In this paper, we study the spread of virus/worm in computer networks with a view to addressing cyber security problems. Epidemic models have been applied extensively to model the propagation of computer viruses, which characterize the fact that infected machines may spread malware to other hosts connected to the network. In our framework, the dynamics of hosts evolves according to a modified inhomogeneous Susceptible-Infectious-Susceptible (SIS) epidemic model with time-varying transmission rate and recovery rate. The infection of computers is subject to direct attack as well as propagation among hosts. Based on optimal control theory, optimal attack strategies are provided by minimizing the cost (equivalently maximizing the profit) of the attacker. We present a threshold function of the fraction of infectious hosts, which captures the dynamically evolving strategies of the attacker and reflects the persistence of virus spreading. Moreover, our results indicate that if the infectivity of a computer worm is low and the computers are installed with antivirus software with high reliability, the intensity of attacks incurred will likely be low. This agrees with our intuition.

Let $A$ be a Banach algebra and $\pi \colon A \longrightarrow \mathscr L(H)$ be a continuous representation of $A$ on a separable Hilbert space $H$ with $\dim H =\frak m$. Let $\pi_{ij}$ be the coordinate functions of $\pi$ with respect to an orthonormal basis and suppose that for each $1\le j \le \frak m$, $C_j=\sum_{i=1}^{\frak m} \|\pi_{ij}\|_{A^*}\lt \infty$ and $\sup_j C_j\lt \infty$. Under these conditions, we call an element $\overline\Phi \in l^\infty (\frak m , A^{**})$ left $\pi$-invariant if $a\cdot \overline\Phi ={}^t\pi (a) \overline\Phi$ for all $a\in A$. In this paper we prove a link between the existence of left $\pi$-invariant elements and the vanishing of certain Hochschild cohomology groups of $A$. Our results extend an earlier result by Lau on $F$-algebras and recent results of Kaniuth-Lau-Pym and the second named author in the special case that $\pi \colon A \longrightarrow \mathbf C$ is a non-zero character on $A$.

Let $R$ be a semiprime ring with center $Z(R)$. For $x,y\in R$, we denote by $[x,y]=xy-yx$ the commutator of $x$ and $y$. If $\sigma$ is a non-identity automorphism of $R$ such that $$ \Big[\big[\dots\big[[\sigma(x^{n_0}),x^{n_1}],x^{n_2}\big],\dots\big],x^{n_k}\Big]=0 $$ for all $x \in R$, where $n_{0},n_{1},n_{2},\dots,n_{k}$ are fixed positive integers, then there exists a map $\mu\colon R\rightarrow Z(R)$ such that $\sigma(x)=x+\mu(x)$ for all $x\in R$. In particular, when $R$ is a prime ring, $R$ is commutative.

In this paper, we consider the Gross-Pitaevskii equation for the trapped dipolar quantum gases. We obtain the sharp criterion for the global existence and finite time blow up in the unstable regime by constructing a variational problem and the so-called invariant manifold of the evolution flow.

An epimorphism $\phi\colon G\to H$ of groups, where $G$ has rank $n$, is called coessential if every (ordered) generating $n$-tuple of $H$ can be lifted along $\phi$ to a generating $n$-tuple for $G$. We discuss this property in the context of the category of groups, and establish a criterion for such a group $G$ to have the property that its abelianization epimorphism $G\to G/[G,G]$, where $[G,G]$ is the commutator subgroup, is coessential. We give an example of a family of 2-generator groups whose abelianization epimorphism is not coessential. This family also provides counterexamples to the generalized Andrews--Curtis conjecture.

Dufresnoy and Pisot characterized the smallest Pisot number of degree $n \geq 3$ by giving explicitly its minimal polynomial. In this paper, we translate Dufresnoy and Pisot's result to the Laurent series case. The aim of this paper is to prove that the minimal polynomial of the smallest Pisot element (SPE) of degree $n$ in the field of formal power series over a finite field is given by $P(Y)=Y^{n}-\alpha XY^{n-1}-\alpha^n,$ where $\alpha$ is the least element of the finite field $\mathbb{F}_{q}\backslash\{0\}$ (as a finite total ordered set). We prove that the sequence of SPEs of degree $n$ is decreasing and converges to $\alpha X.$ Finally, we show how to obtain explicit continued fraction expansion of the smallest Pisot element over a finite field.

We study the existence of continuity points for mappings $f\colon X\times Y\to Z$ whose $x$-sections $Y\ni y\to f(x,y)\in Z$ are fragmentable and $y$-sections $X\ni x\to f(x,y)\in Z$ are quasicontinuous, where $X$ is a Baire space and $Z$ is a metric space. For the factor $Y$, we consider two infinite ``point-picking'' games $G_1(y)$ and $G_2(y)$ defined respectively for each $y\in Y$ as follows: in the $n$-th inning, Player I gives a dense set $D_n\subset Y$, respectively, a dense open set $D_n\subset Y$. Then Player II picks a point $y_n\in D_n$; II wins if $y$ is in the closure of ${\{y_n:n\in\mathbb N\}}$, otherwise I wins. It is shown that (i) $f$ is cliquish if II has a winning strategy in $G_1(y)$ for every $y\in Y$, and (ii) $ f$ is quasicontinuous if the $x$-sections of $f$ are continuous and the set of $y\in Y$ such that II has a winning strategy in $G_2(y)$ is dense in $Y$. Item (i) extends substantially a result of Debs and item (ii) indicates that the problem of Talagrand on separately continuous maps has a positive answer for a wide class of ``small'' compact spaces.

We determine the best constants $C_{p,\infty}$ and $C_{1,p}$, $1 < p < \infty$, for which the following holds. If $u$, $v$ are orthogonal harmonic functions on a Euclidean domain such that $v$ is differentially subordinate to $u$, then $$ \|v\|_p \leq C_{p,\infty} \|u\|_\infty,\quad \|v\|_1 \leq C_{1,p} \|u\|_p. $$ In particular, the inequalities are still sharp for the conjugate harmonic functions on the unit disc of $\mathbb R^2$. Sharp probabilistic versions of these estimates are also studied. As an application, we establish a sharp version of the classical logarithmic inequality of Zygmund.

Let $R$ be a dense subring of $\operatorname{End}(_DV)$, where $V$ is a left vector space over a division ring $D$. If $\dim{_DV}=\infty$, then the range of any nonzero polynomial $f(X_1,\dots,X_m)$ on $R$ is dense in $\operatorname{End}(_DV)$. As an application, let $R$ be a prime ring without nonzero nil one-sided ideals and $0\ne a\in R$. If $af(x_1,\dots,x_m)^{n(x_i)}=0$ for all $x_1,\dots,x_m\in R$, where $n(x_i)$ is a positive integer depending on $x_1,\dots,x_m$, then $f(X_1,\dots,X_m)$ is a polynomial identity of $R$ unless $R$ is a finite matrix ring over a finite field.

We extend the scope of B. Shapirovskii's results on the order of $\pi$-bases in compact spaces and answer some questions of V. Tkachuk.

The existence of the global attractor of a damped forced Hirota equation in the phase space $H^1(\mathbb R)$ is proved. The main idea is to establish the so-called asymptotic compactness property of the solution operator by energy equation approach.

A new semilocal convergence result for the Picard method is presented, where the main required condition in the contraction mapping principle is relaxed.

We prove that for a generic hypersurface in $\mathbb P^{2n+1}$ of degree at least $2+2/n$, the $n$-th Picard number is one. The proof is algebraic in nature and follows from certain coherent cohomology vanishing.

In this paper we consider the stepping-stone model on a circle with circular Brownian migration. We first point out a connection between Arratia flow on the circle and the marginal distribution of this model. We then give a new representation for the stepping-stone model using Arratia flow and circular coalescing Brownian motion. Such a representation enables us to carry out some explicit computations. In particular, we find the distribution for the first time when there is only one type left across the circle.

We prove that every real algebraic integer $\alpha$ is expressible by a difference of two Mahler measures of integer polynomials. Moreover, these polynomials can be chosen in such a way that they both have the same degree as that of $\alpha$, say $d$, one of these two polynomials is irreducible and another has an irreducible factor of degree $d$, so that $\alpha=M(P)-bM(Q)$ with irreducible polynomials $P, Q\in \mathbb Z[X]$ of degree $d$ and a positive integer $b$. Finally, if $d \leqslant 3$, then one can take $b=1$.

Continuous mappings defined from compact subsets $K$ of complex Euclidean space $\cc^n$ into complex projective space $\pp^m$ are approximated by rational mappings. The fundamental tool employed is homotopy theory.

Applications of minimal surface methods are made to obtain information about univalent harmonic mappings. In the case where the mapping arises as the Poisson integral of a step function, lower bounds for the number of zeros of the dilatation are obtained in terms of the geometry of the image.

A binary structure $S$ has the pigeonhole property ($\mathcal{P}$) if every finite partition of $S$ induces a block isomorphic to $S$. We classify all countable tournaments with ($\mathcal{P}$); the class of orders with ($\mathcal{P}$) is completely classified.

We derive a necessary and sufficient condition for HNN-extensions of cyclic subgroup separable groups with cyclic associated subgroups to be cyclic subgroup separable. Applying this, we explicitly characterize the residual finiteness and the cyclic subgroup separability of HNN-extensions of abelian groups with cyclic associated subgroups. We also consider these residual properties of HNN-extensions of nilpotent groups with cyclic associated subgroups.

Given an integral functional defined on $L_p$, $1 \leq p <\infty$, under a growth condition we give an upper bound of the Clarke directional derivative and we obtain a nice inclusion between the Clarke subdifferential of the integral functional and the set of selections of the subdifferential of the integrand.