The Surface Group Conjecture: Cyclically Pinched and Conjugacy Pinched One-Relator Groups

The general surface group conjecture asks whether a one-relator group where every subgroup of finite index is again one-relator and every subgroup of infinite index is free (property IF) is a surface group. We resolve several related conjectures given in Fine et al. (Sci Math A 1:1–15, 2008). First we obtain the Surface Group Conjecture B for cyclically pinched and conjugacy pinched one-relator groups. That is: if G is a cyclically pinched one-relator group or conjugacy pinched one-relator group satisfying property IF then G is free, a surface group or a solvable Baumslag–Solitar Group. Further combining results in Fine et al. (Sci Math A 1:1–15, 2008) on Property IF with a theorem of Wilton (Geom Topol, 2012) and results of Stallings (Ann Math 2(88):312–334, 1968) and Kharlampovich and Myasnikov (Trans Am Math Soc 350(2):571–613, 1998) we show that Surface Group Conjecture C proposed in Fine et al. (Sci Math A 1:1–15, 2008) is true, namely: If G is a finitely generated nonfree freely indecomposable fully residually free group with property IF, then G is a surface group.     

Degree of equivariant maps between generalized G-manifolds

Yasuhiro Hara in [Topology Appl. 148 (2005), 113–121] and Jan Jaworowski in [J. Fixed Point Theory Appl. 1 (2007), 111–121] studied, under certain conditions, the degree of equivariant maps between free G-manifolds, where G is a compact Lie group. The main results obtained by them involve data provided by the classifying maps of the orbit spaces. In this paper, we extend these results by replacing the free G-manifolds by free generalized G-manifolds over ${\mathbb{Z}}$ .     

On the converse of a theorem of Schur

A well known theorem of Schur states that for any group G, if G/Z(G) is finite, then G′ is finite. We give a very short and elementary proof of a further generalization of the converse of Schur’s theorem proved by Niroomand [5] and Sury [7] and also improve the bound for the order of G/Z(G) obtained by Niroomand and Sury.     

Blow up for the critical generalized Korteweg–de Vries equation. I: Dynamics near the soliton

We consider the quintic generalized Korteweg–de Vries equation (gKdV) $$u_t + (u_{xx} + u^5)_x =0,$$ which is a canonical mass critical problem, for initial data in H ¹ close to the soliton. In earlier works on this problem, finite- or infinite-time blow up was proved for non-positive energy solutions, and the solitary wave was shown to be the universal blow-up profile, see [16], [26] and [20]. For well-localized initial data, finite-time blow up with an upper bound on blow-up rate was obtained in [18]. In this paper, we fully revisit the analysis close to the soliton for gKdV in light of the recent progress on the study of critical dispersive blow-up problems (see [31], [39], [32] and [33], for example). For a class of initial data close to the soliton, we prove that three scenarios only can occur: (i) the solution leaves any small neighborhood of the modulated family of solitons in the scale invariant L ² norm; (ii) the solution is global and converges to a soliton as t → ∞; (iii) the solution blows up in finite time T with speed $$\|u_x(t)\|_{L^2} \sim \frac{C(u_0)}{T-t} \quad {\rm as}\, t\to T.$$ Moreover, the regimes (i) and (iii) are stable. We also show that non-positive energy yields blow up in finite time, and obtain the characterization of the solitary wave at the zero-energy level as was done for the mass critical non-linear Schrödinger equation in [31].     

3-Nets realizing a group in a projective plane

In a projective plane $\mathit{PG}(2,\mathbb{K})$ defined over an algebraically closed field $\mathbb{K}$ of characteristic 0, we give a complete classification of 3-nets realizing a finite group. An infinite family, due to Yuzvinsky (Compos. Math. 140:1614–1624, 2004), arises from plane cubics and comprises 3-nets realizing cyclic and direct products of two cyclic groups. Another known infinite family, due to Pereira and Yuzvinsky (Adv. Math. 219:672–688, 2008), comprises 3-nets realizing dihedral groups. We prove that there is no further infinite family. Urzúa’s 3-nets (Adv. Geom. 10:287–310, 2010) realizing the quaternion group of order 8 are the unique sporadic examples. If p is larger than the order of the group, the above classification holds in characteristic p>0 apart from three possible exceptions $\rm{Alt}_{4}$ , $\rm{Sym}_{4}$ , and $\rm{Alt}_{5}$ . Motivation for the study of finite 3-nets in the complex plane comes from the study of complex line arrangements and from resonance theory; see (Falk and Yuzvinsky in Compos. Math. 143:1069–1088, 2007; Miguel and Buzunáriz in Graphs Comb. 25:469–488, 2009; Pereira and Yuzvinsky in Adv. Math. 219:672–688, 2008; Yuzvinsky in Compos. Math. 140:1614–1624, 2004; Yuzvinsky in Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 137:1641–1648, 2009).     

On complex lie supergroups and split homogeneous supermanifolds

It is well known that the category of real Lie supergroups is equivalent to the category of the so-called (real) Harish-Chandra pairs, see [DM], [Kost], [Kosz]. That means that a Lie supergroup depends only on the underlying Lie group and its Lie superalgebra with certain compatibility conditions. More precisely, the structure sheaf of a Lie supergroup and the supergroup morphisms can be explicitly described in terms of the corresponding Lie superalgebra. In this paper we give a proof of this result in the complex-analytic case. Furthermore, if (G, $ \mathcal{O} $ _G ) is a complex Lie supergroup and H ? G is a closed Lie subgroup, i.e., it is a Lie subsupergroup of (G, $ \mathcal{O} $ _G ) and its odd dimension is zero, we show that the corresponding homogeneous supermanifold (G/H, $ \mathcal{O} $ _G/H ) is split. In particular, any complex Lie supergroup is a split supermanifold. It is well known that a complex homogeneous supermanifold may be nonsplit (see, e.g., [OS1]). We find here necessary and sufficient conditions for a complex homogeneous supermanifold to be split.     

The Mixed Curvatures on C N

The aim of the present paper is devoted to the investigation of some geometrical properties on the middle envelope in terms of the invariants of the third quadratic form of the normal line congruence C_N . The mixed middle curvature and mixed curvature on C_N are obtained in tenus of the Mean and Gauss curvatures of the surface of reference. Our study is considered as a continuation to Stephanidis ([1], [2], [3], [4], [5]). The technique adapted here is based on the methods of moving frames and their related exteriour forms [6] and [7].     

Classroom-based interventions in mathematics education: relevance, significance, and applicability

This special issue discusses various pedagogical innovations and myriad of significant findings. This commentary is not a synthesis of these contributions, but a summary of my own reflections on selected aspects of the nine papers comprising the special issue. Four themes subsume these reflections: (1) Gestural Communication (Alibali, Nathan, Church, Wolfgram, Kim and Knuth 2013); (2) Development of Ways of Thinking (Jahnke and Wambach 2013; Lehrer, Kobiela and Weinberg 2013; Mariotti 2013; Roberts and A. Stylianides 2013; Shilling-Traina and G. Stylianides 2013; Tabach, Hershkowitz and Dreyfus 2013); (3) Learning Mathematics through Representation (Saxe, Diakow and Gearhart 2013); and (4) Challenges in Dialogic Teaching (Ruthven and Hofmann 2013).     

A symmetry property for q-weighted Robinson–Schensted and other branching insertion algorithms

In [19], a \(q\) -weighted version of the Robinson–Schensted algorithm was introduced. In this paper, we show that this algorithm has a symmetry property analogous to the well-known symmetry property of the usual Robinson–Schensted algorithm. The proof uses a generalisation of the growth diagram approach introduced by Fomin [5–8]. This approach, which uses ‘growth graphs’, can also be applied to a wider class of insertion algorithms which have a branching structure, including some of the other \(q\) -weighted versions of the Robinson–Schensted algorithm which have recently been introduced by Borodin–Petrov [2].     

Nilpotency,solvability and the twisting function of finite groups II

Let G be a finite group and m a natural number. The twisting function with m variables on G is defined by \({\tau_m(x_1,\ldots, x_m) :=(x_1^{x_2}, \ldots, x_{m-1}^{x_m}, x_m^{x_1})}\) and has been introduced and studied by the third author in [5]. In the current paper, we extend and sharpen results from Kaplan (see [5]) on solvability and nilpotency (see Theorems 1.2 and 1.1). Furthermore, for groups G such that \({\tau_2}\) is a permutation on the cartesian product G ², we investigate the order of this permutation and its connection to properties of G.     

Algebraic Hecke characters and strictly compatible systems of abelian mod p Galois representations over global fields

In [10] (C R Acad Sci Paris Ser I Math 323(2) 117–120, 1996), [11] (Math Res Lett 10(1):71–83 2003), [12] (Can J Math 57(6):1215–1223 2005), Khare showed that any strictly compatible systems of semisimple abelian mod p Galois representations of a number field arises from a unique finite set of algebraic Hecke characters. In this article, we consider a similar problem for arbitrary global fields. We give a definition of Hecke character which in the function field setting is more general than previous definitions by Goss and Gross and define a corresponding notion of compatible system of mod p Galois representations. In this context we present a unified proof of the analog of Khare’s result for arbitrary global fields. In a sequel we shall apply this result to strictly compatible systems arising from Drinfeld modular forms, and thereby attach Hecke characters to cuspidal Drinfeld Hecke eigenforms.     

To the question on the almost everywhere convergence of the Riesz means of double orthogonal series

Sufficient conditions of the classical type ensuring the almost everywhere (a.e.) convergence of the nonnegative-order Riesz means of double orthogonal series are indicated. Analogies of the onedimensional results of Kolmogoroff [7] and Kaczmarz?CZygmund [5, 12] have been obtained for the Cesaro means and those of Zygmund [13] for the Riesz means. These analogies establish the a.e. equiconvergence of the lacunary subsequences of rectangular partial sums and of the entire sequence of Riesz means, generalize the corresponding results of Moricz [9] for the Cesaro a.e. summability by (C, 1, 1), (C, 1, 0), and (C, 0, 1) methods of double orthogonal series, and were announced earlier without proofs in the author??s work [3].     

The General Solution of Abel-Type Functional Equations

The general measurable solution of (A) was found by Stamate [8]. Aczél [3] and Lajkô [6] proved that the general solution of (A) for unknown functions ψ, g, h: ? → ? are (1), (2) and (3), respectively. Filipescu [5] found the general measurable solution of (B). We establish an elementary prof for the general solution of equation (A) (Theorem 1.). Our method is suitable for finding the general solution of (B) (Theorem 2.).     

Vector partition functions and generalized dahmen and micchelli spaces

This is the first of a series of papers on partition functions and the index theory of transversally elliptic operators. In this paper we only discuss algebraic and combinatorial issues related to partition functions. The applications to index theory are in [4], while in [5] and [6] we shall investigate the cohomological formulas generated by this theory. Here we introduce a space of functions on a lattice which generalizes the space of quasipolynomials satisfying the difference equations associated to cocircuits of a sequence of vectors X, introduced by Dahmen and Micchelli [8]. This space $ \mathcal{F}(X) $ contains the partition function $ {\mathcal{P}_{(X)}} $ . We prove a “localization formula” for any f in $ \mathcal{F}(X) $ , inspired by Paradan's decomposition formula [12]. In particular, this implies a simple proof that the partition function $ {\mathcal{P}_{(X)}} $ is a quasi-polynomial on the Minkowski differences $ \mathfrak{c} - B(X) $ , where c is a big cell and B(X) is the zonotope generated by the vectors in X, a result due essentially to Dahmen and Micchelli.     

Combinatorial geometry of belt bodies

In this paper we consider a new class of convex bodies which was introduced in [11]. This is the class of belt bodies, and it is a natural generalization of the class of zonoids (see the surveys [18, 28, 24]). While the class of zonoids is not dense in the family of all centrally symmetric, convex bodies, the class of belt bodies is dense in the set of all convex bodies. Nevertheless, we shall extend solutions of combinatorial problems for zonoids (cf. [2, 12]) to the class of belt bodies. Therefore, we first introduce the set of belt bodies by using zonoids as starting point. (To make the paper self-contained, a few parts of the approach from [11] are given repeatedly.) Second, complete solutions of three well-known (and generally unsolved) problems from the combinatorial geometry of convex bodies are given for the class of belt bodies. The first of these, connected with the names of I. Gohberg and H. Hadwiger, is the problem of covering a convex body with smaller homothetic copies, or the equivalent illumination problem. The second is the Szökefalvi-Nagy problem, which asks for the determination of the convex bodies whose families of translates have a given Helly dimension. The third problem concerns special fixing systems, a notion which is due to L. Fejes Tóth. These solutions consist of improved and more general approaches to recently solved problems (as in the case of the Helly-dimensional classification of belt bodies) or new results (as those concerning minimal fixing systems, providing also an answer to a problem of B. Grünbaum which is not only restricted to belt bodies).     

Characterizations of Strength Extremal Graphs

With graphs considered as natural models for many network design problems, edge connectivity κ′(G) and maximum number of edge-disjoint spanning trees τ(G) of a graph G have been used as measures for reliability and strength in communication networks modeled as graph G (see Cunningham, in J ACM 32:549–561, 1985; Matula, in Proceedings of 28th Symposium Foundations of Computer Science, pp 249–251, 1987, among others). Mader (Math Ann 191:21–28, 1971) and Matula (J Appl Math 22:459–480, 1972) introduced the maximum subgraph edge connectivity \({\overline{\kappa'}(G) = {\rm max} \{\kappa'(H) : H {\rm is} \, {\rm a} \, {\rm subgraph} \, {\rm of} G \}}\) . Motivated by their applications in network design and by the established inequalities $$\overline{\kappa'}(G) \ge \kappa'(G) \ge \tau(G),$$ we present the following in this paper:

1. For each integer k > 0, a characterization for graphs G with the property that \({\overline{\kappa'}(G) \le k}\) but for any edge e not in G, \({\overline{\kappa'}(G + e) \ge k+1}\) .
2. For any integer n > 0, a characterization for graphs G with |V(G)| = n such that κ′(G) = τ(G) with |E(G)| minimized.

     

Multiplicity of periodic solutions to symmetric delay differential equations

By applying the method based on the usage of the equivariant gradient degree introduced by G?ba (1997) and the cohomological equivariant Conley index introduced by Izydorek (2001), we establish an abstract result for G-invariant strongly indefinite asymptotically linear functionals showing that the equivariant invariant ${\omega(\nabla \Phi)}$ , expressed as that difference of the G-gradient degrees at infinity and zero, contains rich numerical information indicating the existence of multiple critical points of ${\Phi}$ exhibiting various symmetric properties. The obtained results are applied to investigate an asymptotically linear delay differential equation $$x\prime = - \nabla f \big ({x \big (t - \frac{\pi}{2} \big )} \big ), \quad x \in V \qquad \quad (*)$$ (here ${f : V \rightarrow \mathbb{R}}$ is a continuously differentiable function satisfying additional assumptions) with Γ-symmetries (where Γ is a finite group) using a variational method introduced by Guo and Yu (2005). The equivariant invariant ${\omega(\nabla \Phi) = n_{1}({\bf H}_{1}) + n_{2}({\bf H}_{2}) + \cdots + n_{m}({\bf H}_{m})}$ in the case n _k ≠ 0 (for maximal twisted orbit types (H _k )) guarantees the existence of at least |n _k | different G-orbits of periodic solutions with symmetries at least (H _k). This result generalizes the result by Guo and Yu (2005) obtained in the case without symmetries. The existence of large number of nonconstant periodic solutions for (*) (classified according to their symmetric properties) is established for several groups Γ, with the exact value of ${\omega(\,\nabla \Phi)}$ evaluated.     

More about λ-support iterations of (<λ)-complete forcing notions

This article continues Ros?anowski and Shelah (Int J Math Math Sci 28:63–82, 2001; Quaderni di Matematica 17:195–239, 2006; Israel J Math 159:109–174, 2007; 2011; Notre Dame J Formal Logic 52:113–147, 2011) and we introduce here a new property of (<λ)-strategically complete forcing notions which implies that their λ-support iterations do not collapse λ ⁺ (for a strongly inaccessible cardinal λ).