A structure theorem for posets admitting a “strong” chain partition:: A generalization of a conjecture of Daykin and Daykin (with connections to probability correlation inequalities)

Suppose a finite poset P is partitioned into three non-empty chains so that, whenever p, q∈P lie in distinct chains and p<q, then every other element of P is either above p or below q.In 1985, the following conjecture was made by David Daykin and Jacqueline Daykin: such a poset may be decomposed into an ordinal sum of posets such that, for 1?i?n, one of the following occurs:

(1)

R_i is disjoint from one of the chains of the partition; or

(2)

if p, q∈R_i are in distinct chains, then they are incomparable.

The conjecture is related to a question of R. L. Graham's concerning probability correlation inequalities for linear extensions of finite posets.In 1996, a proof of the Daykin-Daykin conjecture was announced (by two other mathematicians), but their proof needs to be rectified.In this note, a generalization of the conjecture is proven that applies to finite or infinite posets partitioned into a (possibly infinite) number of chains with the same property. In particular, it is shown that a poset admits such a partition if and only if it is an ordinal sum of posets, each of which is either a width 2 poset or else a disjoint sum of chains. A forbidden subposet characterization of these partial orders is also obtained.     

On the periodicity of Coxeter transformations and the non-negativity of their Euler forms

We show that for piecewise hereditary algebras, the periodicity of the Coxeter transformation implies the non-negativity of the Euler form. Contrary to previous assumptions, the condition of piecewise heredity cannot be omitted, even for triangular algebras, as demonstrated by incidence algebras of posets.We also give a simple, direct proof, that certain products of reflections, defined for any square matrix A with 2 on its main diagonal, and in particular the Coxeter transformation corresponding to a generalized Cartan matrix, can be expressed as , where A₊, A_- are closely associated with the upper and lower triangular parts of A.     

The embeddability ordering of topological spaces

For K a set of topological spaces and X,Y∈K, the notation Xh_⊆Y means that X embeds homeomorphically into Y; and X∼Y means Xh_⊆Yh_⊆X. With , the equivalence relation ∼ on K induces a partial order h_? well-defined on K/∼ as follows: if Xh_⊆Y.For posets (P,P_?) and (Q,Q_?), the notation (P,P_?)?(Q,Q_?) means: there is an injection such that p₀P_?p₁ in P if and only if h(p₀)Q_?h(p₁) in Q. For κ an infinite cardinal, a poset (Q,Q_?) is a κ-universal poset if every poset (P,P_?) with |P|?κ satisfies (P,P_?)?(Q,Q_?).The authors prove two theorems which improve and extend results from the extensive relevant literature.

Theorem 2.2. There is a zero-dimensional Hausdorff space S with|S|=κsuch that(P(S)/∼,h_?)is a κ-universal poset.     

A Boolean algebra and a Banach space obtained by push-out iteration

Under the assumption that c is a regular cardinal, we prove the existence and uniqueness of a Boolean algebra B of size c defined by sharing the main structural properties that P(ω)/fin has under CH and in the ℵ₂-Cohen model. We prove a similar result in the category of Banach spaces.     

Monoids with sub-log-exponential free spectra

A classic result from the 1960s states that the asymptotic growth of the free spectrum of a finite group is sub-log-exponential if and only if is nilpotent. Thus a monoid is sub-log-exponential implies , the pseudovariety of semigroups with nilpotent subgroups. Unfortunately, little more is known about the boundary between the sub-log-exponential and log-exponential monoids.The pseudovariety consists of those finite semigroups satisfying (x^ωy^ω)^ω(y^ωx^ω)^ω(x^ωy^ω)^ω≈(x^ωy^ω)^ω. Here it is shown that a monoid is sub-log-exponential implies . A quick application: a regular sub-log-exponential monoid is orthodox. It is conjectured that a finite monoid is sub-log-exponential if and only if it is , the finite monoids in having nilpotent subgroups. The forward direction of the conjecture is proved; moreover, the conjecture is proved for when is completely (0)-simple. In particular, the six-element Brandt monoid (the Perkins semigroup) is sub-log-exponential.     

Spaces with large weak extent

In this paper, we show the following statements:

(1)

For any cardinal κ, there exists a pseudocompact centered-Lindelöf Tychonoff space X such that we(X)?κ.

(2)

Assuming ℵ₀²=ℵ₁², there exists a centered-Lindelöf normal space X such that we(X)?ω₁.

     

On Flat Semimodules over Semirings

The following analog of the characterization of flat modules has been obtained for the variety of semimodules over a semiring R: A semimodule _RA is flat (i.e., the tensor product functor – A preserves all finite limits) iff A is L-flat (i.e., A is a filtered colimit of finitely generated free semimodules). We also give new (homological) characterizations of Boolean algebras and complete Boolean algebras within the classes of distributive lattices and Boolean algebras, respectively, which solve two problems left open in [14]. It is also shown that, in contrast with the case of modules over rings, in general for semimodules over semirings the notions of flatness and mono-.atness (i.e., the tensor product functor – A preserves monomorphisms) are different.     

Poset algebras over well quasi-ordered posets

A new class of partial order-types, class is defined and investigated here. A poset P is in the class iff the poset algebra F(P) is generated by a better quasi-order G that is included in L(P). The free Boolean algebra F(P) and its free distributive lattice L(P) have been defined in [ABKR]. The free Boolean algebra F(P) contains the partial order P and is generated by it: F(P) has the following universal property. If B is any Boolean algebra and f is any order-preserving map from P into a Boolean algebra B, then f can be extended to a homomorphism of F(P) into B. We also define L(P) as the sublattice of F(P) generated by P. We prove that if P is any well quasi-ordering, then L(P) is well founded, and is a countable union of well quasi-orderings. We prove that the class is contained in the class of well quasi-ordered sets. We prove that is preserved under homomorphic image, finite products, and lexicographic sum over better quasi-ordered index sets. We prove also that every countable well quasi-ordered set is in . We do not know, however if the class of well quasi-ordered sets is contained in . Additional results concern homomorphic images of posets algebras. The third author was supported by the following institutions: Israel Science Foundation (postdoctoral positions at Ben Gurion University 2000–2002), The Fields Institute (Toronto 2002–2004), and by The Nato Science Fellowship (University Paris VII, CNRS-UMR 7056, 2004).     

More on perfectly normal non-realcompact spaces

We use the space associated with a guessing sequence on ω₁ to show that it is consistent with CH that there exists a locally countable, first-countable, locally compact, perfectly normal, non-realcompact space of size ℵ₁ which does not contain any sub-Ostaszewski spaces. By a similar technique, it is shown to be consistent with that there exists a locally countable, first-countable, perfectly normal, non-realcompact space of size ℵ₁.     

A first countable linearly Lindelöf not Lindelöf topological space

A topological space X is called linearly Lindelöf if every increasing open cover of X has a countable subcover. It is well known that every Lindelöf space is linearly Lindelöf. The converse implication holds only in particular cases, such as X being countably paracompact or if nw(X)<ℵω.Arhangel?skii and Buzyakova proved that the cardinality of a first countable linearly Lindelöf space does not exceed ℵ₀². Consequently, a first countable linearly Lindelöf space is Lindelöf if ℵω>ℵ₀². They asked whether every linearly Lindelöf first countable space is Lindelöf in ZFC. This question is supported by the fact that all known linearly Lindelöf not Lindelöf spaces are of character at least ℵω. We answer this question in the negative by constructing a counterexample from MA+ℵω<ℵ₀².A modification of Alster?s Michael space that is first countable is presented.     

Symplectic duality of symmetric spaces

Let M⊂Cn be a complex n-dimensional Hermitian symmetric space endowed with the hyperbolic form ωhyp. Denote by (M^∗,ωFS) the compact dual of (M,ωhyp), where ωFS is the Fubini-Study form on M^∗. Our first result is Theorem 1.1 where, with the aid of the theory of Jordan triple systems, we construct an explicit symplectic duality, namely a diffeomorphism satisfying and for the pull-back of ΨM, where ω₀ is the restriction to M of the flat Kähler form of the Hermitian positive Jordan triple system associated to M. Amongst other properties of the map ΨM, we also show that it takes (complete) complex and totally geodesic submanifolds of M through the origin to complex linear subspaces of Cn. As a byproduct of the proof of Theorem 1.1 we get an interesting characterization (Theorem 5.3) of the Bergman form of a Hermitian symmetric space in terms of its restriction to classical complex and totally geodesic submanifolds passing through the origin.     

Posets of copies of countable scattered linear orders

We show that the separative quotient of the poset 〈P(L),⊂〉$〈\mathbb{P}(L),\subset 〉$ of isomorphic suborders of a countable scattered linear order L is σ  -closed and atomless. So, under the CH, all these posets are forcing-equivalent (to (P(ω)/Fin)⁺${(P(\omega )/\mathrm{Fin})}^{+}$).     

The endomorphism spectrum of an ordered set

Theendomorphism spectrum of an ordered setP, spec(P)={|f(P)|:f End(P)} andspectrum number, sp(P)=max(spec(P)\{|P|}) are introduced. It is shown that |P|>(1/2)n(n – 1) ^{n – 1} implies spec(P) = {1, 2, ...,n} and that if a projective plane of ordern exists, then there is an ordered setP of size 2n ²+2n+2 with spec(P)={1, 2, ..., 2n+2, 2n+4}. Lettingh(n)=max{|P|: sp(P)n}, it follows thatc ₁ n ²h(n)c ₂ n ⁿ⁺¹ for somec ₁ andc ₂. The lower bound disproves the conjecture thath(n)2n. It is shown that if |P| – 1 spec(P) thenP has a retract of size |P| – 1 but that for all there is a bipartite ordered set with spec(P) = {|P| – 2, |P| – 4, ...} which has no proper retract of size|P| – . The case of reflexive graphs is also treated.Partially supported by a grant from the NSERC.Partially supported by a grant from the NSERC.     

HFD groups in the Solovay model

Hajnal and Juhász proved that under CH there is a hereditarily separable, hereditarily normal topological group without non-trivial convergent sequences that is countably compact and not Lindelöf. The example constructed is a topological subgroup H⊆ω₁² that is an HFD with the following property

(P)

the projection of H onto every partial product I² for I∈ω[ω₁] is onto.

Any such group has the necessary properties. We prove that if κ is a cardinal of uncountable cofinality, then in the model obtained by forcing over a model of CH with the measure algebra on κ², there is an HFD topological group in ω₁² which has property (P).     

Coherent sequences and threads

The combinatorial principle □(λ) says that there is a coherent sequence of length λ that cannot be threaded. If λ=κ⁺, then the related principle κ_□ implies □(λ). Let κ?ℵ₂ and X⊆κ. Assume both □(κ) and κ_□ fail. Then there is an inner model N with a proper class of strong cardinals such that X∈N. If, in addition, κ?ℵ₀² and n<ω, then there is an inner model Mn(X) with n Woodin cardinals such that X∈Mn(X). In particular, by Martin and Steel, Projective Determinacy holds. As a corollary to this and results of Todorcevic and Velickovic, the Proper Forcing Axiom for posets of cardinality ⁺(ℵ₀²) implies Projective Determinacy.     

Integral bilinear forms, Coxeter transformations and Coxeter polynomials of finite posets

Linear algebra technique in the study of linear representations of finite posets is developed in the paper. A concept of a quadratic wandering on a class of posets I is introduced and finite posets I are studied by means of the four integral bilinear forms (1.1), the associated Coxeter transformations, and the Coxeter polynomials (in connection with bilinear forms of Dynkin diagrams, extended Dynkin diagrams and irreducible root systems are also studied). Bilinear equivalences between some of the forms are established and equivalences with the bilinear forms of Dynkin diagrams and extended Dynkin diagrams are discussed. A homological interpretation of the bilinear forms (1.1) is given and Z-bilinear equivalences between them are discussed. By applying well-known results of Bongartz, Loupias, and Zavadskij-Shkabara, we give several characterisations of posets I, with the Euler form weakly positive (resp. with the reduced Euler form weakly positive), and posets I, with the Tits form weakly positive.     

A classification of sharp tridiagonal pairs

Let F denote a field and let V denote a vector space over F with finite positive dimension. We consider a pair of linear transformations A:V→V and A^∗:V→V that satisfy the following conditions: (i) each of A,A^∗ is diagonalizable; (ii) there exists an ordering of the eigenspaces of A such that A^∗V_i⊆V_i-1+V_i+V_i+1 for 0?i?d, where V_-1=0 and V_d+1=0; (iii) there exists an ordering of the eigenspaces of A^∗ such that for 0?i?δ, where and ; (iv) there is no subspace W of V such that AW⊆W, A^∗W⊆W, W≠0, W≠V. We call such a pair a tridiagonal pair on V. It is known that d=δ and for 0?i?d the dimensions of coincide. The pair A,A^∗ is called sharp whenever . It is known that if F is algebraically closed then A,A^∗ is sharp. In this paper we classify up to isomorphism the sharp tridiagonal pairs. As a corollary, we classify up to isomorphism the tridiagonal pairs over an algebraically closed field. We obtain these classifications by proving the μ-conjecture.     

Quasi-convex sequences in the circle and the 3-adic integers

In this paper, we present families of quasi-convex sequences converging to zero in the circle group T, and the group J₃ of 3-adic integers. These sequences are determined by increasing sequences of integers. For an increasing sequence , put gn=an+1−an. We prove that

(a)

the set {0}∪{±³−(an+1)|n∈N} is quasi-convex in T if and only if a₀>0 and gn>1 for every n∈N;

(b)

the set {0}∪{±an³|n∈N} is quasi-convex in the group J₃ of 3-adic integers if and only if gn>1 for every n∈N.

Moreover, we solve an open problem from [D. Dikranjan, L. de Leo, Countably infinite quasi-convex sets in some locally compact abelian groups, Topology Appl. 157 (8) (2010) 1347-1356] providing a complete characterization of the sequences such that {0}∪{±²−(an+1)|n∈N} is quasi-convex in T. Using this result, we also obtain a characterization of the sequences such that the set {0}∪{±²−(an+1)|n∈N} is quasi-convex in R.