Classes of sequences of real numbers, games and selection properties

This is a continuation of our investigation of classes of sequences of positive real numbers satisfying some selection principles as well as having certain game-theoretic properties. We improve main results from [D. Djur?i?, Lj.D.R. Ko?inac, M.R. ?i?ovi?, Some properties of rapidly varying sequences, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 327 (2007) 1297-1306] and [D. Djur?i?, Lj.D.R. Ko?inac, M.R. ?i?ovi?, Rapidly varying sequences and rapid convergence, Topology Appl. (2008), doi: 10.1016/j.topol.2007.05.026, in press].     

Homology decompositions for p-compact groups

We construct a homotopy theoretic setup for homology decompositions of classifying spaces of p-compact groups. This setup is then used to obtain a subgroup decomposition for p-compact groups which generalizes the subgroup decomposition with respect to p-stubborn subgroups for a compact Lie group constructed by Jackowski, McClure and Oliver.     

A q-analogue of the Riordan group

The Riordan group consisting of Riordan matrices shows up naturally in a variety of combinatorial settings. In this paper, we define a q-Riordan matrix to be a q  -analogue of the (exponential) Riordan matrix by using the Eulerian generating functions of the form _∑n?0fnzⁿ/n_!q${\sum }_{n?0}{f}_n{z}^n/n{!}_q$. We first prove that the set of q-Riordan matrices forms a loop (a quasigroup with an identity element) and find its loop structures. Next, it is shown that q-Riordan matrices associated to the counting functions may be applied to the enumeration problem on set partitions by block inversions. This notion leads us to find q-analogues of the composition formula and the exponential formula, respectively.     

Abel?s summation formula in partially ordered groups

Abel?s partial summation formula has been used classically to obtain convergence tests for certain types of series of real or complex numbers. We generalize the formula and convergence tests to the setting of directed partially ordered topological groups, where the notion of a convergent series is replaced by that of a Cauchy multipliable sequence.     

Lévy group and density measures

We will deal with finitely additive measures on integers extending the asymptotic density. We will study their relation to the Lévy group G of permutations of N. Using a new characterization of the Lévy group G we will prove that a finitely additive measure extends density if and only if it is G-invariant.     

p-Harmonic functions with boundary data having jump discontinuities and Baernstein's problem

For p-harmonic functions on unweighted R², with 1<p<∞, we show that if the boundary values f has a jump at an (asymptotic) corner point z₀, then the Perron solution Pf is asymptotically a+barg(z−z₀)+o(|z−z₀|). We use this to obtain a positive answer to Baernstein's problem on the equality of the p-harmonic measure of a union G of open arcs on the boundary of the unit disc, and the p-harmonic measure of . We also obtain various invariance results for functions with jumps and perturbations on small sets. For p>2 these results are new also for continuous functions. Finally we look at generalizations to Rn and metric spaces.     

On Hindman spaces and the Bolzano–Weierstrass property

We examine relationships between two classes of topological spaces defined with the aid of the Hindman ideal. We also do the same for another ideal—instead of sums, as in the Hindman ideal, we consider differences.     

Decomposable compositions, symmetric quasisymmetric functions and equality of ribbon Schur functions

We define an equivalence relation on integer compositions and show that two ribbon Schur functions are identical if and only if their defining compositions are equivalent in this sense. This equivalence is completely determined by means of a factorization for compositions: equivalent compositions have factorizations that differ only by reversing some of the terms. As an application, we can derive identities on certain Littlewood-Richardson coefficients.Finally, we consider the cone of symmetric functions having a nonnnegative representation in terms of the fundamental quasisymmetric basis. We show the Schur functions are among the extremes of this cone and conjecture its facets are in bijection with the equivalence classes of compositions.     

The Whitehead group of (almost) extra-special p-groups with p odd

Let p be an odd prime number. We describe the Whitehead group of all extra-special and almost extra-special p-groups. For this we compute, for any finite p-group P, the subgroup $C{l}_1(\mathbb{Z}P)$ of $S{K}_1(\mathbb{Z}P)$, in terms of a genetic basis of P. We also introduce a deflation map $C{l}_1(\mathbb{Z}P)\to C{l}_1(\mathbb{Z}(P/N))$, for a normal subgroup N of P, and show that it is always surjective. Along the way, we give a new proof of the result describing the structure of $S{K}_1(\mathbb{Z}P)$, when P is an elementary abelian p-group.     

On a combinatorial property of choice functions of finite sets

We consider choice functions k[X]→X, where X is a finite set and k[X] denotes the set of all k-subsets of X. We define a property of domination for such maps generalizing the classical case k=2 (tournaments) and prove the existence of a dominating element generalizing the existence of a 2-root (king) in the classical case.     

The convergence rate of continued fractions representing solutions of a Riccati equation

The aim of this note is to generalize and apply results on matrix continued fractions representing the solution of discrete matrix Riccati equations. Assuming uniform bounds for the norm of the matrix coefficients of the continued fraction, the minimal and maximal solutions of the corresponding algebraic Riccati equation can be accurately enclosed.     

Pre-compact families of finite sets of integers and weakly null sequences in Banach spaces

In this paper we use the Nash-Williams theory of fronts and barriers to study weakly null sequences in Banach spaces. Specifically, we show how barriers relate to the classical fact that C(K) with K a countable compactum is c₀-saturated. Another result relates the notion of a barrier to the Maurey-Rosenthal example of a weakly null sequence with no unconditional subsequences. In particular, we construct examples of weakly-null sequences which are α-unconditional but not β-unconditional.     

Growth functions for semi-regular tilings of the hyperbolic plane

This paper studies the growth function, with respect to the generating set of edge identifications, of a surface group with fundamental domainD in the hyperbolic plane ann-gon whose angles alternate between /p and /q. The possibilities ofn,p andq for which a torsion-free surface group can have such a fundamental polygon are classified, and the growth functions are computed. Conditions are given for which the denominator of the growth function is a product of cyclotomic polynomials and a Salem polynomial.This work was supported in part by NSF Research Grants.     

Quasi-convex sequences in the circle and the 3-adic integers

In this paper, we present families of quasi-convex sequences converging to zero in the circle group T, and the group J₃ of 3-adic integers. These sequences are determined by increasing sequences of integers. For an increasing sequence , put gn=an+1−an. We prove that

(a)

the set {0}∪{±³−(an+1)|n∈N} is quasi-convex in T if and only if a₀>0 and gn>1 for every n∈N;

(b)

the set {0}∪{±an³|n∈N} is quasi-convex in the group J₃ of 3-adic integers if and only if gn>1 for every n∈N.

Moreover, we solve an open problem from [D. Dikranjan, L. de Leo, Countably infinite quasi-convex sets in some locally compact abelian groups, Topology Appl. 157 (8) (2010) 1347-1356] providing a complete characterization of the sequences such that {0}∪{±²−(an+1)|n∈N} is quasi-convex in T. Using this result, we also obtain a characterization of the sequences such that the set {0}∪{±²−(an+1)|n∈N} is quasi-convex in R.     

Statistical convergence in topology

We introduce and investigate statistical convergence in topological and uniform spaces and show how this convergence can be applied to selection principles theory, function spaces and hyperspaces.     

Skew quasisymmetric Schur functions and noncommutative Schur functions

Recently a new basis for the Hopf algebra of quasisymmetric functions QSym, called quasisymmetric Schur functions, has been introduced by Haglund, Luoto, Mason, van Willigenburg. In this paper we extend the definition of quasisymmetric Schur functions to introduce skew quasisymmetric Schur functions. These functions include both classical skew Schur functions and quasisymmetric Schur functions as examples, and give rise to a new poset LC that is analogous to Young's lattice. We also introduce a new basis for the Hopf algebra of noncommutative symmetric functions NSym. This basis of NSym is dual to the basis of quasisymmetric Schur functions and its elements are the pre-image of the Schur functions under the forgetful map χ:NSym→Sym. We prove that the multiplicative structure constants of the noncommutative Schur functions, equivalently the coefficients of the skew quasisymmetric Schur functions when expanded in the quasisymmetric Schur basis, are nonnegative integers, satisfying a Littlewood–Richardson rule analogue that reduces to the classical Littlewood–Richardson rule under χ.As an application we show that the morphism of algebras from the algebra of Poirier–Reutenauer to Sym factors through NSym. We also extend the definition of Schur functions in noncommuting variables of Rosas–Sagan in the algebra NCSym to define quasisymmetric Schur functions in the algebra NCQSym. We prove these latter functions refine the former and their properties, and project onto quasisymmetric Schur functions under the forgetful map. Lastly, we show that by suitably labeling LC, skew quasisymmetric Schur functions arise in the theory of Pieri operators on posets.     

The moment problem on the Wiener space

Consider an L¹-continuous functional ? on the vector space of polynomials of Brownian motion at given times, suppose ? commutes with the quadratic variation in a natural sense, and consider a finite set of polynomials of Brownian motion at rational times, , mapping the Wiener space to R.In the spirit of Schmüdgen's solution to the finite-dimensional moment problem, we give sufficient conditions under which ? can be written in the form ∫⋅dμ for some probability measure μ on the Wiener space such that μ-almost surely, all the random variables are nonnegative.     

The hausdorff metric and measurable selections

We construct measurable selections for closed set-valued maps into arbitrary complete metric spaces. We do not need to make any separability assumptions. We view the set-valued maps as point-valued maps into the hyperspace and our measurability assumptions arethe usual kinds of measurability of point-valued maps in this setting. We also discuss relationship of these measurability conditions to the ones usually considered in the theory of measurable selections.     

On I-Cauchy nets and completeness

In this paper we extend the idea of usual Cauchy condition of nets to I-Cauchy condition by using the concept of ideals. This Cauchy condition arises naturally from the notion of I-convergence of nets introduced by Lahiri and Das (2008). As the underlying structure for the whole study we take a uniform space so that our notion and results extend the idea of statistical Cauchy sequences very recently introduced in uniform spaces by Di Maio and Ko?inac (2008). In particular we try to give partial answers to an open problem posed by Di Maio and Ko?inac and examine the relationship between this new Cauchy condition and usual completeness of a uniform space.