Let $W$ be an infinite Coxeter group. We initiate the study of the set $E$ of limit points of ``normalized'' roots (representing the directions of the roots) of W. We show that $E$ is contained in the isotropic cone $Q$ of the bilinear form $B$ associated to a geometric representation, and illustrate this property with numerous examples and pictures in rank $3$ and $4$. We also define a natural geometric action of $W$ on $E$, and then we exhibit a countable subset of $E$, formed by limit points for the dihedral reflection subgroups of $W$. We explain how this subset is built from the intersection with $Q$ of the lines passing through two positive roots, and finally we establish that it is dense in $E$.

We study the motion of a particle in the hyperbolic plane (embedded in Minkowski space), under the action of a potential that depends only on one variable. This problem is the analogous to the spherical pendulum in a unidirectional force field. However, for the discussion of the hyperbolic plane one has to distinguish three inequivalent cases, depending on the direction of the force field. Symmetry reduction, with respect to groups that are not necessarily compact or even reductive, is carried out by way of Poisson varieties and Hilbert maps. For each case the dynamics is discussed, with special attention to linear potentials.

For $\delta \ge 1$ and $n \ge 1$, consider the simplicial complex of graphs on $n$ vertices in which each vertex has degree at most $\delta$; we identify a given graph with its edge set and admit one loop at each vertex. This complex is of some importance in the theory of semigroup algebras. When $\delta = 1$, we obtain the matching complex, for which it is known that there is $3$-torsion in degree $d$ of the homology whenever $\frac{n-4}{3} \le d \le \frac{n-6}{2}$. This paper establishes similar bounds for $\delta \ge 2$. Specifically, there is $3$-torsion in degree $d$ whenever $\frac{(3\delta-1)n-8}{6} \le d \le \frac{\delta (n-1) - 4}{2}$. The procedure for detecting torsion is to construct an explicit cycle $z$ that is easily seen to have the property that $3z$ is a boundary. Defining a homomorphism that sends $z$ to a non-boundary element in the chain complex of a certain matching complex, we obtain that $z$ itself is a non-boundary. In particular, the homology class of $z$ has order $3$.

Combinatorial structures that compose and decompose give rise to Hopf monoids in Joyal's category of species. The Hadamard product of two Hopf monoids is another Hopf monoid. We prove two main results regarding freeness of Hadamard products. The first one states that if one factor is connected and the other is free as a monoid, their Hadamard product is free (and connected). The second provides an explicit basis for the Hadamard product when both factors are free. The first main result is obtained by showing the existence of a one-parameter deformation of the comonoid structure and appealing to a rigidity result of Loday and Ronco that applies when the parameter is set to zero. To obtain the second result, we introduce an operation on species that is intertwined by the free monoid functor with the Hadamard product. As an application of the first result, we deduce that the Boolean transform of the dimension sequence of a connected Hopf monoid is nonnegative.

Due to work of W. Parry it is known that the growth rate of a hyperbolic Coxeter group acting cocompactly on ${\mathbb H^3}$ is a Salem number. This being the arithmetic situation, we prove that the simplex group (3,5,3) has smallest growth rate among all cocompact hyperbolic Coxeter groups, and that it is as such unique. Our approach provides a different proof for the analog situation in ${\mathbb H^2}$ where E. Hironaka identified Lehmer's number as the minimal growth rate among all cocompact planar hyperbolic Coxeter groups and showed that it is (uniquely) achieved by the Coxeter triangle group (3,7).

"Co-Frobenius" coalgebras were introduced as dualizations of Frobenius algebras. We previously showed that they admit left-right symmetric characterizations analogue to those of Frobenius algebras. We consider the more general quasi-co-Frobenius (QcF) coalgebras; the first main result in this paper is that these also admit symmetric characterizations: a coalgebra is QcF if it is weakly isomorphic to its (left, or right) rational dual $Rat(C^*)$, in the sense that certain coproduct or product powers of these objects are isomorphic. Fundamental results of Hopf algebras, such as the equivalent characterizations of Hopf algebras with nonzero integrals as left (or right) co-Frobenius, QcF, semiperfect or with nonzero rational dual, as well as the uniqueness of integrals and a short proof of the bijectivity of the antipode for such Hopf algebras all follow as a consequence of these results. This gives a purely representation theoretic approach to many of the basic fundamental results in the theory of Hopf algebras. Furthermore, we introduce a general concept of Frobenius algebra, which makes sense for infinite dimensional and for topological algebras, and specializes to the classical notion in the finite case. This will be a topological algebra $A$ that is isomorphic to its complete topological dual $A^\vee$. We show that $A$ is a (quasi)Frobenius algebra if and only if $A$ is the dual $C^*$ of a (quasi)co-Frobenius coalgebra $C$. We give many examples of co-Frobenius coalgebras and Hopf algebras connected to category theory, homological algebra and the newer q-homological algebra, topology or graph theory, showing the importance of the concept.

Our main result is that many triangles of Baumslag-Solitar groups collapse to finite groups, generalizing a famous example of Hirsch and other examples due to several authors. A triangle of Baumslag-Solitar groups means a group with three generators, cyclically ordered, with each generator conjugating some power of the previous one to another power. There are six parameters, occurring in pairs, and we show that the triangle fails to be developable whenever one of the parameters divides its partner, except for a few special cases. Furthermore, under fairly general conditions, the group turns out to be finite and solvable of derived length $\leq3$. We obtain a lot of information about finite quotients, even when we cannot determine developability.

Let $\rho \colon G \to \operatorname{GL}(V)$ be a rational finite dimensional complex representation of a reductive linear algebraic group $G$, and let $\sigma_1,\dots,\sigma_n$ be a system of generators of the algebra of invariant polynomials $\mathbb C[V]^G$. We study the problem of lifting mappings $f\colon \mathbb R^q \supseteq U \to \sigma(V) \subseteq \mathbb C^n$ over the mapping of invariants $\sigma=(\sigma_1,\dots,\sigma_n) \colon V \to \sigma(V)$. Note that $\sigma(V)$ can be identified with the categorical quotient $V /\!\!/ G$ and its points correspond bijectively to the closed orbits in $V$. We prove that if $f$ belongs to a quasianalytic subclass $\mathcal C \subseteq C^\infty$ satisfying some mild closedness properties that guarantee resolution of singularities in $\mathcal C$, e.g., the real analytic class, then $f$ admits a lift of the same class $\mathcal C$ after desingularization by local blow-ups and local power substitutions. As a consequence we show that $f$ itself allows for a lift that belongs to $\operatorname{SBV}_{\operatorname{loc}}$, i.e., special functions of bounded variation. If $\rho$ is a real representation of a compact Lie group, we obtain stronger versions.

W. Casselman defined a basis $f_u$ of Iwahori fixed vectors of a spherical representation $(\pi, V)$ of a split semisimple $p$-adic group $G$ over a nonarchimedean local field $F$ by the condition that it be dual to the intertwining operators, indexed by elements $u$ of the Weyl group $W$. On the other hand, there is a natural basis $\psi_u$, and one seeks to find the transition matrices between the two bases. Thus, let $f_u = \sum_v \tilde{m} (u, v) \psi_v$ and $\psi_u = \sum_v m (u, v) f_v$. Using the Iwahori-Hecke algebra we prove that if a combinatorial condition is satisfied, then $m (u, v) = \prod_{\alpha} \frac{1 - q^{- 1} \mathbf{z}^{\alpha}}{1 -\mathbf{z}^{\alpha}}$, where $\mathbf z$ are the Langlands parameters for the representation and $\alpha$ runs through the set $S (u, v)$ of positive coroots $\alpha \in \hat{\Phi}$ (the dual root system of $G$) such that $u \leqslant v r_{\alpha} < v$ with $r_{\alpha}$ the reflection corresponding to $\alpha$. The condition is conjecturally always satisfied if $G$ is simply-laced and the Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomial $P_{w_0 v, w_0 u} = 1$ with $w_0$ the long Weyl group element. There is a similar formula for $\tilde{m}$ conjecturally satisfied if $P_{u, v} = 1$. This leads to various combinatorial conjectures.

A diagonal ind-group is a direct limit of classical affine algebraic groups of growing rank under a class of inclusions that contains the inclusion $$ SL(n)\to SL(2n), \quad M\mapsto \begin{pmatrix}M & 0 \\ 0 & M \end{pmatrix} $$ as a typical special case. If $G$ is a diagonal ind-group and $B\subset G$ is a Borel ind-subgroup, we consider the ind-variety $G/B$ and compute the cohomology $H^\ell(G/B,\mathcal{O}_{-\lambda})$ of any $G$-equivariant line bundle $\mathcal{O}_{-\lambda}$ on $G/B$. It has been known that, for a generic $\lambda$, all cohomology groups of $\mathcal{O}_{-\lambda}$ vanish, and that a non-generic equivariant line bundle $\mathcal{O}_{-\lambda}$ has at most one nonzero cohomology group. The new result of this paper is a precise description of when $H^j(G/B,\mathcal{O}_{-\lambda})$ is nonzero and the proof of the fact that, whenever nonzero, $H^j(G/B, \mathcal{O}_{-\lambda})$ is a $G$-module dual to a highest weight module. The main difficulty is in defining an appropriate analog $W_B$ of the Weyl group, so that the action of $W_B$ on weights of $G$ is compatible with the analog of the Demazure ``action" of the Weyl group on the cohomology of line bundles. The highest weight corresponding to $H^j(G/B, \mathcal{O}_{-\lambda})$ is then computed by a procedure similar to that in the classical Bott-Borel-Weil theorem.

Certain polynomials in $n^2$ variables that serve as generating functions for symmetric group characters are sometimes called ($S_n$) character immanants. We point out a close connection between the identities of Littlewood--Merris--Watkins and Goulden--Jackson, which relate $S_n$ character immanants to the determinant, the permanent and MacMahon's Master Theorem. From these results we obtain a generalization of Muir's identity. Working with the quantum polynomial ring and the Hecke algebra $H_n(q)$, we define quantum immanants that are generating functions for Hecke algebra characters. We then prove quantum analogs of the Littlewood--Merris--Watkins identities and selected Goulden--Jackson identities that relate $H_n(q)$ character immanants to the quantum determinant, quantum permanent, and quantum Master Theorem of Garoufalidis--L\^e--Zeilberger. We also obtain a generalization of Zhang's quantization of Muir's identity.

In this paper we construct an analogue of Iwahori--Hecke algebras of $\operatorname{SL}_2$ over $2$-dimensional local fields. After considering coset decompositions of double cosets of a Iwahori subgroup, we define a convolution product on the space of certain functions on $\operatorname{SL}_2$, and prove that the product is well-defined, obtaining a Hecke algebra. Then we investigate the structure of the Hecke algebra. We determine the center of the Hecke algebra and consider Iwahori--Matsumoto type relations.

The first main result of the paper is a criterion for a partially commutative group $\mathbb G$ to be a domain. It allows us to reduce the study of algebraic sets over $\mathbb G$ to the study of irreducible algebraic sets, and reduce the elementary theory of $\mathbb G$ (of a coordinate group over $\mathbb G$) to the elementary theories of the direct factors of $\mathbb G$ (to the elementary theory of coordinate groups of irreducible algebraic sets). Then we establish normal forms for quantifier-free formulas over a non-abelian directly indecomposable partially commutative group $\mathbb H$. Analogously to the case of free groups, we introduce the notion of a generalised equation and prove that the positive theory of $\mathbb H$ has quantifier elimination and that arbitrary first-order formulas lift from $\mathbb H$ to $\mathbb H\ast F$, where $F$ is a free group of finite rank. As a consequence, the positive theory of an arbitrary partially commutative group is decidable.

We decompose the restriction of ramified principal series representations of the $p$-adic group $\mathrm{GL}(3,\mathrm{k})$ to its maximal compact subgroup $K=\mathrm{GL}(3,R)$. Its decomposition is dependent on the degree of ramification of the inducing characters and can be characterized in terms of filtrations of the Iwahori subgroup in $K$. We establish several irreducibility results and illustrate the decomposition with some examples.

Given a complete CAT(0) space $X$ endowed with a geometric action of a group $\Gamma$, it is known that if $\Gamma$ contains a free abelian group of rank $n$, then $X$ contains a geometric flat of dimension $n$. We prove the converse of this statement in the special case where $X$ is a convex subcomplex of the CAT(0) realization of a Coxeter group $W$, and $\Gamma$ is a subgroup of $W$. In particular a convex cocompact subgroup of a Coxeter group is Gromov-hyperbolic if and only if it does not contain a free abelian group of rank 2. Our result also provides an explicit control on geometric flats in the CAT(0) realization of arbitrary Tits buildings.

Let $G$ be a reductive connected linear algebraic group over an algebraically closed field of positive characteristic and let $\g$ be its Lie algebra. First we extend a well-known result about the Picard group of a semi-simple group to reductive groups. Then we prove that if the derived group is simply connected and $\g$ satisfies a mild condition, the algebra $K[G]^\g$ of regular functions on $G$ that are invariant under the action of $\g$ derived from the conjugation action is a unique factorisation domain.

Suppose that $P=MN$ is a maximal parabolic subgroup of a quasisplit, connected, reductive classical group $G$ defined over a non-Archimedean field and $A$ is the standard intertwining operator attached to a tempered representation of $G$ induced from $M$. In this paper we determine all the cases in which $\Lie(N)$ is prehomogeneous under $\Ad(m)$ when $N$ is non-abelian, and give necessary and sufficient conditions for $A$ to have a pole at $0$.

We present a structure theorem for a broad class of homeomorphisms of finite order on countable zero dimensional spaces. As applications we show the following. \begin{compactenum}[\rm(a)] \item Every countable nondiscrete topological group not containing an open Boolean subgroup can be partitioned into infinitely many dense subsets. \item If $G$ is a countably infinite Abelian group with finitely many elements of order $2$ and $\beta G$ is the Stone--\v Cech compactification of $G$ as a discrete semigroup, then for every idempotent $p\in\beta G\setminus\{0\}$, the subset $\{p,-p\}\subset\beta G$ generates algebraically the free product of one-element semigroups $\{p\}$ and~$\{-p\}$. \end{compactenum}

Our main result is that a finitely generated nilpotent group has no isometric action on an infinite-dimensional Hilbert space with dense orbits. In contrast, we construct such an action with a finitely generated metabelian group.

Let $X$ be a locally finite, connected graph without vertices of degree $1$. Non-backtracking random walk moves at each step with equal probability to one of the ``forward'' neighbours of the actual state, \emph{i.e.,} it does not go back along the preceding edge to the preceding state. This is not a Markov chain, but can be turned into a Markov chain whose state space is the set of oriented edges of $X$. Thus we obtain for infinite $X$ that the $n$-step non-backtracking transition probabilities tend to zero, and we can also compute their limit when $X$ is finite. This provides a short proof of old results concerning cogrowth of groups, and makes the extension of that result to arbitrary regular graphs rigorous. Even when $X$ is non-regular, but \emph{small cycles are dense in} $X$, we show that the graph $X$ is non-amenable if and only if the non-backtracking $n$-step transition probabilities decay exponentially fast. This is a partial generalization of the cogrowth criterion for regular graphs which comprises the original cogrowth criterion for finitely generated groups of Grigorchuk and Cohen.

Let $\pi$ be a square integrable representation of $G'=\SL_n(D)$, with $D$ a central division algebra of finite dimension over a local field $F$ \emph{of non-zero characteristic}. We prove that, on the elliptic set, the character of $\pi$ equals the complex conjugate of the orbital integral of one of the pseudocoefficients of~$\pi$. We prove also the orthogonality relations for characters of square integrable representations of $G'$. We prove the stable transfer of orbital integrals between $\SL_n(F)$ and its inner forms.

Call a non-Moufang Bol loop \emph{minimally non-Moufang} if every proper subloop is Moufang and \emph{minimally nonassociative} if every proper subloop is associative. We prove that these concepts are the same for Bol loops which are nilpotent of class two and in which certain associators square to $1$. In the process, we derive many commutator and associator identities which hold in such loops.

It is known that the Brandt--Lickorish--Millett--Ho polynomial $Q$ contains Casson's knot invariant. Whether there are (essentially) other Vassiliev knot invariants obtainable from $Q$ is an open problem. We show that this is not so up to degree $9$. We also give the (apparently) first examples of knots not distinguished by 2-cable HOMFLY polynomials which are not mutants. Our calculations provide evidence of a negative answer to the question whether Vassiliev knot invariants of degree $d \le 10$ are determined by the HOMFLY and Kauffman polynomials and their 2-cables, and for the existence of algebras of such Vassiliev invariants not isomorphic to the algebras of their weight systems.

For monotone complete $C^*$-algebras $A\subset B$ with $A$ contained in $B$ as a monotone closed $C^*$-subalgebra, the relation $X = AsA$ gives a bijection between the set of all monotone closed linear subspaces $X$ of $B$ such that $AX + XA \subset X$ and $XX^* + X^*X \subset A$ and a set of certain partial isometries $s$ in the ``normalizer" of $A$ in $B$, and similarly for the map $s \mapsto \Ad s$ between the latter set and a set of certain ``partial $*$-automorphisms" of $A$. We introduce natural inverse semigroup structures in the set of such $X$'s and the set of partial $*$-automorphisms of $A$, modulo a certain relation, so that the composition of these maps induces an inverse semigroup homomorphism between them. For a large enough $B$ the homomorphism becomes surjective and all the partial $*$-automorphisms of $A$ are realized via partial isometries in $B$. In particular, the inverse semigroup associated with a type ${\rm II}_1$ von Neumann factor, modulo the outer automorphism group, can be viewed as the fundamental group of the factor. We also consider the $C^*$-algebra version of these results.

Soit $F$ un corps local non archim\'edien, et $G$ le groupe des $F$-points d'un groupe r\'eductif connexe quasi-d\'eploy\'e d\'efini sur $F$. Dans cet article, on s'int\'eresse aux distributions sur $G$ invariantes par conjugaison, et \`a l'espace de leurs restrictions \`a l'alg\`ebre de Hecke $\mathcal{H}$ des fonctions sur $G$ \`a support compact biinvariantes par un sous-groupe d'Iwahori $I$ donn\'e. On montre tout d'abord que les valeurs d'une telle distribution sur $\mathcal{H}$ sont enti\`erement d\'etermin\'ees par sa restriction au sous-espace de dimension finie des \'el\'ements de $\mathcal{H}$ \`a support dans la r\'eunion des sous-groupes parahoriques de $G$ contenant $I$. On utilise ensuite cette propri\'et\'e pour montrer, moyennant certaines conditions sur $G$, que cet espace est engendr\'e d'une part par certaines int\'egrales orbitales semi-simples, d'autre part par les int\'egrales orbitales unipotentes, en montrant tout d'abord des r\'esultats analogues sur les groupes finis.