A Generalised Skolem-Mahler-lech Theorem for Affine Varieties

The Skolem–Mahler–Lech theorem states that if f(n)is a sequence given by a linear recurrence over a field of characteristic0, then the set of m such that f(m) is equal to 0 is the unionof a finite number of arithmetic progressions in m 0 and afinite set. We prove that if X is a subvariety of an affinevariety Y over a field of characteristic 0 and q is a pointin Y, and is an automorphism of Y, then the set of m such that^m(q) lies in X is a union of a finite number of complete doubly-infinitearithmetic progressions and a finite set. We show that thisis a generalisation of the Skolem–Mahler–Lech theorem.     

Embedding Spaces of Finite Length in R3

I refine a theorem from [3] to show that if (X, ) is any metricspace of finite length, it can be embedded in a compact connectedsubset of R³ of finite length in such a way as to preserve themeasure µ     

On Uniformly Perfect Boundaries of Stable Domains in Iteration of Meromorphic Functions

Let f:C be a function which is either transcendental meromorphicor rational with degree at least 2. We discuss the uniform perfectnessof the attracting or parabolic cycle of stable domains of f(z),and include a proof that the Julia set of a meromorphic functionof finite type is uniformly perfect. 2000 Mathematics SubjectClassification 37F10, 37F50, 30D05.     

Asymptotic Results for Transitive Permutation Groups

In this paper we give answers to some open questions concerninggeneration and enumeration of finite transitive permutationgroups. In [1], Bryant, Kovács and Robinson proved thatthere is a number c^' such that each soluble transitive permutationgroup of degree n2 can be generated by elements, and later A. Lucchini [5] extended thisresult (with a different constant c') to finite permutationgroups containing a soluble transitive subgroup. We are nowable to prove this theorem in full generality, and this solvesthe question of bounding the number of generators of a finitetransitive permutation group in terms of its degree. The resultobtained is the following. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification20B05, 20D60.     

Belyi Uniformization of Elliptic Curves

Belyi's Theorem implies that a Riemann surface X representsa curve defined over a number field if and only if it can beexpressed as U/, where U is simply-connected and is a subgroupof finite index in a triangle group. We consider the case whenX has genus 1, and ask for which curves and number fields canbe chosen to be a lattice. As an application, we give examplesof Galois actions on Grothendieck dessins. 1991 MathematicsSubject Classification 30F10, 11G05.     

Euler Characteristics of Real Varieties

In this paper we show how to associate to any real projectivealgebraic variety Z RP^n–1 a real polynomial F₁:Rⁿ,0 R, 0 with an algebraically isolated singularity, having theproperty that (Z) = (1 – deg (grad F₁), where deg (gradF₁ is the local real degree of the gradient grad F₁:Rⁿ, 0 Rⁿ,0. This degree can be computed algebraically by the method ofEisenbud and Levine, and Khimshiashvili [5]. The variety Z neednot be smooth. This leads to an expression for the Euler characteristic ofany compact algebraic subset of Rⁿ, and the link of a quasihomogeneousmapping f: Rⁿ, 0 Rⁿ, 0 again in terms of the local degree ofa gradient with algebraically isolated singularity. Similar expressions for the Euler characteristic of an arbitraryalgebraic subset of Rⁿ and the link of any polynomial map aregiven in terms of the degrees of algebraically finite gradientmaps. These maps do involve ‘sufficiently small’constants, but the degrees involved ar (theoretically, at least)algebraically computable.     

On Fusion in Unipotent Blocks

The context of this note is as follows. One considers a connectedreductive group G and a Frobenius endomorphism F: G G definingG over a finite field of order q. One denotes by G^F the associated(finite) group of fixed points. Let l be a prime not dividing q. We are interested in the l-blocksof the finite group G^F. Such a block is called unipotent ifthere is a unipotent character (see, for instance, [6, Definition12.1]) among its representations in characteristic zero. Roughlyspeaking, it is believed that the study of arbitrary blocksof G^F might be reduced to unipotent blocks (see [2, Théorème2.3], [5, Remark 3.6]). In view of certain conjectures aboutblocks (see, for instance, [9]), it would be interesting tofurther reduce the study of unipotent blocks to the study ofprincipal blocks (blocks containing the trivial character).Our Theorem 7 is a step in that direction: we show that thelocal structure of any unipotent block of G^F is very close tothat of a principal block of a group of related type (notionof ‘control of fusion’, see [13, 49]). 1991 MathematicsSubject Classification 20Cxx.     

Rational Points on a Class of Superelliptic Curves

A famous Diophantine equation is given by y^k=(x+1)(x+2)...(x+m). (1) For integers k2 and m2, this equation only has the solutionsx = –j (j = 1, ..., m), y = 0 by a remarkable result ofErds and Selfridge [9] in 1975. This put an end to the old questionof whether the product of consecutive positive integers couldever be a perfect power (except for the obviously trivial cases).In a letter to D. Bernoulli in 1724, Goldbach (see [7, p. 679])showed that (1) has no solution with x0 in the case k = 2 andm = 3. In 1857, Liouville [18] derived from Bertrand's postulatethat for general k2 and m2, there is no solution with x0 ifone of the factors on the right-hand side of (1) is prime. Byuse of the Thue–Siegel theorem, Erds and Siegel [10] provedin 1940 that (1) has only trivial solutions for all sufficientlylarge kk₀ and all m. This was closely related to Siegel's earlierresult [30] from 1929 that the superelliptic equation y^k=f(x) has at most finitely many integer solutions x, y under appropriateconditions on the polynomial f(x). The ineffectiveness of k₀was overcome by Baker's method [1] in 1969 (see also [2]). In 1955, Erds [8] managed to re-prove the result jointly obtainedwith Siegel by elementary methods. A refinement of Erds' ideasfinally led to the above-mentioned theorem as follows.     

Mixed finite element analysis of a non-linear three-fields Stokes model

In this article, a mixed finite element analysis of the non-linearStokes problem with monotone constitutive laws is considered.We construct a new three-field model for incompressible fluidswhere the velocity u, the non-linear stress tensor = (|u|)u and the pressure p are the most relevant unknowns. We giveexistence and unicity results for the continuous problem andits approximation. Stable and optimal error estimates underminimal regularity assumptions are derived and numerical resultsare presented. Received 29 April 1999. Accepted 30 November 1999.     

Uniform Families of Polynomial Equations Over a Finite Field and Structures Admitting an Euler Characteristic of Definable Sets

Over a fixed finite field F_p, families of polynomial equations for i = 1,..., k_N, that areuniformly determined by a parameter N, are considered. The notionof a uniform family is defined in terms of first-order logic.A notion of an abstract Euler characteristic is used to givesense to a statement that the system has a solution for infiniteN, and a statement linking the solvability of a linear systemfor infinite N with its solvability for finite N is proved.This characterisation is used to formulate a criterion yieldingdegree lower bounds for various ideal membership proof systems(for example, Nullstellensatz and the polynomial calculus).Further, several results about Euler structures (structureswith an abstract Euler characteristic) are proved, and the caseof fields, in particular, is investigated more closely. 1991Mathematics Subject Classification: primary 03F20, 12L12, 15A06;secondary 03C99, 12E12, 68Q15, 13L05.     

The Finite Subsets of Z2 Having the Extension Property

The paper considers finite subsets Z^d which possess the extensionproperty, namely that every collection {c_k}_k– of complexnumbers which is positive definite with respect to is the restrictionof the Fourier coefficients of some positive measure on T^d.All finite subsets of Z² which possess the extension propertyare described.     

Confined Subgroups of Simple Locally Finite Groups and Ideals of their Group Rings

We are concerned in this paper with the ideal structure of grouprings of infinite simple locally finite groups over fields ofcharacteristic zero, and its relation with certain subgroupsof the groups, called confined subgroups. The systematic studyof the ideals in these group rings was initiated by the secondauthor in[15], although some results had been obtained previously(see [3, 1]). Let G be an infinite simple locally finite groupand K a field of characteristic zero. It is expected that inmost cases, the group ring KG will have the smallest possiblenumber of ideals, namely three, (KG itself, {0} and the augmentationideal), and this has been verified in some cases. In some interestingcases, however, the situation is different, and there are moreideals. We mention in particular the infinite alternating groups[3] and the stable special linear groups [9], in which the ideallattice has been completely determined. The second author hasconjectured that the presence of ideals in KG, other than thethree unavoidable ones, is synonymous with the presence in thegroup of proper confined subgroups. Here a subgroup H of a locallyfinite group G is called confined, if there exists a finitesubgroup F of G such that H^gF1 for all gG. This amounts to sayingthat F has no regular orbit in the permutation representationof G on the cosets of H.     

On v-Distal Flows on 3-Manifolds

In [2], H. Furstenberg studied a distal action of a locallycompact group G on a compact metric space X, and establisheda structure theorem. As a consequence, he showed that if G isabelian, then a simply connected space X does not admit a minimaldistal G-action. In this paper we concern ourselves with a nonsingular flow = {^t} on a closed 3-manifold M. Recall that is called distalif for any distinct two points x, y M, the distance d(^tx, ^ty)is bounded away from 0. The distality depends strongly uponthe time parametrization. For example, there exists a time parametrizationof a linear irrational flow on T² which yields a nondistal flow[4, 6]. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification 58F25, 57R30.     

On Power Series Having Sections with Multiply Positive Coefficients and a Theorem of Polya

Let (0.1) be a formal power series. In 1913, G. Pólya [7] provedthat if, for all sufficiently large n, the sections (0.2) have real negative zeros only, then the series (0.1) convergesin the whole complex plane C, and its sum f(z) is an entirefunction of order 0. Since then, formal power series with restrictionson zeros of their sections have been deeply investigated byseveral mathematicians. We cannot present an exhaustive bibliographyhere, and restrict ourselves to the references [1, 2, 3], wherethe reader can find detailed information. In this paper, we propose a different kind of generalisationof Pólya's theorem. It is based on the concept of multiplepositivity introduced by M. Fekete in 1912, and it has beentreated in detail by S. Karlin [4].     

Multiple Positive Solutions of Semilinear Differential Equations with Singularities

The existence of positive solutions of a second order differentialequation of the form z'+g(t)f(z)=0 (1.1) with the separated boundary conditions: z(0) – ßz'(0)= 0 and z(1)+z'(1) = 0 has proved to be important in physicsand applied mathematics. For example, the Thomas–Fermiequation, where f = z^3/2 and g = t^–1/2 (see [12, 13, 24]),so g has a singularity at 0, was developed in studies of atomicstructures (see for example, [24]) and atomic calculations [6].The separated boundary conditions are obtained from the usualThomas–Fermi boundary conditions by a change of variableand a normalization (see [22, 24]). The generalized Emden–Fowlerequation, where f = z^p, p > 0 and g is continuous (see [24,28]) arises in the fields of gas dynamics, nuclear physics,chemically reacting systems [28] and in the study of multipoletoroidal plasmas [4]. In most of these applications, the physicalinterest lies in the existence and uniqueness of positive solutions.     

Euler Characteristics of Coxeter Groups, PL-Triangulations of Closed Manifolds, and Cohomology of Subgroups of Artin Groups

The motivation for the theory of Euler characteristics of groups,which was introduced by C. T. C. Wall [21], was topology, butit has interesting connections to other branches of mathematicssuch as group theory and number theory. This paper investigatesEuler characteristics of Coxeter groups and their applications.In his paper [20], J.-P. Serre obtained several fundamentalresults concerning the Euler characteristics of Coxeter groups.In particular, he obtained a recursive formula for the Eulercharacteristic of a Coxeter group, as well as its relation tothe Poincaré series (see 3). Later, I. M. Chiswell obtainedin [10] a formula expressing the Euler characteristic of a Coxetergroup in terms of orders of finite parabolic subgroups (Theorem1). These formulae enable us to compute Euler characteristicsof arbitrary Coxeter groups. On the other hand, the Euler characteristics of Coxeter groupsW happen to be intimately related to their associated complexesF_W, which are defined by means of the posets of nontrivial parabolicsubgroups of finite order (see 2.1 for the precise definition).In particular, it follows from the recent result of M. W. Davis[13] that if F_W is a product of a simplex and a generalizedhomology 2n-sphere, then the Euler characteristic of W is zero(Corollary 3.1). The first objective of this paper is to generalizethe previously mentioned result to the case when F_W is a PL-triangulationof a closed 2n-manifold which is not necessarily a homology2n-sphere. In other words (as given below in Theorem 3), ifW is a Coxeter group such that F_W is a PL-triangulation of aclosed 2n-manifold, then the Euler characteristic of W is equalto 1–(F_W)/2.     

Hypersurface Singularities with 2-Dimensional Critical Locus

Consider an analytic germ f:(C^m, 0)(C, 0) (m3) whose criticallocus is a 2-dimensional complete intersection with an isolatedsingularity (icis). We prove that the homotopy type of the Milnorfiber of f is a bouquet of spheres, provided that the extendedcodimension of the germ f is finite. This result generalizesthe cases when the dimension of the critical locus is zero [8],respectively one [12]. Notice that if the critical locus isnot an icis, then the Milnor fiber, in general, is not homotopicallyequivalent to a wedge of spheres. For example, the Milnor fiberof the germ f:(C⁴, 0)(C, 0), defined by f(x₁, x₂, x₃, x₄) =x₁x₂x₃x₄ has the homotopy type of S¹xS¹xS¹. On the other hand,the finiteness of the extended codimension seems to be the rightgeneralization of the isolated singularity condition; see forexample [9–12, 17, 18]. In the last few years different types of ‘bouquet theorems’have appeared. Some of them deal with germs f:(X, x)(C, 0) wheref defines an isolated singularity. In some cases, similarlyto the Milnor case [8], F has the homotopy type of a bouquetof (dim X–1)-spheres, for example when X is an icis [2],or X is a complete intersection [5]. Moreover, in [13] Siersmaproved that F has a bouquet decomposition FF₀Sⁿ...Sⁿ (whereF₀ is the complex link of (X, x)), provided that both (X, x)and f have an isolated singularity. Actually, Siersma conjecturedand Tibr proved [16] a more general bouquet theorem for thecase when (X, x) is a stratified space and f defines an isolatedsingularity (in the sense of the stratified spaces). In thiscase F_iF_i, where the F_i are repeated suspensions of complexlinks of strata of X. (If (X, x) has the ‘Milnor property’,then the result has been proved by Lê; for details see[6].) In our situation, the space-germ (X, x) is smooth, but f hasbig singular locus. Surprisingly, for dim Sing f^–1(0)2,the Milnor fiber is again a bouquet (actually, a bouquet ofspheres, maybe of different dimensions). This result is in thespirit of Siersma's paper [12], where dim Sing f^–1(0)= 1. In that case, there is only a rather small topologicalobstruction for the Milnor fiber to be homotopically equivalentto a bouquet of spheres (as explained in Corollary 2.4). Inthe present paper, we attack the dim Sing f^–1(0) = 2 case.In our investigation some results of Zaharia are crucial [17,18].     

Simplices of Maximal Volume or Minimal Total Edge Length in Hyperbolic Space

In this paper, we are mainly concerned with n-dimensional simplicesin hyperbolic space Hⁿ. We will also consider simplices withideal vertices, and we suggest that the reader keeps the Poincaréunit ball model of hyperbolic space in mind, in which the sphereat infinity Hⁿ() corresponds to the bounding sphere of radius1. It is known that all hyperbolic simplices (even the idealones) have finite volume. However, explicit calculation of theirvolume is generally a very difficult problem (see, for example,[1] or [16]). Our first theorem states that, amongst all simplicesin a closed geodesic ball, the simplex of maximal volume isregular. We call a simplex regular if every permutation of itsvertices can be realized by an isometry of Hⁿ. A correspondingresult for simplices in the sphere has been proved by Böröczky[4].     

Varieties Which are almost D-Affine

This paper produces several examples of varieties X for whichthe global sections functor (X,–): D_X-modD(X)-mod is exact,and makes D(X)-mod a quotient category of D_X-mod, but is notan equivalence. These varieties are quotients by finite groupactions of D-affine varieties. The torsion of (X,–) isalso described, in some cases. Here, D_x-mod denotes the categoryof quasi-coherent D_X-modules.     

Barely Transitive and Heineken Mohamed Groups

A negative answer to the Kuro–ernikov Question 21 in [7],whether a group satisfying the normalizer condition is hypercentral,was given by Heineken and Mohamed in 1968 [6]. They constructedgroups G satisfying: (i) G is a locally finite p-group for a prime p, (ii) G/G'C_p and G' is countable elementary abelian, (iii) every proper subgroup of G is subnormal and nilpotent, (iv) Z(G)={1}, (v) the set of normal subgroups of G contained in G' is linearlyordered by set inclusion, see [3, p. 334], (vi) KG' is a proper subgroup in G for every proper subgroupK of G, see [6, Lemma 1(a)].