Let $\mathcal{V}$ be a variety of associative algebras generated by an algebra with $1$ over a field of characteristic zero. This paper is devoted to the classification of the varieties $\mathcal{V}$ which are minimal of polynomial growth (i.e., their sequence of codimensions growth like $n^k$ but any proper subvariety grows like $n^t$ with $t\lt k$). These varieties are the building blocks of general varieties of polynomial growth. It turns out that for $k\le 4$ there are only a finite number of varieties of polynomial growth $n^k$, but for each $k \gt 4$, the number of minimal varieties is at least $|F|$, the cardinality of the base field and we give a recipe of how to construct them.

Multiview geometry is the study of two-dimensional images of three-dimensional scenes, a foundational subject in computer vision. We determine a universal Gröbner basis for the multiview ideal of $n$ generic cameras. As the cameras move, the multiview varieties vary in a family of dimension $11n-15$. This family is the distinguished component of a multigraded Hilbert scheme with a unique Borel-fixed point. We present a combinatorial study of ideals lying on that Hilbert scheme.

Let $A$ be an AI algebra; that is, $A$ is the $\mbox{C}^{*}$-algebra inductive limit of a sequence $$ A_{1}\stackrel{\phi_{1,2}}{\longrightarrow}A_{2}\stackrel{\phi_{2,3}}{\longrightarrow}A_{3} \longrightarrow\cdots\longrightarrow A_{n}\longrightarrow\cdots, $$ where $A_{n}=\bigoplus_{i=1}^{k_n}M_{[n,i]}(C(X^{i}_n))$, $X^{i}_n$ are $[0,1]$, $k_n$, and $[n,i]$ are positive integers. Suppose that $A$ has the ideal property: each closed two-sided ideal of $A$ is generated by the projections inside the ideal, as a closed two-sided ideal. In this article, we give a complete classification of AI algebras with the ideal property.

The space now known as {\em complete Erd\H os space\/} $\cerdos$ was introduced by Paul Erd\H os in 1940 as the closed subspace of the Hilbert space $\ell^2$ consisting of all vectors such that every coordinate is in the convergent sequence $\{0\}\cup\{1/n:n\in\N\}$. In a solution to a problem posed by Lex G. Oversteegen we present simple and useful topological characterizations of $\cerdos$. As an application we determine the class of factors of $\cerdos$. In another application we determine precisely which of the spaces that can be constructed in the Banach spaces $\ell^p$ according to the `Erd\H os method' are homeomorphic to $\cerdos$. A novel application states that if $I$ is a Polishable $F_\sigma$-ideal on $\omega$, then $I$ with the Polish topology is homeomorphic to either $\Z$, the Cantor set $2^\omega$, $\Z\times2^\omega$, or $\cerdos$. This last result answers a question that was asked by Stevo Todor{\v{c}}evi{\'c}.

Two formulas for the multiplicity of the fiber cone $F(I)=\bigoplus_{n=0}^{\infty} I^n/\m I^n$ of an $\m$-primary ideal of a $d$-dimensional Cohen--Macaulay local ring $(R,\m)$ are derived in terms of the mixed multiplicity $e_{d-1}(\m | I)$, the multiplicity $e(I)$, and superficial elements. As a consequence, the Cohen--Macaulay property of $F(I)$ when $I$ has minimal mixed multiplicity or almost minimal mixed multiplicity is characterized in terms of the reduction number of $I$ and lengths of certain ideals. We also characterize the Cohen--Macaulay and Gorenstein properties of fiber cones of $\m$-primary ideals with a $d$-generated minimal reduction $J$ satisfying $\ell(I^2/JI)=1$ or $\ell(I\m/J\m)=1.$

The Banach convolution algebras $l^1(\omega)$ and their continuous counterparts $L^1(\bR^+,\omega)$ are much studied, because (when the submultiplicative weight function $\omega$ is radical) they are pretty much the prototypic examples of commutative radical Banach algebras. In cases of ``nice'' weights $\omega$, the only closed ideals they have are the obvious, or ``standard'', ideals. But in the general case, a brilliant but very difficult paper of Marc Thomas shows that nonstandard ideals exist in $l^1(\omega)$. His proof was successfully exported to the continuous case $L^1(\bR^+,\omega)$ by Dales and McClure, but remained difficult. In this paper we first present a small improvement: a new and easier proof of the existence of nonstandard ideals in $l^1(\omega)$ and $L^1(\bR^+,\omega)$. The new proof is based on the idea of a ``nonstandard dual pair'' which we introduce. We are then able to make a much larger improvement: we find nonstandard ideals in $L^1(\bR^+,\omega)$ containing functions whose supports extend all the way down to zero in $\bR^+$, thereby solving what has become a notorious problem in the area.

Let $k$ be a field of characteristic 0, $R=k[x_1, \ldots, x_d]$ be a polynomial ring, and $\mm$ its maximal homogeneous ideal. Let $I \subset R$ be a homogeneous ideal in $R$. Let $\lambda(M)$ denote the length of an $R$-module $M$. In this paper, we show that $$ \lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{\l\bigl(H^0_{\mathfrak{m}}(R/I^n)\bigr)}{n^d} =\lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{\l\bigl(\Ext^d_R\bigl(R/I^n,R(-d)\bigr)\bigr)}{n^d} $$ always exists. This limit has been shown to be ${e(I)}/{d!}$ for $m$-primary ideals $I$ in a local Cohen--Macaulay ring, where $e(I)$ denotes the multiplicity of $I$. But we find that this limit may not be rational in general. We give an example for which the limit is an irrational number thereby showing that the lengths of these extention modules may not have polynomial growth.

Representation theorems are proved for Banach ideal spaces with the Fatou property which are built by the Calder{\'o}n--Lozanovski\u\i\ construction. Factorization theorems for operators in spaces more general than the Lebesgue $L^{p}$ spaces are investigated. It is natural to extend the Gagliardo theorem on the Schur test and the Rubio de~Francia theorem on factorization of the Muckenhoupt $A_{p}$ weights to reflexive Orlicz spaces. However, it turns out that for the scales far from $L^{p}$-spaces this is impossible. For the concrete integral operators it is shown that factorization theorems and the Schur test in some reflexive Orlicz spaces are not valid. Representation theorems for the Calder{\'o}n--Lozanovski\u\i\ construction are involved in the proofs.

The norm on a Banach space gives rise to a subharmonic function on the complex plane for which the distributional Laplacian gives a Riesz measure. This measure is calculated explicitly here for Lebesgue $L^p$ spaces and the von~Neumann-Schatten trace ideals. Banach spaces that are $q$-uniformly $\PL$-convex in the sense of Davis, Garling and Tomczak-Jaegermann are characterized in terms of the mass distribution of this measure. This gives a new proof that the trace ideals $c^p$ are $2$-uniformly $\PL$-convex for $1\leq p\leq 2$.

Let $X$ be a locally compact non-compact Hausdorff topological space. Consider the algebras $C(X)$, $C_b(X)$, $C_0(X)$, and $C_{00}(X)$ of respectively arbitrary, bounded, vanishing at infinity, and compactly supported continuous functions on $X$. Of these, the second and third are $C^*$-algebras, the fourth is a normed algebra, whereas the first is only a topological algebra (it is indeed a pro-$C^\ast$-algebra). The interesting fact about these algebras is that if one of them is given, the others can be obtained using functional analysis tools. For instance, given the $C^\ast$-algebra $C_0(X)$, one can get the other three algebras by $C_{00}(X)=K\bigl(C_0(X)\bigr)$, $C_b(X)=M\bigl(C_0(X)\bigr)$, $C(X)=\Gamma\bigl( K(C_0(X))\bigr)$, where the right hand sides are the Pedersen ideal, the multiplier algebra, and the unbounded multiplier algebra of the Pedersen ideal of $C_0(X)$, respectively. In this article we consider the possibility of these transitions for general $C^\ast$-algebras. The difficult part is to start with a pro-$C^\ast$-algebra $A$ and to construct a $C^\ast$-algebra $A_0$ such that $A=\Gamma\bigl(K(A_0)\bigr)$. The pro-$C^\ast$-algebras for which this is possible are called {\it locally compact\/} and we have characterized them using a concept similar to that of an approximate identity.

A nest representation of a strongly maximal TAF algebra $A$ with diagonal $D$ is a representation $\pi$ for which $\lat \pi(A)$ is totally ordered. We prove that $\ker \pi$ is a meet irreducible ideal if the spectrum of $A$ is totally ordered or if (after an appropriate similarity) the von Neumann algebra $\pi(D)''$ contains an atom.