The Russell-Koras contractible threefolds are the smooth affine threefolds having a hyperbolic $\mathbb{C}^*$-action with quotient isomorphic to the corresponding quotient of the linear action on the tangent space at the unique fixed point. Koras and Russell gave a concrete description of all such threefolds and determined many interesting properties they possess. We use this description and these properties to compute the equivariant Grothendieck groups of these threefolds. In addition, we give certain equivariant invariants of these rings.

We give explicit formulas for the $L_4$ norm (or equivalently for the merit factors) of various sequences of polynomials related to the polynomials $$ f(z) := \sum_{n=0}^{N-1} \leg{n}{N} z^n. $$ and $$ f_t(z) = \sum_{n=0}^{N-1} \leg{n+t}{N} z^n. $$ where $(\frac{\cdot}{N})$ is the Jacobi symbol. Two cases of particular interest are when $N = pq$ is a product of two primes and $p = q+2$ or $p = q+4$. This extends work of H{\o}holdt, Jensen and Jensen and of the authors. This study arises from a number of conjectures of Erd\H{o}s, Littlewood and others that concern the norms of polynomials with $-1,1$ coefficients on the disc. The current best examples are of the above form when $N$ is prime and it is natural to see what happens for composite~$N$.

We use some results about stable relations to show that some of the simple, stable, projectionless crossed products of $O_2$ by $\bR$ considered by Kishimoto and Kumjian are inductive limits of type I $C^*$-algebras. The type I $C^*$-algebras that arise are pullbacks of finite direct sums of matrix algebras over the continuous functions on the unit interval by finite dimensional $C^*$-algebras.

In this paper, we investigate stratification theory in terms of the defining equations of strata and maps (without tube systems), offering a concrete approach to show that some given family is topologically trivial. In this approach, we consider a weighted version of $(w)$-regularity condition and Kuo's ratio test condition.

In a 1987 paper, Gross introduced certain curves associated to a definite quaternion algebra $B$ over $\Q$; he then proved an analog of his result with Zagier for these curves. In Gross' paper, the curves were defined in a somewhat {\it ad hoc\/} manner. In this article, we present an interpretation of these curves as projective varieties arising from graded rings of automorphic forms on $B^\times$, analogously to the construction in the Satake compactification. To define such graded rings, one needs to introduce a ``multiplication'' of automorphic forms that arises from the representation ring of $B^\times$. The resulting curves are unions of projective lines equipped with a collection of Hecke correspondences. They parametrize two-dimensional complex tori with quaternionic multiplication. In general, these complex tori are not abelian varieties; they are algebraic precisely when they correspond to $\CM$ points on these curves, and are thus isogenous to a product $E \times E$, where $E$ is an elliptic curve with complex multiplication. For these $\CM$ points one can make a relation between the action of the $p$-th Hecke operator and Frobenius at $p$, similar to the well-known congruence relation of Eichler and Shimura.

Let $G$ be a reductive algebraic group defined over $\bQ$, with anisotropic centre. Given a rational action of $G$ on a finite-dimensional vector space $V$, we analyze the truncated integral of the theta series corresponding to a Schwartz-Bruhat function on $V(\bA)$. The Poisson summation formula then yields an identity of distributions on $V(\bA)$. The truncation used is due to Arthur.

We prove that pre-classifiable (see 3.1) simple nuclear tracially AF \CA s (TAF) are classified by their $K$-theory. As a consequence all simple, locally AH and TAF \CA s are in fact AH algebras (it is known that there are locally AH algebras that are not AH). We also prove the following Rationalization Theorem. Let $A$ and $B$ be two unital separable nuclear simple TAF \CA s with unique normalized traces satisfying the Universal Coefficient Theorem. If $A$ and $B$ have the same (ordered and scaled) $K$-theory and $K_0 (A)_+$ is locally finitely generated, then $A \otimes Q \cong B \otimes Q$, where $Q$ is the UHF-algebra with the rational $K_0$. Classification results (with restriction on $K_0$-theory) for the above \CA s are also obtained. For example, we show that, if $A$ and $B$ are unital nuclear separable simple TAF \CA s with the unique normalized trace satisfying the UCT and with $K_1(A) = K_1(B)$, and $A$ and $B$ have the same rational (scaled ordered) $K_0$, then $A \cong B$. Similar results are also obtained for some cases in which $K_0$ is non-divisible such as $K_0(A) = \mathbf{Z} [1/2]$.

Let $G$ be a symmetrizable indefinite Kac-Moody group over $\C$. Let $\Tr_{\La_1},\dots,\Tr_{\La_{2n-l}}$ be the characters of the fundamental irreducible representations of $G$, defined as convergent series on a certain part $G^{\tralg} \subseteq G$. Following Steinberg in the classical case and Br\"uchert in the affine case, we define the Steinberg map $\chi := (\Tr_{\La_1},\dots, \Tr_{\La_{2n-l}})$ as well as the Steinberg cross section $C$, together with a natural parametrisation $\omega \colon \C^{n} \times (\C^\times)^{\,n-l} \to C$. We investigate the local behaviour of $\chi$ on $C$ near $\omega \bigl( (0,\dots,0) \times (1,\dots,1) \bigr)$, and we show that there exists a neighborhood of $(0,\dots,0) \times (1,\dots,1)$, on which $\chi \circ \omega$ is a regular analytical map, satisfying a certain functional identity. This identity has its origin in an action of the center of $G$ on~$C$.

A $\mathbb{Z}_2$-action with ``maximal number of isolated fixed points'' ({\it i.e.}, with only isolated fixed points such that $\dim_k (\oplus_i H^i(M;k)) =|M^{\mathbb{Z}_2}|, k = \mathbb{F}_2)$ on a $3$-dimensional, closed manifold determines a binary self-dual code of length $=|M^{\mathbb{Z}_2}|$. In turn this code determines the cohomology algebra $H^*(M;k)$ and the equivariant cohomology $H^*_{\mathbb{Z}_2}(M;k)$. Hence, from results on binary self-dual codes one gets information about the cohomology type of $3$-manifolds which admit involutions with maximal number of isolated fixed points. In particular, ``most'' cohomology types of closed $3$-manifolds do not admit such involutions. Generalizations of the above result are possible in several directions, {\it e.g.}, one gets that ``most'' cohomology types (over $\mathbb{F}_2)$ of closed $3$-manifolds do not admit a non-trivial involution.

Let $\calG$ be a finite dimensional simple Lie algebra over the complex numbers $C$. Fernando reduced the classification of infinite dimensional simple $\calG$-modules with a finite dimensional weight space to determining the simple torsion free $\calG$-modules for $\calG$ of type $A$ or $C$. These modules were determined by Mathieu and using his work we provide a more elementary construction realizing each one as a submodule of an easily constructed tensor product module.

We determine the poles of the standard intertwining operators for a maximal parabolic subgroup of the quasi-split unitary group defined by a quadratic extension $E/F$ of $p$-adic fields of characteristic zero. We study the case where the Levi component $M \simeq \GL_n (E) \times U_m (F)$, with $n \equiv m$ $(\mod 2)$. This, along with earlier work, determines the poles of the local Rankin-Selberg product $L$-function $L(s, \tau' \times \tau)$, with $\tau'$ an irreducible unitary supercuspidal representation of $\GL_n (E)$ and $\tau$ a generic irreducible unitary supercuspidal representation of $U_m (F)$. The results are interpreted using the theory of twisted endoscopy.

In this paper it is shown that inclusions inside the Segal-Wilson Grassmannian give rise to Darboux transformations between the solutions of the $\KP$ hierarchy corresponding to these planes. We present a closed form of the operators that procure the transformation and express them in the related geometric data. Further the associated transformation on the level of $\tau$-functions is given.

We have seen, in the previous works [5], [6], that the argument of a certain product is closely connected to that of the cubic Gauss sum. Here the absolute value of the product will be investigated.

Giordano, Putnam and Skau showed that the transformation group $C^*$-algebra arising from a Cantor minimal system is an $AT$-algebra, and classified it by its $K$-theory. For approximately inner automorphisms that preserve $C(X)$, we will determine their classes in the Ext and OrderExt groups, and introduce a new invariant for the closure of the topological full group. We will also prove that every automorphism in the kernel of the homomorphism into the Ext group is homotopic to an inner automorphism, which extends Kishimoto's result.

The concept of $R$-diagonal element was introduced in \cite{NS2}, and was subsequently found to have applications to several problems in free probability. In this paper we describe a new approach to $R$-diagonality, which relies on freeness with amalgamation. The class of $R$-diagonal elements is enlarged to contain examples living in non-tracial $*$-probability spaces, such as the generalized circular elements of \cite{Sh1}.

If $\mathfrak{A}$ is a finite alphabet, $\sU \subset\mathbb{Z}^D$, and $\mu_\sU$ is a probability measure on $\mathfrak{A}^\sU$ that ``looks like'' the marginal projection of a stationary stochastic process on $\mathfrak{A}^{\mathbb{Z}^D}$, then can we ``extend'' $\mu_\sU$ to such a process? Under what conditions can we make this extension ergodic, (quasi)periodic, or (weakly) mixing? After surveying classical work on this problem when $D=1$, we provide some sufficient conditions and some necessary conditions for $\mu_\sU$ to be extendible for $D>1$, and show that, in general, the problem is not formally decidable.

For $c>1$ we denote by $\pi_c(x)$ the number of integers $n \leq x$ such that $\floor{n^c}$ is prime. In 1953, Piatetski-Shapiro has proved that $\pi_c(x) \sim \frac{x}{c\log x}$, $x \rightarrow +\infty$ holds for $c<12/11$. Many authors have extended this range, which measures our progress in exponential sums techniques. In this article we obtain $c < 1.16117\dots\;$.

Habib Muzaffar of Carleton University has pointed out to the authors that in their paper [A] only the result \[ \pi_{K,d}(x)+\pi_{K^{-1},d}(x)=\frac{1}{h(d)}\frac{x}{\log x}+O_{K,d}\Bigl(\frac {x}{\log^2x}\Bigr) \] follows from the prime ideal theorem with remainder for ideal classes, and not the stronger result \[ \pi_{K,d}(x)=\frac{1}{2h(d)}\frac{x}{\log x}+O_{K,d}\Bigl(\frac {x}{\log^2x}\Bigr) \] stated in Lemma~5.2. This necessitates changes in Sections~5 and 6 of [A]. The main results of the paper are not affected by these changes. It should also be noted that, starting on page 177 of [A], each and every occurrence of $o(s-1)$ should be replaced by $o(1)$. Sections~5 and 6 of [A] have been rewritten to incorporate the above mentioned correction and are given below. They should replace the original Sections~5 and 6 of [A].

In this paper, we study the Mordell-Weil group of an elliptic curve as a Galois module. We consider an elliptic curve $E$ defined over a number field $K$ whose Mordell-Weil rank over a Galois extension $F$ is $1$, $2$ or $3$. We show that $E$ acquires a point (points) of infinite order over a field whose Galois group is one of $C_n \times C_m$ ($n= 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, m= 1, 2$), $D_n \times C_m$ ($n= 2, 3, 4, 6, m= 1, 2$), $A_4 \times C_m$ ($m=1,2$), $S_4 \times C_m$ ($m=1,2$). Next, we consider the case where $E$ has complex multiplication by the ring of integers $\o$ of an imaginary quadratic field $\k$ contained in $K$. Suppose that the $\o$-rank over a Galois extension $F$ is $1$ or $2$. If $\k\neq\Q(\sqrt{-1})$ and $\Q(\sqrt{-3})$ and $h_{\k}$ (class number of $\k$) is odd, we show that $E$ acquires positive $\o$-rank over a cyclic extension of $K$ or over a field whose Galois group is one of $\SL_2(\Z/3\Z)$, an extension of $\SL_2(\Z/3\Z)$ by $\Z/2\Z$, or a central extension by the dihedral group. Finally, we discuss the relation of the above results to the vanishing of $L$-functions.

A homogeneous real polynomial $p$ is {\em hyperbolic} with respect to a given vector $d$ if the univariate polynomial $t \mapsto p(x-td)$ has all real roots for all vectors $x$. Motivated by partial differential equations, G{\aa}rding proved in 1951 that the largest such root is a convex function of $x$, and showed various ways of constructing new hyperbolic polynomials. We present a powerful new such construction, and use it to generalize G{\aa}rding's result to arbitrary symmetric functions of the roots. Many classical and recent inequalities follow easily. We develop various convex-analytic tools for such symmetric functions, of interest in interior-point methods for optimization problems over related cones.

Bivariate polynomials with a fixed leading term $x^m y^n$, which deviate least from zero in the uniform or $L^2$-norm on the unit disk $D$ (resp. a triangle) are given explicitly. A similar problem in $L^p$, $1 \le p \le \infty$, is studied on $D$ in the set of products of linear polynomials.

A contractive $n$-tuple $A=(A_1,\dots,A_n)$ has a minimal joint isometric dilation $S=\break (S_1,\dots,S_n)$ where the $S_i$'s are isometries with pairwise orthogonal ranges. This determines a representation of the Cuntz-Toeplitz algebra. When $A$ acts on a finite dimensional space, the $\wot$-closed nonself-adjoint algebra $\fS$ generated by $S$ is completely described in terms of the properties of $A$. This provides complete unitary invariants for the corresponding representations. In addition, we show that the algebra $\fS$ is always hyper-reflexive. In the last section, we describe similarity invariants. In particular, an $n$-tuple $B$ of $d\times d$ matrices is similar to an irreducible $n$-tuple $A$ if and only if a certain finite set of polynomials vanish on $B$.

We generalise the two-sided construction of examples of pairs of subfactors of the hyperfinite II$_1$ factor $R$ in [E1]---which arise by considering unitary braid representations with certain properties---to multi-sided pairs. We show that the index for the multi-sided pair can be expressed as a power of that for the two-sided pair. This construction can be applied to the natural examples---where the braid representations are obtained in connection with the representation theory of Lie algebras of types $A$, $B$, $C$, $D$. We also compute the (first) relative commutants.

We give a description of the monoid of Murray-von Neumann equivalence classes of projections for multiplier algebras of a wide class of $\sigma$-unital simple $C^\ast$-algebras $A$ with real rank zero and stable rank one. The lattice of ideals of this monoid, which is known to be crucial for understanding the ideal structure of the multiplier algebra $\mul$, is therefore analyzed. In important cases it is shown that, if $A$ has finite scale then the quotient of $\mul$ modulo any closed ideal $I$ that properly contains $A$ has stable rank one. The intricacy of the ideal structure of $\mul$ is reflected in the fact that $\mul$ can have uncountably many different quotients, each one having uncountably many closed ideals forming a chain with respect to inclusion.

For a dense $G_\delta$ set of real parameters $\theta$ in $[0,1]$ (containing the rationals) it is shown that the group $K_0 (A_\theta \rtimes_\sigma \mathbb{Z}_4)$ is isomorphic to $\mathbb{Z}^9$, where $A_\theta$ is the rotation C*-algebra generated by unitaries $U$, $V$ satisfying $VU = e^{2\pi i\theta} UV$ and $\sigma$ is the Fourier automorphism of $A_\theta$ defined by $\sigma(U) = V$, $\sigma(V) = U^{-1}$. More precisely, an explicit basis for $K_0$ consisting of nine canonical modules is given. (A slight generalization of this result is also obtained for certain separable continuous fields of unital C*-algebras over $[0,1]$.) The Connes Chern character $\ch \colon K_0 (A_\theta \rtimes_\sigma \mathbb{Z}_4) \to H^{\ev} (A_\theta \rtimes_\sigma \mathbb{Z}_4)^*$ is shown to be injective for a dense $G_\delta$ set of parameters $\theta$. The main computational tool in this paper is a group homomorphism $\vtr \colon K_0 (A_\theta \rtimes_\sigma \mathbb{Z}_4) \to \mathbb{R}^8 \times \mathbb{Z}$ obtained from the Connes Chern character by restricting the functionals in its codomain to a certain nine-dimensional subspace of $H^{\ev} (A_\theta \rtimes_\sigma \mathbb{Z}_4)$. The range of $\vtr$ is fully determined for each $\theta$. (We conjecture that this subspace is all of $H^{\ev}$.)

The representation parabolically induced from an irreducible supercuspidal representation is considered. Irreducible components of Jacquet modules with respect to induction in stages are given. The results are used for consideration of generalized Steinberg representations.

We classify all 3 letter patterns that are avoidable in the abelian sense. A short list of four letter patterns for which abelian avoidance is undecided is given. Using a generalization of Zimin words we deduce some properties of $\o$-words avoiding these patterns.

We present a new approach to singular reduction of Hamiltonian systems with symmetries. The tools we use are the category of differential spaces of Sikorski and the Stefan-Sussmann theorem. The former is applied to analyze the differential structure of the spaces involved and the latter is used to prove that some of these spaces are smooth manifolds. Our main result is the identification of accessible sets of the generalized distribution spanned by the Hamiltonian vector fields of invariant functions with singular reduced spaces. We are also able to describe the differential structure of a singular reduced space corresponding to a coadjoint orbit which need not be locally closed.

The proof of Lemma~3.4 in [F] relies on the incorrect equality $\mu_j (AB) = \mu_j (BA)$ for singular values (for a counterexample, see [S, p.~4]). Thus, Theorem~3.1 as stated has not been proven. However, with minor changes, we can obtain a bound for the counting function in terms of the growth of the Fourier transform of $|V|$.

The question of counting minimal factorizations of permutations into transpositions that act transitively on a set has been studied extensively in the geometrical setting of ramified coverings of the sphere and in the algebraic setting of symmetric functions. It is natural, however, from a combinatorial point of view to ask how such results are affected by counting up to equivalence of factorizations, where two factorizations are equivalent if they differ only by the interchange of adjacent factors that commute. We obtain an explicit and elegant result for the number of such factorizations of permutations with precisely two factors. The approach used is a combinatorial one that rests on two constructions. We believe that this approach, and the combinatorial primitives that have been developed for the ``cut and join'' analysis, will also assist with the general case.

We show that the Seiberg-Witten invariants of a lens space determine and are determined by its Casson-Walker invariant and its Reidemeister-Turaev torsion.

Let $\Gamma$ be a torsion free lattice in $G=\PGL(3, \mathbb{F})$ where $\mathbb{F}$ is a nonarchimedean local field. Then $\Gamma$ acts freely on the affine Bruhat-Tits building $\mathcal{B}$ of $G$ and there is an induced action on the boundary $\Omega$ of $\mathcal{B}$. The crossed product $C^*$-algebra $\mathcal{A}(\Gamma)=C(\Omega) \rtimes \Gamma$ depends only on $\Gamma$ and is classified by its $K$-theory. This article shows how to compute the $K$-theory of $\mathcal{A}(\Gamma)$ and of the larger class of rank two Cuntz-Krieger algebras.

Let $X$ be a nonsingular algebraic variety in characteristic zero. To an effective divisor on $X$ Kontsevich has associated a certain motivic integral, living in a completion of the Grothendieck ring of algebraic varieties. He used this invariant to show that birational (smooth, projective) Calabi-Yau varieties have the same Hodge numbers. Then Denef and Loeser introduced the invariant {\it motivic (Igusa) zeta function}, associated to a regular function on $X$, which specializes to both the classical $p$-adic Igusa zeta function and the topological zeta function, and also to Kontsevich's invariant. This paper treats a generalization to singular varieties. Batyrev already considered such a `Kontsevich invariant' for log terminal varieties (on the level of Hodge polynomials of varieties instead of in the Grothendieck ring), and previously we introduced a motivic zeta function on normal surface germs. Here on any $\bbQ$-Gorenstein variety $X$ we associate a motivic zeta function and a `Kontsevich invariant' to effective $\bbQ$-Cartier divisors on $X$ whose support contains the singular locus of~$X$.

Let $p_w(n)$ be the weighted partition function defined by the generating function $\sum^\infty_{n=0}p_w(n)x^n=\prod^\infty_{m=1} (1-x^m)^{-w(m)}$, where $w(m)$ is a non-negative arithmetic function. Let $P_w(u)=\sum_{n\le u}p_w(n)$ and $N_w(u)=\sum_{n\le u}w(n)$ be the summatory functions for $p_w(n)$ and $w(n)$, respectively. Generalizing results of G.~A.~Freiman and E.~E.~Kohlbecker, we show that, for a large class of functions $\Phi(u)$ and $\lambda(u)$, an estimate for $P_w(u)$ of the form $\log P_w(u)=\Phi(u)\bigl\{1+O(1/\lambda(u)\bigr)\bigr\}$ $(u\to\infty)$ implies an estimate for $N_w(u)$ of the form $N_w(u)=\Phi^\ast(u)\bigl\{1+O\bigl(1/\log\lambda(u)\bigr)\bigr\}$ $(u\to\infty)$ with a suitable function $\Phi^\ast(u)$ defined in terms of $\Phi(u)$. We apply this result and related results to obtain characterizations of the Riemann Hypothesis and the Generalized Riemann Hypothesis in terms of the asymptotic behavior of certain weighted partition functions.

In this paper, we establish a number of theorems on the classic Diophantine equation of S.~S.~Pillai, $a^x-b^y=c$, where $a$, $b$ and $c$ are given nonzero integers with $a,b \geq 2$. In particular, we obtain the sharp result that there are at most two solutions in positive integers $x$ and $y$ and deduce a variety of explicit conditions under which there exists at most a single such solution. These improve or generalize prior work of Le, Leveque, Pillai, Scott and Terai. The main tools used include lower bounds for linear forms in the logarithms of (two) algebraic numbers and various elementary arguments.

Let $\H$ be the Hilbert function of some set of distinct points in $\P^n$ and let $\alpha = \alpha (\H)$ be the least degree of a hypersurface of $\P^n$ containing these points. Write $\alpha = d_s + d_{s-1} + \cdots + d_1$ (where $d_i > 0$). We canonically decompose $\H$ into $s$ other Hilbert functions $\H \leftrightarrow (\H_s^\prime, \dots, \H_1^\prime)$ and show how to find sets of distinct points $\Y_s, \dots, \Y_1$, lying on reduced hypersurfaces of degrees $d_s, \dots, d_1$ (respectively) such that the Hilbert function of $\Y_i$ is $\H_i^\prime$ and the Hilbert function of $\Y = \bigcup_{i=1}^s \Y_i$ is $\H$. Some extremal properties of this canonical decomposition are also explored.

Let $G$ be a solvable exponential Lie group. We characterize all the continuous topologically irreducible bounded representations $(T, \calU)$ of $G$ on a Banach space $\calU$ by giving a $G$-orbit in $\frn^*$ ($\frn$ being the nilradical of $\frg$), a topologically irreducible representation of $L^1(\RR^n, \o)$, for a certain weight $\o$ and a certain $n \in \NN$, and a topologically simple extension norm. If $G$ is not symmetric, \ie, if the weight $\o$ is exponential, we get a new type of representations which are fundamentally different from the induced representations. Soit $G$ un groupe de Lie r\'esoluble exponentiel. Nous caract\'erisons toutes les repr\'esentations $(T, \calU)$ continues born\'ees topologiquement irr\'eductibles de $G$ dans un espace de Banach $\calU$ \`a l'aide d'une $G$-orbite dans $\frn^*$ ($\frn$ \'etant le radical nilpotent de $\frg$), d'une repr\'esentation topologiquement irr\'eductible de $L^1(\RR^n, \o)$, pour un certain poids $\o$ et un certain $n \in \NN$, d'une norme d'extension topologiquement simple. Si $G$ n'est pas sym\'etrique, c. \`a d. si le poids $\o$ est exponentiel, nous obtenons un nouveau type de repr\'esentations qui sont fondamentalement diff\'erentes des repr\'esentations induites.

We prove a number of results about the stable and particularly the real ranks of tensor products of \ca s under the assumption that one of the factors is commutative. In particular, we prove the following: {\raggedright \begin{enumerate}[(5)] \item[(1)] If $X$ is any locally compact $\sm$-compact Hausdorff space and $A$ is any \ca, then\break $\RR \bigl( C_0 (X) \otimes A \bigr) \leq \dim (X) + \RR(A)$. \item[(2)] If $X$ is any locally compact Hausdorff space and $A$ is any \pisca, then $\RR \bigl( C_0 (X) \otimes A \bigr) \leq 1$. \item[(3)] $\RR \bigl( C ([0,1]) \otimes A \bigr) \geq 1$ for any nonzero \ca\ $A$, and $\sr \bigl( C ([0,1]^2) \otimes A \bigr) \geq 2$ for any unital \ca\ $A$. \item[(4)] If $A$ is a unital \ca\ such that $\RR(A) = 0$, $\sr (A) = 1$, and $K_1 (A) = 0$, then\break $\sr \bigl( C ([0,1]) \otimes A \bigr) = 1$. \item[(5)] There is a simple separable unital nuclear \ca\ $A$ such that $\RR(A) = 1$ and\break $\sr \bigl( C ([0,1]) \otimes A \bigr) = 1$. \end{enumerate}}

We prove that the operators $\int_{\mathbb{R}_+^2} e^{ix^a \cdot y^b} \varphi (x,y) f(y)\, dy$ map $L^p(\mathbb{R}^2)$ into itself for $p \in J =\bigl[\frac{a_l+b_l}{a_l+(\frac{b_l r}{2})},\frac{a_l+b_l} {a_l(1-\frac{r}{2})}\bigr]$ if $a_l,b_l\ge 1$ and $\varphi(x,y)=|x-y|^{-r}$, $0\le r <2$, the result is sharp. Generalizations to dimensions $d>2$ are indicated.

We prove comparison theorems for the probability of life in a Lipschitz domain between Brownian motion and random walks. On donne des th\'eor\`emes de comparaison pour la probabilit\'e de vie dans un domain Lipschitzien entre le Brownien et de marches al\'eatoires.

Monotone paths on zonotopes and the natural generalization to maximal chains in the poset of topes of an oriented matroid or arrangement of pseudo-hyperplanes are studied with respect to a kind of local move, called polygon move or flip. It is proved that any monotone path on a $d$-dimensional zonotope with $n$ generators admits at least $\lceil 2n/(n-d+2) \rceil-1$ flips for all $n \ge d+2 \ge 4$ and that for any fixed value of $n-d$, this lower bound is sharp for infinitely many values of $n$. In particular, monotone paths on zonotopes which admit only three flips are constructed in each dimension $d \ge 3$. Furthermore, the previously known 2-connectivity of the graph of monotone paths on a polytope is extended to the 2-connectivity of the graph of maximal chains of topes of an oriented matroid. An application in the context of Coxeter groups of a result known to be valid for monotone paths on simple zonotopes is included.

Soient $F$ un corps commutatif localement compact non archim\'edien et $\psi$ un caract\`ere additif non trivial de $F$. Soient $n$ et $n'$ deux entiers distincts, sup\'erieurs \`a $1$. Soient $\pi$ et $\pi'$ des repr\'esentations irr\'eductibles supercuspidales de $\GL_n(F)$, $\GL_{n'}(F)$ respectivement. Nous prouvons qu'il existe un \'el\'ement $c= c(\pi,\pi',\psi)$ de $F^\times$ tel que pour tout quasicaract\`ere mod\'er\'e $\chi$ de $F^\times$ on ait $\varepsilon(\chi\pi\times \pi',s,\psi) = \chi(c)^{-1}\varepsilon(\pi\times\pi',s,\psi)$. Nous examinons aussi certains cas o\`u $n=n'$, $\pi'=\pi^\vee$. Les r\'esultats obtenus forment une \'etape vers une d\'emonstration de la conjecture de Langlands pour $F$, qui ne fasse pas appel \`a la g\'eom\'etrie des vari\'et\'es modulaires, de Shimura ou de Drinfeld. Let $F$ be a non-Archimedean local field, and $\psi$ a non-trivial additive character of $F$. Let $n$ and $n'$ be distinct positive integers. Let $\pi$, $\pi'$ be irreducible supercuspidal representations of $\GL_n(F)$, $\GL_{n'}(F)$ respectively. We prove that there is $c= c(\pi,\pi',\psi)\in F^\times$ such that for every tame quasicharacter $\chi$ of $F^\times$ we have $\varepsilon(\chi\pi\times \pi',s,\psi) = \chi(c)^{-1}\varepsilon(\pi\times\pi',s,\psi)$. We also treat some cases where $n=n'$ and $\pi'=\pi^\vee$. These results are steps towards a proof of the Langlands conjecture for $F$, which would not use the geometry of modular---Shimura or Drinfeld---varieties.

We prove a strong variant of the Borwein-Preiss variational principle, and show that on Asplund spaces, Stegall's variational principle follows from it via a generalized Smulyan test. Applications are discussed.

We provide the reader with a uniform approach for obtaining various useful explicit upper bounds on residues of Dedekind zeta functions of numbers fields and on absolute values of values at $s=1$ of $L$-series associated with primitive characters on ray class groups of number fields. To make it quite clear to the reader how useful such bounds are when dealing with class number problems for $\CM$-fields, we deduce an upper bound for the root discriminants of the normal $\CM$-fields with (relative) class number one.

We show that the Elliott invariant is a classifying invariant for the class of $C^*$-algebras that are simple unital infinite dimensional inductive limits of finite direct sums of building blocks of the form $$ \{f \in C(\T) \otimes M_n : f(x_i) \in M_{d_i}, i = 1,2,\dots,N\}, $$ where $x_1,x_2,\dots,x_N \in \T$, $d_1,d_2,\dots,d_N$ are integers dividing $n$, and $M_{d_i}$ is embedded unitally into $M_n$. Furthermore we prove existence and uniqueness theorems for $*$-homomorphisms between such algebras and we identify the range of the invariant.

A theorem of Donaldson on the existence of Hermitian-Einstein metrics on stable holomorphic bundles over a compact K\"ahler surface is extended to bundles which are parabolic along an effective divisor with normal crossings. Orbifold methods, together with a suitable approximation theorem, are used following an approach successful for the case of Riemann surfaces.

No abstract.