Comparison theorems for weak splittings of bounded operators

Summary Comparison theorems for weak splittings of bounded operators are presented. These theorems extend the classical comparison theorem for regular splittings of matrices by Varga, the less known result by Wonicki, and the recent results for regular and weak regular splittings of matrices by Neumann and Plemmons, Elsner, and Lanzkron, Rose and Szyld. The hypotheses of the theorems presented here are weaker and the theorems hold for general Banach spaces and rather general cones. Hypotheses are given which provide strict inequalities for the comparisons. It is also shown that the comparison theorem by Alefeld and Volkmann applies exclusively to monotone sequences of iterates and is not equivalent to the comparison of the spectral radius of the iteration operators.This work was supported by the National Science Foundation grants DMS-8807338 and INT-8918502     

First passage percolation: The stationary case

Summary If the passage time of the edges of the ^d lattice are stationary, ergodic and have finite moment of orderp>d, then a.s. the set of vertices that can be reached within timet, has an asymptotic shape ast.     

Multiple ergodic theorems

Given measure preserving transformationsT ₁,T ₂,...,T _s of a probability space (X,B, μ) we are interested in the asymptotic behaviour of ergodic averages of the form $$\frac{1}{N}\sum\limits_{n = 0}^{N - 1} {T_1^n f_1 \cdot T_2^n f_2 } \cdot \cdots \cdot T_s^n f_s $$ wheref ₁,f ₂,...,f _s ?L ^∞(X,B,μ). In the general case we study, mainly for commuting transformations, conditions under which the limit of (1) inL ²-norm is ∫ _x f ₁ dμ·∫ _x f ₂ dμ...∫ _x f _s dμ for anyf ₁,f ₂...,f _s ?L ^∞(X,B,μ). If the transformations are commuting epimorphisms of a compact abelian group, then this limit exists almost everywhere. A few results are also obtained for some classes of non-commuting epimorphisms of compact abelian groups, and for commuting epimorphisms of arbitrary compact groups.     

ℤ/k-manifolds and families of Dirac operators

Summary The index of a family of a family of Dirac operators is aK-Theory element in the parameter space. Sullivan's/k-manifolds are used to detect this index completely. For the first Chern class this gives a topological interpretation of Witten's global anomaly. The relationship with the geometry of the index bundle is considered.To my teacher Isadore M. SingerThe author is partially supported by an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship     

Sur une conjecture de M. Kac

Summary We consider the following heat conduction problem. Let K be a compact set in Euclidean space ³. Suppose that K is held at the temperature 1, while the surrounding medium is at the temperature 0 at time 0. Following Spitzer we investigate the asymptotic behaviour of the integral E _K (t) which represents the total energy flow in time t from the set K to the surrounding medium ³–K. An asymptotic expansion is given for E _K (t) which refines a theorem due to Spitzer. This expansion also verifies and improves a formal calculation of Kac. Similar results are proved in higher dimensions. Up to the constant m(K), the quantity E _K (t) can be interpreted as the expected value of the volume of the Wiener sausage associated with K and a d-dimensional Brownian motion. This point of view both plays a major role in the proofs and leads to a probabilistic interpretation of the different terms of the expansion.     

Correlation length bounds for disordered Ising ferromagnets

Thed-dimensional, nearest-neighbor disordered Ising ferromagnet: $$H = - \sum {J_{ij} \sigma _i \sigma _j }$$ is studied as a function of both temperature,T, and a disorder parameter,λ, which measures the size of fluctuations of couplingsJ _ij ≧0. A finite-size scaling correlation length,ζ _f (T, λ), is defined in terms of the magnetic response of finite samples. This correlation length is shown to be equivalent, in the scaling sense, to the quenched average correlation lengthζ(T, λ), defined as the asymptotic decay rate of the quenched average two-point function. Furthermore, the magnetic response criterion which definesζ _f is shown to have a scale-invariant property at the critical point. The above results enable us to prove that the quenched correlation length satisfies: $$C\left| {\log \xi (T)} \right|\xi (T) \geqq \left| {T - T_c } \right|^{ - {2 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {2 d}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} d}}$$ which implies the boundv≧2/d for the quenched correlation length exponent.     

1,3,6,9,12,14,17,20-octaethynyltetrabenz[a,b,f,j,k,o]-4,5,10,11,15,16,21,22- octadehydro[18]annulene: a carbon-rich hydrocarbon

Dodecaynes 1a-d have been prepared via a convergent strategy that employs Sonogashira couplings as the carbon-carbon bond-forming tool. Due to the steric bulk of the DMTS groups, 1c adopts a nonplanar conformation, the dynamics of which have been probed by VT-NMR. The cobalt-catalyzed isomerization of 1a,b produced the new conjugated phenylenes 2a,b and 3a,b, respectively. [structure: see text]     

Conformation control of bilatrienes by peptides: A survey

Summary A variety of bilipeptides has been synthesized and investigated by UV-VIS and CD spectroscopy to explore the conformational influence of peptide ligands on the covalently bound tetrapyrrol moiety. The results obtained are complemented by those reported previously. From the comprehensive data thus available several features of the peptidic chain regulating interactions with the bilatriene moiety have been elucidated. Accordingly, the presence of three amide linkages at the ligand is prerequiste for induction of pronounced conformational changes consisting either in a complete transition ofM intoP helical bilatriene species by inversion of all torsional angles, or in a stretching of the chromophore. The kind of conformational influence can be controlled by varying the position of the prolyl entity within a given peptide.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Kurt Schaffner on occasion of his 60th birthday     

Isolation of a peptide ligand for affinity purification of factor VIII using phage display

Polypeptides for use in affinity chromatography of factor VIII were identified using phage display technology. Phage libraries were designed to express polypeptide fusions containing five to seven residues flanked by two cysteines that form a disulfide bond. Individual bacteriophage were selected for the ability of these polypeptides to bind factor VIII, and then release the protein under mild elution conditions. Strong consensus sequences were observed that appear to be necessary for this reversible interaction. Chemically synthesized ligands identified by this screening were immobilized onto a chromatographic support and used for affinity purification of factor VIII from a complex feedstream. A chromatographic step was developed that provided a 10000-fold reduction in host cell proteins and DNA, while providing exceptional product recovery.