On low-dimensional cancellation problems

A well-known cancellation problem of Zariski asks when, for two given domains (fields) $K_1$ and $K_2$ over a field k, a k-isomorphism of $K_1[t]$ ($K_1(t)$) and $K_2[t]$ ($K_2(t)$) implies a k-isomorphism of $K_1$ and $K_2$. The main results of this article give affirmative answer to the two low-dimensional cases of this problem:1. Let K be an affine field over an algebraically closed field k of any characteristic. Suppose $K(t)?k(t_1,t_2,t_3)$, then $K?k(t_1,t_2)$.2. Let M be a 3-dimensional affine algebraic variety over an algebraically closed field k of any characteristic. Let $A=K[x,y,z,w]/M$ be the coordinate ring of M. Suppose $A[t]?k[x_1,x_2,x_3,x_4]$, then $\mathrm{frac}(A)?k(x_1,x_2,x_3)$, where $\mathrm{frac}(A)$ is the field of fractions of A.In the case of zero characteristic these results were obtained by Kang in [Ming-chang Kang, A note on the birational cancellation problem, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 77 (1992) 141–154; Ming-chang Kang, The cancellation problem, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 47 (1987) 165–171]. However, the case of finite characteristic is first settled in this article, that answered the questions proposed by Kang in [Ming-chang Kang, A note on the birational cancellation problem, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 77 (1992) 141–154; Ming-chang Kang, The cancellation problem, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 47 (1987) 165–171].     

The coloring complex and cyclic coloring complex of a complete k-uniform hypergraph

In this paper, we study the homology of the coloring complex and the cyclic coloring complex of a complete k-uniform hypergraph. We show that the coloring complex of a complete k-uniform hypergraph is shellable, and we determine the rank of its unique nontrivial homology group in terms of its chromatic polynomial. We also show that the dimension of the $(n?k?1)\text{st}$ homology group of the cyclic coloring complex of a complete k-uniform hypergraph is given by a binomial coefficient. Further, we discuss a complex whose r-faces consist of all ordered set partitions $[B_1,\dots ,B_{r+2}]$ where none of the $B_i$ contain a hyperedge of the complete k-uniform hypergraph H and where $1\in B_1$. It is shown that the dimensions of the homology groups of this complex are given by binomial coefficients. As a consequence, this result gives the dimensions of the multilinear parts of the cyclic homology groups of $\mathbb{C}[x_1,\dots ,x_n]/\{x_{i_1}\dots x_{i_k}|i_1\dots i_k\text{is a hyperedge of}H\}$.     

Minima of sequences of Gaussian random variables

For a given sequence of real numbers $a_1,\dots ,a_n$ we denote the k-th smallest one by $k\text{-}{\min }_{1?i?n}{a}_i$. We show that there exist two absolute positive constants c and C such that for every sequence of positive real numbers $x_1,\dots ,x_n$ and every $k?n$ one has

$c\underset{1?j?k}{\max }\frac{k+1?j}{{\sum }_{i=j}^{n}1/x_i}?\mathbb{E}k\text{-}\underset{1?i?n}{\min }|x_i{g}_i|?C\ln (k+1)\underset{1?j?k}{\max }\frac{k+1?j}{{\sum }_{i=j}^{n}1/x_i},$

where $g_i\in N(0,1)$, $i=1,\dots ,n$, are independent Gaussian random variables. Moreover, if $k=1$ then the left hand side estimate does not require independence of the $g_i$s. Similar estimates hold for $\mathbb{E}k\text{-}{\min }_{1?i?n}{|x_i{g}_i|}^p$ as well. To cite this article: Y. Gordon et al., C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 340 (2005).     

Measurable sets with excluded distances

For a set of distances $D=\{d_1,\dots ,d_k\}$ a set A in the plane is called D-avoiding if no pair of points of A is at distance $d_i$ for some i. We show that the density of A is exponentially small in k provided the ratios $d_1/d_2,d_2/d_3,\dots ,d_{k-1}/d_k$ are all small enough. We also show that there exists a largest D-avoiding set, and give an algorithm to compute the maximum density of a D-avoiding set for any D.     

Solvable PST-groups,strong Sylow bases and mutually permutable products

A subgroup H of a group G is said to permute with the subgroup K of G if $HK=KH$. Subgroups H and K are mutually permutable (totally permutable) in G if every subgroup of H permutes with K and every subgroup of K permutes with H (if every subgroup of H permutes with every subgroup of K). If H and K are mutually permutable and $H\cap K=1$, then H and K are totally permutable. A subgroup H of G is S-permutable in G if H permutes with every Sylow subgroup of G. A group G is called a PST-group if S-permutability is a transitive relation in G. Let $\{p_1,\dots ,p_n,p_{n+1},\dots ,p_k\}$ be the set of prime divisors of the order of a finite group G with $\{p_1,\dots ,p_n\}$ the set of prime divisors of the order of the normal subgroup N of G. A set of Sylow subgroups $\{P_1,\dots ,P_n,P_{n+1},\dots ,P_k\}$, $P_i\in {\mathrm{Syl}}_{p_i}(G)$, form a strong Sylow system with respect to N if $P_i{P}_j$ is a mutually permutable product for all $i\in \{1,2,\dots ,n\}$ and $j\in \{1,2,\dots ,k\}$. We show that a finite group G is a solvable PST-group if and only if it has a normal subgroup N such that $G/N$ is nilpotent and G has a strong Sylow system with respect to N. It is also shown that G is a solvable PST-group if and only if G has a normal solvable PST-subgroup N and $G/N^{″}$ is a solvable PST-group.     

Mordell type exponential sum estimates in fields of prime order

We establish a Mordell type exponential sum estimate (see Mordell [Q. J. Math. 3 (1932) 161–162]) for ‘sparse’ polynomials $f(x)={\sum }_{i=1}^r{a}_i{x}^{k_i}\text{,}(a_i\text{,}p)=1\text{,}p$ prime, under essentially optimal conditions on the exponents $1?k_i<p?1$. The method is based on sum–product estimates in finite fields ${\mathbb{F}}_p$ and their Cartesian products. We also obtain estimates on incomplete sums of the form ${\sum }_{s=1}^t{e}_p({\sum }_{i=1}^r{a}_i{\theta }_i^s)$ for $t>p^{?}$, under appropriate conditions on the ${\theta }_i\in {\mathbb{F}}_p^{*}$. To cite this article: J. Bourgain, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 339 (2004).