On relaxations of contraction constants and Caristi’s theorem in <Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>-metric spaces

In this paper, the following facts are stated in the setting of b-metric spaces.

1. (1)
   The contraction constant in the Banach contraction principle fully extends to [0, 1), but the contraction constants in Reich’s fixed point theorem and many other fixed point theorems do not fully extend to [0, 1), which answers the early stated question on transforming fixed point theorems in metric spaces to fixed point theorems in b-metric spaces.
    
2. (2)
   Caristi’s theorem does not fully extend to b-metric spaces, which is a negative answer to a recent Kirk–Shahzad’s question (Remark 12.6) [Fixed Point Theory in Distance Spaces. Springer, 2014].
    

     

Positive definite solution of a nonlinear matrix equation

Using fixed point theory, we present a sufficient condition for the existence of a positive definite solution of the nonlinear matrix equation \({X = Q \pm \sum^{m}_{i=1}{A_{i}}^*F(X)A_{i}}\), where Q is a positive definite matrix, A _i ’s are arbitrary n × n matrices and F is a monotone map from the set of positive definite matrices to itself. We show that the presented condition is weaker than that presented by Ran and Reurings [Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 132 (2004), 1435–1443]. In order to do so, we establish some fixed point theorems for mappings satisfying (\({\psi, \phi}\))-weak contractivity conditions in partially ordered G-metric spaces, which generalize some existing results related to (\({\psi, \phi}\))-weak contractions in partially ordered metric spaces as well as in G-metric spaces for a given function f. We conclude, by presenting an example, that our fixed point theorem cannot be obtained from any existing fixed point theorem using the process of Jleli and Samet [Fixed Point Theory Appl. 2012 (2012), Article ID 210].     

$$\mathcal {H}^+$$-multivalued contractions and their application to homotopy theory

Kikkawa and Suzuki (Nonlinear Anal 69:2942–2949, 2008) and Kikkawa and Suzuki (Fixed Point Theory Appl, 2008, Art. ID 649749) proved some fixed point results that are generalizations of Kannan’s, Nadler’s and Suzuki’s fixed point theorems. Here, we present fixed point results of this kind for multivalued mappings in the setting of \(\mathcal {H}^+\)-metric spaces. The theorems provided allow upgrading of some known results which is shown by examples. Moreover, we give a homotopy result as an application of our main theorem.     

On asymptotically equivalent difference sequences with respect to a modulus function

This paper presents new definitions which are a natural combination of the definition for asymptotically equivalence and Δ ^m -lacunary strongly summable with respect to a modulus f. Using this definitions we have proved the (f, Δ ^m )-asymptotically equivalence and Δ ^m -lacunary statistical asymptotically equivalence analogues of theorems of Tripathy and Et (Stud Univ Babe?-Bolyai Math (1):119–130, 2005) and Çolak’s theorems (Filomat 17:9–14, 2003).     

The Reich–Zaslavski property and fixed points of non-self multivalued mappings

Let (X, d) be a metric space, Y be a nonempty subset of X, and let \(T:Y \rightarrow P(X)\) be a non-self multivalued mapping. In this paper, by a new technique we study the fixed point theory of multivalued mappings under the assumption of the existence of a bounded sequence \((x_n)_n\) in Y such that \(T^nx_n\subseteq Y,\) for each \(n \in \mathbb {N}\). Our main result generalizes fixed point theorems due to Matkowski (Diss. Math. 127, 1975), W?grzyk (Diss. Math. (Rozprawy Mat.) 201, 1982), Reich and Zaslavski (Fixed Point Theory 8:303–307, 2007), Petru?el et al. (Set-Valued Var. Anal. 23:223–237, 2015) and provides a solution to the problems posed in Petru?el et al. (Set-Valued Var. Anal. 23:223–237, 2015) and Rus and ?erban (Miskolc Math. Notes 17:1021–1031, 2016).     

A note on uncountable groups with modular subgroup lattice

In this paper, we obtain a rigidity theorem by modifying Cheng–Yau’s technique to linear Weingarten submanifolds in the unit sphere S^n+p(1) with parallel normalized mean curvature vector. As a corollary, we have Theorem 1.3 in Guo and Li (Tohoku Math J 65:331–339, 2013) and Theorem 2 in Li (Math Ann 305:665–672, 1996).     

Nilpotent groups related to an automorphism

The aim of this paper is to state some results on an \(\alpha \)-nilpotent group, which was recently introduced by Barzegar and Erfanian (Caspian J. Math. Sci. 4(2) (2015) 271–283), for any fixed automorphism \(\alpha \) of a group G. We define an identity nilpotent group and classify all finitely generated identity nilpotent groups. Moreover, we prove a theorem on a generalization of the converse of the known Schur’s theorem. In the last section of the paper, we study absolute normal subgroups of a finite group.     

New fixed point results for mappings of contractive type with an application to nonlinear fractional differential equations

In this paper, the notion of α-ψ-contractive mappings in the setting of w-distance is introduced and some new fixed point theorems for such mappings are established. Presented fixed point theorems generalize recent results of Samet et al. [Nonlinear Anal. 75 (2012), 2154–2165] and others. Moreover, some examples and an application to nonlinear fractional differential equations are given to illustrate the usability of the new theory.     

Symmetric multiple chessboard complexes and a new theorem of Tverberg type

We prove a new theorem of Tverberg–van Kampen–Flores type, which confirms a conjecture of Blagojevi? et al. about the existence of ‘balanced Tverberg partitions’ (Conjecture 6.6 in [Tverberg plus constraints, Bull. London Math. Soc. 46:953–967 (2014]). The conditions in this theorem are somewhat weaker than in the original conjecture, and we show that the theorem is optimal in the sense that the new (weakened) condition is also necessary. Among the consequences is a positive answer (Theorem 7.2) to the ‘balanced case’ of the question asking whether each admissible r-tuple is Tverberg prescribable (Blagojevi? et al. 2014, Question 6.9).     

On the maximum TSP with <Emphasis Type="Italic">γ</Emphasis>-parameterized triangle inequality

The maximum TSP with γ-parameterized triangle inequality is defined as follows. Given a complete graph G = (V, E, w) in which the edge weights satisfy w(uv) ≤ γ · (w(ux) + w(xv)) for all distinct nodes \({u,x,v \in V}\), find a tour with maximum weight that visits each node exactly once. Recently, Zhang et al. (Theor Comput Sci 411(26–28):2537–2541, 2010) proposed a \({\frac{\gamma+1}{3\gamma}}\)-approximation algorithm for \({\gamma\in\left[\frac{1}{2},1\right)}\). In this paper, we show that the approximation ratio of Kostochka and Serdyukov’s algorithm (Upravlyaemye Sistemy 26:55–59, 1985) is \({\frac{4\gamma+1}{6\gamma}}\), and the expected approximation ratio of Hassin and Rubinstein’s randomized algorithm (Inf Process Lett 81(5):247–251, 2002) is \({\frac{3\gamma+\frac{1}{2}}{4\gamma}-O\left(\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}}\right)}\), for \({\gamma\in\left[\frac{1}{2},+\infty\right)}\). These improve the result in Zhang et al. (Theor Comput Sci 411(26–28):2537–2541, 2010) and generalize the results in Hassin and Rubinstein and Kostochka and Serdyukov (Inf Process Lett 81(5):247–251, 2002; Upravlyaemye Sistemy 26:55–59, 1985).     

Fixed point theorems for single- and set-valued <Emphasis Type="Italic">F</Emphasis>-contractions in <Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>-metric spaces

Very recently, Miculescu and Mihail in (J. Fixed Point Theory Appl 19:2153–2163, 2017) gave a sufficient condition for Cauchyness on sequences in b-metric spaces. In this paper, we give a weaker sufficient condition. Also, to show the new sufficient condition is reasonably weak, we give an example. Using the new sufficient condition, we prove fixed point theorems for set-valued F-contractions in complete b-metric spaces. We also prove a fixed point theorem for single-valued F-contractions in complete b-metric spaces.     

On some problems of tensor calculus. I

Basic definitions of linear algebra and functional analysis are given. In particular, the definitions of a semigroup, group, ring, field, module, and linear space are given [1, 2, 3, 6]. A local theorem on the existence of homeomorphisms is stated. Definitions of the inner r-product, local inner product of tensors whose rank is not less than r, and of local norm of a tensor [22] are also given. Definitions are given and basic theorems and propositions are stated and proved concerning the linear dependence and independence of a system of tensors of any rank. Moreover, definitions and proofs of some theorems connected with orthogonal and biorthonormal tensor systems are given. The definition of a multiplicative basis (multibasis) is given and ways of construction bases of modules using bases of modules of smaller dimensions. In this connection, several theorems are stated and proved. Tensor modules of even orders and problems on finding eigenvalues and eigentensors of any even rank are studied in more detail than in [22]. Canonical representations of a tensor of any even rank are given. It is worth while to note that it was studied by the Soviet scientist I. N. Vekua, and an analogous problem for the elasticity modulus tensor was considered by the Polish scientist Ya. Rikhlevskii in 1983–1984.     

Finiteness results for lattices in certain Lie groups

In this note we establish some general finiteness results concerning lattices Γ in connected Lie groups G which possess certain “density” properties (see Moskowitz, M., On the density theorems of Borel and Furstenberg, Ark. Mat. 16 (1978), 11–27, and Moskowitz, M., Some results on automorphisms of bounded displacement and bounded cocycles, Monatsh. Math. 85 (1978), 323–336). For such groups we show that Γ always has finite index in its normalizer N _G (Γ). We then investigate analogous questions for the automorphism group Aut(G) proving, under appropriate conditions, that Stab_Aut(G)(Γ) is discrete. Finally we show, under appropriate conditions, that the subgroup \(\tilde{\Gamma}=\{i_{\gamma}:\gamma \in \Gamma \},\ i_{\gamma}(x)=\gamma x\gamma^{-1}\), of Aut(G) has finite index in Stab_Aut(G)(Γ). We test the limits of our results with various examples and counterexamples.     

Hamilton Cycles in Implicit 2-Heavy Graphs

Let id(v) denote the implicit degree of a vertex v in a graph G. We define G of order n to be implicit 2-heavy if at least two of the end vertices of each induced claw have implicit degree at least \(\frac{n}{2}\). In this paper, we show that every implicit 2-heavy graph G is hamiltonian if we impose certain additional conditions on the connectivity of G or forbidden induced subgraphs. Our results extend two previous theorems of Broersma et al. (Discret Math 167–168:155–166, 1997) on the existence of Hamilton cycles in 2-heavy graphs.     

Local properties of Richardson varieties in the Grassmannian via a bounded Robinson-Schensted-Knuth correspondence

The Richardson variety X _α ^γ in the Grassmannian is defined to be the intersection of the Schubert variety X ^γ and opposite Schubert variety X _α . We give an explicit Gröbner basis for the ideal of the tangent cone at any T-fixed point of X _α ^γ , thus generalizing a result of Kodiyalam-Raghavan (J. Algebra 270(1):28–54, 2003) and Kreiman-Lakshmibai (Algebra, Arithmetic and Geometry with Applications, 2004). Our proof is based on a generalization of the Robinson-Schensted-Knuth (RSK) correspondence, which we call the bounded RSK (BRSK). We use the Gröbner basis result to deduce a formula which computes the multiplicity of X _α ^γ at any T-fixed point by counting families of nonintersecting lattice paths, thus generalizing a result first proved by Krattenthaler (Sém. Lothar. Comb. 45:B45c, 2000/2001; J. Algebr. Comb. 22:273–288, 2005).     

Asymptotic Delsarte cliques in distance-regular graphs

We give a new bound on the parameter \(\lambda \) (number of common neighbors of a pair of adjacent vertices) in a distance-regular graph G, improving and generalizing bounds for strongly regular graphs by Spielman (1996) and Pyber (2014. arXiv:1409.3041). The new bound is one of the ingredients of recent progress on the complexity of testing isomorphism of strongly regular graphs (Babai et al. 2013). The proof is based on a clique geometry found by Metsch (Des Codes Cryptogr 1(2):99–116, 1991) under certain constraints on the parameters. We also give a simplified proof of the following asymptotic consequence of Metsch’s result: If \(k\mu = o(\lambda ^2)\), then each edge of G belongs to a unique maximal clique of size asymptotically equal to \(\lambda \), and all other cliques have size \(o(\lambda )\). Here k denotes the degree and \(\mu \) the number of common neighbors of a pair of vertices at distance 2. We point out that Metsch’s cliques are “asymptotically Delsarte” when \(k\mu = o(\lambda ^2)\), so families of distance-regular graphs with parameters satisfying \(k\mu = o(\lambda ^2)\) are “asymptotically Delsarte-geometric.”     

Congruences of two-variable <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-adic <Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis>-functions of congruent modular forms of different weights

Vatsal (Duke Math J 98(2):397–419, 1999) proved that there are congruences between the p-adic L-functions (constructed by Mazur and Swinnerton-Dyer in Invent Math 25:1–61, 1974) of congruent modular forms of the same weight under some conditions. On the other hand, Kim (J Number Theory 144: 188–218, 2014), the second author, constructed two-variable p-adic L-functions of modular forms attached to imaginary quadratic fields generalizing Hida’s work (Invent Math 79:159–195, 1985), and the novelty of his construction was that it works whether p is an ordinary prime or not. In this paper, we prove congruences between the two-variable p-adic L-functions (of the second author) of congruent modular forms of different but congruent weights under some conditions when p is a nonordinary prime for the modular forms. This result generalizes the work of Emerton et al. (Invent Math 163(3): 523–580, 2006), who proved similar congruences between the p-adic L-functions of congruent modular forms of congruent weights when p is an ordinary prime.     

Every 3-connected $$\{K_{1,3},N_{1,2,3}\}$$-free graph is Hamilton-connected

A graph G is \(\{X,Y\}\)-free if it contains neither X nor Y as an induced subgraph. Pairs of connected graphs X, Y such that every 3-connected \(\{X,Y\}\)-free graph is Hamilton-connected have been investigated recently in (2002, 2000, 2012). In this paper, it is shown that every 3-connected \(\{K_{1,3},N_{1,2,3}\}\)-free graph is Hamilton-connected, where \(N_{1,2,3}\) is the graph obtained by identifying end vertices of three disjoint paths of lengths 1, 2, 3 to the vertices of a triangle.     

An Assmus–Mattson theorem for codes over commutative association schemes

We prove an Assmus–Mattson-type theorem for block codes where the alphabet is the vertex set of a commutative association scheme (say, with s classes). This in particular generalizes the Assmus–Mattson-type theorems for \(\mathbb {Z}_4\)-linear codes due to Tanabe (Des Codes Cryptogr 30:169–185, 2003) and Shin et al. (Des Codes Cryptogr 31:75–92, 2004), as well as the original theorem by Assmus and Mattson (J Comb Theory 6:122–151, 1969). The weights of a code are s-tuples of non-negative integers in this case, and the conditions in our theorem for obtaining t-designs from the code involve concepts from polynomial interpolation in s variables. The Terwilliger algebra is the main tool to establish our results.     

On a Classification of 4-d Gradient Ricci Solitons with Harmonic Weyl Curvature

We study a characterization of 4-dimensional (not necessarily complete) gradient Ricci solitons (M, g, f) which have harmonic Weyl curvature, i.e., \(\delta W=0\). Roughly speaking, we prove that the soliton metric g is locally isometric to one of the following four types: an Einstein metric, the product \( \mathbb {R}^2 \times N_{\lambda }\) of the Euclidean metric and a 2-d Riemannian manifold of constant curvature \({\lambda } \ne 0\), a certain singular metric and a locally conformally flat metric. The method here is motivated by Cao–Chen’s works (in Trans Am Math Soc 364:2377–2391, 2012; Duke Math J 162:1003–1204, 2013) and Derdziński’s study on Codazzi tensors (in Math Z 172:273–280, 1980). Combined with the previous results on locally conformally flat solitons, our characterization yields a new classification of 4-d complete steady solitons with \(\delta W=0\). For the shrinking case, it re-proves the rigidity result (Fernández-López and García-Río in Math Z 269:461–466, 2011; Munteanu and Sesum in J. Geom Anal 23:539–561, 2013) in 4-d. It also helps to understand the expanding case; we now understand all 4-d non-conformally flat ones with \(\delta W=0\). We also characterize locally 4-d (not necessarily complete) gradient Ricci solitons with harmonic curvature.