^1([0,T],{({\mathbf{R}}^2)}^4)|q(0)\in \mathbf{A},q(T)\in \mathbf{B}\}$ for any $(\theta ,\mu )\in \mathrm{\Omega }$. The corresponding minimizing path of the minimizer can be extended to a non-homographic periodic solution if θ is commensurable with π or a quasi-periodic solution if θ is not commensurable with π. In the variational method with the SPBC, we only impose constraints on the boundary and we do not impose any symmetry constraint on solutions. Instead, we prove that our solutions that are extended from the initial minimizing paths possess certain symmetries.The periodic solutions can be further classified as simple choreographic solutions, double choreographic solutions and non-choreographic solutions. Among the many stable simple choreographic orbits, the most extraordinary one is the stable star pentagon choreographic solution when $(\theta ,\mu )=(\frac{4\pi }{5},1)$. Remarkably the unequal-mass variants of the stable star pentagon are just as stable as the equal mass choreographies.     

Maximal linear groups induced on the Frattini quotient of a p-group

Let $p>3$ be a prime. For each maximal subgroup $H?\mathrm{GL}(d,p)$ with $|H|?p^{3d+1}$, we construct a d-generator finite p-group G with the property that $\mathrm{Aut}(G)$ induces H on the Frattini quotient $G/\mathrm{\Phi }(G)$ and $|G|?p^{\frac{d^4}{2}}$. A significant feature of this construction is that $|G|$ is very small compared to $|H|$, shedding new light upon a celebrated result of Bryant and Kovács. The groups G that we exhibit have exponent p, and of all such groups G with the desired action of H on $G/\mathrm{\Phi }(G)$, the construction yields groups with smallest nilpotency class, and in most cases, the smallest order.     

Torsion 0-cycles with modulus on affine varieties

In this note, we show that given a smooth affine variety X over an algebraically closed field k and an effective (possibly non-reduced) Cartier divisor on it, the Chow group of zero cycles with modulus ${\mathrm{CH}}_0(X|D)$ is torsion free, except possibly for p-torsion if the characteristic of k is $p>0$. This generalizes to the relative setting classical results of Rojtman (for X smooth) and of Levine (for X singular).     

Compact simple Lie groups admitting left-invariant Einstein metrics that are not geodesic orbit

In this article, we prove that the compact simple Lie groups $\mathrm{S}\mathrm{U}(n)$ for $n\ge 6$, $\mathrm{S}\mathrm{O}(n)$ for $n\ge 7$, $\mathrm{S}\mathrm{p}(n)$ for $n\ge 3$, ${\mathrm{E}}_6,{\mathrm{E}}_7,{\mathrm{E}}_8$, and ${\mathrm{F}}_4$ admit left-invariant Einstein metrics that are not geodesic orbit. This gives a positive answer to an open problem recently posed by Nikonorov.     

The second and fourth moments of theta functions at their central point

Let χ range over the $(p?1)/2$ even Dirichlet characters mod $p?3$, a prime. Let $\theta (x,\chi )$ be the associated theta series. It is known that the square mean value of $\theta (1,\chi )$ is asymptotic to $p^{3/2}/4\sqrt{2}$ as p goes to infinity. We prove that the fourth mean value of $\theta (1,\chi )$ is asymptotic to $\frac{3}{16\pi }{p}^2\log p$ as p goes to infinity. We give similar results for mean values of odd Dirichlet characters mod p.     

Establishing strong connectivity using optimal radius half-disk antennas

Given a set S of points in the plane representing wireless devices, each point equipped with a directional antenna of radius r and aperture angle $\alpha ?180\mathrm{°}$, our goal is to find orientations and a minimum r for these antennas such that the induced communication graph is strongly connected. We show that $r=\sqrt{3}$ if $\alpha \in [180\mathrm{°},240\mathrm{°})$, $r=\sqrt{2}$ if $\alpha \in [240\mathrm{°},270\mathrm{°})$, $r=2\sin (36\mathrm{°})$ if $\alpha \in [270\mathrm{°},288\mathrm{°})$, and $r=1$ if $\alpha ?288\mathrm{°}$ suffices to establish strong connectivity, assuming that the longest edge in the Euclidean minimum spanning tree of S is 1. These results are worst-case optimal and match the lower bounds presented in [I. Caragiannis, C. Kaklamanis, E. Kranakis, D. Krizanc, A. Wiese, Communication in wireless networks with directional antennae, in: Proc. of the 20th Symp. on Parallelism in Algorithms and Architectures, 2008, pp. 344–351]. In contrast, $r=2$ is sometimes necessary when $\alpha <180\mathrm{°}$.     

Histories in Path Graphs

For a given graph G and a positive integer r the r-path graph, $P_r(G)$, has for vertices the set of all paths of length r in G. Two vertices are adjacent when the intersection of the corresponding paths forms a path of length $r-1$, and their union forms either a cycle or a path of length $r+1$ in G. Let $P_r^k(G)$ be the k-iteration of r-path graph operator on a connected graph G. Let H be a subgraph of $P_r^k(G)$. The k-history $P_r^{-k}(H)$ is a subgraph of G that is induced by all edges that take part in the recursive definition of H. We present some general properties of k-histories and give a complete characterization of graphs that are k-histories of vertices of 2-path graph operator.     

Estimation du nombre de dérivées d'un processus Gaussien

We consider a real Gaussian process X with unknown smoothness $r_0\in \mathbb{N}$ where the mean-square derivative $X^{(r_0)}$ is supposed to be Hölder continuous in quadratic mean. First, from the discrete observations $X(t_1),\dots ,X(t_n)$, we study reconstruction of $X(t)$, $t\in [0,1]$, with ${\stackrel{?}{X}}_r(t)$, a piecewise polynomial interpolation of degree $r?1$. We show that the mean-square error of interpolation is a decreasing function of r but becomes stable as soon as $r?r_0$. Next, from an interpolation-based empirical criterion, we derive an estimator $\stackrel{?}{r}$ of $r_0$ and prove its strong consistency by giving an exponential inequality for $P(\stackrel{?}{r}\ne r_0)$. Finally, we prove the strong convergence of ${\stackrel{?}{X}}_{\stackrel{?}{r}}(t)$ toward $X(t)$ with a similar rate as in the case ‘$r_0$ known’. To cite this article: D. Blanke, C. Vial, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 343 (2006).     

Geometry of moduli spaces of rational curves in linear sections of Grassmannian Gr(2,5)

We prove that the moduli spaces of rational curves of degree at most 3 in linear sections of the Grassmannian $\mathrm{G}\mathrm{r}(2,5)$ are all rational varieties. We also study their compactifications and birational geometry.