An Inequality for Tail Probabilities of Martingales with Bounded Differences

Let M _n =X₁+...+X_n be a martingale with bounded differences X_m=M_m-M_m-1 such that {|X_m| _m}=1 with some nonnegative _m. Write ²= ₁ ² + ... + _n ² . We prove the inequalities {M _nx}c(1-(x/)), {M _n x} 1- c(1- (-x/)) with a constant . The result yields sharp inequalities in some models related to the measure concentration phenomena.     

Analysis of a class of fractional programming problems

We propose a solution strategy for fractional programming problems of the form max _xx g(x)/ (u(x)), where the function satisfies certain convexity conditions. It is shown that subject to these conditions optimal solutions to this problem can be obtained from the solution of the problem max _xx g(x) + u(x), where is an exogenous parameter. The proposed strategy combines fractional programming andc-programming techniques. A maximal mean-standard deviation ratio problem is solved to illustrate the strategy in action.     

Limiting behavior of weighted central paths in linear programming

We study the limiting behavior of the weighted central paths{(x(), s())} > 0 in linear programming at both = 0 and = . We establish the existence of a partition (B ,N ) of the index set { 1, ,n } such thatx _i() ands _j () as fori B , andj N , andx _N (),s _B () converge to weighted analytic centers of certain polytopes. For allk 1, we show that thekth order derivativesx ^(k) () ands ^(k) () converge when 0 and . Consequently, the derivatives of each order are bounded in the interval (0, ). We calculate the limiting derivatives explicitly, and establish the surprising result that all higher order derivatives (k 2) converge to zero when .     

m-Systems and Partial m-Systemsof Polar Spaces

LetP be a finite classical polar space of rankr, withr 2. A partialm-systemM ofP, with 0 m r - 1, is any set (₁), ₂,..., _k ofk ( 0) totally singularm-spaces ofP such that no maximal totally singular space containing _i has a point in common with (_{1 2} ... _k) — _i,i = 1, 2,...,k. In a previous paper an upper bound for ¦M¦ was obtained (Theorem 1). If ¦M¦ = , thenM is called anm-system ofP. Form = 0 them-systems are the ovoids ofP; form =r - 1 them-systems are the spreads ofP. In this paper we improve in many cases the upper bound for the number of elements of a partialm-system, thus proving the nonexistence of several classes ofm-systems.Dedicated to Hanfried Lenz on the occasion of his 80th birthday     

Circles and spheres in pseudo-Riemannian geometry

Summary A totally umbilical pseudo-Riemannian submanifold with the parallel mean curvature vector field is said to be an extrinsic sphere. A regular curve in a pseudo-Riemannian manifold is called a circle if it is an extrinsic sphere. LetM be ann-dimensional pseudo-Riemannian submanifold of index (0n) in a pseudo-Riemannian manifold with the metricg and the second fundamental formB. The following theorems are proved. For ₀ = +1 or –1, ₁ = +1, –1 or 0 (2–2 ₀+ ₁2n–2–2) and a positive constantk, every circlec inM withg(c, c) = ₀ andg( _c c, _c c) = ₁ k ² is a circle in iffM is an extrinsic sphere. For ₀ = +1 or –1 (–₀n–), every geodesicc inM withg(c, c) = ₀ is a circle in iffM is constant isotropic and B(x,x,x) = 0 for anyx T(M). In this theorem, assume, moreover, that 1n–1 and the first normal space is definite or zero at every point. Then we can prove thatM is an extrinsic sphere. When = 0 orn, this fact does not hold in general.     

Rates of convergence and optimal spectral bandwidth for long range dependence

Summary For a realization of lengthn from a covariance stationary discrete time process with spectral density which behaves like ^1–2H as 0+ for 1/2<H<1 (apart from a slowly varying factor which may be of unknown form), we consider a discrete average of the periodogram across the frequencies 2j/n,j=1,..., m, wherem andm/n0 asn. We study the rate of convergence of an analogue of the mean squared error of smooth spectral density estimates, and deduce an optimal choice ofm.     

A global pinching theorem for compact surfaces inS 3 with constant mean curvature

LetM be a compact minimal surface inS ³. Y. J. Hsu^[5] proved that if S₂22, thenM is either the equatorial sphere or the Clifford torus, whereS is the square of the length of the second fundamental form ofM, ·₂ denotes theL ²-norm onM. In this paper, we generalize Hsu's result to any compact surfaces inS ³ with constant mean curvature.Supported by NSFH.     

Solving systems of polynomial inequalities over a real closed field in subexponential time

Let _m= (₁,..., _m) denote an ordered field, where _i+1>0 is infinitesimal relative to the elements of _i, 0 < –i < m (by definition, ₀= ). Given a system of inequalities f₁ > 0, ..., f_s > 0, f_s+1 0, ..., f_k 0, where f_{j m} [X₁,..., X_n] are polynomials such that, and the absolute value of any integer occurring in the coefficients of the f_js is at most 2^M. An algorithm is constructed which tests the above system of inequalities for solvability over the real closure of _m in polynomial time with respect to M, ((d)ⁿd₀)^n+m. In the case _m=, the algorithm explicitly constructs a family of real solutions of the system (provided the latter is consistent). Previously known algorithms for this problem had complexity of the order ofM(d d ₀ ^{m 2U(n)} .Translated from Zapiski Nauchnykh Seminarov Leningradskogo Otdeleniya Maternaticheskogo Instituta im. V. A. Steklova Akad. Nauk SSSR, Vol. 174, pp. 3–36, 1988.     

The Ramsey property for collections of sequences not containing all arithmetic progressions

A family of sequences has the Ramsey property if for every positive integerk, there exists a least positive integerf (k) such that for every 2-coloring of {1,2, ...,f (k)} there is a monochromatick-term member of . For fixed integersm > 1 and 0 q < m, let _q(m) be the collection of those increasing sequences of positive integers {x ₁,..., x_k} such thatx _i+1 – x_i q(modm) for 1 i k – 1. Fort a fixed positive integer, denote byA _t the collection of those arithmetic progressions having constant differencet. Landman and Long showed that for allm 2 and 1 q < m, _q(m) does not have the Ramsey property, while _q(m) A _m does. We extend these results to various finite unions of _q(m) 's andA _t 's. We show that for allm 2, _q=1 ^m–1 _q(m) does not have the Ramsey property. We give necessary and sufficient conditions for collections of the form _q(m) ( _{t T} A _t) to have the Ramsey property. We determine when collections of the form _a(m₁) _b(m₂) have the Ramsey property. We extend this to the study of arbitrary finite unions of _q(m)'s. In all cases considered for which has the Ramsey property, upper bounds are given forf .     

Remarks on some classes of Fourier coefficients

In this paper equivalent classes of the classes M' and S' _{p r}, p >1, 0,r {0,1,2,...,[]} defined by Sheng [5] are obtained. Then it is shown that the classes of Fourier coefficients S _p, S' _p(case r==0) and S _p(), p>1, defined by . V. Stanojevi, V. B. Stanojevi Sheng and the author of the present note are identical. As a corollary of this result, the L ¹-estimate for cosine series, obtained in [10], is refined.