Croft, Falconer and Guy asked: what is the smallest integer $n$ such that an $n$-reptile in the plane has a hole? Motivated by this question, we describe a geometric method of constructing reptiles in $\mathbb{R}^d$, especially reptiles with holes. In particular, we construct, for each even integer $n\ge4$, an $n$-reptile in $\mathbb{R}^2$ with holes. We also answer some questions concerning the topological properties of a reptile whose interior consists of infinitely many components.

Some properties of the generalized Goodwin–Staton integral are derived. Explicit error bounds for the asymptotic expansion are determined. In addition, results are obtained for the oscillatory case and when logarithmic factors are present.

Isometric deformations of immersed surfaces in Euclidean 3-space are studied by means of the drehriss. When the immersion is of constant mean curvature and the deformation preserves the mean curvature, we determine the drehriss explicitly in terms of the immersion and its Gauss map. These methods are applied to obtain an alternative classification of the Smyth surfaces, i.e. constant mean curvature immersions of the plane into Euclidean 3-space which admit the action of $S^1$ as a non-trivial group of internal isometries.

In 1940 Paul Erdős introduced the ‘rational Hilbert space’, which consists of all vectors in the real Hilbert space $\ell^2$ that have only rational coordinates. He showed that this space has topological dimension one, yet it is totally disconnected and homeomorphic to its square. In this note we generalize the construction of this peculiar space and we consider all subspaces $\mathcal{E}$ of the Banach spaces $\ell^p$ that are constructed as ‘products’ of zero-dimensional subsets $E_n$ of $\mathbb{R}$. We present an easily applied criterion for deciding whether a general space of this type is one dimensional. As an application we find that if such an $\mathcal{E}$ is closed in $\ell^p$, then it is homeomorphic to complete Erdős space if and only if $\dim\mathcal{E}>0$ and every $E_n$ is zero dimensional.

The characterization by weighted Lipschitz continuity is given for the Bloch space on the unit ball of $\mathbb{R}^n$. Similar results are obtained for little Bloch and Besov spaces.

We consider the two-parameter Sturm–Liouville system

$$ -y_1''+q_1y_1=(\lambda r_{11}+\mu r_{12})y_1\quad\text{on }[0,1],$$

with the boundary conditions

$$ \frac{y_1'(0)}{y_1(0)}=\cot\alpha_1\quad\text{and}\quad\frac{y_1'(1)}{y_1(1)}=\frac{a_1\lambda+b_1}{c_1\lambda+d_1}, $$

and

$$ -y_2''+q_2y_2=(\lambda r_{21}+\mu r_{22})y_2\quad\text{on }[0,1],$$

with the boundary conditions

$$ \frac{y_2'(0)}{y_2(0)} =\cot\alpha_2\quad\text{and}\quad\frac{y_2'(1)}{y_2(1)}=\frac{a_2\mu+b_2}{c_2\mu+d_2}, $$

subject to the uniform-left-definite and uniform-ellipticity conditions; where $q_{i}$ and $r_{ij}$ are continuous real valued functions on $[0,1]$, the angle $\alpha_{i}$ is in $[0,\pi)$ and $a_{i}$, $b_{i}$, $c_{i}$, $d_{i}$ are real numbers with $\delta_{i}=a_{i}d_{i}-b_{i}c_{i}>0$ and $c_{i}\neq0$ for $i,j=1,2$. Results are given on asymptotics, oscillation of eigenfunctions and location of eigenvalues.

We characterize microlocal regularity, in the $\mathcal{G}^{\infty}$-sense, of Colombeau generalized functions by an appropriate extension of the classical notion of micro-ellipticity to pseudodifferential operators with slow-scale generalized symbols. Thus we obtain an alternative, yet equivalent, way of determining generalized wavefront sets that is analogous to the original definition of the wavefront set of distributions via intersections over characteristic sets. The new methods are then applied to regularity theory of generalized solutions of (pseudo)differential equations, where we extend the general non-characteristic regularity result for distributional solutions and consider propagation of $\mathcal{G}^{\infty}$-singularities for homogeneous first-order hyperbolic equations.

A vectorial extension of the Keller–Rubinow method of computing asymptotic approximations of eigenvalues in bounded domains is presented. The method is applied to the problem of a multimode step-profile cylindrical optical fibre, including the effects of polarisation. A comparison of the asymptotic results with the exact eigenvalues is made when these are available, and the agreement is shown to be good.

We study the effect of stochastic volatility on option prices. In the fast mean-reversion model for stochastic volatility of [5], we show that there is a full asymptotic expansion for the option price, centered at the Black-Scholes price. We show how to callibrate the first two terms in the expansion with the implied volatility surface. We show, however, that this price does not converge in a strong sense to Black-Scholes as the mean-reversion rate increases.

We construct an asymptotic representation for the solution $u(x,t)$ of a singularly-perturbed linear fifth-order evolution equation which accounts for the relevant exponentially-small terms in all regions of the complex $x$ plane. The particular equation that we study is chosen in part to highlight the complexities that arise in high-order examples, resulting in particular from the non-existence of a suitable (steady-state) heteroclinic connection. Key points of this calculation are the identification, location and evolution of the active (in the sense that non-zero, though exponentially-small, terms are switched on across them) Stokes lines, and of the higher-order Stokes lines across which these can be activated or inactivated. In doing so, we need in particular to analyse two ‘levels’ of higher-order Stokes lines and to present the associated mechanisms by which they can themselves be activated or inactivated. By piecing together the information concerning which Stokes lines (both ordinary and higher-order) are active, we are able to deduce systematically which of the competing exponentials that can potentially arise within the asymptotic solution are actually present in each region of the complex plane.

Ellipticity of operators on a manifold with edges can be treated in the framework of a calculus of $2\times2$-block matrix operators with trace and potential operators on the edges. The picture is similar to the pseudodifferential analysis of boundary-value problems. The extra conditions satisfy an analogue of the Shapiro–Lopatinskij condition, provided a topological obstruction for the elliptic edge-degenerate operator in the upper left corner vanishes; this is an analogue of a condition of Atiyah and Bott in boundary-value problems. In general, however, we need global projection data, similarly to global boundary conditions, known for Dirac operators or other geometric operators. The present paper develops a new calculus with global projection data for operators on manifolds with edges. In particular, we show the Fredholm property in a suitable scale of spaces and construct parametrices within the calculus.

The paper presents the results of an asymptotic theory of axially symmetric cavity flows at small and zero cavitation number. The results have been obtained on the basis of the variational Riabouchinsky principle and the asymptotic theory of slender bodies. This variational-asymptotic approach has been applied to deduce asymptotic expansions for the shape of the cavity and the force exerted on the cavitator at small cavitation number. At the zero cavitation number an integro-differential equation for the shape of the free streamline has been obtained. An exact integral of the equation has been found and a one-parameter family of solutions has been constructed and which has refined earlier asymptotics of Levinson and Gurevich. The equation and asymptotic expansion are independent of the cavitator shape and in this sense are maximally accurate. Any further amendment of the equation of higher order of accuracy would be connected with the shape of the cavitator.

In this paper a one-dimensional parabolic variational inequality which typically arises in option pricing of fixed rate mortgage loan is studied. The main goal is to study the properties of the free boundary. The monotonicity and $C^\infty$ smoothness of free boundary are proved and its behavior near expiry is considered as well.