Linear syzygies and birational combinatorics

Let F be a finite set of monomials of the same degree d ≥ 2 in a polynomial ring R = k[x ₁,…, x _n ] over an arbitrary field k. We give some necessary and/or sufficient conditions for the birationality of the ring extension k[F] ? R ^(d), where R ^(d) is the dth Veronese subring of R. One of our results extends to arbitrary characteristic, in the case of rational monomial maps, a previous syzygytheoretic birationality criterion in characteristic zero obtained in [1].     

Iterative hyperidentities for theA n,m varieties of semigroups

Iterative hyperidentities are hyperidentities of the special formF ^a (x ₁,...,x _k =F ^a+b (x ₁,...,x _k ). This type of hyperidentity has been considered by Denecke and Pöschel, and by Schweigert. Here we consider iterative hyperidentities for the variety A_n,m of commutative semigroups satisfyingx ⁿ =x ^n+m ,n,m 1. We introduce two parameters(m, n) and(m) associated withn andm, and show thatA _nn,m satisfies the iterative hyperidentitiesF (x ₁,...,x _k =F ^+b (x ₁,...,x _k ) for every arityk. Moreover, the numbers and are minimal, making these hyperidentities irreducible in the sense of Schweigert. We also show how these hyperidentities for A_n,m may be used to prove that no non-trivial proper variety of commutative semigroups can have a finite hyperidentity basis.Presented by W. Taylor.Research supported by NSERC of Canada     

Rational functions with partial quotients of small degree in their continued fraction expansion

For a rational functionf/g=f(x)/g(x) over a fieldF with ged (f,g)=1 and deg (g)1 letK(f/g) be the maximum degree of the partial quotients in the continued fraction expansion off/. ForfF[x] with deg (f)=k1 andf(O)O putL(f)=K(f(x)/x ^k ). It is shown by an explicit construction that for every integerb with 1bk there exists anf withL(f)=b. IfF=F ₂, the binary field, then for everyk there is exactly onefF ₂[x] with deg (f)=k,f(O)O, andL(f)=1. IfF _q is the finite field withq elements andgF _q [x] is monic of degreek1, then there exists a monic irreduciblefF _q [x] with deg (f)=k, gcd (f,g)=1, andK(f/g)<2+2 (logk)/logq, where the caseq=k=2 andg(x)=x ²+x+1 is excluded. An analogous existence theorem is also shown for primitive polynomials over finite fields. These results have applications to pseudorandom number generation.     

Large spaces of symmetric matrices of bounded rank are decomposable ∗

Let k and n be positive integers such that kn. Let S_n (F) denote the space of all n×n symmetric matrices over the field F with char F≠2. A subspace L of S_n (F) is said to be a k-subspace if rank Ak for every A?L.

Now suppose that k is even, and write k=2r. We say a k∥-subspace of S_n (F) is decomposable if there exists in Fⁿ a subspace W of dimension n?r such that x^tAx=0 for every x?W A?L.

We show here, under some mild assumptions on k n and F, that every k∥-subspace of S_n (F) of sufficiently large dimension must be decomposable. This is an analogue of a result obtained by Atkinson and Lloyd for corresponding subspaces of F^m,n .     

Hypersurfaces containing flat subspaces

Lek k be an infinite field and suppose m.i. and n are positive integers such that t m We study the subset of k[x ₁,x ₂, … x_m ] which consists of 0 and the homogeneous members t of f of k[x ₁,x ₂, … x_m ] of fixed degree n such that there exists homogeneous F ₁, F ₂, … F_t in k[x ₁,x ₂, … x_m ] of degree one and homogenous g ₁ g ₂, …g_t , in k[x ₁,x ₂, … x_m ] such that f(x) = F ₁(x)g ₁(x) + F ₂(x)g ₂(x) + … + F _t (x)g _t (x) for each x in k ^m. In case k is algebrarcally closed we are able to prove that this set is an algebraic variety. Consequently. if k is also of characteristic 0 then we are able to prove that certain collections of symmetric k-valued multilinear functions are algebraic varieties.     

Cohen–Macaulayness and Limit Behavior of Depth for Powers of Cover Ideals

Let 𝕂 be a field, and let R = 𝕂[x ₁,…, x _n ] be the polynomial ring over 𝕂 in n indeterminates x ₁,…, x _n . Let G be a graph with vertex-set {x ₁,…, x _n }, and let J be the cover ideal of G in R. For a given positive integer k, we denote the kth symbolic power and the kth bracket power of J by J ^(k) and J ^[k], respectively. In this paper, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for R/J ^k , R/J ^(k), and R/J ^[k] to be Cohen–Macaulay. We also study the limit behavior of the depths of these rings.     

The real spectrum of an ideal and KO-theory exact sequences

A construction in abstract real algebra is used to define invariants S _n(A) of commutative rings, with or without identity. If A=C(X) is the ring of continuous real functions on a compact space, then S _n(A) = k0^–n(X), and, for any A, S _n(A) Z[1/2]-W _n(A) Z[1/2], where the W _n(A) are the Witt groups of A. In addition, a short exact sequence of rings yields a long exact sequence of the groups S _n. The functors S _n(A) thus provide a solution of a problem proposed by Karoubi. This paper primarily deals with the exact sequences involving a ring A and an ideal I A. Work supported in part by NSF Grant DMS85-06816.     

Edge-isoperimetric inequalities in the grid

The grid graph is the graph on [k] ⁿ ={0,...,k–1} ⁿ in whichx=(x _i ) ₁ ⁿ is joined toy=(y _i ) ₁ ⁿ if for somei we have |x _i –y _i |=1 andx _j =y _j for allji. In this paper we give a lower bound for the number of edges between a subset of [k] ⁿ of given cardinality and its complement. The bound we obtain is essentially best possible. In particular, we show that ifA[k] ⁿ satisfiesk ⁿ /4|A|3k ⁿ /4 then there are at leastk ^n–1 edges betweenA and its complement.Our result is apparently the first example of an isoperimetric inequality for which the extremal sets do not form a nested family.We also give a best possible upper bound for the number of edges spanned by a subset of [k] ⁿ of given cardinality. In particular, forr=1,...,k we show that ifA[k] ⁿ satisfies |A|r ⁿ then the subgraph of [k] ⁿ induced byA has average degree at most 2n(1–1/r).Research partially supported by NSF Grant DMS-8806097     

On Krull and Valuative Dimension of Tensor Products of Algebras

This article is concerned with the dimension theory of tensor products of algebras over a field k. In fact, we provide formulas for the Krull and valuative dimension of A? _k B when A and B are k-algebras such that the polynomial ring A[n] is an AF-domain for some positive integer n. Also, we compute dim _v (A? _k B) in the case where A ? B.     

A note on the kernels of higher derivations

Let k ? k′ be a field extension. We give relations between the kernels of higher derivations on k[X] and k′[X], where k[X]:= k[x ₁,…, x _n ] denotes the polynomial ring in n variables over the field k. More precisely, let D = {D _n } _n=0 ^∞ a higher k-derivation on k[X] and D′ = {D′ _n } _n=0 ^∞ a higher k′-derivation on k′[X] such that D′ _m (x _i ) = D _m (x _i ) for all m ? 0 and i = 1, 2,…, n. Then (1) k[X] ^D = k if and only if k′[X] ^D′ = k′; (2) k[X] ^D is a finitely generated k-algebra if and only if k′[X] ^D′ is a finitely generated k′-algebra. Furthermore, we also show that the kernel k[X] ^D of a higher derivation D of k[X] can be generated by a set of closed polynomials.     

Canonical form with respect to semiscalar equivalence for a matrix pencil with nonsingular first matrix

Polynomial n × n matrices A(x) and B(x) over a field \mathbbF \mathbb{F} are called semiscalar equivalent if there exist a nonsingular n × n matrix P over \mathbbF \mathbb{F} and an invertible n × n matrix Q(x) over \mathbbF \mathbb{F} [x] such that A(x) = PB(x)Q(x). We give a canonical form with respect to semiscalar equivalence for a matrix pencil A(x) = A _0x - A ₁, where A ₀ and A ₁ are n × n matrices over \mathbbF \mathbb{F} , and A ₀ is nonsingular.     

Bezout Rings,Polynomials, and Distributivity

Let A be a ring, be an injective endomorphism of A, and let be the right skew polynomial ring. If all right annihilator ideals of A are ideals, then R is a right Bezout ring is a right Rickartian right Bezout ring, (e)=e for every central idempotent eA, and the element (a) is invertible in A for every regular aA. If A is strongly regular and n 2, then R/x ⁿ R is a right Bezout ring R/x ⁿ R is a right distributive ring R/x ⁿ R is a right invariant ring (e)=e for every central idempotent eA. The ring R/x ² R is right distributive R/x ⁿ R is right distributive for every positive integer n A is right or left Rickartian and right distributive, (e)=e for every central idempotent eA and the (a) is invertible in A for every regular aA. If A is a ring which is a finitely generated module over its center, then A[x] is a right Bezout ring A[x]/x ² A[x] is a right Bezout ring A is a regular ring.     

Verschiebung and Frobenius operators

Metropolis and Rota introduced the concept of the necklace ring Nr(A) of a commutative ringA. WhenA contains Q as a subring there is a natural bijection γ:Nr(A→1+tA[]. Grothendieck has introduced a ring structure on 1+tA[t] while studyingK-theoretic Chern classes. Nr(A) comes equipped with two families of operatorsF _r,V _r called the Frobenius and Verschiebung operators. Mathematicians studying formal group laws have introduced two families of operators,F _r, andV _r on 1+tA[t]. Metropolis and Rota have not however tried to show that γ preserves, these operators. They transport the operators from Nr(A) to 1+tA[t] using γ. In our present paper we show that γ does preserve all these operators. Part of this work was done while the author was visiting the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Madras.     

Polynomials Annihilating the Witt Ring

Let F be a non-formally real field of characteristic not 2 and let W(F) be the Witt ring of F. In certain cases generators for the annihilator ideal are determined. Aim the primary decomposition of A(F) is given. For formally d fields F, as an analogue the primary decomposition of A_t(F) = {f(X) ∈ Z[X]| f(ω) = 0 for all ω ∈ W_t(F)}, where W_t(F) is the torsion part of the Witt group, is obtained.     

On the limit behaviour of the joint distribution function of order statistics

Fork ₀ fixed we consider the joint distribution functionF _n ^k of then-k smallest order statistics ofn real-valued independent, identically distributed random variables with arbitrary cumulative distribution functionF. The main result of the paper is a complete characterization of the limit behaviour ofF _n ^k (x ₁,,x _n-k) in terms of the limit behaviour ofn(1-F(x _n)) ifn tends to infinity, i.e., in terms of the limit superior, the limit inferior, and the limit if the latter exists. This characterization can be reformulated equivalently in terms of the limit behaviour of the cumulative distribution function of the (k+1)-th largest order statistic. All these results do not require any further knowledge about the underlying distribution functionF.     

On pairs of commuting derivations of the polynomial ring in one or two variables

It is well known that each pair of commuting linear operators on a finite dimensional vector space over an algebraically closed field has a common eigenvector. We prove an analogous statement for derivations of k[x] and k[x,y] over any field k of zero characteristic. In particular, if D₁ and D₂ are commuting derivations of k[x,y] and they are linearly independent over k, then either (i) they have a common polynomial eigenfunction; i.e., a nonconstant polynomial f∈k[x,y] such that D₁(f)=λf and D₂(f)=μf for some λ,μ∈k[x,y], or (ii) they are Jacobian derivations