We study complex commutative Banach algebras (and, more generally, continuous inverse algebras) in which the holomorphic functions of a fixed $n$-tuple of elements are dense. In particular, we characterize the compact subsets of~$\C^n$ which appear as joint spectra of such $n$-tuples. The characterization is compared with several established notions of holomorphic convexity by means of approximation conditions.

K.~Ding studied a class of Schubert varieties $X_\lambda$ in type A partial flag manifolds, indexed by integer partitions $\lambda$ and in bijection with dominant permutations. He observed that the Schubert cell structure of $X_\lambda$ is indexed by maximal rook placements on the Ferrers board $B_\lambda$, and that the integral cohomology groups $H^*(X_\lambda;\:\Zz)$, $H^*(X_\mu;\:\Zz)$ are additively isomorphic exactly when the Ferrers boards $B_\lambda, B_\mu$ satisfy the combinatorial condition of rook-equivalence. We classify the varieties $X_\lambda$ up to isomorphism, distinguishing them by their graded cohomology rings with integer coefficients. The crux of our approach is studying the nilpotence orders of linear forms in the cohomology ring.

We construct a continuum of mutually non-isomorphic separable Banach spaces which are complemented in each other. Consequently, the Schroeder--Bernstein Index of any of these spaces is $2^{\aleph_0}$. Our construction is based on a Banach space introduced by W. T. Gowers and B. Maurey in 1997. We also use classical descriptive set theory methods, as in some work of the first author and C. Rosendal, to improve some results of P. G. Casazza and of N. J. Kalton on the Schroeder--Bernstein Property for spaces with an unconditional finite-dimensional Schauder decomposition.

Let $C$ be the class of convex sequences of real numbers. The quadratic irrational numbers can be partitioned into two types as follows. If $\alpha$ is of the first type and $(c_k) \in C$, then $\sum (-1)^{\lfloor k\alpha \rfloor} c_k$ converges if and only if $c_k \log k \rightarrow 0$. If $\alpha$ is of the second type and $(c_k) \in C$, then $\sum (-1)^{\lfloor k\alpha \rfloor} c_k$ converges if and only if $\sum c_k/k$ converges. An example of a quadratic irrational of the first type is $\sqrt{2}$, and an example of the second type is $\sqrt{3}$. The analysis of this problem relies heavily on the representation of $ \alpha$ as a simple continued fraction and on properties of the sequences of partial sums $S(n)=\sum_{k=1}^n (-1)^{\lfloor k\alpha \rfloor}$ and double partial sums $T(n)=\sum_{k=1}^n S(k)$.

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 $\ell(I\m/J\m)=1.$

Let $\phi(n)$ be the Euler phi-function, define $\phi_0(n) = n$ and $\phi_{k+1}(n)=\phi(\phi_{k}(n))$ for all $k\geq 0$. We will determine an asymptotic formula for the set of integers $n$ less than $x$ for which $\phi_k(n)$ is $y$-smooth, conditionally on a weak form of the Elliott--Halberstam conjecture.

In this paper we prove the unitarity of duals of tempered representations supported on minimal parabolic subgroups for split classical $p$-adic groups. We also construct a family of unitary spherical representations for real and complex classical groups

Purely simple Kronecker modules ${\mathcal M}$, built from an algebraically closed field $K$, arise from a triplet $(m,h,\alpha)$ where $m$ is a positive integer, $h\colon\ktil\ar \{\infty,0,1,2,3,\dots\}$ is a height function, and $\alpha$ is a $K$-linear functional on the space $\krx$ of rational functions in one variable $X$. Every pair $(h,\alpha)$ comes with a polynomial $f$ in $K(X)[Y]$ called the regulator. When the module ${\mathcal M}$ admits non-trivial endomorphisms, $f$ must be linear or quadratic in $Y$. In that case ${\mathcal M}$ is purely simple if and only if $f$ is an irreducible quadratic. Then the $K$-algebra $\edm\cm$ embeds in the quadratic function field $\krx[Y]/(f)$. For some height functions $h$ of infinite support $I$, the search for a functional $\alpha$ for which $(h,\alpha)$ has regulator $0$ comes down to having functions $\eta\colon I\ar K$ such that no planar curve intersects the graph of $\eta$ on a cofinite subset. If $K$ has characterictic not $2$, and the triplet $(m,h,\alpha)$ gives a purely-simple Kronecker module ${\mathcal M}$ having non-trivial endomorphisms, then $h$ attains the value $\infty$ at least once on $\ktil$ and $h$ is finite-valued at least twice on $\ktil$. Conversely all these $h$ form part of such triplets. The proof of this result hinges on the fact that a rational function $r$ is a perfect square in $\krx$ if and only if $r$ is a perfect square in the completions of $\krx$ with respect to all of its valuations.

For each real number $\xi$, let $\lambdahat_2(\xi)$ denote the supremum of all real numbers $\lambda$ such that, for each sufficiently large $X$, the inequalities $|x_0| \le X$, $|x_0\xi-x_1| \le X^{-\lambda}$ and $|x_0\xi^2-x_2| \le X^{-\lambda}$ admit a solution in integers $x_0$, $x_1$ and $x_2$ not all zero, and let $\omegahat_2(\xi)$ denote the supremum of all real numbers $\omega$ such that, for each sufficiently large $X$, the dual inequalities $|x_0+x_1\xi+x_2\xi^2| \le X^{-\omega}$, $|x_1| \le X$ and $|x_2| \le X$ admit a solution in integers $x_0$, $x_1$ and $x_2$ not all zero. Answering a question of Y.~Bugeaud and M.~Laurent, we show that the exponents $\lambdahat_2(\xi)$ where $\xi$ ranges through all real numbers with $[\bQ(\xi)\wcol\bQ]>2$ form a dense subset of the interval $[1/2, (\sqrt{5}-1)/2]$ while, for the same values of $\xi$, the dual exponents $\omegahat_2(\xi)$ form a dense subset of $[2, (\sqrt{5}+3)/2]$. Part of the proof rests on a result of V.~Jarn\'{\i}k showing that $\lambdahat_2(\xi) = 1-\omegahat_2(\xi)^{-1}$ for any real number $\xi$ with $[\bQ(\xi)\wcol\bQ]>2$.

This paper studies the Laplacian operator on a metrized graph, and its spectral theory.

We characterize the pairs of weights $(v,w)$ for which the operator $Tf(x)=g(x)\int_{s(x)}^{h(x)}f$ with $s$ and $h$ increasing and continuous functions is of strong type $(p,q)$ or weak type $(p,q)$ with respect to the pair $(v,w)$ in the case $0<q<p$ and $1<p<\infty$. The result for the weak type is new while the characterizations for the strong type improve the ones given by H.~P. Heinig and G. Sinnamon. In particular, we do not assume differentiability properties on $s$ and $h$ and we obtain that the strong type inequality $(p,q)$, $q<p$, is characterized by the fact that the function $$\Phi(x)=\sup \Bigl(\int_c^dg^qw\Bigr)^{1/p} \Bigl(\int_{s(d)}^{h(c)}v^{1-p'}\Bigr)^{1/p'}$$ belongs to $L^{r}(g^qw)$, where $1/r=1/q-1/p$ and the supremum is taken over all $c$ and $d$ such that $c\le x\le d$ and $s(d)\leq h(c)$.

Call a non-Moufang Bol loop minimally non-Moufang if every proper subloop is Moufang and 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.

This paper describes new results on the growth and zeros of the Ruelle zeta function for the Julia set of a hyperbolic rational map. It is shown that the zeta function is bounded by $\exp(C_K |s|^{\delta})$ in strips $|\Real s| \leq K$, where $\delta$ is the dimension of the Julia set. This leads to bounds on the number of zeros in strips (interpreted as the Pollicott--Ruelle resonances of this dynamical system). An upper bound on the number of zeros in polynomial regions $\{|\Real s | \leq |\Imag s|^\alpha\}$ is given, followed by weaker lower bound estimates in strips $\{\Real s > -C, |\Imag s|\leq r\}$, and logarithmic neighbourhoods $\{ |\Real s | \leq \rho \log |\Imag s| \}$. Recent numerical work of Strain--Zworski suggests the upper bounds in strips are optimal.

For a commutative local ring $R$, consider (noncommutative) $R$-algebras $\Lambda$ of the form $\Lambda = \operatorname{End}_R(M)$ where $M$ is a reflexive $R$-module with nonzero free direct summand. Such algebras $\Lambda$ of finite global dimension can be viewed as potential substitutes for, or analogues of, a resolution of singularities of $\operatorname{Spec} R$. For example, Van den Bergh has shown that a three-dimensional Gorenstein normal $\mathbb{C}$-algebra with isolated terminal singularities has a crepant resolution of singularities if and only if it has such an algebra $\Lambda$ with finite global dimension and which is maximal Cohen--Macaulay over $R$ (a ``noncommutative crepant resolution of singularities''). We produce algebras $\Lambda=\operatorname{End}_R(M)$ having finite global dimension in two contexts: when $R$ is a reduced one-dimensional complete local ring, or when $R$ is a Cohen--Macaulay local ring of finite Cohen--Macaulay type. If in the latter case $R$ is Gorenstein, then the construction gives a noncommutative crepant resolution of singularities in the sense of Van den Bergh.

Let $A$ be a separable amenable purely infinite simple \CA which satisfies the Universal Coefficient Theorem. We prove that $A$ is weakly semiprojective if and only if $K_i(A)$ is a countable direct sum of finitely generated groups ($i=0,1$). Therefore, if $A$ is such a \CA, for any $\ep>0$ and any finite subset ${\mathcal F}\subset A$ there exist $\dt>0$ and a finite subset ${\mathcal G}\subset A$ satisfying the following: for any contractive positive linear map $L: A\to B$ (for any \CA $B$) with $ \|L(ab)-L(a)L(b)\|<\dt$ for $a, b\in {\mathcal G}$ there exists a homomorphism $h\from A\to B$ such that $ \|h(a)-L(a)\|<\ep$ for $a\in {\mathcal F}$.

We determine which isogeny classes of supersingular abelian surfaces over a finite field $k$ of characteristic $2$ contain jacobians. We deal with this problem in a direct way by computing explicitly the zeta function of all supersingular curves of genus $2$. Our procedure is constructive, so that we are able to exhibit curves with prescribed zeta function and find formulas for the number of curves, up to $k$-isomorphism, leading to the same zeta function.

Dans cet article on \'etudie la diff\'erence entre les deux premi\`eres valeurs propres, le splitting, d'un op\'erateur de Klein--Gordon semi-classique unidimensionnel, dans le cas d'un potentiel sym\'etrique pr\'esentant un double puits. Dans le cas d'une petite barri\`ere de potentiel, B. Helffer et B. Parisse ont obtenu des r\'esultats analogues \`a ceux existant pour l'op\'erateur de Schr\"odinger. Dans le cas d'une grande barri\`ere de potentiel, on obtient ici des estimations des tranform\'ees de Fourier des fonctions propres qui conduisent \`a une conjecture du splitting. Des calculs num\'eriques viennent appuyer cette conjecture.

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.

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 $F$ 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.

In previous papers, Barr and Raphael investigated the situation of a topological space $Y$ and a subspace $X$ such that the induced map $C(Y)\to C(X)$ is an epimorphism in the category $\CR$ of commutative rings (with units). We call such an embedding a $\CR$-epic embedding and we say that $X$ is absolute $\CR$-epic if every embedding of $X$ is $\CR$-epic. We continue this investigation. Our most notable result shows that a Lindel\"of space $X$ is absolute $\CR$-epic if a countable intersection of $\beta X$-neighbourhoods of $X$ is a $\beta X$-neighbourhood of $X$. This condition is stable under countable sums, the formation of closed subspaces, cozero-subspaces, and being the domain or codomain of a perfect map. A strengthening of the Lindel\"of property leads to a new class with the same closure properties that is also closed under finite products. Moreover, all \s-compact spaces and all Lindel\"of $P$-spaces satisfy this stronger condition. We get some results in the non-Lindel\"of case that are sufficient to show that the Dieudonn\'e plank and some closely related spaces are absolute $\CR$-epic.

We consider the $k$-osculating varieties $O_{k,n.d}$ to the (Veronese) $d$-uple embeddings of $\PP^n$. We study the dimension of their higher secant varieties via inverse systems (apolarity). By associating certain 0-dimensional schemes $Y\subset \PP^n$ to $O^s_{k,n,d}$ and by studying their Hilbert functions, we are able, in several cases, to determine whether those secant varieties are defective or not.

We give a two dimensional extension of the three distance Theorem. Let $\theta$ be in $\mathbf{R}^{2}$ and let $q$ be in $\mathbf{N}$. There exists a triangulation of $\mathbf{R}^{2}$ invariant by $\mathbf{Z}^{2}$-translations, whose set of vertices is $\mathbf{Z}^{2}+\{0,\theta,\dots,q\theta\}$, and whose number of different triangles, up to translations, is bounded above by a constant which does not depend on $\theta$ and $q$.

Let $K$ be a real quadratic field, and $p$ a rational prime which is inert in $K$. Let $\alpha$ be a modular unit on $\Gamma_0(N)$. In an earlier joint article with Henri Darmon, we presented the definition of an element $u(\alpha, \tau) \in K_p^\times$ attached to $\alpha$ and each $\tau \in K$. We conjectured that the $p$-adic number $u(\alpha, \tau)$ lies in a specific ring class extension of $K$ depending on $\tau$, and proposed a ``Shimura reciprocity law" describing the permutation action of Galois on the set of $u(\alpha, \tau)$. This article provides computational evidence for these conjectures. We present an efficient algorithm for computing $u(\alpha, \tau)$, and implement this algorithm with the modular unit $\alpha(z) = \Delta(z)^2\Delta(4z)/\Delta(2z)^3.$ Using $p = 3, 5, 7,$ and $11$, and all real quadratic fields $K$ with discriminant $D < 500$ such that $2$ splits in $K$ and $K$ contains no unit of negative norm, we obtain results supporting our conjectures. One of the theoretical results in this paper is that a certain measure used to define $u(\alpha, \tau)$ is shown to be $\mathbf{Z}$-valued rather than only $\mathbf{Z}_p \cap \mathbf{Q}$-valued; this is an improvement over our previous result and allows for a precise definition of $u(\alpha, \tau)$, instead of only up to a root of unity.

We study the cardinal invariants of analytic $P$-ideals, concentrating on the ideal $\mathcal{Z}$ of asymptotic density zero. Among other results we prove $ \min\{ \mathfrak{b},\cov\ (\mathcal{N}) \} \leq\cov^{\ast}(\mathcal{Z}) \leq\max\{ \mathfrak{b},\non(\mathcal{N}) \right\}. $

Let $(Y,T)$ be a minimal suspension flow built over a dynamical system $(X,S)$ and with (strictly positive, continuous) ceiling function $f\colon X\to\R$. We show that the eigenvalues of $(Y,T)$ are contained in the range of a trace on the $K_0$-group of $(X,S)$. Moreover, a trace gives an order isomorphism of a subgroup of $K_0(\cprod{C(X)}{S})$ with the group of eigenvalues of $(Y,T)$. Using this result, we relate the values of $t$ for which the time-$t$ map on the minimal suspension flow is minimal with the $K$-theory of the base of this suspension.

We use Krivine's form of the Grothendieck inequality to renorm the space of bounded linear maps acting between Banach lattices. We construct preduals and describe the nuclear operators associated with these preduals for this renormed space of bounded operators as well as for the spaces of $p$-convex, $p$-concave and positive $p$-summing operators acting between Banach lattices and Banach spaces. The nuclear operators obtained are described in terms of factorizations through classical Banach spaces via positive operators.

We give bounds on the distance from a non-zero idempotent to the set of nilpotents in the set of $n\times n$ matrices in terms of the norm of the idempotent. We construct explicit idempotents and nilpotents which achieve these distances, and determine exact distances in some special cases.

Let $p$ be an odd prime number, and let $F$ be a field of characteristic not $p$ and not containing the group $\mu_p$ of $p$-th roots of unity. We consider cyclic $p$-algebras over $F$ by descent from $L = F(\mu_p)$. We generalize a theorem of Albert by showing that if $\mu_{p^n} \subseteq L$, then a division algebra $D$ of degree $p^n$ over $F$ is a cyclic algebra if and only if there is $d\in D$ with $d^{p^n}\in F - F^p$. Let $F(p)$ be the maximal $p$-extension of $F$. We show that $F(p)$ has a noncyclic algebra of degree $p$ if and only if a certain eigencomponent of the $p$-torsion of $\Br(F(p)(\mu_p))$ is nontrivial. To get a better understanding of $F(p)$, we consider the valuations on $F(p)$ with residue characteristic not $p$, and determine what residue fields and value groups can occur. Our results support the conjecture that the $p$ torsion in $\Br(F(p))$ is always trivial.

Let $K$ be a totally real number field of degree $n$. We show that the number of totally positive integers (or more generally the number of totally positive elements of a given fractional ideal) of given trace is evenly distributed around its expected value, which is obtained from geometric considerations. This result depends on unfolding an integral over a compact torus.

On associe \`a toute structure de proto-big\`ebre de Lie sur un espace vectoriel $F$ de dimension finie des structures d'alg\`ebre de Lie d'homotopie d\'efinies respectivement sur la suspension de l'alg\`ebre ext\'erieure de $F$ et celle de son dual $F^*$. Dans ces alg\`ebres, tous les crochets $n$-aires sont nuls pour $n \geq 4$ du fait qu'ils proviennent d'une structure de proto-big\`ebre de Lie. Plus g\'en\'eralement, on associe \`a un \'el\'ement de degr\'e impair de l'alg\`ebre ext\'erieure de la somme directe de $F$ et $F^*$, une collection d'applications multilin\'eaires antisym\'etriques sur l'alg\`ebre ext\'erieure de $F$ (resp.\ $F^*$), qui v\'erifient les identit\'es de Jacobi g\'en\'eralis\'ees, d\'efinissant les alg\`ebres de Lie d'homotopie, si l'\'el\'ement donn\'e est de carr\'e nul pour le grand crochet de l'alg\`ebre ext\'erieure de la somme directe de $F$ et de~$F^*$. To any proto-Lie algebra structure on a finite-dimensional vector space~$F$, we associate homotopy Lie algebra structures defined on the suspension of the exterior algebra of $F$ and that of its dual $F^*$, respectively. In these algebras, all $n$-ary brackets for $n \geq 4$ vanish because the brackets are defined by the proto-Lie algebra structure. More generally, to any element of odd degree in the exterior algebra of the direct sum of $F$ and $F^*$, we associate a set of multilinear skew-symmetric mappings on the suspension of the exterior algebra of $F$ (resp.\ $F^*$), which satisfy the generalized Jacobi identities, defining the homotopy Lie algebras, if the given element is of square zero with respect to the big bracket of the exterior algebra of the direct sum of $F$ and~$F^*$.

In this paper we classify indecomposable modules for the Lie algebra of vector fields on a torus that admit a compatible action of the algebra of functions. An important family of such modules is given by spaces of jets of tensor fields.

We investigate large sieve inequalities such as \[ \frac{1}{m}\sum_{j=1}^{m}\psi ( \log | P( e^{i\tau _{j}}) | ) \leq \frac{C}{2\pi }\int_{0}^{2\pi }\psi \left( \log [ e| P( e^{i\tau }) | ] \right) \,d\tau , \] where $\psi $ is convex and increasing, $P$ is a polynomial or an exponential of a potential, and the constant $C$ depends on the degree of $P$, and the distribution of the points $0\leq \tau _{1}<\tau _{2}<\dots<\tau _{m}\leq 2\pi $. The method allows greater generality and is in some ways simpler than earlier ones. We apply our results to estimate the Mahler measure of Fekete polynomials.

We study the geometry of the set of closed extensions of index $0$ of an elliptic differential cone operator and its model operator in connection with the spectra of the extensions, and we give a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of rays of minimal growth for such operators.

Let $G$ be a locally compact group and $\pi$ a representation of $G$ by weakly$^*$ continuous isometries acting in a dual Banach space $E$. Given a probability measure $\mu$ on $G$, we study the Choquet--Deny equation $\pi(\mu)x=x$, $x\in E$. We prove that the solutions of this equation form the range of a projection of norm $1$ and can be represented by means of a ``Poisson formula'' on the same boundary space that is used to represent the bounded harmonic functions of the random walk of law $\mu$. The relation between the space of solutions of the Choquet--Deny equation in $E$ and the space of bounded harmonic functions can be understood in terms of a construction resembling the $W^*$-crossed product and coinciding precisely with the crossed product in the special case of the Choquet--Deny equation in the space $E=B(L^2(G))$ of bounded linear operators on $L^2(G)$. Other general properties of the Choquet--Deny equation in a Banach space are also discussed.

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, 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 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.

In this paper, we characterize unitary representations of $\pi:=\piS$ whose generators $u_1, \dots, u_l$ (lying in conjugacy classes fixed initially) can be decomposed as products of two Lagrangian involutions $u_j=\s_j\s_{j+1}$ with $\s_{l+1}=\s_1$. Our main result is that such representations are exactly the elements of the fixed-point set of an anti-symplectic involution defined on the moduli space $\Mod:=\Hom_{\mathcal C}(\pi,U(n))/U(n)$. Consequently, as this fixed-point set is non-empty, it is a Lagrangian submanifold of $\Mod$. To prove this, we use the quasi-Hamiltonian description of the symplectic structure of $\Mod$ and give conditions on an involution defined on a quasi-Hamiltonian $U$-space $(M, \w, \mu\from M \to U)$ for it to induce an anti-symplectic involution on the reduced space $M/\!/U := \mu^{-1}(\{1\})/U$.

An ideal $I$ of a ring $R$ is called a radical ideal if $I={\mathcalR}(R)$ where ${\mathcal R}$ is a radical in the sense of Kurosh--Amitsur. The main theorem of this paper asserts that if $R$ is a valuation domain, then a proper ideal $I$ of $R$ is a radical ideal if and only if $I$ is a distinguished ideal of $R$ (the latter property means that if $J$ and $K$ are ideals of $R$ such that $J\subset I\subset K$ then we cannot have $I/J\cong K/I$ as rings) and that such an ideal is necessarily prime. Examples are exhibited which show that, unlike prime ideals, distinguished ideals are not characterizable in terms of a property of the underlying value group of the valuation domain.

In this paper, we consider the quantum version of a Hamiltonian model describing friction. This model consists of a particle which interacts with a bosonic reservoir representing a homogeneous medium through which the particle moves. We show that if the particle is confined, then the Hamiltonian admits a ground state if and only if a suitable infrared condition is satisfied. The latter is violated in the case of linear friction, but satisfied when the friction force is proportional to a higher power of the particle speed.

Given a semidirect product $G = N \rtimes H$ where $N$ is%% nilpotent, connected, simply connected and normal in $G$ and where $H$ is a vector group for which $\ad(\h)$ is completely reducible and $\mathbf R$-split, let $\tau$ denote the quasiregular representation of $G$ in $L^2(N)$. An element $\psi \in L^2(N)$ is said to be admissible if the wavelet transform $f \mapsto \langle f, \tau(\cdot)\psi\rangle$ defines an isometry from $L^2(N)$ into $L^2(G)$. In this paper we give an explicit construction of admissible vectors in the case where $G$ is not unimodular and the stabilizers in $H$ of its action on $\hat N$ are almost everywhere trivial. In this situation we prove orthogonality relations and we construct an explicit decomposition of $L^2(G)$ into $G$-invariant, multiplicity-free subspaces each of which is the image of a wavelet transform . We also show that, with the assumption of (almost-everywhere) trivial stabilizers, non-unimodularity is necessary for the existence of admissible vectors.

We derive a weighted $L^2$-estimate of the Witten spinor in a complete Riemannian spin manifold~$(M^n, g)$ of non-negative scalar curvature which is asymptotically Schwarzschild. The interior geometry of~$M$ enters this estimate only via the lowest eigenvalue of the square of the Dirac operator on a conformal compactification of $M$.

Let $G$ be a locally compact group, and let $A_{\cb}(G)$ denote the closure of $A(G)$, the Fourier algebra of $G$, in the space of completely bounded multipliers of $A(G)$. If $G$ is a weakly amenable, discrete group such that $\cstar(G)$ is residually finite-dimensional, we show that $A_{\cb}(G)$ is operator amenable. In particular, $A_{\cb}(\free_2)$ is operator amenable even though $\free_2$, the free group in two generators, is not an amenable group. Moreover, we show that if $G$ is a discrete group such that $A_{\cb}(G)$ is operator amenable, a closed ideal of $A(G)$ is weakly completely complemented in $A(G)$ if and only if it has an approximate identity bounded in the $\cb$-multiplier norm.

In this paper we study the Chen--Ruan cohomology ring of weighted projective spaces. Given a weighted projective space ${\bf P}^{n}_{q_{0}, \dots, q_{n}}$, we determine all of its twisted sectors and the corresponding degree shifting numbers. The main result of this paper is that the obstruction bundle over any 3\nobreakdash-multi\-sector is a direct sum of line bundles which we use to compute the orbifold cup product. Finally we compute the Chen--Ruan cohomology ring of weighted projective space ${\bf P}^{5}_{1,2,2,3,3,3}$.

Cubical sets and their homology have been used in dynamical systems as well as in digital imaging. We take a fresh look at this topic, following Zariski ideas from algebraic geometry. The cubical topology is defined to be a topology in $\R^d$ in which a set is closed if and only if it is cubical. This concept is a convenient frame for describing a variety of important features of cubical sets. Separation axioms which, in general, are not satisfied here, characterize exactly those pairs of points which we want to distinguish. The noetherian property guarantees the correctness of the algorithms. Moreover, maps between cubical sets which are continuous and closed with respect to the cubical topology are precisely those for whom the homology map can be defined and computed without grid subdivisions. A combinatorial version of the Vietoris-Begle theorem is derived. This theorem plays the central role in an algorithm computing homology of maps which are continuous with respect to the Euclidean topology.

Suppose that we have the unit Euclidean ball in $\R^n$ and construct new bodies using three operations --- linear transformations, closure in the radial metric, and multiplicative summation defined by $\|x\|_{K+_0L} = \sqrt{\|x\|_K\|x\|_L}.$ We prove that in dimension $3$ this procedure gives all origin-symmetric convex bodies, while this is no longer true in dimensions $4$ and higher. We introduce the concept of embedding of a normed space in $L_0$ that naturally extends the corresponding properties of $L_p$-spaces with $p\ne0$, and show that the procedure described above gives exactly the unit balls of subspaces of $L_0$ in every dimension. We provide Fourier analytic and geometric characterizations of spaces embedding in $L_0$, and prove several facts confirming the place of $L_0$ in the scale of $L_p$-spaces.

Let $\mathcal{D}$ be a division algebra over a nonarchimedean local field. Given an irreducible representation $\pi$ of $\GL_2(\mathcal{D})$, we describe its restriction to the diagonal subgroup $\mathcal{D}^* \times \mathcal{D}^*$. The description is in terms of the structure of the twisted Jacquet module of the representation $\pi$. The proof involves Kirillov theory that we have developed earlier in joint work with Dipendra Prasad. The main result on restriction also shows that $\pi$ is $\mathcal{D}^* \times \mathcal{D}^*$-distinguished if and only if $\pi$ admits a Shalika model. We further prove that if $\mathcal{D}$ is a quaternion division algebra then the twisted Jacquet module is multiplicity-free by proving an appropriate theorem on invariant distributions; this then proves a multiplicity-one theorem on the restriction to $\mathcal{D}^* \times \mathcal{D}^*$ in the quaternionic case.

Le diagramme d'Eisenbud et Neumann d'un germe est un arbre qui repr\'esente ce germe et permet d'en calculer les invariants. On donne une d\'emonstration alg\'ebrique d'un r\'esultat caract\'erisant l'ensemble des quotients jacobiens d'un germe d'application $(f,g)$ \`a partir du diagramme d'Eisenbud et Neumann de $fg$.

In this paper we study ruled surfaces which appear as an exceptional surface in a succession of blowing-ups. In particular we prove that the $e$-invariant of such a ruled exceptional surface $E$ is strictly positive whenever its intersection with the other exceptional surfaces does not contain a fiber (of $E$). This fact immediately enables us to resolve an open problem concerning an intersection configuration on such a ruled exceptional surface consisting of three nonintersecting sections. In the second part of the paper we apply the non-vanishing of $e$ to the study of the poles of the well-known topological, Hodge and motivic zeta functions.

Meromorphic continuation of the Eisenstein series induced from spherical, cuspidal data on parabolic subgroups is achieved via reworking Bernstein's adaptation of Selberg's third proof of meromorphic continuation.

We study when characteristic and H\"older continuous functions are traces of Sobolev functions on doubling metric measure spaces. We provide analytic and geometric conditions sufficient for extending characteristic and H\"older continuous functions into globally defined Sobolev functions.

The $H$-space that represents Brown--Peterson cohomology $\BP^k (-)$ was split by the second author into indecomposable factors, which all have torsion-free homotopy and homology. Here, we do the same for the related spectrum $P(n)$, by constructing idempotent operations in $P(n)$-cohomology $P(n)^k ($--$)$ in the style of Boardman--Johnson--Wilson; this relies heavily on the Ravenel--Wilson determination of the relevant Hopf ring. The resulting $(i- 1)$-connected $H$-spaces $Y_i$ have free connective Morava $\K$-homology $k(n)_* (Y_i)$, and may be built from the spaces in the $\Omega$-spectrum for $k(n)$ using only $v_n$-torsion invariants. We also extend Quillen's theorem on complex cobordism to show that for any space $X$, the \linebeak$P(n)_*$-module $P(n)^* (X)$ is generated by elements of $P(n)^i (X)$ for $i \ge 0$. This result is essential for the work of Ravenel--Wilson--Yagita, which in many cases allows one to compute $\BP$-cohomology from Morava $\K$-theory.

We consider maximal regularity in the $H^p$ sense for the Cauchy problem $u'(t) + Au(t) = f(t)\ (t\in \R)$, where $A$ is a closed operator on a Banach space $X$ and $f$ is an $X$-valued function defined on $\R$. We prove that if $X$ is an AUMD Banach space, then $A$ satisfies $H^p$-maximal regularity if and only if $A$ is Rademacher sectorial of type $<\frac{\pi}{2}$. Moreover we find an operator $A$ with $H^p$-maximal regularity that does not have the classical $L^p$-maximal regularity. We prove a related Mikhlin type theorem for operator valued Fourier multipliers on Hardy spaces $H^p(\R;X)$, in the case when $X$ is an AUMD Banach space.

We define the higher order Riesz transforms and the Littlewood--Paley $g$-function associated to the differential operator $L_\l f(\theta)=-f''(\theta)-2\l\cot\theta f'(\theta)+\l^2f(\theta)$. We prove that these operators are Calder\'{o}n--Zygmund operators in the homogeneous type space $((0,\pi),(\sin t)^{2\l}\,dt)$. Consequently, $L^p$ weighted, $H^1-L^1$ and $L^\infty-BMO$ inequalities are obtained.

We consider the $p$-Yang--Mills functional $(p\geq 2)$ defined as $\YM_p(\nabla):=\frac 1 p \int_M \|\rn\|^p$. We call critical points of $\YM_p(\cdot)$ the $p$-Yang--Mills connections, and the associated curvature $\rn$ the $p$-Yang--Mills fields. In this paper, we prove gap properties and instability theorems for $p$-Yang--Mills fields over submanifolds in $\mathbb{R}^{n+k}$ and $\mathbb{S}^{n+k}$.

Let $K$ be a number field, and let $F$ be a symmetric bilinear form in $2N$ variables over $K$. Let $Z$ be a subspace of $K^N$. A classical theorem of Witt states that the bilinear space $(Z,F)$ can be decomposed into an orthogonal sum of hyperbolic planes and singular and anisotropic components. We prove the existence of such a decomposition of small height, where all bounds on height are explicit in terms of heights of $F$ and $Z$. We also prove a special version of Siegel's lemma for a bilinear space, which provides a small-height orthogonal decomposition into one-dimensional subspaces. Finally, we prove an effective version of the Cartan--Dieudonn{\'e} theorem. Namely, we show that every isometry $\sigma$ of a regular bilinear space $(Z,F)$ can be represented as a product of reflections of bounded heights with an explicit bound on heights in terms of heights of $F$, $Z$, and $\sigma$.

We prove dispersive and Strichartz inequalities for the solution of the wave equation related to the full Laplacian on the Heisenberg group, by means of Besov spaces defined by a Littlewood--Paley decomposition related to the spectral resolution of the full Laplacian. This requires a careful analysis due also to the non-homogeneous nature of the full Laplacian. This result has to be compared to a previous one by Bahouri, G\'erard and Xu concerning the solution of the wave equation related to the Kohn Laplacian.

We prove two spectral identities. The first one relates the relative trace formula for the spherical variety $\GSpin(4,3)/G_2$ with a weighted trace formula for $\GL_2$. The second relates a spherical variety pertaining to $F_4$ to one of $\GSp(6)$. These identities are in accordance with a conjecture made by Jacquet, Lai, and Rallis, and are obtained without an appeal to a geometric comparison.

No abstract.