Randomly Weighted Sums of Subexponential Random Variables with Application to Ruin Theory

Let {X _k , 1 k n} be n independent and real-valued random variables with common subexponential distribution function, and let {k, 1 k n} be other n random variables independent of {X _k , 1 k n} and satisfying a _k b for some 0 < a b < for all 1 k n. This paper proves that the asymptotic relations P (max_{1 m n k=1} ^m _k X _k > x) P (sum _k=1 ⁿ _k X _k > x) sum _k=1 ⁿ P ( _k X _k > x) hold as x . In doing so, no any assumption is made on the dependence structure of the sequence { _k , 1 k n}. An application to ruin theory is proposed.     

Measure properties of the set of initial data yielding non uniqueness for a class of differential inclusions

We study uniqueness property for the Cauchy problemxV(x), x(0)=, whereVR ⁿR is a locally Lipschitz continuous, quasiconvex function (i.e. the sublevel sets {Vc} are convex) and V(x) is the generalized gradient ofV atx. We prove that if 0V(x) forV(x)b, then the set of initial data {V=b} yielding non uniqueness of solution in a geometric sense has (n–1)-dimensional Hausdorff measure zero in {V=b}.     

Logarithms and imaginary powers of closed linear operators

The imaginary powersA ^it of a closed linear operatorA, with inverse, in a Banach spaceX are considered as aC ₀-group {exp(itlogA);t R} of bounded linear operators onX, with generatori logA. Here logA is defined as the closure of log(1+A) – log(1+A ^–1). LetA be a linearm-sectorial operator of typeS(tan ), 0(/2), in a Hilbert spaceX. That is, |Im(Au, u)| (tan )Re(Au, u) foru D(A). Then ±ilog(1+A) ism-accretive inX andilog(1+A) is the generator of aC ₀-group {(1+A) ^it ;t R} of bounded imaginary powers, satisfying the estimate (1+A) ^it exp(|t|),t R. In particular, ifA is invertible, then ±ilogA ism-accretive inX, where logA is exactly given by logA=log(1+A)–log(1+A ^–1), and {A ^it;t R} forms aC ₀-group onX, with the estimate A ^it exp(|t|),t R. This yields a slight improvement of the Heinz-Kato inequality.     

Conditions for separately subharmonic functions to be subharmonic

Letu be a function on ^m × ⁿ , wherem2 andn2, such thatu(x, .) is subharmonic on ⁿ for each fixedx in ^m andu(.,y) is subharmonic on ^m for each fixedy in ⁿ . We give a local integrability condition which ensures the subharmonicity ofu on ^m × ⁿ , and we show that this condition is close to being sharp. In particular, the local integrability of (log⁺ u ⁺) ^m+n–2+ is enough to secure the subharmonicity ofu if >0, but not if <0.     

Approximate solution of a class of singular control problems

A class of singular control problems involving amplitude constraints on the controls is examined. IfL is the space of control functionsU, the control constraint setS can be identified with the unit ball inL . Now, for anyn (1, ), an analogous problem may be set up withL ⁿ forU and the unit ball inL ⁿ forS. This modified problem is necessarily nonsingular for controllable systems. It is shown that, by takingn sufficiently large, the solution to the modified problem also solves the original problem arbitrarily closely (in a sense made precise). Behavior asn is investigated.This research was supported by the Science Research Council of Great Britain and the Commonwealth Fund (Harkness Fellowship).     

Subalgebras that are cyclic as submodules

Let R be an associative, commutative, unital ring. By a R-algebra we mean a unital R-module A together with a R-module homomorphism : _R ⁿ AA (n2). We raise the question whether such an algebra possesses either an idempotent or a nilpotent element. In section 1 an affirmative answer is obtained in case R=k is an algebraically closed field and dim_kA<, as well as in case R=, dimS<, and n0(2). Section 2 deals with the case of reduced rings R and R-algebras which are finitely generated and projective as R-modules. In section 3 we show that the generic algebra over an integral domain D fails to have nilpotent elements in any integral domain extending its base ring D_n,m, and thus acquires an idempotent element in some integral domain extending D_n,m.Partially supported by National Science Foundation Grant GP-38229.     

Eine Anwendung der Jordanschen Normalform

Zusammenfassung Es wird bewiesen, dass die Raumkurvex(), gegeben durch den AusdruckAx+b=x (A konstante Matrix,b konstanter Vektor, variabler Skalar) unter gewissen einfachen Bedingungen fürn verschiedene Werte von n linear unabhängige Werte annimmt. Der Satz findet in der ökonomischen Theorie der Produktionspreise eine Anwendung.

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Summary It is proved that the curvex() defined by the expressionAx+b=x (A constant matrix,b constant vector, variable scalar) assumesn linearly independent values atn different values of under certain simple conditions. There is an application for the theorem in the economic theory of prices of production.

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Ich danke Herrn W. Habicht für freundliche Hinweise.     

Large transversals to small families of unit disks

Summary It is proved that if the nonempty intersection of bounded closed convex sets AnB is contained in (A + F)U(B+F) and one of the following holds true: (i) the space X is less-than-three dimensional, (ii) AUB is convex, (iii) F is a one-point set, then AnBCA+F or AnBCB+F (Theorems 2 and 3). Moreover, under some hypotheses the characterization of A and B such that AnB is a summand of AUB is given (Theorem 3).     

Asymptotic Density and the Asymptotics of Partition Functions

Let A be a set of positive integers with gcd (A) = 1, and let p _A (n) be the partition function of A. Let c ₀ = 2/3. If A has lower asymptotic density and upper asymptotic density , then lim inf log p _A (n)/c ₀ n and lim sup log p _A (n)/c ₀ n . In particular, if A has asymptotic density > 0, then log p _A (n) c₀n. Conversely, if > 0 and log p _A (n) c ₀ n, then the set A has asymptotic density .     

The Product of Independent Random Variables with Regularly Varying Tails

A distribution is said to have regularly varying tail with index – (0) if lim _x(kx,)/(x,)=k ^– for each k>0. Let X and Y be independent positive random variables with distributions and , respecitvely. The distribution of product XY is called Mellin–Stieltjes convolution (MS convolution) of and . It is known that D() (the class of distributions on (0,) that have regularly varying tails with index –) is closed under MS convolution. This paper deals with decomposition problem of distributions in D() related to MS convolution. A representation of a regularly varying function F of the following form is investigated: F(x)= _k=0 ^n–1 b _k f(a ^k x), where f is a measurable function and a and b _k (k=1,...,n–1) are real constants. A criterion is given for these constants in order that f be regularly varying. This criterion is applicable to show that there exist two distributions and such that neither nor belongs to D() (>0) and their MS convolution belongs to D().     

On the condition number of linear least squares problems in a weighted Frobenius norm

LetA be anm × n, m n full rank real matrix andb a real vector of sizem. We give in this paper an explicit formula for the condition number of the linear least squares problem (LLSP) defined by min Ax–b₂,x ⁿ . Let and be two positive real numbers, we choose the weighted Frobenius norm [A, b] _F on the data and the usual Euclidean norm on the solution. A straightforward generalization of the backward error of [9] to this norm is also provided. This allows us to carry out a first order estimate of the forward error for the LLSP with this norm. This enables us to perform a complete backward error analysis in the chosen norms.Finally, some numerical results are presented in the last section on matrices from the collection of [5]. Three algorithms have been tested: the QR factorization, the Normal Equations (NE), the Semi-Normal Equations (SNE).     

Efficient Regular Polygon Dissections

We study the minimum number g(m,n) (respectively, p(m,n)) of pieces needed to dissect a regular m-gon into a regular n-gon of the same area using glass-cuts (respectively, polygonal cuts). First we study regular polygon-square dissections and show that n/2 -2 g(4,n) (n/2) + o(n) and n/4 g(n,4) (n/2) + o(n) hold for sufficiently large n. We also consider polygonal cuts, i.e., the minimum number p(4,n) of pieces needed to dissect a square into a regular n-gon of the same area using polygonal cuts and show that n/4 p(4,n) (n/2) + o(n) holds for sufficiently large n. We also consider regular polygon-polygon dissections and obtain similar bounds for g(m,n) and p(m,n).     

A characterization of the generalized twisted field planes of characteristic ≥5

Let be a non-Desarguesian semifield plane of orderp ⁿ, p a prime number 5 andn3, and let denote the group induced by the autotopism groupG of on the line at infinity. We prove that is a generalized twisted field plane if, and only if, has an element of order (p ^k–1)((p ⁿ–1)/(p ^m–1)), for some integersk andm, wherek | m, m | n, andm.This work was supported in part by NSF grants RII-9014056, component IV of the EPSCoR of Puerto Rico grant and ARO grant for Cornell MSI     

Round-off error analysis of iterations for large linear systems

Summary We deal with the rounding error analysis of successive approximation iterations for the solution of large linear systemsA _x =b. We prove that Jacobi, Richardson, Gauss-Seidel and SOR iterations arenumerically stable wheneverA=A ^*>0 andA has PropertyA. This means that the computed resultx _k approximates the exact solution with relative error of order A·A ^–1 where is the relative computer precision. However with the exception of Gauss-Seidel iteration the residual vector Ax _k –b is of order A² A ^–1 and hence the remaining three iterations arenot well-behaved.This work was partly done during the author's visit at Carnegie-Mellon University and it was supported in part by the Office of Naval Research under Contract N00014-76-C-0370; NR 044-422 and by the National Science Foundation under Grant MCS75-222-55     

Isomorphisms of Steinberg groups over commutative rings

LetA andR be commutative rings, andm andn be integers3. It is proved that, if :St _m (A)St _n (R) is an isomorphism, thenm=n. Whenn4, we have: (1) Every isomorphism :St _n(A)St _n(R) induces an isomorphism:E _n (A)E _n (R), and is uniquely determined by; (2) IfSt _n (A) St _n (R) thenK _2.n (A)K _2.n (R); (3) Every isomorphismE _n (A) E _n (R) can be lifted to an isomorphismSt _n(A)St _n(R); (4)St _n(A) St _n(R) if and only ifAR. For the casen=3, ifSt ₃(A) andSt ₃(R) are respectively central extensions ofE ₃(A) andE ₃ (R), then the above (1) and (2) hold.The Project supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China     

Adjoints of slant Toeplitz operators II

Let be the unit circle {z|z|=1} and _n c _n e ⁱⁿ be a bounded measurable function on . Theslant Toeplitz operator A onL ² ( ) is defined by A e _n ,e _m =c _2m–n for allm, n wheree _n (z)=z ⁿ , . In this paper, we continue the study initiated in [6] onA ^* , the adjoint ofA . Specifically, we will show that for a certain dense set of continuous functions on ,A ^* is similar to some constant multiple of either a shift, or a shift plus a rank one operator.     

Über Positive Resolventenwerte Positiver Operatoren

In this paper we study the positive resolvent values of positive operators respectively of positive elements in Banach lattice ordered algebras. In the matrix case these values are just the inverse M-matrices. One of the main results is the following: Let A be a Banach lattice ordered algebra. A positive invertible element xA is a resolvent value of a positive element yA if and only if the element x satisfies the negative principle: If aA, < 0 and xaa then xa 0.     

Parameter-dependent renewal theorems with applications

Let ₁, ₂, ... be a sequence of i.i.d. random variables with positive mean and finite variance and letr(b), b0, be real numbers tending to 0 asb . Definings _n=₁+...+_n andS _n=S_n(b)=s_n+r(b)n, the stopping time =(b)=inf {n>/1:S_n >b} whereb=b(b) , will be considered with special regard to the excess over the boundaryR _b=s+r(b)–b. It turns out that the limiting distribution ofR _b is the same as in the caser(b)0 for allb. Proving this, Blackwell's renewal theorem and its integral version have to be established first in the above stated situation. Finally, an expansion ofE to vanishing terms asb will be provided and applied to some examples arising in economics.

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Zusammenfassung Seien ₁, ₂, ... unabhängige identisch verteilte Zufallsgrößen mit positivem Erwartungswert und endlicher Varianz sowier(b), b0, reelle Zahlen mitr(b)0 für b. Sei ferners ₁, s₂, ... der zugehörige Summenprozeß,S _n= S_n(b)=s_n+r(b)n fürn1 und =(b)=inf {n1: S_n>b, wobeib=b(b) fürb . Es wird gezeigt, daß die asymptotische Verteilung des ExzessesR _b=s +r(b) –b mit der im Fallr(·)0 übereinstimmt. Dazu werden sowohl das Blackwellsche Erneuerungstheorem als auch seine Integralversion in der vorher beschriebenen parameterabhängigen Situation geeignet formuliert und bewiesen. Als Folgerung ergibt sich dann eine asymptotische Entwicklung vonE(b) fürb bis zu Termen o(1). Anh- and einiger Beispiele aus dem ökonomischen Bereich wird schließlich noch aufgezeigt, wo Approximationen fürE(b) von Interesse sein können.

     

Necessary and sufficient conditions for the convergence of convolution products of non-identical distributions on finite abelian semigroups

Given a sequence of probability measures ( _n ) on a finite abelian semigroup, we present necessary and sufficient conditions which guarantee the weak convergence of the convolution products _{k,n k+1}*···* _n (k<n), asn for allk0. These conditions are verifiable in the sense that they are based entirely on the individual measures in the sequence ( _n ).     

О полноте систем функ ций и систем ортогона льных многочленов

The paper is devoted to the study of completeness problem of systems { ⁿ (x)} _n=0 inL ^p (a, b), where –a<b+,(x) is a weight function subject to mild assumptions, and(x) is a continuous function on (a,b), either bounded or unbounded in the neighbourhood of the end-points of (a,b). It turns out that this problem is connected with that of quasianalyticity of certain additive set of functions at a given point. As the most important application of the general results, the completeness problem is treated for systems of orthogonal polynomials.