Bounds for the cup-length of Poincaré spaces and their applications

Our main result offers a new (quite systematic) way of deriving bounds for the cup-length of Poincaré spaces over fields; we outline a general research program based on this result. For the oriented Grassmann manifolds, already a limited realization of the program leads, in many cases, to the exact values of the cup-length and to interesting information on the Lyusternik-Shnirel'man category.     

Limit cycles and Lie symmetries

Given a planar vector field U which generates the Lie symmetry of some other vector field X, we prove a new criterion to control the stability of the periodic orbits of U. The problem is linked to a classical problem proposed by A.T. Winfree in the seventies about the existence of isochrons of limit cycles (the question suggested by the study of biological clocks), already answered by Guckenheimer using a different terminology. We apply our criterion to give upper bounds of the number of limit cycles for some families of vector fields as well as to provide a class of vector fields with a prescribed number of hyperbolic limit cycles. Finally we show how this procedure solves the problem of the hyperbolicity of periodic orbits in problems where other criteria, like the classical one of the divergence, fail.     

There is no upper bound of small transfinite compactness degree in metrizable spaces

In [J.M. Aarts, T. Nishiura, Dimension and Extensions, North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1993], Aarts and Nishiura investigated several types of dimensions modulo a class P of spaces. These dimension functions have natural transfinite extensions. The small transfinite compactness degree trcmp is such transfinite dimension function extending the small compactness degree cmp. We shall prove that there is no upper bound for trcmp in the class of metrizable spaces, i.e. for each ordinal number α there exists a metrizable space Xα such that trcmpXα=α. We also give a characterization of the dimension dim of a separable (compact) metrizable space in terms of the function cmp of the product of this space with a nowhere locally compact zero-dimensional factor.     

Filament sets and homogeneous continua

New tools are introduced for the study of homogeneous continua. The subcontinua of a given continuum are classified into three types: filament, non-filament, and ample, with ample being a subcategory of non-filament. The richness of the collection of ample subcontinua of a homogeneous continuum reflects where the space lies in the gradation from being locally connected at one extreme to indecomposable at another. Applications are given to the general theory of homogeneous continua and their hyperspaces.     

Almost maximal spaces

A topological space X is called almost maximal if it is without isolated points and for every x∈X, there are only finitely many ultrafilters on X converging to x. We associate with every countable regular homogeneous almost maximal space X a finite semigroup Ult(X) so that if X and Y are homeomorphic, Ult(X) and Ult(Y) are isomorphic. Semigroups Ult(X) are projectives in the category F of finite semigroups. These are bands decomposing into a certain chain of rectangular components. Under MA, for each projective S in F, there is a countable almost maximal topological group G with Ult(G) isomorphic to S. The existence of a countable almost maximal topological group cannot be established in ZFC. However, there are in ZFC countable regular homogeneous almost maximal spaces X with Ult(X) being a chain of idempotents.     

Asymptotic robustness of standard errors in multilevel structural equation models

Data in social and behavioral sciences are often hierarchically organized. Multilevel statistical methodology was developed to analyze such data. Most of the procedures for analyzing multilevel data are derived from maximum likelihood based on the normal distribution assumption. Standard errors for parameter estimates in these procedures are obtained from the corresponding information matrix. Because practical data typically contain heterogeneous marginal skewnesses and kurtoses, this paper studies how nonnormally distributed data affect the standard errors of parameter estimates in a two-level structural equation model. Specifically, we study how skewness and kurtosis in one level affect standard errors of parameter estimates within its level and outside its level. We also show that, parallel to asymptotic robustness theory in conventional factor analysis, conditions exist for asymptotic robustness of standard errors in a multilevel factor analysis model.     

Hyperbolic-parabolic singular perturbation for quasilinear equations of Kirchhoff type

We consider a hyperbolic-parabolic singular perturbation problem for a quasilinear equation of Kirchhoff type, and obtain parameter-dependent time decay estimates of the difference between the solutions of a quasilinear dissipative hyperbolic equation of Kirchhoff type and the corresponding quasilinear parabolic equation. For this purpose we show time decay estimates for hyperbolic-parabolic singular perturbation problem for linear equations with a time-dependent coefficient.     

A fiberwise analogue of the Borsuk-Ulam theorem for sphere bundles over a 2-cell complex II

We describe a finite complex B as I-trivial if there does not exist a Z₂-map from Si−1 to S(α) for any vector bundle α over B and any integer i with i>dimα. We prove that the m-fold suspension of projective plane FP² is I-trivial if and only if m≠0,2,4 for F=C, m≠0,4 for F=H. In the case where F is the Cayley algebra, the m-fold suspension is shown to be I-trivial for every m>0.     

The effect of side substituents on rotation hindrance in polyheteroarylenes

Hindered rotation was considered in calculations of the conformational parameters of a series of polyheteroarylenes with bulky side substituents by the Monte-Carlo method. Within the range of experimental errors, the results of calculations for several polyarylates coincide with the values of conformational rigidity, determined from hydrodynamic experimental data. The proposed procedure was used to estimate the rigidities of a number of polymers with bulky side substuents for which experimental determination is difficult. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1287–1296, July, 1998.     

Solid-state reactions of organometallic aldehydes with optically active primary β-hydroxyamines

The solid-state reactions of crystalline ferrocenyl- and ruthenocenylaldehydes with optically active primary β-hydroxyamines were studied at ∼20 °C. The yield of the products increases substantially in the presence of K₂CO₃. The tautomeric equilibrium between imines and diastereomeric oxazolidines with the predominant formation of one of them is established in solutions of the products in CDCl₃. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 12, pp. 2240–2243, December, 1997.