Independent sets in regular graphs and sum-free subsets of finite groups

It is shown that there exists a function∈(k) which tends to 0 ask tends to infinity, such that anyk-regular graph onn vertices contains at most 2^{(1/2+∈(k))n} independent sets. This settles a conjecture of A. Granville and has several applications in Combinatorial Group Theory. Research supported in part by the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation and by a Bergmann Memorial Grant.     

Random Cayley graphs and expanders

For every 1 > δ > 0 there exists a c = c(δ) > 0 such that for every group G of order n, and for a set S of c(δ) log n random elements in the group, the expected value of the second largest eigenvalue of the normalized adjacency matrix of the Cayley graph X(G, S) is at most (1 - δ). This implies that almost every such a graph is an ?(δ)-expander. For Abelian groups this is essentially tight, and explicit constructions can be given in some cases. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Influence of Solution Volume on the Dissolution Rate of Silicon Dioxide in Hydrofluoric Acid

Experimental data and modeling of the dissolution of various Si/SiO₂ thermal coatings in different volumes of hydrofluoric acid (HF) are reported. The rates of SiO₂‐film dissolution, measured by means of various electrochemical techniques, and alteration in HF activity depend on the thickness of the film coating. Despite the small volumes (0.6–1.2 mL) of the HF solution, an effect of SiO₂‐coating thickness on the dissolution rate was detected. To explain alterations detected in HF activity after SiO₂ dissolution, spectroscopic analyses (NMR and FTIR) of the chemical composition of the solutions were conducted. This is associated with a modification in the chemical composition of the HF solution, which results in either the formation of an oxidized species in solution or the precipitation of dissolution products. HF₂^? accumulation in the HF solution, owing to SiO₂ dissolution was identified as the source of the chemical alteration.     

8-(p-CF3-cinnamyl)-modified purine nucleosides as promising fluorescent probes

Natural nucleotides are not useful as fluorescent probes because of their low quantum yields. Therefore, a common methodology for the detection of RNA and DNA is the application of extrinsic fluorescent dyes coupled to bases in oligonucleotides. To overcome the many limitations from which fluorescent nucleotide-dye conjugates suffer, we have developed novel purine nucleosides with intrinsic fluorescence to be incorporated into oligonucleotide probes. For this purpose we synthesized adenosine and guanosine fluorescent analogues 7-25, conjugated at the C8 position with aryl/heteroaryl moieties either directly, or via alkenyl/alkynyl linkers. Directly conjugated analogues 7-14, exhibited high quantum yields, φ >0.1, and short λ(em) (<385 nm). Alkynyl conjugated analogues 22-25, exhibited low quantum yields, φ <0.075, and λ(em)<385 nm. The alkenyl conjugated analogues 15-21, exhibited λ(em) 408-459 nm. While analogues 15,16, and 20 bearing an EDG on the aryl moiety, exhibited φ <0.02, analogues 17, and 21 with EWG on the aryl moiety, exhibited extremely high quantum yields, φ ≈ 0.8, suggesting better intramolecular charge transfer. We determined the conformation of selected adenosine analogues. Directly conjugated analogue 8 and alkynyl conjugated analogue 22, adapted the syn conformation, whereas alkenyl conjugated analogue 15 adapted the anti conformation. Based on the long emission wavelengths, high quantum yields, anti conformation and base-paring compatibility, we suggest analogues 17 and 21 for further development as fluorescent probes for the sensitive detection of genetic material.     

Hypergraph list coloring and Euclidean Ramsey theory

A hypergraph is simple if it has no two edges sharing more than a single vertex. It is s‐list colorable (or s‐choosable) if for any assignment of a list of s colors to each of its vertices, there is a vertex coloring assigning to each vertex a color from its list, so that no edge is monochromatic. We prove that for every positive integer r, there is a function d_r(s) such that no r‐uniform simple hypergraph with average degree at least d_r(s) is s‐list‐colorable. This extends a similar result for graphs, due to the first author, but does not give as good estimates of d_r(s) as are known for d₂(s), since our proof only shows that for each fixed r ≥ 2, d_r(s) ≤ 2 We use the result to prove that for any finite set of points X in the plane, and for any finite integer s, one can assign a list of s distinct colors to each point of the plane so that any coloring of the plane that colors each point by a color from its list contains a monochromatic isometric copy of X. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2011     

Uniform dilations

Every sufficiently large finite setX in [0,1) has a dilationnX mod 1 with small maximal gap and even small discrepancy. We establish a sharp quantitative version of this principle, which puts into a broader perspective some classical results on the distribution of power residues. The proof is based on a second-moment argument which reduces the problem to an estimate on the number of edges in a certain graph. Cycles in this graph correspond to solutions of a simple Diophantine equation: The growth asymptotics of these solutions, which can be determined from properties of lattices in Euclidean space, yield the required estimate.N.A.-Research supported in part by a U.S.A.-Israel BSF grant.Y.P.-Partially supported by a Weizmann Postdoctoral Fellowship.     

On a Hypergraph Matching Problem

Let H = (V, E) be an r-uniform hypergraph and let A matching M of H is (α, )-perfect if for each F ∈ , at least α|F| vertices of F are covered by M. Our main result is a theorem giving sufficient conditions for an r-uniform hypergraph to have a -perfect matching. As a special case of our theorem we obtain the following result. Let K(n, r) denote the complete r-uniform hypergraph with n vertices. Let t and r be fixed positive integers where t≥r≥2. Then, K(n, r) can be packed with edge-disjoint copies of K(t, r) such that each vertex is incident with only o(n ^{r ?1}) unpacked edges. This extends a result of Rödl [9].     

Sharp Bounds For Some Multicolor Ramsey Numbers

Let H ₁,H ₂, . . .,H _k+1 be a sequence of k+1 finite, undirected, simple graphs. The (multicolored) Ramsey number r(H ₁,H ₂,...,H _k+1) is the minimum integer r such that in every edge-coloring of the complete graph on r vertices by k+1 colors, there is a monochromatic copy of H _i in color i for some 1ik+1. We describe a general technique that supplies tight lower bounds for several numbers r(H ₁,H ₂,...,H _k+1) when k2, and the last graph H _k+1 is the complete graph K _m on m vertices. This technique enables us to determine the asymptotic behaviour of these numbers, up to a polylogarithmic factor, in various cases. In particular we show that r(K ₃,K ₃,K _m ) = (m ³ poly logm), thus solving (in a strong form) a conjecture of Erdos and Sós raised in 1979. Another special case of our result implies that r(C ₄,C ₄,K _m ) = (m ² poly logm) and that r(C ₄,C ₄,C ₄,K _m ) = (m ²/log² m). The proofs combine combinatorial and probabilistic arguments with spectral techniques and certain estimates of character sums.* Research supported in part by a State of New Jersey grant, by a USA Israeli BSF grant and by a grant from the Israel Science Foundation. Research supported by NSF grant DMS 9704114.