π1-classification of real arrangements with up to eight lines

One of the open questions in the geometry of line arrangements is to what extent does the incidence lattice of an arrangement determine its fundamental group. Line arrangements of up to 6 lines were recently classified by K.M. Fan (Michigan Math. J. 44(2) (1997) 283), and it turns out that the incidence lattice of such arrangements determines the projective fundamental group. We use actions on the set of wiring diagrams, introduced in (Garber et al. (J. Knot Theory Ramf.), to classify real arrangements of up to 8 lines. In particular, we show that the incidence lattice of such arrangements determines both the affine and the projective fundamental groups.     

Asymptotic properties of computationally efficient alternative estimators for a class of multivariate normal models

Parameters of Gaussian multivariate models are often estimated using the maximum likelihood approach. In spite of its merits, this methodology is not practical when the sample size is very large, as, for example, in the case of massive georeferenced data sets. In this paper, we study the asymptotic properties of the estimators that minimize three alternatives to the likelihood function, designed to increase the computational efficiency. This is achieved by applying the information sandwich technique to expansions of the pseudo-likelihood functions as quadratic forms of independent normal random variables. Theoretical calculations are given for a first-order autoregressive time series and then extended to a two-dimensional autoregressive process on a lattice. We compare the efficiency of the three estimators to that of the maximum likelihood estimator as well as among themselves, using numerical calculations of the theoretical results and simulations.     

Reliability and expectation bounds for coherent systems with exchangeable components

Sharp upper and lower bounds are obtained for the reliability functions and the expectations of lifetimes of coherent systems based on dependent exchangeable absolutely continuous components with a given marginal distribution function, by use of the concept of Samaniego's signature. We first show that the distribution of any coherent system based on exchangeable components with absolutely continuous joint distribution is a convex combination of distributions of order statistics (equivalent to the k-out-of-n systems) with the weights identical with the values of the Samaniego signature of the system. This extends the Samaniego representation valid for the case of independent and identically distributed components. Combining the representation with optimal bounds on linear combinations of distribution functions of order statistics from dependent identically distributed samples, we derive the corresponding reliability and expectation bounds, dependent on the signature of the system and marginal distribution of dependent components. We also present the sequences of exchangeable absolutely continuous joint distributions of components which attain the bounds in limit. As an application, we obtain the reliability bounds for all the coherent systems with three and four exchangeable components, expressed in terms of the parent marginal reliability function and specify the respective expectation bounds for exchangeable exponential components, comparing them with the lifetime expectations of systems with independent and identically distributed exponential components.     

A Hilbert Space Approach to Bounded Analytic Interpolation

We generalize several results on bounded analytic interpolation of Fitzgerald and Horn, which work by majorization by positive definite kernels, to the cases of several complex variables and operator-valued interpolation. Using a lemma of Kolmogorov, we complement a simplification due to Szafraniec in the proofs of the theorems. Received: November 21, 2006. Accepted: August 03, 2007.     

Fonctions qui opèrent sur les espaces de Besov

Sans résumé

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Ambient connections realising conformal Tractor holonomy

For a conformal manifold we introduce the notion of an ambient connection, an affine connection on an ambient manifold of the conformal manifold, possibly with torsion, and with conditions relating it to the conformal structure. The purpose of this construction is to realise the normal conformal Tractor holonomy as affine holonomy of such a connection. We give an example of an ambient connection for which this is the case, and which is torsion free if we start the construction with a C-space, and in addition Ricci-flat if we start with an Einstein manifold. Thus, for a C-space this example leads to an ambient metric in the weaker sense of Čap and Gover, and for an Einstein space to a Ricci-flat ambient metric in the sense of Fefferman and Graham. Current address for first author: Erwin Schr?dinger International Institute for Mathematical Physics (ESI), Boltzmanngasse 9, 1090 Vienna, Austria Current address for second author: Department of Mathematics, University of Hamburg, Bundesstra?e 55, 20146 Hamburg, Germany     

Affine threefolds whose log canonical bundles are not numerically effective

Let X?(T,D) be a compactification of an affine 3-fold X into a smooth projective 3-fold T such that the (reduced) boundary divisor D is SNC. In this paper, as an affine counterpart to the work due to S. Mori (cf. [S. Mori, Threefolds whose canonical bundles are not numerically effective, Ann. of Math. 116 (1982) 133-176]), we shall classify (K+D)-negative extremal rays on T. In particular, if such an extremal ray R=R₊[C] intersects K non-negatively, we shall describe the log flips and divisorial contractions appearing explicitly.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of P-V-T relationship of ZnO with rock-salt structure using pair-wise interactions

Molecular dynamics (MD) method is used to investigate the behavior of the pressure-volume-temperature (P-V-T) relationship, lattice constant and thermal expansivity for ZnO with rock-salt structure at high pressures and temperatures. The interionic potential is taken to be the sum of pair-wise additive Coulomb, van der Waals attraction, and repulsive interactions. The isothermal and isobaric properties are discussed from the corresponding P-V-T relationship, and it is shown that the MD simulation is successful in reproducing the measured volumes of ZnO over a wide range of temperature and pressure. Meanwhile, the equations of state parameters including lattice constant, linear thermal expansion coefficient, and isothermal bulk modulus are calculated and compared with the available experimental data and the latest theoretical results. At an extended pressure and temperature range, P-V-T relationship, lattice constant, and linear thermal expansion coefficient have been predicted. The structural and thermodynamic properties of ZnO with rock-salt structure are summarized in the pressure 0-100 GPa ranges and the temperature up to 3100 K.     

A fictitious domain approach to the numerical solution of PDEs in stochastic domains

We present an efficient method for the numerical realization of elliptic PDEs in domains depending on random variables. Domains are bounded, and have finite fluctuations. The key feature is the combination of a fictitious domain approach and a polynomial chaos expansion. The PDE is solved in a larger, fixed domain (the fictitious domain), with the original boundary condition enforced via a Lagrange multiplier acting on a random manifold inside the new domain. A (generalized) Wiener expansion is invoked to convert such a stochastic problem into a deterministic one, depending on an extra set of real variables (the stochastic variables). Discretization is accomplished by standard mixed finite elements in the physical variables and a Galerkin projection method with numerical integration (which coincides with a collocation scheme) in the stochastic variables. A stability and convergence analysis of the method, as well as numerical results, are provided. The convergence is “spectral” in the polynomial chaos order, in any subdomain which does not contain the random boundaries.     

Prime Fano threefolds and integrable systems

For a general K3 surface S of genus g, with 2 ≤ g ≤ 10, we prove that the intermediate Jacobians of the family of prime Fano threefolds of genus g containing S as a hyperplane section, form generically an algebraic completely integrable Hamiltonian system. The first author is partially supported by grant MI1503/2005 of the Bulgarian Foundation for Scientific Research.