Algorithms for shortest paths and d-cycle problems

Let G be a weighted graph with n vertices and m edges. We address the d-cycle problem, i.e., the problem of finding a subgraph of minimum weight with given cyclomatic number d. Hartvigsen [Minimum path bases, J. Algorithms 15 (1993) 125–142] presented an algorithm with running time O(n²m) and O(n^2d−1m²) for the cyclomatic numbers d=1 and d2, respectively. Using a (d+1)-shortest-paths algorithm, we develop a new more efficient algorithm for the d-cycle problem with running time O(n^2d−1+n²m+n³logn).     

Weak Asymptotics for the Generating Polynomials of the Stirling Numbers of the Second Kind

For the horizontal generating functions P_n(z)=∑ⁿ_k=1 S(n, k) z^k of the Stirling numbers of the second kind, strong asymptotics are established, as n→∞. By using the saddle point method for Q_n(z)=P_n(nz) there are two main results: an oscillating asymptotic for z(−e, 0) and a uniform asymptotic on every compact subset of \[−e, 0]. Finally, an Airy asymptotic in the neighborhood of −e is deduced.     

Approximation algorithms for Hamming clustering problems

We study Hamming versions of two classical clustering problems. The Hamming radius p-clustering problem (HRC) for a set S of k binary strings, each of length n, is to find p binary strings of length n that minimize the maximum Hamming distance between a string in S and the closest of the p strings; this minimum value is termed the p-radius of S and is denoted by . The related Hamming diameter p-clustering problem (HDC) is to split S into p groups so that the maximum of the Hamming group diameters is minimized; this latter value is called the p-diameter of S.We provide an integer programming formulation of HRC which yields exact solutions in polynomial time whenever k is constant. We also observe that HDC admits straightforward polynomial-time solutions when k=O(logn) and p=O(1), or when p=2. Next, by reduction from the corresponding geometric p-clustering problems in the plane under the L₁ metric, we show that neither HRC nor HDC can be approximated within any constant factor smaller than two unless P=NP. We also prove that for any >0 it is NP-hard to split S into at most pk^1/7− clusters whose Hamming diameter does not exceed the p-diameter, and that solving HDC exactly is an NP-complete problem already for p=3. Furthermore, we note that by adapting Gonzalez' farthest-point clustering algorithm [T. Gonzalez, Theoret. Comput. Sci. 38 (1985) 293–306], HRC and HDC can be approximated within a factor of two in time O(pkn). Next, we describe a 2^O(p/)k^O(p/)n²-time (1+)-approximation algorithm for HRC. In particular, it runs in polynomial time when p=O(1) and =O(log(k+n)). Finally, we show how to find in

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time a set L of O(plogk) strings of length n such that for each string in S there is at least one string in L within distance (1+), for any constant 0<<1.     

Inscribing an axially symmetric polygon and other approximation algorithms for planar convex sets

Given a planar convex set C, we give sublinear approximation algorithms to determine approximations of the largest axially symmetric convex set S contained in C, and the smallest such set S^′ that contains C. More precisely, for any >0, we find an axially symmetric convex polygon QC with area |Q|>(1−)|S| and we find an axially symmetric convex polygon Q^′ containing C with area |Q^′|<(1+)|S^′|. We assume that C is given in a data structure that allows to answer the following two types of query in time T_C: given a direction u, find an extreme point of C in direction u, and given a line ℓ, find C∩ℓ. For instance, if C is a convex n-gon and its vertices are given in a sorted array, then T_C=O(logn). Then we can find Q and Q^′ in time O(^−1/2T_C+^−3/2). Using these techniques, we can also find approximations to the perimeter, area, diameter, width, smallest enclosing rectangle and smallest enclosing circle of C in time O(^−1/2T_C).     

On improved estimators of the generalized variance

Treated in this paper is the problem of estimating with squared error loss the generalized variance | Σ | from a Wishart random matrix S: p × p W_p(n, Σ) and an independent normal random matrix X: p × k N(ξ, Σ I_k) with ξ(p × k) unknown. Denote the columns of X by X₍₁₎ ,…, X_(k) and set ψ⁽⁰⁾(S, X) = {(n − p + 2)!/(n + 2)!} | S |, ψ⁽ⁱ⁾(X, X) = min[ψ⁽ⁱ⁻¹⁾(S, X), {(n − p + i + 2)!/(n + i + 2)!} | S + X₍₁₎ X′₍₁₎ + + X_(i) X′_(i) |] and Ψ⁽ⁱ⁾(S, X) = min[ψ⁽⁰⁾(S, X), {(n − p + i + 2)!/(n + i + 2)!}| S + X₍₁₎ X′₍₁₎ + + X_(i) X′_(i) |], i = 1,…,k. Our result is that the minimax, best affine equivariant estimator ψ⁽⁰⁾(S, X) is dominated by each of Ψ⁽ⁱ⁾(S, X), i = 1,…,k and for every i, ψ⁽ⁱ⁾(S, X) is better than ψ⁽ⁱ⁻¹⁾(S, X). In particular, ψ^(k)(S, X) = min[{(n − p + 2)!/(n + 2)!} | S |, {(n − p + 2)!/(n + 2)!} | S + X₍₁₎X′₍₁₎|,…,| {(n − p + k + 2)!/(n + k + 2)!} | S + X₍₁₎X′₍₁₎ + + X_(k)X′_(k)|] dominates all other ψ's. It is obtained by considering a multivariate extension of Stein's result (Ann. Inst. Statist. Math. 16, 155–160 (1964)) on the estimation of the normal variance.     

Graceful Signed Graphs

A (p, q)-sigraph S is an ordered pair (G, s) where G = (V, E) is a (p, q)-graph and s is a function which assigns to each edge of G a positive or a negative sign. Let the sets E ⁺ and E ^– consist of m positive and n negative edges of G, respectively, where m + n = q. Given positive integers k and d, S is said to be (k, d)-graceful if the vertices of G can be labeled with distinct integers from the set {0, 1, ..., k + (q – 1)d such that when each edge uv of G is assigned the product of its sign and the absolute difference of the integers assigned to u and v the edges in E ⁺ and E ^– are labeled k, k + d, k + 2d, ..., k + (m – 1)d and –k, – (k + d), – (k + 2d), ..., – (k + (n – 1)d), respectively.In this paper, we report results of our preliminary investigation on the above new notion, which indeed generalises the well-known concept of (k, d)-graceful graphs due to B. D. Acharya and S. M. Hegde.     

On nonautonomous linear systems of differential and difference equations with -symmetric coefficient matrices

Let denote the set of continuous n×n matrices on an interval . We say that is a nontrivial k-involution if where ζ=e^-2πi/k, d₀+d₁++d_k-1=n, and with . We say that is R-symmetric if R(t)A(t)R^-1(t)=A(t), , and we show that if A is R-symmetric then solving x^′=A(t)x or x^′=A(t)x+f(t) reduces to solving k independent d_ℓ×d_ℓ systems, 0ℓk-1. We consider the asymptotic behavior of the solutions in the case where . Finally, we sketch analogous results for linear systems of difference equations.     

Precise asymptotics in some strong limit theorems for multidimensionally indexed random variables

Consider Z₊^d (d2)—the positive d-dimensional lattice points with partial ordering , let {X_k,kZ₊^d} be i.i.d. random variables with mean 0, and set S_n=∑_knX_k, nZ₊^d. We establish precise asymptotics for ∑_n|n|^r/p−2P(|S_n||n|^1/p), and for

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, (0δ1) as 0, and for

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as .     

Asymptotic Properties of Zeros of Hypergeometric Polynomials

In a paper by K. Driver and P. Duren (1999, Numer. Algorithms21, 147–156) a theorem of Borwein and Chen was used to show that for each k the zeros of the hypergeometric polynomials F(−n, kn+1; kn+2; z) cluster on the loop of the lemniscate {z: |z^k(1−z)|=k^k/(k+1)^k+1}, with Re{z}>k/(k+1) as n→∞. We now supply a direct proof which generalizes this result to arbitrary k>0, while showing that every point of the curve is a cluster point of zeros. Examples generated by computer graphics suggest some finer asymptotic properties of the zeros.     

Équations du type Monge-Ampère sur les variétés Riemanniennes compactes, I

Let (V_n, g) be a C^∞ compact Riemannian manifold. For a suitable function on V_n, let us consider the change of metric: g′ = g + Hess(), and the function, as a ratio of two determinants, M() = ¦g′¦ ¦g¦⁻¹. Using the method of continuity, we first solve in C^∞ the problem: Log M() = λ + ƒ, λ > 0, ƒ ε C^∞. Then, under weak hypothesis on F, we solve the general equation: Log M() = F(P, ), F in C^∞(V_n × ¦α, β¦), using a method of iteration. Our study gives rise to an interesting a priori estimate on ¦¦, which does not occur in the complex case. This estimate should enable us to solve the equation above when λ 0, providing we can overcome difficulties related to the invertibility of the linearised operator. This open question will be treated in our next article.     

An extension of the Erdős–Ginzburg–Ziv Theorem to hypergraphs

An n-set partition of a sequence S is a collection of n nonempty subsequences of S, pairwise disjoint as sequences, such that every term of S belongs to exactly one of the subsequences, and the terms in each subsequence are all distinct with the result that they can be considered as sets. For a sequence S, subsequence S^′, and set T, |T∩S| denotes the number of terms x of S with xT, and |S| denotes the length of S, and SS^′ denotes the subsequence of S obtained by deleting all terms in S^′. We first prove the following two additive number theory results.(1) Let S be a finite sequence of elements from an abelian group G. If S has an n-set partition, A=A₁,…,A_n, such that

then there exists a subsequence S^′ of S, with length |S^′|≤max{|S|−n+1,2n}, and with an n-set partition, , such that . Furthermore, if ||A_i|−|A_j||≤1 for all i and j, or if |A_i|≥3 for all i, then .(2) Let S be a sequence of elements from a finite abelian group G of order m, and suppose there exist a,bG such that . If |S|≥2m−1, then there exists an m-term zero-sum subsequence S^′ of S with or .Let be a connected, finite m-uniform hypergraph, and be the least integer n such that for every 2-coloring (coloring with the elements of the cyclic group ) of the vertices of the complete m-uniform hypergraph , there exists a subhypergraph isomorphic to such that every edge in is monochromatic (such that for every edge e in the sum of the colors on e is zero). As a corollary to the above theorems, we show that if every subhypergraph of contains an edge with at least half of its vertices monovalent in , or if consists of two intersecting edges, then . This extends the Erdős–Ginzburg–Ziv Theorem, which is the case when is a single edge.     

Some extensions of the Kantorovich inequality and statistical applications

Kantorovich gave an upper bound to the product of two quadratic forms, (X′AX) (X′A⁻¹X), where X is an n-vector of unit length and A is a positive definite matrix. Bloomfield, Watson and Knott found the bound for the product of determinants |X′AX| |X′A⁻¹X| where X is n × k matrix such that X′X = I_k. In this paper we determine the bounds for the traces and determinants of matrices of the type X′AYY′A⁻¹X, X′B²X(X′BCX)⁻¹ X′C²X(X′BCX)⁻¹ where X and Y are n × k matrices such that X′X = Y′Y = I_k and A, B, C are given matrices satisfying some conditions. The results are applied to the least squares theory of estimation.     

On the degree of weak convergence of a sequence of finite measures to the unit measure under convexity

This is a study of the degree of weak convergence under convexity of a sequence of finite measures μ_j on ^k, k 1, to the unit measure δ_x0. LetQ denote a convex and compact subset of ^k, let ƒ ε C^m(Q), m 0, satisfy a convexity condition and let μ be a finite measure on Q. Using standard moment methods, upper bounds and best upper bounds are obtained for ¦∝_Qƒdμ − ƒ(x₀)¦. They sometimes lead to sharp inequalities which are attained for particular μ and ƒ. These estimates are better than the corresponding ones found in the literature.     

Generalizations of Heilbronn’s triangle problem

For given integers d,j≥2 and any positive integers n, distributions of n points in the d-dimensional unit cube [0,1]^d are investigated, where the minimum volume of the convex hull determined by j of these n points is large. In particular, for fixed integers d,k≥2 the existence of a configuration of n points in [0,1]^d is shown, such that, simultaneously for j=2,…,k, the volume of the convex hull of any j points among these n points is Ω(1/n^{(j−1)/(1+|d−j+1|)}). Moreover, a deterministic algorithm is given achieving this lower bound, provided that d+1≤j≤k.     

Summability of orthogonal expansions of several variables

Summability of spherical h-harmonic expansions with respect to the weight function ∏_j=1^d |x_j|^2κ_j (κ_j0) on the unit sphere S^d−1 is studied. The main result characterizes the critical index of summability of the Cesàro (C,δ) means of the h-harmonic expansion; it is proved that the (C,δ) means of any continuous function converge uniformly in the norm of C(S^d−1) if and only if δ>(d−2)/2+∑_j=1^d κ_j−min_1jd κ_j. Moreover, it is shown that for each point not on the great circles defined by the intersection of the coordinate planes and S^d−1, the (C,δ) means of the h-harmonic expansion of a continuous function f converges pointwisely to f if δ>(d−2)/2. Similar results are established for the orthogonal expansions with respect to the weight functions ∏_j=1^d |x_j|^2κ_j(1−|x|²)^μ−1/2 on the unit ball B^d and ∏_j=1^d x_j^κ_j−1/2(1−|x|₁)^μ−1/2 on the simplex T^d. As a related result, the Cesàro summability of the generalized Gegenbauer expansions associated to the weight function |t|^2μ(1−t²)^λ−1/2 on [−1,1] is studied, which is of interest in itself.     

On a class of partially ordered sets and their linear invariants

Let (, <) be a finite partially ordered set with rank function. Then is the disjoint union of the classes _k of elements of rank k and the order relation between elements in _k and _k+1 can be represented by a matrix S _k. We study partially ordered sets which satisfy linear recurrence relations of the type S _k (S _k ^T ) – c _k (S _{k – 1})^T S _{k – 1} = d _k ⁺ – c _k d _k ^– ) Id for all k and certain coefficients d _k ⁺, d _k ^- and c _k.     

Representations for the first associated q-classical orthogonal polynomials

Let {p_k(x; q)} be any system of the q-classical orthogonal polynomials, and let be the corresponding weight function, satisfying the q-difference equation D_q(σ)=τ, where σ and τ are polynomials of degree at most 2 and exactly 1, respectively. Further, let {p_k⁽¹⁾(x;q)} be associated polynomials of the polynomials {p_k(x; q)}. Explicit forms of the coefficients b_n,k and c_n,k in the expansions

are given in terms of basic hypergeometric functions. Here _k(x) equals x^k if σ⁺(0)=0, or (x;q)_k if σ⁺(1)=0, where σ⁺(x)σ(x)+(q−1)xτ(x). The most important representatives of those two classes are the families of little q-Jacobi and big q-Jacobi polynomials, respectively.Writing the second-order nonhomogeneous q-difference equation satisfied by p_n−1⁽¹⁾(x;q) in a special form, recurrence relations (in k) for b_n,k and c_n,k are obtained in terms of σ and τ.     

A new extension theorem for linear codes

For an [n,k,d]_q code with k3, gcd(d,q)=1, the diversity of is defined as the pair (Φ₀,Φ₁) with

All the diversities for [n,k,d]_q codes with k3, d−2 (mod q) such that A_i=0 for all i0,−1,−2 (mod q) are found and characterized with their spectra geometrically, which yields that such codes are extendable for all odd q5. Double extendability is also investigated.     

Ahlfors-régularité des quasi-minima de Mumford–Shah

Let be an open set. We consider on Ω the competitors (U,K) for the reduced Mumford–Shah functional, that is to say the Mumford–Shah functional in which the -norm of U term is removed, where K is a closed subset of Ω and U is a function on ΩK with gradient in  . The main result of this paper is the following: there exists a constant c for which, whenever (U,K) is a quasi-minimizer for the reduced Mumford–Shah functional and B(x,r) is a ball centered on K and contained in Ω with bounded radius, the -measure of is bounded above by cr^N−1 and bounded below by c⁻¹r^N−1.