A note on Koornwinder's polynomials with weight function (1−x)α(1+x)β+Mδ(x+1)+Nδ(x−1)

We derive the distribution and three-term recurrence relation for the Koornwinder [2] polynomials with weight function shown above using the method developed in our paper [3]. We are able to obtain explicit expressions for the linear functional in terms of the coefficients of the three-term recurrence relation for the Jacobi polynomials and we obtain the distribution using a more direct approach.     

INCENTIVE COMPATIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS

This paper addresses the problem of designing environmental regulations when firms possess better information about the cost of pollution abatement than regulators. In the regulatory equilibrium derived in the paper, firms are induced to reveal the information they have concerning abatement costs through the judicious use of abatement standard-subsidy combinations. Offering firms a menu of regulatory contracts, each one specifying a required level of pollution abatement as well as a lump sum subsidy to be paid by the regulatory agency to the firm, is shown to be superior to optimal uniform standard-subsidy schemes. By appealing to the revelation principle and employing a second policy instrument (subsidies), albeit a costly one, in conjunction with an abatement standard, the incentive compatible approach to environmental regulation presented in the paper minimizes the economic inefficiency customarily attributable to a lack of initial information regarding pollution abatement costs.     

Best affine unbiased representations of the fully restricted general Gauss-Markov model

This article completes and simplifies earlier results on the derivation of best linear, or affine, unbiased estimates in the general Gauss-Markov model with a singular dispersion matrix and additional restrictions under very general conditions. We provide the class of all linear representations of the best affine unbiased estimator with precise statements concerning its indeterminacy.     

Asymptotic formula for a partition function of reversible coagulation-fragmentation processes

We construct a probability model seemingly unrelated to the considered stochastic process of coagulation and fragmentation. By proving for this model the local limit theorem, we establish the asymptotic formula for the partition function of the equilibrium measure for a wide class of parameter functions of the process. This formula proves the conjecture stated in [5] for the above class of processes. The method used goes back to A. Khintchine.     

Flexural rigidity of a liquid surface

The energy of a mass of liquid is evaluated asymptotically in powers of the range of the intermolecular potential divided by a typical dimension of the liquid. The leading term is the internal energy, proportional to the liquid volume. The second term is the energy of surface tension, proportional to the area of the liquid surface. The third term is proportional to an integral over this surface of the square of the mean curvature of the surface minus one-third of its Gaussian curvature. This new term has exactly the form of the bending energy of a thin elastic plate. Comparing it with the bending energy yields expressions for the flexural rigidity and the Poisson ratio of the liquid surface. This flexural rigidity of the surface leads to new terms in the equation of equilibrium of the liquid surface, in addition to the usual surface tension terms.     

Control of the conjugation length and solubility in electroluminescent polymers

A new type of cyclolinear polymer, poly(phenylene vinylene‐alt‐cyclotriphosphazene), was synthesized through Heck‐type coupling reactions to produce π‐conjugated macromolecules with excellent solubility and precise electronic control of the band‐gap energy. This synthesis method is capable of producing well‐defined alternating polymers. The method is highly adaptable and can be readily used for other chromophore systems. The resulting polymers were also capable of accommodating a wide variety of substituents on the cyclophosphazene rings with minimal effect on the electronic properties. The band gap and electron affinities of the polymer were varied through the manipulation of the π‐conjugated unit located between the insulating phosphazene rings. Each chromophore matched the intended conjugation length consistently throughout the macromolecules. The polymers were good film formers because of the chosen substituents on the phosphazene rings. The absorbance of the polymers indicated minimal spectral shift from the monomer absorbance. This suggested an effective insulation of each chromophore unit from its neighbors by the phosphazene rings. Solution photoluminescence efficiencies were found to be up to 44.1%. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 69–76, 2006     

On Hermitian block Hankel matrices,matrix polynomials,the Hamburger moment problem,interpolation and maximum entropy

Reproducing kernel space methods are used to study the truncated matrix Hamburger moment problem on the line, an associated interpolation problem and the maximum entropy solution. Enroute a number of formulas are developed for orthogonal matrix polynomials associated with a block Hankel matrix (based on the specified matrix moments for the Hamburger problem) under less restrictive conditions than positive definiteness. An analogue of a recent formula of Alpay-Gohberg and Gohberg-Lerer for the number of roots of certain associated matrix polynomials is also established.The author would like to acknowledge with thanks Renee and Jay Weiss for endowing the chair which supported this research.     

On the topology of black holes

We establish from local hypotheses some results concerning the final state topology of black holes. We show that the surface of a black hole must have 2-sphere topology and that the topology of space in its vicinity is simple.Dedicated to Ted FrankelThis work has been partially supported by NSF grants DMS-8802877 and DMS-9006678     

On a question of H. Kraljević

In this paper, assuming a certain set-theoretic hypothesis, a positive answer is given to a question of H. Kraljevi, namely it is shown that there exists a Lebesgue measurable subsetA of the real line such that the set {c R: A + cA contains an interval} is nonmeasurable. Here the setA + cA = {a + ca: a, a A}. Two other results about sets of the formA + cA are presented.