Transfer matrices, hyperbolic geometry and absolutely continuous spectrum for some discrete Schrödinger operators on graphs

We prove the existence of absolutely continuous spectrum for a class of discrete Schrödinger operators on tree like graphs. We consider potentials whose radial behaviour is subject only to an ?^∞ bound. In the transverse direction the potential must satisfy a condition such as periodicity. The graphs we consider include binary trees and graphs obtained from a binary tree by adding edges, possibly with weights. Our methods are motivated by the one-dimensional transfer matrix method, interpreted as a discrete dynamical system on the hyperbolic plane. This is extended to more general graphs, leading to a formula for the Green's function. Bounds on the Green's function then follow from the contraction properties of the transformations that arise in this generalization. The bounds imply the existence of absolutely continuous spectrum.     

Dirichlet spectrum and heat content

Let M be a complete Riemannian manifold and D⊂M a smoothly bounded domain with compact closure. We use Brownian motion to study the relationship between the Dirichlet spectrum of D and the heat content asymptotics of D. Central to our investigation is a sequence of invariants associated to D defined using exit time moments. We prove that our invariants determine that part of the spectrum corresponding to eigenspaces which are not orthogonal to constant functions, that our invariants determine the heat content asymptotics associated to the manifold, and that when the manifold is a generic domain in Euclidean space, the invariants determine the Dirichlet spectrum.     

On the transition to the normal phase for superconductors surrounded by normal conductors

For a cylindrical superconductor surrounded by a normal material, we discuss transition to the normal phase of stable, locally stable and critical configurations. Associated with those phase transitions, we define critical magnetic fields and we provide a sufficient condition for which those critical fields coincide. In particular, when the conductivity ratio of the superconducting and the normal material is large, we show that the aforementioned critical magnetic fields coincide, thereby proving that the transition to the normal phase is sharp. One key-ingredient in the paper is the analysis of an elliptic boundary value problem involving ‘transmission’ boundary conditions. Another key-ingredient involves a monotonicity result (with respect to the magnetic field strength) of the first eigenvalue of a magnetic Schrödinger operator with discontinuous coefficients.     

Colour calculus and colour quantizations

A colour calculus linked with an any discrete groupG is developed. Colour differential operators and colour jets are introduced. Algebras colour differential forms and de Rham complexes are constructed. For colour differential equations, Spencer complexes are constructed. Relations between colour commutative algebras and quantizations of usual algebras are considered.     

Eigenparameter dependent discrete Dirac equations with spectral singularities

Let us consider the Boundary Value Problem (BVP) for the discrete Dirac Equations

(0.1)     

The periodic Cauchy problem of the modified Hunter-Saxton equation

We prove that the periodic initial value problem for the modified Hunter-Saxton equation is locally well-posed for initial data in the space of continuously differentiable functions on the circle and in Sobolev spaces when s > 3/2. We also study the analytic regularity (both in space and time variables) of this problem and prove a Cauchy-Kowalevski type theorem. Our approach is to rewrite the equation and derive the estimates which permit application of o.d.e. techniques in Banach spaces. For the analytic regularity we use a contraction argument on an appropriate scale of Banach spaces to obtain analyticity in both time and space variables.     

Extremal maps in Sobolev type inequalities: Some remarks

In this work we make some observations on the existence of extremal maps for sharp L²-Riemannian Sobolev type inequalities as Nash and logarithmic Sobolev ones. Among other results, we prove also that there exist smooth compact Riemannian manifolds with scalar curvature changing signal on which there exist extremal maps.     

Relativistic Kronig-Penney-type Hamiltonians

The relativistic Kronig-Penney model is extended to a wide class of point interactions introduced in the nonrelativisfic case by Paul Chernoff and the author. A generalized Kronig-Penney relation, which converges to the standard Kronig-Penney relation in the nonrelativistic limit, is shown to determine the spectrum of the corresponding Hamiltonian. Several examples are considered, including the well-known special cases of electrostatic and Lorentz scalar point interactions, as well as several new solvable models.     

The differential form spectrum of quaternionic hyperbolic spaces

By using harmonic analysis and representation theory, we determine explicitly the L² spectrum of the Hodge-de Rham Laplacian acting on quaternionic hyperbolic spaces and we show that the unique possible discrete eigenvalue and the lowest continuous eigenvalue can both be realized by some subspace of hypereffective differential forms. Similar results are obtained also for the Bochner Laplacian.     

Graded Poisson structures on the algebra of differential forms

We study the graded Poisson structures defined on Ω(M), the graded algebra of differential forms on a smooth manifoldM, such that the exterior derivative is a Poisson derivation. We show that they are the odd Poisson structures previously studied by Koszul, that arise from Poisson structures onM. Analogously, we characterize all the graded symplectic forms on ΩM) for which the exterior derivative is a Hamiltomian graded vector field. Finally, we determine the topological obstructions to the possibility of obtaining all odd symplectic forms with this property as the image by the pullback of an automorphism of Ω(M) of a graded symplectic form of degree 1 with respect to which the exterior derivative is a Hamiltonian graded vector field.     

TT-eigentensors for the Lichnerowicz Laplacian on some asymptotically hyperbolic manifolds with warped products metrics

Let (M =]0, ∞[×N, g) be an asymptotically hyperbolic manifold of dimension n + 1 ≥ 3, equipped with a warped product metric. We show that there exist no TT L ²-eigentensors with eigenvalue in the essential spectrum of the Lichnerowicz Laplacian Δ _L . If (M, g) is the real hyperbolic space, there is no symmetric L ²-eigentensors of Δ _L .     

The Clifford algebra of differential forms

This paper reviews Clifford algebras in mathematics and in theoretical physics. In particular, the little-known differential form realization is constructed in detail for the four-dimensional Minkowski space. This setting is then used to describe spinors as differential forms, and to solve the Klein-Gordon and Kähler-Dirac equations. The approach of this paper, in obtaining the solutions directly in terms of differential forms, is much more elegant and concise than the traditional explicit matrix methods. A theorem given here differentiates between the two real forms of the Dirac algebra by showing that spin can be accommodated in only one of them.     

On some knot energies involving Menger curvature

We investigate knot-theoretic properties of geometrically defined curvature energies such as integral Menger curvature. Elementary radii-functions, such as the circumradius of three points, generate a family of knot energies guaranteeing self-avoidance and a varying degree of higher regularity of finite energy curves. All of these energies turn out to be charge, minimizable in given isotopy classes, tight and strong. Almost all distinguish between knots and unknots, and some of them can be shown to be uniquely minimized by round circles. Bounds on the stick number and the average crossing number, some non-trivial global lower bounds, and unique minimization by circles upon compaction complete the picture.     

Closed geodesics on positively curved Finsler spheres

In this paper, we prove that for every Finsler n-sphere (Sn,F) for n?3 with reversibility λ and flag curvature K satisfying , either there exist infinitely many prime closed geodesics or there exists one elliptic closed geodesic whose linearized Poincaré map has at least one eigenvalue which is of the form exp(πiμ) with an irrational μ. Furthermore, there always exist three prime closed geodesics on any (S³,F) satisfying the above pinching condition.     

Growth of Betti numbers

We discuss growth rates of Betti numbers in a family of coverings of a compact cell complex X, when the corresponding L² Betti number of X is zero. We show that the Betti numbers are bounded by a function, sub-linear in the order of the covering. If the appropriate Novikov-Shubin invariant of X is positive, the rate bounds are improved. For well behaved families (such as congruence covers of symmetric spaces), if the L² spectrum of X? has a gap at zero then the growth rate is bounded by the order of the covering raised to a power less than one.     

Mourre's inequality and embedded bound states

A self-adjoint operator H with an eigenvalue λ embedded in the continuum spectrum is considered. Boundedness of all operators of the form AnP is proved, where P is the eigenprojection associated with λ and A is any self-adjoint operator satisfying Mourre's inequality in a neighborhood of λ and such that the higher commutators of H with A up to order n+2 are relatively bounded with respect to H.     

Embedded minimal annuli solving an exterior problem

Given a compact, strictly convex body in ³ and a closed Jordan curve ³ satisfying several additional assumptions, the existence of a parametric, annulus type minimal surface is proved, which parametrizes along one boundary component, has a free boundary onX along the other boundary component, and which stays in ³. As a consequence of this and a reasoning developed by W. H. Meeks and S. -T. Yau we find an embedded minimal surface with these properties. Another application is the existence of an embedded minimal surface with a flat end, free boundary onX and controlled topology.This article was processed by the author using the LATEX style filepljourlm from Springer-Verlag.     

Evolution equations for shapes and geometries

The first object of this paper is to introduce a new evolution equation for the characteristic function of the boundary Γ of a Lipschitzian domain Ω in the N-dimensional Euclidean space under the influence of a smooth time-dependent velocity field. The originality of this equation is that the evolution takes place in an L^p-space with respect to the (N − 1)-Hausdorff measure. A second more speculative objective is to discuss how that equation can be relaxed to rougher velocity fields via some weak formulation. A candidate is presented and some of the technical difficulties and open issues are discussed. Continuity results in several metric topologies are also presented. The paper also specializes the results on the evolution of the oriented distance function to initial sets with zero N-dimensional Lebesgue measure.