A nilpotent Roth theorem

Let T and S be invertible measure preserving transformations of a probability measure space (X, ℬ, μ). We prove that if the group generated by T and S is nilpotent, then exists in L ²-norm for any u, v∈L ^∞(X, ℬ, μ). We also show that for A∈ℬ with μ(A)>0 one has . By the way of contrast, we bring examples showing that if measure preserving transformations T, S generate a solvable group, then (i) the above limits do not have to exist; (ii) the double recurrence property fails, that is, for some A∈ℬ, μ(A)>0, one may have μ(A∩T _-n A∩S ^{- n} A)=0 for all n∈ℕ. Finally, we show that when T and S generate a nilpotent group of class ≤c, in L ²(X) for all u, v∈L ^∞(X) if and only if T×S is ergodic on X×X and the group generated by T ^-1 S, T ^-2 S ²,..., T ^-c S ^c acts ergodically on X. Oblatum 19-V-2000 & 5-VII-2001?Published online: 12 October 2001     

Spatial design matrices and associated quadratic forms: structure and properties

The paper provides significant simplifications and extensions of results obtained by Gorsich, Genton, and Strang (J. Multivariate Anal. 80 (2002) 138) on the structure of spatial design matrices. These are the matrices implicitly defined by quadratic forms that arise naturally in modelling intrinsically stationary and isotropic spatial processes. We give concise structural formulae for these matrices, and simple generating functions for them. The generating functions provide formulae for the cumulants of the quadratic forms of interest when the process is Gaussian, second-order stationary and isotropic. We use these to study the statistical properties of the associated quadratic forms, in particular those of the classical variogram estimator, under several assumptions about the actual variogram.     

Simultaneous Packing and Covering in the Euclidean Plane

 In this article we study the simultaneous packing and covering constants of two-dimensional centrally symmetric convex domains. Besides an identity result between translative case and lattice case and a general upper bound, exact values for some special domains are determined. Similar to Mahler and Reinhardt’s result about packing densities, we show that the simultaneous packing and covering constant of an octagon is larger than that of a circle. (Received 17 January 2001; in revised form 13 July 2001)     

On the structure of finite coverings of compact connected groups

Finite-sheeted covering mappings onto compact connected groups are studied. We show that for a covering mapping from a connected Hausdorff topological space onto a compact (in general, non-abelian) group there exists a topological group structure on the covering space such that the mapping becomes a homomorphism of groups. To prove this fact we construct an inverse system of covering mappings onto Lie groups which approximates the given covering mapping. As an application, it is shown that a covering mapping onto a compact connected abelian group G must be a homeomorphism provided that the character group of G admits division by degree of the mapping. We also get a criterion for triviality of coverings in terms of means and prove that each finite covering of G is equivalent to a polynomial covering.     

A Note on Log-Convexity of q-Catalan Numbers

The q-Catalan numbers studied by Carlitz and Riordan are polynomials in q with nonnegative coefficients. They evaluate, at q = 1, to the Catalan numbers: 1, 1, 2, 5, 14,…, a log-convex sequence. We use a combinatorial interpretation of these polynomials to prove a q-log-convexity result. The sequence of q-Catalan numbers is not q-log-convex in the narrow sense used by other authors, so our work suggests a more flexible definition of q-log convex be adopted. Received January 2, 2007     

Multiple harmonic series related to multiple Euler numbers

In this paper, we define the multiple Euler numbers and consider some multiple harmonic series of Mordell-Tornheim's type, which is a partial sum of the Mordell-Tornheim zeta series defined by Matsumoto. Indeed, we prove a certain reducibility of these series as well as the multiple zeta values.     

Sur les grands quotients partiels du développement en fraction continue

In this paper we obtain some metrics results about large partial quotients in the continued fraction expansion.     

On integers of the forms k−2 and k2+1

In this paper we prove that if (r,12)?3, then the set of positive odd integers k such that k^r−2ⁿ has at least two distinct prime factors for all positive integers n contains an infinite arithmetic progression. The same result corresponding to k^r2ⁿ+1 is also true.