Nonseparating K4‐subdivisions in graphs of minimum degree at least 4

We first prove that for every vertex x of a 4‐connected graph G, there exists a subgraph H in G isomorphic to a subdivision of the complete graph K₄ on four vertices such that is connected and contains x. This implies an affirmative answer to a question of Kühnel whether every 4‐connected graph G contains a subdivision H of K₄ as a subgraph such that is connected. The motor for our induction is a result of Fontet and Martinov stating that every 4‐connected graph can be reduced to a smaller one by contracting a single edge, unless the graph is the square of a cycle or the line graph of a cubic graph. It turns out that this is the only ingredient of the proof where 4‐connectedness is used. We then generalize our result to connected graphs of minimum degree at least 4 by developing the respective motor, a structure theorem for the class of simple connected graphs of minimum degree at least 4. A simple connected graph G of minimum degree 4 cannot be reduced to a smaller such graph by deleting a single edge or contracting a single edge and simplifying if and only if it is the square of a cycle or the edge disjoint union of copies of certain bricks as follows: Each brick is isomorphic to K₃, K₅, K_{2, 2, 2}, , , or one the four graphs , , , obtained from K₅ and K_{2, 2, 2} by deleting the edges of a triangle, or replacing a vertex x by two new vertices and adding four edges to the endpoints of two disjoint edges of its former neighborhood, respectively. Bricks isomorphic to K₅ or K_{2, 2, 2} share exactly one vertex with the other bricks of the decomposition, vertices of degree 4 in any other brick are not contained in any further brick of the decomposition, and the vertices of a brick isomorphic to K₃ must have degree 4 in G and have pairwise no common neighbors outside that brick.     

The Nikodym property and cardinal characteristics of the continuum

We present a general method of constructing Boolean algebras with the Nikodym property and of some given cardinalities. The construction is dependent on the values of some classical cardinal characteristics of the continuum. As a result we obtain a consistent example of an infinite Boolean algebra with the Nikodym property and of cardinality strictly less than the continuum $\mathfrak{c}$. It follows that the existence of such an algebra is undecidable by the usual axioms of set theory. Besides, our results shed some new light on the Efimov problem and cofinalities of Boolean algebras.     

Differential Algebra and Liouvillian first integrals of foliations

Intuitively, a complex Liouvillian function is one that is obtained from complex rational functions by a finite process of integrations, exponentiations and algebraic operations. In the framework of ordinary differential equations the study of equations admitting Liouvillian solutions is related to the study of ordinary differential equations that can be integrated by the use of elementary functions, that is, functions appearing in the Differential Calculus. A more precise and geometrical approach to this problem naturally leads us to consider the theory of foliations. This paper is devoted to the study of foliations that admit a Liouvillian first integral. We study holomorphic foliations (of dimension or codimension one) that admit a Liouvillian first integral. We extend results of Singer (1992) [20] related to Camacho and Scárdua (2001) [4], to foliations on compact manifolds, Stein manifolds, codimension-one projective foliations and germs of foliations as well.     

Studies on the squaring construction

The code formulas for the iterated squaring construction for a finite group partition chain, derived by Forney [2], are extended to the case with a bi-infinite group partition chain, and the derivation presented here is much simpler than the one given by Forney for the finite case. It is also proven that the iterated squaring construction indeed generates the Reed-Muller codes. Moreover, the generalization of the code formulas to the bi-infinite case is used to derive code formulas for the lattices Λ(r,n) andRΛ(r,n), which correct some errors in [2]. Further, Gaussian integer lattices are discussed. A definition of their dual lattices is given, which is more general than the definition given by Forney [1]. Using this definition, some interesting properties of dual lattices and the squaring construction are obtained and then formulas of the duals of the Barnes-Wall lattices and their principal sublattices are derived, and one assumption from the derivation given by Forney [2] can be eliminated.     

Polynomial contractions and Lyapunov regularity

The purpose of this note is twofold: to introduce the notion of polynomial contraction for a linear nonautonomous dynamics with discrete time, and to show that it persists under sufficiently small linear and nonlinear perturbations. The notion of polynomial contraction mimics the notion of exponential contraction, but with the exponential decay replaced by a polynomial decay. We show that this behavior is exhibited by a large class of dynamics, by giving necessary conditions in terms of “polynomial” Lyapunov exponents. Finally, we establish the persistence of the asymptotic stability of a polynomial contraction under sufficiently small linear and nonlinear perturbations. We also consider the case of nonuniform polynomial contractions, for which the Lyapunov stability is not uniform.     

The overlap algebra of regular opens

Overlap algebras are complete lattices enriched with an extra primitive relation, called “overlap”. The new notion of overlap relation satisfies a set of axioms intended to capture, in a positive way, the properties which hold for two elements with non-zero infimum. For each set, its powerset is an example of overlap algebra where two subsets overlap each other when their intersection is inhabited. Moreover, atomic overlap algebras are naturally isomorphic to the powerset of the set of their atoms. Overlap algebras can be seen as particular open (or overt) locales and, from a classical point of view, they essentially coincide with complete Boolean algebras. Contrary to the latter, overlap algebras offer a negation-free framework suitable, among other things, for the development of point-free topology. A lot of topology can be done “inside” the language of overlap algebra. In particular, we prove that the collection of all regular open subsets of a topological space is an example of overlap algebra which, under natural hypotheses, is atomless. Since they are a constructive counterpart to complete Boolean algebras and, at the same time, they have a more powerful axiomatization than Heyting algebras, overlap algebras are expected to turn out useful both in constructive mathematics and for applications in computer science.