Filling Length in Finitely Presentable Groups

We study the filling length function for a finite presentation of a group , and interpret this function as an optimal bound on the length of the boundary loop as a van Kampen diagram is collapsed to the basepoint using a combinatorial notion of a null-homotopy. We prove that filling length is well behaved under change of presentation of . We look at 'AD-pairs' (f,g) for a finite presentation : that is, an isoperimetric function f and an isodiametric function g that can be realised simultaneously. We prove that the filling length admits a bound of the form [g+1][log (f+1)+1] whenever (f,g) is an AD-pair for . Further we show that (up to multiplicative constants) if is an isoperimetric function ( ) for a finite presentation then ( ) is an AD-pair. Also we prove that for all finite presentations filling length is bounded by an exponential of an isodiametric function.Partially supported by NSF grant DMS-9800158Supported by EPSRC Award No. 98001683 and Corpus Christi College, Oxford.     

An M/M/1 Driven Fluid Queue – Continued Fraction Approach

This paper presents complete solutions of the stationary distributions of buffer occupancy and buffer content of a fluid queue driven by an M/M/1 queue. We assume a general boundary condition when compared to the model discussed in Virtamo and Norros [Queueing Systems 16 (1994) 373–386] and Adan and Resing [Queueing Systems 22 (1996) 171–174]. We achieve the required solutions by transforming the underlying system of differential equations using Laplace transforms to a system of difference equations leading to a continued fraction. This continued fraction helps us to find complete solutions. We also obtain the buffer content distribution for this fluid model using the method of Sericola and Tuffin [Queueing Systems 31 (1999) 253–264].     

On the Order Reduction Approach for Singularly Perturbed Optimal Control Systems

The order reduction method for singularly perturbed optimal control systems consists of employing the system obtained while setting the small parameter to be zero. In many situations the differential-algebraic system thus obtained indeed provides an appropriate approximation to the singularly perturbed problem with a small parameter. In this paper we establish that if relaxed controls are allowed then the answer to the question whether or not this method is valid depends essentially on one simple parameter: the dimension of the fast variable, denoted n. More specifically, if n=1 then the order reduction method is indeed applicable, while if n>1 then the set of singularly perturbed optimal control systems for which it is not applicable is dense (in the L norm).     

函数的逼近及其在下半连续函数可微性中的应用

通过函数的下卷积函数列的逼近方法,在变分原理中从扰动最小值点集的“大小”入手,研究了下半连续函数的可微性。     

Equality of two spectra arising in harmonic analysis and semigroup theory

We show that a new notion of a spectrum of a function ( is a Banach space), defined by B. Basit and the first author, coincides with the Arveson spectrum of some shift group, provided is uniformly continuous. We apply this result to prove a new version of a tauberian theorem.     

A note on idempotents in finite AW*-factors

We prove that the value of the quasi-trace on an idempotent element in an AW*-factor of type is the same as the dimension of its left (or right) support.

     

Explicit bounds and heuristics on class numbers in hyperelliptic function fields

In this paper, we provide tight estimates for the divisor class number of hyperelliptic function fields. We extend the existing methods to any hyperelliptic function field and improve the previous bounds by a factor proportional to with the help of new results. We thus obtain a faster method of computing regulators and class numbers. Furthermore, we provide experimental data and heuristics on the distribution of the class number within the bounds on the class number. These heuristics are based on recent results by Katz and Sarnak. Our numerical results and the heuristics imply that our approximation is in general far better than the bounds suggest.

     

Solvable groups with polynomial Dehn functions

Given a finitely presented group , finitely generated subgroup of , and a monomorphism , we obtain an upper bound of the Dehn function of the corresponding HNN-extension in terms of the Dehn function of and the distortion of in . Using such a bound, we construct first examples of non-polycyclic solvable groups with polynomial Dehn functions. The constructed groups are metabelian and contain the solvable Baumslag-Solitar groups. In particular, this answers a question posed by Birget, Ol'shanskii, Rips, and Sapir.