On the torsion of Jacobians of principal modular curves of level 3<Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Superscript>

We demonstrate that the 3-power torsion points of the Jacobians of the principal modular curves X(3ⁿ) are fixed by the kernel of the canonical outer Galois representation of the pro-3 fundamental group of the projective line minus three points. The proof proceeds by demonstrating the curves in question satisfy a two-part criterion given by Anderson and Ihara. Two proofs of the second part of the criterion are provided; the first relies on a theorem of Shimura, while the second uses the moduli interpretation. Received: 30 September 2005     

Symmetrisation of n-operads and compactification of real configuration spaces

It is well known that the forgetful functor from symmetric operads to nonsymmetric operads has a left adjoint Sym₁ given by product with the symmetric group operad. It is also well known that this functor does not affect the category of algebras of the operad. From the point of view of the author's theory of higher operads, the nonsymmetric operads are 1-operads and Sym₁ is the first term of the infinite series of left adjoint functors Symn, called symmetrisation functors, from n-operads to symmetric operads with the property that the category of one object, one arrow, …, one (n−1)-arrow algebras of an n-operad A is isomorphic to the category of algebras of Symn(A).In this paper we consider some geometrical and homotopical aspects of the symmetrisation of n-operads. We follow Getzler and Jones and consider their decomposition of the Fulton-Macpherson operad of compactified real configuration spaces. We construct an n-operadic counterpart of this compactification which we call the Getzler-Jones operad. We study the properties of Getzler-Jones operad and find that it is contractible and cofibrant in an appropriate model category. The symmetrisation of the Getzler-Jones operad turns out to be exactly the operad of Fulton and Macpherson. These results should be considered as an extension of Stasheff's theory of 1-fold loop spaces to n-fold loop spaces n?2. We also show that a space X with an action of a contractible n-operad has a natural structure of an algebra over an operad weakly equivalent to the little n-disks operad. A similar result holds for chain operads. These results generalise the classical Eckman-Hilton argument to arbitrary dimension.Finally, we apply the techniques to the Swiss-Cheese type operads introduced by Voronov and prove analogous results in this case.     

Group symmetry in tensor categories and duality for orbifolds

A duality for orbifolds is presented as an application of group extensions in tensor categories.     

Pulsed reactive crossed beam laser ablation of La0.6Ca0.4CoO3 using O: Where does the oxygen come from?

The composition of thin perovskite films, especially the oxygen content, is a crucial parameter which influences many physical properties, such as conductivity and catalytic activity. Films produced by pulsed laser deposition are normally annealed in an oxygen atmosphere after deposition to achieve a desired oxygen content. In pulsed reactive crossed beam laser ablation, no annealing step is necessary, but a fundamental question regarding this deposition technique is still open: where does the oxygen in the films come from?There are three possibilities, i.e. from the target, from the gas background, or from the gas pulse. To answer this question two experiments were performed: ¹⁸O₂ was used during the deposition process as background gas with ¹⁶O anions in the target and ¹⁶O₂ gas pulse, and a ¹⁸O₂ gas pulse with ¹⁶O from the target and background. These experiments revealed that the quantification of the oxygen origin is only possible, when no oxygen exchange occurs at the deposition temperature. The films are characterized after deposition by elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA) to determine the ¹⁶O/¹⁸O ratio. Experiments with different oxidizing species in the gas pulse (N₂O and O₂) confirm that the oxidizing potential (N₂O > O₂) as well as the number of molecules are important.     

Cohomological properties of the quantum shuffle product and application to the construction of quasi-Hopf algebras

For a commutative algebra the shuffle product is a morphism of complexes. We generalize this result to the quantum shuffle product, associated to a class of non-commutative algebras (for example all the Hopf algebras). As a first application we show that the Hochschild-Serre identity is the dual statement of our result. In particular, we extend this identity to Hopf algebras. Secondly, we clarify the construction of a class of quasi-Hopf algebras.     

The homotopy categorical crossed module of a CW-complex

Crossed modules have longstanding uses in homotopy theory and the cohomology of groups. The corresponding notion in the setting of categorical groups, that is, categorical crosses modules, allowed the development of a low-dimensional categorical group cohomology. Now, its relevance is also shown here to homotopy types by associating, to any pointed CW-complex (X,∗), a categorical crossed module that algebraically represents the homotopy 3-type of X.     

The 1-type of a Waldhausen K-theory spectrum

We give a small functorial algebraic model for the 2-stage Postnikov section of the K-theory spectrum of a Waldhausen category and use our presentation to describe the multiplicative structure with respect to biexact functors.     

Cogenerators for convex spaces

We give cogenerators for the categories of convex (= finitely superconvex), finitely positively convex, and absolute convex (= finitely totally convex) spaces introduced by Pumplün and Röhrl.Dedicated to our academic teacher Dieter Pumplün on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday.     

Functorial methods in the theory of group representations I

We introduce a candidate for the group algebra of a Hausdorff group which plays the same role as the group algebra of a finite group. It allows to define a natural bijection betweenk-continuous representations of the group in a Hilbert space and continuous representations of the group algebra. Such bijections are known, but to our knowledge only for locally compact groups. We can establish such a bijection for more general groups, namely Hausdorff groups, because we replace integration techniques by functorial methods, i.e., by using a duality functor which lives in certain categories of topological Banach balls (resp., unit balls of Saks spaces).This paper was written while the authors were supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation under grant 21-33644.92.