On the notion of essential dimension for algebraic groups

We introduce and study the notion of essential dimension for linear algebraic groups defined over an algebraically closed fields of characteristic zero. The essential dimension is a numerical invariant of the group; it is often equal to the minimal number of independent parameters required to describe all algebraic objects of a certain type. For example, if our groupG isS _n , these objects are field extensions; ifG=O _n , they are quadratic forms; ifG=PGL _n , they are division algebras (all of degreen); ifG=G ₂, they are octonion algebras; ifG=F ₄, they are exceptional Jordan algebras. We develop a general theory, then compute or estimate the essential dimension for a number of specific groups, including all of the above-mentioned examples. In the last section we give an exposition of results, communicated to us by J.-P. Serre, relating essential dimension to Galois cohomology.Partially supported by NSA grant MDA904-9610022 and NSF grant DMS-9801675     

Angle orders,regular n-gon orders and the crossing number

A finite poset P(X,<) on a set X={ x ₁,...,x _m} is an angle order (regular n-gon order) if the elements of P(X,<) can be mapped into a family of angular regions on the plane (a family of regular polygons with n sides and having parallel sides) such that x _ij if and only if the angular region (regular n-gon) for x _i is contained in the region (regular n-gon) for x _j. In this paper we prove that there are partial orders of dimension 6 with 64 elements which are not angle orders. The smallest partial order previously known not to be an angle order has 198 elements and has dimension 7. We also prove that partial orders of dimension 3 are representable using equilateral triangles with the same orientation. This results does not generalizes to higher dimensions. We will prove that there is a partial order of dimension 4 with 14 elements which is not a regular n-gon order regardless of the value of n. Finally, we prove that partial orders of dimension 3 are regular n-gon orders for n3.This research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, grant numbers A0977 and A2415.     

The dimension of suborders of the Boolean lattice

We consider the order dimension of suborders of the Boolean latticeB _n . In particular we show that the suborder consisting of the middle two levels ofB _n dimension at most of 6 log₃ n. More generally, we show that the suborder consisting of levelss ands+k ofB _n has dimensionO(k ² logn).The research of the second author was supported by Office of Naval Research Grant N00014-90-J-1206.The research of the third author was supported by Grant 93-011-1486 of the Russian Fundamental Research Foundation.     

Estimating the dimension of a linear system

The problem considered is that of estimating the integer or integers that prescribe the dimension of a linear system. These could be the Kronecker indices. Though attention is concentrated on the order or McMillan degree, which specifies the dimension of a minimal state vector, the same results are available for other cases. A fairly complete theorem is proved relating to conditions under which strong or weak convergence will hold for an estimate of the McMillan degree when the estimation is based on minimisation of a criterion of the form log det( _n) + nC(T)/T, where _n, is the estimate of the prediction error covariance matrix and the McMillan degree is assumed to be n. The conditions relate to the prescribed sequence C(T).     

On the euclidean dimension of a wheel

Following Erdös, Harary, and Tutte, the euclidean dimension of a graphG is the minimumn such thatG can be embedded in euclideann-spaceR ⁿ so that each edge ofG has length 1. We present constructive proofs which give the euclidean dimension of a wheel and of a complete tripartite graph. We also define the generalized wheelW _m,n as the join and determine the euclidean dimension of all generalized wheels.     

Partitions of finite vector spaces into subspaces

Let V_n(q) denote a vector space of dimension n over the field with q elements. A set of subspaces of V_n(q) is a partition of V_n(q) if every nonzero element of V_n(q) is contained in exactly one element of . Suppose there exists a partition of V_n(q) into x_i subspaces of dimension n_i, 1 ≤ i ≤ k. Then x₁, …, x_k satisfy the Diophantine equation . However, not every solution of the Diophantine equation corresponds to a partition of V_n(q). In this article, we show that there exists a partition of V_n(2) into x subspaces of dimension 3 and y subspaces of dimension 2 if and only if 7x + 3y = 2ⁿ ? 1 and y ≠ 1. In doing so, we introduce techniques useful in constructing further partitions. We also show that partitions of V_n(q) induce uniformly resolvable designs on qⁿ points. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 16: 329–341, 2008     

Lebesgue measure and Hausdorff dimension of special sets of real numbers from (0,1)

We estimate the Hausdorff dimension and the Lebesgue measure of sets of continued fractions of the type a=[a ₁,a ₂,…] where a _n belongs to a set S _n ⊂ℕ for every n∈ℕ. An upper bound for the Hausdorff dimension of the set of numbers with continued fraction expansions which fulfill some properties of asymptotic densities is also included.     

On small matrix subalgebras with a trivial centralizer

Given an integer n?≥?3, we investigate the minimal dimension of a subalgebra of M _n (𝕂) with a trivial centralizer. It is shown that this dimension is 5 when n is even and 4 when it is odd. In the latter case, we also determine all 4-dimensional subalgebras with a trivial centralizer.     

Estimates of global dimension

In this note we show that for a *ⁿ-module, in particular, an almost n-tilting module, P over a ring R with A = End_R P such that P _A has finite flat dimension, the upper bound of the global dimension of A can be estimated by the global dimension of R and hence generalize the corresponding results in tilting theory and the ones in the theory of *-modules. As an application, we show that for a finitely generated projective module over a VN regular ring R, the global dimension of its endomorphism ring is not more than the global dimension of R.     

The Automorphism Groups of Finite Type G-Structures on Orbifolds

The automorphism group of a G-structure of finite type and order k on a smooth n-dimensional orbifold is proved to be a Lie group of dimension n+dim(g+g ₁+...+g _k-1), where g _i is the ith prolongation of the Lie algebra g of a given group G. This generalizes the corresponding result by Ehresmann for finite type G-structures on manifolds. The presence of orbifold points is shown to sharply decrease the dimension of the automorphism group of proper orbifolds. Estimates are established for the dimension of the isometry group and the dimension of the group of conformal transformations of Riemannian orbifolds, depending on the types of orbifold points.     

Injective homogeneity and homological homogeneity of the ore extensions

In this paper we prove that under some natural conditions, the Ore extensions and skew Laurent polynomial rings are injectively homogeneous or homologically homogeneous if so are their coefficient rings. Specifically, we prove that ifR is a commutative Noetherian ring of positive characteristic, thenA _n (R), then ^th Weyl algebra overR, is injectively homogeneous (resp. homologically homogeneous) ifR has finite injective dimension (resp. global dimension).     

Injective dimension of Weyl algebras over affine coefficient rings

The concern of this paper is to derive formulas for the injective dimension of then- th Weyl algebraA _n (R) in casek is a field of characteristic zero andR is a commutative affinek-algebra of finite injective dimension. For the casen=1 we prove a more general result from which the above result follows. Such formulas can be viewed as generalizations of the corresponding results given by J. C. McConnell in the caseR has finite global dimension.Project supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation for Youth     

TT-eigentensors for the Lichnerowicz Laplacian on some asymptotically hyperbolic manifolds with warped products metrics

Let (M =]0, ∞[×N, g) be an asymptotically hyperbolic manifold of dimension n + 1 ≥ 3, equipped with a warped product metric. We show that there exist no TT L ²-eigentensors with eigenvalue in the essential spectrum of the Lichnerowicz Laplacian Δ _L . If (M, g) is the real hyperbolic space, there is no symmetric L ²-eigentensors of Δ _L .     

Solvable Indecomposable Extensions of Two Nilpotent Lie Algebras

A pair of sequences of nilpotent Lie algebras denoted by N_{n, 7} and N_{n, 16} are introduced. Here, n denotes the dimension of the algebras that are defined for n ≥ 6; the first terms in the sequences are denoted by 6.7 and 6.16, respectively, in the standard list of six-dimensional Lie algebras. For each of them, all possible solvable extensions are constructed so that N_{n, 7} and N_{n, 16} serve as the nilradical of the corresponding solvable algebras. The construction continues Winternitz’ and colleagues’ program of investigating solvable Lie algebras using special properties rather than trying to extend one dimension at a time.     

The Alexandroff Dimension of Digital Quotients of Euclidean Spaces

Alexandroff T ₀ -spaces have been studied as topological models of the supports of digital images and as discrete models of continuous spaces in theoretical physics. Recently, research has been focused on the dimension of such spaces. Here we study the small inductive dimension of the digital space X(W) constructed in [15] as a minimal open quotient of a fenestration W of R ⁿ . There are fenestrations of R ⁿ giving rise to digital spaces of Alexandroff dimension different from n , but we prove that if W is a fenestration, each of whose elements is a bounded convex subset of R ⁿ , then the Alexandroff dimension of the digital space X(W) is equal to n . Received December 6, 1999, and in revised form July 5, 2001, and August 31, 2001. Online publication January 7, 2002.     

Down-Up Algebras From Trees

It is shown that the global dimension of any n-ary down-up algebra A _n  = A(n,α, β,γ) is less than or equal to n + 2, and when γ _i  = 0 for all i (A _n is graded by total degree in the generators), then the global dimension of A _n is n + 2. Furthermore, a sufficient condition for A _n to be prime is given; when γ _i  = 0 for all i this condition is also necessary. An example is given to show that the condition is not always necessary.     

On the Semigroup Algebra of Binary Relations

The semigroup of binary relations on {1,…, n} with the relative product is isomorphic to the semigroup B _n of n × n zero-one matrices with the Boolean matrix product. Over any field F, we prove that the semigroup algebra FB _n contains an ideal K _n of dimension (2 ⁿ  ? 1)², and we construct an explicit isomorphism of K _n with the matrix algebra M _{2 ⁿ ?1}(F).     

Link between a natural centralizer and the smallest essential ideal in structural matrix rings

In a structural matrix ring M_n (ρ R) over an arbitrary ring R we determine the centralizer of the set of matrix units in M_n (ρR) associated with the anti-symmetric part of the reflexive and transitive binary relation ρ on {1,2,…,n}. If the underlying ring R has no proper essential ideal, for example if R is a field, then we show that the largest ideal of M_n (ρR) contained in the mentioned centralizer coincides with the smallest essential ideal of M_n (ρR).     

On the vanishing of subspaces of alternating bilinear forms

Given a field F and integer n≥3, we introduce an invariant s_n (F) which is defined by examining the vanishing of subspaces of alternating bilinear forms on 2-dimensional subspaces of vector spaces. This invariant arises when we calculate the largest dimension of a subspace of n?×?n skew-symmetric matrices over F which contains no elements of rank 2. We show how to calculate s_n (F) for various families of field F, including finite fields. We also prove the existence of large subgroups of the commutator subgroup of certain p-groups of class 2 which contain no non-identity commutators.