Periodic decomposition of integer valued functions

We study those functions that can be written as a finite sum of periodic integer valued functions. On ℤ we give three different characterizations of these functions. For this we prove that the existence of a real valued periodic decomposition of a ℤ → ℤ function implies the existence of an integer valued periodic decomposition with the same periods. This result depends on the representation of the greatest common divisor of certain polynomials with integer coefficients as a linear combination of the given polynomials where the coefficients also belong to ℤ[x]. We give an example of an ℤ → {0, 1} function that has a bounded real valued periodic decomposition but does not have a bounded integer valued periodic decomposition with the same periods. It follows that the class of bounded ℤ → ℤ functions has the decomposition property as opposed to the class of bounded ℝ → ℤ functions. If the periods are pairwise commensurable or not prescribed, then we get more general results. Supported by OTKA grants T 43623 and K 61908.     

Polynomial Cunningham chains

A sequence of prime numbers p₁,p₂,p₃,…, such that pi=2pi−1+? for all i, is called a Cunningham chain of the first or second kind, depending on whether ?=1 or −1 respectively. If k is the smallest positive integer such that 2pk+? is composite, then we say the chain has length k. It is conjectured that there are infinitely many Cunningham chains of length k for every positive integer k. A sequence of polynomials f₁(x),f₂(x),… in Z[x], such that f₁(x) has positive leading coefficient, each fi(x) is irreducible in Q[x] and fi(x)=xfi−1(x)+? for all i, is defined to be a polynomial Cunningham chain of the first or second kind, depending on whether ?=1 or −1 respectively. If k is the least positive integer such that fk+1(x) is reducible in Q[x], then we say the chain has length k. In this article, for polynomial Cunningham chains of both kinds, we prove that there are infinitely many chains of length k and, unlike the situation in the integers, that there are infinitely many chains of infinite length, by explicitly giving infinitely many polynomials f₁(x), such that fk+1(x) is the only term in the sequence that is reducible.     

The structure of rigid functions

A function f:R→R is called vertically rigid if graph(cf) is isometric to graph(f) for all c≠0. We prove Jankovi?'s conjecture by showing that a continuous function is vertically rigid if and only if it is of the form a+bx or a+bekx (a,b,k∈R). We answer the question of Cain, Clark and Rose by showing that there exists a Borel measurable vertically rigid function which is not of the above form. We discuss the Lebesgue and Baire measurable case, consider functions bounded on some interval and functions with at least one point of continuity. We also introduce horizontally rigid functions, and show that a certain structure theorem can be proved without assuming any regularity.     

Normal families and value distribution in connection with composite functions

We prove a value distribution result which has several interesting corollaries. Let k∈N, let α∈C and let f be a transcendental entire function with order less than 1/2. Then for every nonconstant entire function g, we have that (f○g)^(k)−α has infinitely many zeros. This result also holds when k=1, for every transcendental entire function g. We also prove the following result for normal families. Let k∈N, let f be a transcendental entire function with ρ(f)<1/k, and let a₀,…,ak−1,a be analytic functions in a domain Ω. Then the family of analytic functions g such that

     

Polynomials and primitive roots in finite fields

The primitive elements of a finite field are those elements of the field that generate the multiplicative group of k. If f(x) is a polynomial over k of small degree compared to the size of k, then f(x) represents at least one primitive element of k. Also f(x) represents an lth power at a primitive element of k, if l is also small. As a consequence of this, the following results holds.Theorem. Let g(x) be a square-free polynomial with integer coefficients. For all but finitely many prime numbers p, there is an integer a such that g(a) is equivalent to a primitive element modulo p.Theorem. Let l be a fixed prime number and f(x) be a square-free polynomial with integer coefficients with a non-zero constant term. For all but finitely many primes p, there exist integers a and b such that a is a primitive element and f(a) ≡ b¹ modulo p.     

Elliptic systems with measurable coefficients of the type of Lamé system in three dimensions

We study the 3×3 elliptic systems ∇(a(x)∇×u)−∇(b(x)∇⋅u)=f, where the coefficients a(x) and b(x) are positive scalar functions that are measurable and bounded away from zero and infinity. We prove that weak solutions of the above system are Hölder continuous under some minimal conditions on the inhomogeneous term f. We also present some applications and discuss several related topics including estimates of the Green?s functions and the heat kernels of the above systems.     

On the complexity of constrained VC-classes

Sauer's lemma is extended to classes H_N of binary-valued functions h on [n]={1,…,n} which have a margin less than or equal to N on all x∈[n] with h(x)=1, where the margin μ_h(x) of h at x∈[n] is defined as the largest non-negative integer a such that h is constant on the interval I_a(x)=[x-a,x+a]⊆[n]. Estimates are obtained for the cardinality of classes of binary-valued functions with a margin of at least N on a positive sample S⊆[n].     

The extended gamma class and applications

The gamma class Γ _α (g) consists of positive and measurable functions that satisfy f(x+yg(x))/f(x)→exp(αy). In most cases, the auxiliary function g is Beurling varying, i.e. g(x)/x→0 and g∈Γ₀(g). Taking h=logf, we find that h∈EΓ _α (g,1), where EΓ _α (g,a) is the class of ultimately positive and measurable functions that satisfy (f(x+yg(x))?f(x))/a(x)→αy. In this paper, we discuss local uniform convergence for functions in the classes Γ _α (g) and EΓ _α (g,a). From this we obtain several representation theorems. We also prove some higher order relations for functions in the classes Γ _α (g) and EΓ _α (g,a). Some applications conclude the paper.     

Normality criteria of meromorphic functions sharing one value

Let k be a positive integer and F be a family of meromorphic functions in a domain D⊂C such that each f∈F has only zeros of multiplicity at least k+1. If for each pair (f, g) in F, ff(k) and gg(k) share a non-zero complex number a ignoring multiplicity, then F is normal in D.     

Determination of means by invariance

If M is a mean on and M(f(x₁),f(x₂),…,f(xn))=f(M(x₁,x₂,…,xn)) then we say that M is invariant under f. The problem is to find a class of functions that by invariance determines a mean uniquely. We focus on the geometric mean, which can be transformed to obtain results for other means.     

Log-convexity and log-concavity of hypergeometric-like functions

We find sufficient conditions for log-convexity and log-concavity for the functions of the forms a?∑fkk(a)xk, a?∑fkΓ(a+k)xk and a?∑fkxk/k(a). The most useful examples of such functions are generalized hypergeometric functions. In particular, we generalize the Turán inequality for the confluent hypergeometric function recently proved by Barnard, Gordy and Richards and log-convexity results for the same function recently proved by Baricz. Besides, we establish a reverse inequality which complements naturally the inequality of Barnard, Gordy and Richards. Similar results are established for the Gauss and the generalized hypergeometric functions. A conjecture about monotonicity of a quotient of products of confluent hypergeometric functions is made.     

The set of periodic scalar differential equations with cubic nonlinearities

We study the structure induced by the number of periodic solutions on the set of differential equations x^′=f(t,x) where f∈C³(R²) is T-periodic in t, fx³(t,x)<0 for every (t,x)∈R², and f(t,x)→?∞ as x→∞, uniformly on t. We find that the set of differential equations with a singular periodic solution is a codimension-one submanifold, which divides the space into two components: equations with one periodic solution and equations with three periodic solutions. Moreover, the set of differential equations with exactly one periodic singular solution and no other periodic solution is a codimension-two submanifold.     

Local properties of functions and approximation by trigonometric polynomials

Suppose Φ_{p, E} (p>0 an integer, E ?[0, 2π]) is a family of positive nondecreasing functions? _x(t) (t>0, x∈ E) such that? _x(nt)≤n^P ? _x(t) (n=0,1,...), t_n is a trigonometric polynomial of order at most n, and Δ _h ^l (f, x) (l>0 an integer) is the finite difference of orderl with step h of the functionf.THEOREM. Supposef (x) is a function which is measurable, finite almost everywhere on [0, 2π], and integrable in some neighborhood of each point xε E,? _X εΦ_p,E and $$\overline {\mathop {\lim }\limits_{\delta \to \infty } } |(2\delta )^{ - 1} \smallint _{ - \delta }^\delta \Delta _u^l (f,x)du|\varphi _x^{ - 1} (\delta ) \leqslant C(x)< \infty (x \in E).$$ . Then there exists a sequence {t _n } _n=1 ^∞ which converges tof (x) almost everywhere, such that for x ε E $$\overline {\mathop {\lim }\limits_{n \to \infty } } |f(x) - l_n (x)|\varphi _x^{ - 1} (l/n) \leqslant AC(x),$$ where A depends on p andl.     

Recurrent points and non-wandering points of graph maps

Let G be a graph and f:G→G be a continuous map. Denote by P(f), R(f) and Ω(f) the sets of periodic points, recurrent points and non-wandering points of f, respectively. In this paper we show that: (1) If L=(x,y) is an open arc contained in an edge of G such that {fm(x),fk(y)}⊂(x,y) for some m,k∈N, then R(f)∩(x,y)≠∅; (2) Any isolated point of P(f) is also an isolated point of Ω(f); (3) If x∈Ω(f)−Ω(fn) for some n∈N, then x is an eventually periodic point. These generalize the corresponding results in W. Huang and X. Ye (2001) [9] and J. Xiong (1983, 1986) [17] and [19] on interval maps or tree maps.     

A remark on Schrödinger operators

We study the almost everythere convergence to the initial dataf(x)=u(x, 0) of the solutionu(x, t) of the two-dimensional linear Schrödinger equation Δu=i? _t u. The main result is thatu(x, t) →f(x) almost everywhere fort → 0 iff ∈H ^p (R²), wherep may be chosen <1/2. To get this result (improving on Vega’s work, see [6]), we devise a strategy to capture certain cancellations, which we believe has other applications in related problems.     

A global attractivity criterion for nonlinear non-autonomous difference equations

We establish a discrete version of the celebrated Yorke and Wright 3/2-stability criterion for a family of strongly nonlinear non-autonomous difference equations of the form xn+1=xn+anfn(xn,…,xn−k).     

Unextendible product bases and 1-factorization of complete graphs

Let f(k₁,…,k_m) be the minimal value of size of all possible unextendible product bases in the tensor product space . We have trivial lower bounds and upper bound k₁?k_m. Alon and Lovász determined all cases such that f(k₁,…,k_m)=n(k₁,…,k_m). In this paper we determine all cases such that f(k₁,…,k_m)=k₁?k_m by presenting a sharper upper bound. We also determine several cases such that f(k₁,…,k_m)=n(k₁,…,k_m)+1 by using a result on 1-factorization of complete graphs.     

Formulas of Liapunov functions for systems of linear partial differential equations

Formulas of explicit quadratic Liapunov functions for showing asymptotic stability of the system of linear partial differential equations on (0,∞)×Ω, are constructed, where A is an n×n real matrix, u=T(u₁,u₂,…,un), Ω is a bounded domain in Rk with smooth boundary ∂Ω, and Δ denotes the Laplacian operator on Rk with Δu=T(Δu₁,Δu₂,…,Δun). These formulas are also modified and applied to a number of nonautonomous linear and nonlinear systems and models in structural stability, traveling wave, and Navier-Stokes equations.     

Effective computation of singularities of parametric affine curves

Let k be a field of characteristic zero and f(t),g(t) be polynomials in k[t]. For a plane curve parameterized by x=f(t),y=g(t), Abhyankar developed the notion of Taylor resultant (Mathematical Surveys and Monographs, Vol. 35, American Mathematical Society, Providence, RI, 1990) which enables one to find its singularities without knowing its defining polynomial. This concept was generalized as D-resultant by Yu and Van den Essen (Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 125(3) (1997) 689), which works over an arbitrary field. In this paper, we extend this to a curve in affine n-space parameterized by x₁=f₁(t),…,x_n=f_n(t) over an arbitrary ground field k, where f₁,…,f_n∈k[t]. This approach compares to the usual approach of computing the ideal of the curve first. It provides an efficient algorithm of computing the singularities of such parametric curves using Gröbner bases. Computational examples worked out by symbolic computation packages are included.     

Adding machines, kneading maps, and endpoints

Given a unimodal map f, let I=[c₂,c₁] denote the core and set E={(x₀,x₁,…)∈(I,f)|xi∈ω(c,f) for all i∈N}. It is known that there exist strange adding machines embedded in symmetric tent maps f such that the collection of endpoints of (I,f) is a proper subset of E and such that limk→∞Q(k)≠∞, where Q(k) is the kneading map.We use the partition structure of an adding machine to provide a sufficient condition for x to be an endpoint of (I,f) in the case of an embedded adding machine. We then show there exist strange adding machines embedded in symmetric tent maps for which the collection of endpoints of (I,f) is precisely E. Examples of this behavior are provided where limk→∞Q(k) does and does not equal infinity, and in the case where limk→∞Q(k)=∞, the collection of endpoints of (I,f) is always E.