We consider the second order, linear differential equation

in the case where, roughly, q ∊ L1 [0, ∞). We devise a representation for the spectral function, τ(t), associated with (*) which is valid for t sufficiently large. Our results are the best possible.

Let A and B be closed linear operators on a Banach space X. Assume that ε(εI – A)−1f→f as |ε|→ ∞ for all f in X, ζ∊∑ ⊂ℂ. Under what conditions on B − A does the same relationship hold for B? When does [ε(εI − A)−1 − ε(εI − B)−1 ] f→ 0 in some stronger norm than that of X? The questions are discussed in an abstract setting and the results are generalised to other analytic functions of A. Applications are given to second order elliptic operators.

In this paper we consider differential-boundary operators T over a finite interval depending on a complex parameter. A differential-boundary operator admits boundary conditions in the differential part. The boundary part contains multipoint boundary conditions and integral conditions. For Birkhoff-regular boundary conditions we prove that every Lp -function is expansible into a series with respect to the eigenfunctions and the associated functions of the differential-boundary operator. Here the Birkhoff-regularity only depends on the boundary conditions at the endpoints of the interval, i.e. T is Birkhoff-regular if and only if T0 is Birkhoff-regular where T0 arises from T by omitting the boundary part in the differential equations, the interior point boundary conditions and the integral condition.

We consider the strongly-damped Klein–Gordon equation in ℝ3 in the case where the initial data possess radial symmetry. With the latter assumption we are able to extend the result of [2] which assumed a bounded spatial domain. Specifically, we construct a global weak solution v of theundamped equation for high powers p which can be approximated arbitrarily closely (for small α) by the global strong solutions of the damped equation found by Aviles and Sandefur [1].

The Cauchy problem and the Dirichlet-Cauchy type problem of some second-order systems of partial differential equations of composite type of two unknown functions are investigated. Such systems possess some of the characteristics not only of elliptic but also of hyperbolic systems in the same domain. Representations of the solutions are found for the upper half plane. To this end, the composite systems are reduced to the canonical form by means of successive applications of three kinds of linear transformations. Function theoretic methods are used to obtain representation formulae. Furthermore, some composite systems of 2m-unknown function are also considered.

Using explicit equations for Jacobi vector fields on a Sasakian space form, we characterise such spaces by means of the shape operator of small geodesic spheres.

Let mt(ω) be the range of a standard brownian bridge on R with ω(0) = ω(t) = 0 and let µt(ω) be the corresponding Wiener measure. We determine the asymptotic behaviour for large t of ∫ e−G(mt(ω)) µt(dω) for an increasing convex function G.

Take the coefficients of a Taylor series expansion of a holomorphic function about its regular point zR. It is known that the holomorphic function possesses an asymptotic expansion about a possibly singular point zs. We show how to construct and calculate the coefficients in the asymptotic expansion from the coefficient of the Taylor series. The main theorem demonstrates that a suitable conformal map is a decisive step in dealing with the problem above. Therefore, a suitable conformal map is critical to a successful summation of divergent series. Some other methods which utilise orthogonal polynomial and Cesaro summability are also discussed. The paper may serve as a theoretical basis for a new computational method.

Suslin and Cohn have proved that the polynomial ring Z[t1, …,td], where Z is the ring of rational integers and d >0, is a GEn-ring if and only if n ≧ 3. (A commutative ring R with identity is called a GEn-ring if and only if SLn(R) is generated by elementary matrices, where n ≧ 2.) In this paper we consider the following question:

Given algebraic numbers α1, …,αd, for which n (if any) is the ring A =Z [α1, …,αd a GEn-ring?

By standard results from algebraic K-theory it follows that (a) A is GEn for all n ≧ 2, (b) A is not GEn for any n ≧ 2, or (c) A is GEn if and only if n ≧ 3. Examples of each type are provided. In particular, it is shown that if each αi is real or at least one αi is not an algebraic integer, then A is of type (a).

Recently considerable attention has been paid to the study of locally inverse regular semigroups. McAlister [14] obtained a description of such semigroups as locally isomorphic images of regular Rees matrix semigroups over an inverse semigroup. The class of abundant semigroups originally arose from ‘homological’ considerations in the theory of S-systems: they are the semigroup theoretic analogue of PP-rings. Cancellative monoids, full subsemigroups of regular semigroups as well as the multiplicative semigroups of PP rings are abundant. The aim of this paper is to show how the structure theory described above for regular semigroups may be generalised to a class of abundant semigroups.

Coexistent steady-state solutions to a Lotka–Volterra model for two freely-dispersing competing species have been shown by several authors to arise as global secondary bifurcation phenomena. In this paper we establish conditions for the existence of global higher dimensional n-ary bifurcation in general systems of multiparameter nonlinear eigenvalue problems which preserve the coupling structure of diffusive steady-state Lotka–Volterra models. In establishing our result, we mainly employ the recently-developed multidimensional global multiparameter theory of Alexander–Antman. Conditions for ternary steady-state bifurcation in the three species diffusive competition model are given as an application of the result.

Weakly coupled semilinear parabolic systems of the form with homogeneous boundary conditions are studied. The nonlinear function g: C([−r, 0] × Ω ℝn) → ℝn is assumed to be locally Lipschitz continuous with r≧0 a given real number and Ω ⊂ ℝm a bounded domain, , ut for t ≧ 0 is denned by ut (σ, ξ) = u(t + σ, ξ), − r ≦σ ≦ 0 ξ ∊Ω and A is a uniformly elliptic second order diagonal operator. Let u be a bounded classical solution. We first establish precompactness results for the orbit of u in several function spaces. Using these results and assuming that a Liapunov function V is known for the corresponding ordinary functional differential equation ż =g(zt), we then show under some general conditions that the limit set ω+ (as t→∞) of u consists of spatially homogeneous functions only. Moreover, ω+ is invariant with respect to z = g(z,) and V = 0 on ω+. The proof uses a Liapunov function for the full system whichis obtained from V via a simple construction (cf. (3.3)). The theory is illustrated with an example.

We present a generalisation of the continuous Gronwall inequality and show its use in bounding solutions of discrete inequalities of a form that arise when analysing the convergence of product integration methods for Volterra integral equations. We then use these ideas to prove convergence of a numerical method which is effective in approximating Volterra integral equations of the second kind with weakly singular kernels.

We discuss the symmetric solutions of the semilinear elliptic equation Δu + λ(u+ u|u|p−1) = 0, u|∂B = 0 (*), where B is the unit ball in ℝ3. The value of p is taken close to 5, the critical Sobolev exponent for ℝ3. An asymptotic description of the solutions of (*) with large norm is obtained. This predicts a fold bifurcation if p > 5 and the structure of this bifurcation is studied in the limit p – 5→ 0. We find good agreement between the asymptotic description and some numerical calculations. These results are illuminated by recasting the problem (*) in the form of a dynamical system by means of a suitable change of variables. When |p – 5|≪1 and ∥u ≫1, the transformed solutions of (*) are also solutions of a perturbed Hamiltonian system and we study the behaviour of these solutions by using Melnikov methods.

Let E1 and E2 be real normed linear spaces such that the dimension of any of them is at least 2. We prove that the norms in E1 × E2 which verify a simple property of monotonicity with regard to the initial norms in E1 and E2 are the only norms in E1 × E2 which preserve best linear approximations, in the sense that ifyk ∊ Lk is best approximation to xk from the linear subspace Lk, (k = 1,2), then (y1, y2) is best approximation to (x1, x2) from L1 × L2.

We study the large-time behaviour of solutions to the initial value problem for hyperbolic-parabolic systems of conservation equations in one space dimension. It is proved that under suitable assumptions a unique solution exists for all time t ≧ 0, and converges to a given constant state at the rate t − ¼ as t → ∞. Moreover, it is proved that the solution approaches the superposition of the non-linear and linear diffusion waves constructed in terms of the self-similar solutions to the Burgers equation and the linear heat equation at the rate t − ½ +α, α > 0, as t →∞. The proof is essentially based on the fact that for t → ∞ the solution to the hyperbolic-parabolic system is well approximated by the solution to a semilinear uniformly parabolic system whose viscosity matrix is uniquely determined from the original system. The results obtained are applicable straightforwardly to the equations of viscous (or inviscid) heat-conductive fluids.

The equation studied here is Lny +p(x)y = 0, where Ln is a disconjugate differential operator and p(x) is of a fixed sign. It is shown that certain minors of the wronskian of this equation satisfy a very similar differential equation Mnz +p(x)z =0. We prove that some properties of the original equation which are essential for oscillation theory are inherited by the solutions of the second one.

A class of scalar periodic differential equations x ]f(x, t, A) with regularisable infinity in which the Riccati equation is included, can be treated as autonomous systems on the torus T2. Through this geometric interpretation, the properties of the set of bifurcation points of λ (∊R) are studied. When the results obtained are applied to the Riccati equation, they can match the well-known properties of the spectral set of the corresponding Hill's equation.