Some remarks on the study of good contractions

LetX be a complex projective variety with log terminal singularities admitting an extremal contraction in terms of Minimal Model Theory, i.e. a projective morphism φ:X→Z onto a normal varietyZ with connected fibers which is given by a (high multiple of a) divisor of the typeK _x+rL, wherer is a positive rational number andL is an ample Cartier divisor. We first prove that the dimension of anu fiberF of φ is bigger or equal to (r-1) and, if φ is birational, thatdimF≥r, with the equalities if and only ifF is the projective space andL the hyperplane bundle (this is a sort of “relative” version of a theorem of Kobayashi-Ochiai). Then we describe the structure of the morphism φ itself in the case in which all fibers have minimal dimension with the respect tor. If φ is a birational divisorial contraction andX has terminal singularities we prove that φ is actually a “blow-up”.     

On existence of log minimal models and weak Zariski decompositions

We first introduce a weak type of Zariski decomposition in higher dimensions: an -Cartier divisor has a weak Zariski decomposition if birationally and in a numerical sense it can be written as the sum of a nef and an effective -Cartier divisor. We then prove that there is a very basic relation between Zariski decompositions and log minimal models which has long been expected: we prove that assuming the log minimal model program in dimension d − 1, a lc pair (X/Z, B) of dimension d has a log minimal model (in our sense) if and only if K _X  + B has a weak Zariski decomposition/Z.     

A characteristic <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis> analogue of plt singularities and adjoint ideals

We introduce a new variant of tight closure and give an interpretation of adjoint ideals via this tight closure. As a corollary, we prove that a log pair (X, Δ) is plt if and only if the modulo p reduction of (X, Δ) is divisorially F-regular for all large p ≫ 0. Here, divisorially F-regular pairs are a class of singularities in positive characteristic introduced by Hara and Watanabe (J Algebra Geom 11:363–392, 2002) in terms of Frobenius splitting. The author was partially supported by Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B) 17740021 from JSPS.     

On the fundamental group of real toric varieties

LetX (Δ) be the real toric variety associated to a smooth fan Δ. The main purpose of this article is: (i) to determine the fundamental group and the universal cover ofX (Δ), (ii) to give necessary and sufficient conditions on Δ under which π₁(X(Δ)) is abelian, (iii) to give necessary and sufficient conditions on Δ under whichX(Δ) is aspherical, and when Δ is complete, (iv) to give necessary and sufficient conditions forC _Δ to be aK (π, 1) space whereC _Δ is the complement of a real subspace arrangement associated to Δ.     

Some results on distance two labelling of outerplanar graphs

Let G be an outerplanar graph with maximum degree △. Let χ（G^2） and A（G） denote the chromatic number of the square and the L（2, 1）-labelling number of G, respectively. In this paper we prove the following results： （1） χ（G^2） = 7 if △= 6; （2） λ（G） ≤ △ ＋5 if △ ≥ 4, and ）,（G）≤ 7 if △ = 3; and （3） there is an outerplanar graph G with △ = 4 such that ）λ（G） = 7. These improve some known results on the distance two labelling of outerplanar graphs.     

Some characterizations and properties of the “distance to ill-posedness” and the condition measure of a conic linear system

A conic linear system is a system of the form?P(d): find x that solves b - Ax∈C _Y , x∈C _X ,? where C _X and C _Y are closed convex cones, and the data for the system is d=(A,b). This system is“well-posed” to the extent that (small) changes in the data (A,b) do not alter the status of the system (the system remains solvable or not). Renegar defined the “distance to ill-posedness”, ρ(d), to be the smallest change in the data Δd=(ΔA,Δb) for which the system P(d+Δd) is “ill-posed”, i.e., d+Δd is in the intersection of the closure of feasible and infeasible instances d’=(A’,b’) of P(·). Renegar also defined the “condition measure” of the data instance d as C(d):=∥d∥/ρ(d), and showed that this measure is a natural extension of the familiar condition measure associated with systems of linear equations. This study presents two categories of results related to ρ(d), the distance to ill-posedness, and C(d), the condition measure of d. The first category of results involves the approximation of ρ(d) as the optimal value of certain mathematical programs. We present ten different mathematical programs each of whose optimal values provides an approximation of ρ(d) to within certain constants, depending on whether P(d) is feasible or not, and where the constants depend on properties of the cones and the norms used. The second category of results involves the existence of certain inscribed and intersecting balls involving the feasible region of P(d) or the feasible region of its alternative system, in the spirit of the ellipsoid algorithm. These results roughly state that the feasible region of P(d) (or its alternative system when P(d) is not feasible) will contain a ball of radius r that is itself no more than a distance R from the origin, where the ratio R/r satisfies R/r≤c ₁ C(d), and such that r≥ and R≤c ₃ C(d), where c ₁,c ₂,c ₃ are constants that depend only on properties of the cones and the norms used. Therefore the condition measure C(d) is a relevant tool in proving the existence of an inscribed ball in the feasible region of P(d) that is not too far from the origin and whose radius is not too small. Received November 2, 1995 / Revised version received June 26, 1998?Published online May 12, 1999     

Closure Operators and Lattice Extensions

For closure operators Γ and Δ on the same set X, we say that Δ is a weak (resp. strong) extension of Γ if Cl(X, Γ) is a complete meet-subsemilattice (resp. complete sublattice) of Cl(X, Δ). This context is used to describe the extensions of a finite lattice that preserve various properties. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Measured descent: a new embedding method for finite metrics

We devise a new embedding technique, which we call measured descent, based on decomposing a metric space locally, at varying speeds, according to the density of some probability measure. This provides a refined and unified framework for the two primary methods of constructing Fréchet embeddings for finite metrics, due to Bourgain (1985) and Rao (1999). We prove that any n-point metric space (X, d) embeds in Hilbert space with distortion where α_X is a geometric estimate on the decomposability of X. As an immediate corollary, we obtain an distortion embedding, where λ_X is the doubling constant of X. Since λ_X ≤ n, this result recovers Bourgain’s theorem, but when the metric X is, in a sense, “low-dimensional,” improved bounds are achieved. Our embeddings are volume-respecting for subsets of arbitrary size. One consequence is the existence of (k, O(log n)) volume-respecting embeddings for all 1 ≤ k ≤ n, which is the best possible, and answers positively a question posed by U. Feige. Our techniques are also used to answer positively a question of Y. Rabinovich, showing that any weighted n-point planar graph embeds in with O(1) distortion. The O(log n) bound on the dimension is optimal, and improves upon the previously known bound of O((log n)²). Received: April 2004 Accepted: August 2004 Revision: December 2004 J.R.L. Supported by NSF grant CCR-0121555 and an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.     

S-forcing,I. A “black-box” theorem for morasses,with applications to super-Souslin trees

We formulate, for regular μ>ω, a “forcing principle” S_μ which we show is equivalent to the existence of morasses, thus providing a new and systematic method for obtaining applications of morasses. Various examples are given, notably that for infinitek, if 2 ^k =k ⁺ and there exists a (k ⁺, 1)-morass, then there exists ak ⁺⁺-super-Souslin tree: a normalk ⁺⁺ tree characterized by a highly absolute “positive” property, and which has ak ⁺⁺-Souslin subtree. As a consequence we show that CH+SH_{ℵ 2}⟹ℵ₂ is (inaccessible)^L. This author thanks the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation for partial support of this research.     

Characterizing hyperbolic spaces and real trees

Let X be a geodesic metric space. Gromov proved that there exists ε ₀ > 0 such that if every sufficiently large triangle Δ satisfies the Rips condition with constant ε ₀ · pr(Δ), where pr(Δ) is the perimeter of Δ, then X is hyperbolic. We give an elementary proof of this fact, also giving an estimate for ε ₀. We also show that if all the triangles D í X{\Delta \subseteq X} satisfy the Rips condition with constant ε ₀ · pr(Δ), then X is a real tree. Moreover, we point out how this characterization of hyperbolicity can be used to improve a result by Bonk, and to provide an easy proof of the (well-known) fact that X is hyperbolic if and only if every asymptotic cone of X is a real tree.     

Asymptotically invariant sequences and an action of SL (2,Z) on the 2-sphere

LetG be a countable group which acts non-singularly and ergodically on a Lebesgue space (X, ȑ, μ). A sequence (B _n) in ℒ is calledasymptotically invariant in lim _n μ (B _nΔgB _n)=0 for everygεG. In this paper we show that the existence of such sequences can be characterized by certain simple assumptions on the cohomology of the action ofG onX. As an explicit example we prove that a natural action of SL (2,Z) on the 2-sphere has no asymptotically invariant sequences. The last section deals with a particular cocycle for this action which has an interpretation as a random walk on the integers with “time” in SL (2,Z).     

Termination of (many) 4-dimensional log flips

We prove that any sequence of 4-dimensional log flips that begins with a klt pair (X,D) such that -(K _X +D) is numerically equivalent to an effective divisor, terminates. This implies termination of flips that begin with a log Fano pair and termination of flips in a relative birational setting. We also prove termination of directed flips with big K _X +D. As a consequence, we prove existence of minimal models of 4-dimensional dlt pairs of general type, existence of 5-dimensional log flips, and rationality of Kodaira energy in dimension 4.     

Generalized bisymmetry on a restricted domain

Let X ⊂ ℝ be an interval of positive length and define the set Δ = {(x, y) ∈ X × X | x ≧ y}. We give the solution of the equation

Resolvability and monotone normality

A space X is said to be κ-resolvable (resp., almost κ-resolvable) if it contains κ dense sets that are pairwise disjoint (resp., almost disjoint over the ideal of nowhere dense subsets). X is maximally resolvable if and only if it is Δ(X)-resolvable, where Δ(X) = min{|G| : G ≠ open}. We show that every crowded monotonically normal (in short: MN) space is ω-resolvable and almost μ-resolvable, where μ = min{2 ^ω , ω ₂}. On the other hand, if κ is a measurable cardinal then there is a MN space X with Δ(X) = κ such that no subspace of X is ω ₁-resolvable. Any MN space of cardinality < ℵ _ω is maximally resolvable. But from a supercompact cardinal we obtain the consistency of the existence of a MN space X with |X| = Δ(X) = ℵ _ω such that no subspace of X is ω ₂-resolvable. The preparation of this paper was supported by OTKA grant no. 61600     

Some new generalized difference sequence spaces defined by a sequence of moduli

The idea of difference sequence sets X( ) = {x = (x k ) : x ∈ X} with X = l ∞ , c and c 0 was introduced by Kizmaz [12]. In this paper, using a sequence of moduli we define some generalized difference sequence spaces and give some inclusion relations.     

Potential Theoretic Approach to Rendezvous Numbers

We analyze relations between various forms of energies (reciprocal capacities), the transfinite diameter, various Chebyshev constants and the so-called rendezvous or average number. The latter is originally defined for compact connected metric spaces (X,d) as the (in this case unique) nonnegative real number r with the property that for arbitrary finite point systems {x ₁, …, x _n } ⊂ X, there exists some point x ∈ X with the average of the distances d(x,x _j ) being exactly r. Existence of such a miraculous number has fascinated many people; its normalized version was even named “the magic number” of the metric space. Exploring related notions of general potential theory, as set up, e.g., in the fundamental works of Fuglede and Ohtsuka, we present an alternative, potential theoretic approach to rendezvous numbers.     

Potential Theoretic Approach to Rendezvous Numbers

We analyze relations between various forms of energies (reciprocal capacities), the transfinite diameter, various Chebyshev constants and the so-called rendezvous or average number. The latter is originally defined for compact connected metric spaces (X,d) as the (in this case unique) nonnegative real number r with the property that for arbitrary finite point systems {x ₁, …, x _n } ⊂ X, there exists some point x ∈ X with the average of the distances d(x,x _j ) being exactly r. Existence of such a miraculous number has fascinated many people; its normalized version was even named “the magic number” of the metric space. Exploring related notions of general potential theory, as set up, e.g., in the fundamental works of Fuglede and Ohtsuka, we present an alternative, potential theoretic approach to rendezvous numbers.     

Cantor set and interpolation

In 1998, Y. Benyamini published interesting results concerning interpolation of sequences using continuous functions ℝ → ℝ. In particular, he proved that there exists a continuous function ℝ → ℝ which in some sense “interpolates” all sequences (x _n ) _n∈ℤ ∈ [0, 1]^ℤ “simultaneously.” In 2005, M.R. Naulin and C. Uzcátegui unified and generalized Benyamini’s results. In this paper, the case of topological spaces X and Y with an Abelian group acting on X is considered. A similar problem of “simultaneous interpolation” of all “generalized sequences” using continuous mappings X → Y is posed. Further generalizations of Naulin-Uncátegui theorems, in particular, multidimensional analogues of Benyamini’s results are obtained.     

Independent sequences in Banach spaces

In every ∞-dimensional separable Banach spaceX there is a fundamental sequence such that no subsequence of it, which is fundamental inX, is independent (“{x _n} is fundamental inX” meansX=span {x _n}).     

Existence of a-fold Perfect （v, {5, 8}, 1）-Mendelsohn Designs

Let v be a positive integer and let K be a set of positive integers. A （v, K, 1）-Mendelsohn design, which we denote briefly by （v, K, 1）-MD, is a pair （X, B） where X is a v-set （of points） and B is a collection of cyclically ordered subsets of X （called blocks） with sizes in the set K such that every ordered pair of points of X are consecutive in exactly one block of B. If for all t =1, 2,..., r, every ordered pair of points of X are t-apart in exactly one block of B, then the （v, K, 1）-MD is called an r-fold perfect design and denoted briefly by an r-fold perfect （v, K, 1）-MD. If K = {k） and r = k - 1, then an r-fold perfect （v, （k）, 1）-MD is essentially the more familiar （v, k, 1）-perfect Mendelsohn design, which is briefly denoted by （v, k, 1）-PMD. In this paper, we investigate the existence of 4-fold perfect （v, （5, 8}, 1）-Mendelsohn designs.