In this paper we consider a random star $d$-process which begins with $n$ isolated vertices, and in each step chooses randomly a vertex of current minimum degree $\delta$, and connects it with $d - \delta$ random vertices of degree less than $d$. We show that, for $d \geqslant 3$, the resulting final graph is connected with probability $1 - o(1)$, and moreover that, for suficiently large $d$, it is $d$-connected with probability $1 - o(1)$.

This is a continuation of our work on quasi-random graph properties. The class of quasi-random graphs is defined by certain equivalent graph properties possessed by random graphs. One of the most important of these properties is that, for fixed $\nu$, every fixed sample graph $L_\nu$ has the same frequency in $G_n$ as in the $p$-random graph. (This holds for both induced and not necessarily induced containment.) In [9] we proved that, if the frequency of just one fixed $L_\nu$ – as a not necessarily induced subgraph – in every ‘large’ induced subgraph $F_h\subseteq G_n$ is the same as for the random graphs, then $(G_n)$ is quasi-random. Here we shall investigate the analogous problem for induced subgraphs $L_\nu$. In such cases $(G_n)$ is not necessarily quasi-random.

We shall prove, among other things, that, for every regular sample graph $L_\nu$, $\nu\geqslant 4$, if the number of induced copies of $L_\nu$ in every induced $F_h\subseteq G_n$ is asymptotically the same as in a $p$-random graph (up to an error term $o(n^\nu)$), then $(G_n)$ is the union of (at most) two quasi-random graph sequences, with possibly distinct attached probabilities (assuming that $p\in (0,1)$, $e(L_\nu)>0$, and $L_\nu\ne K_\nu$).

We conjecture the same conclusion for every $L_\nu$ with $\nu\ge 4$, i.e., even if we drop the assumption of regularity.

We shall reduce the general problem to solving a system of polynomials. This gives a ‘simple’ algorithm to decide the problem for every given $L_\nu$.

Suppose $n$ circular arcs of lengths $\len_i \in [0,1],0\leq i<n$, are placed uniformly at random on a unit length circle. We study the maximum overlap, i.e., the number of arcs that overlap at the same position of the circle. In particular, we give almost exact tail bounds for this random variable. By applying these tail bounds we can characterize the expected maximum overlap exactly up to constant factors in lower order terms. We illustrate the strength of our results by presenting new performance guarantees for three algorithmic applications: minimizing rotational delays for disks, scheduling accesses to parallel disks, and allocating memory blocks to limit cache interference misses.

This paper shows that the largest possible contrast $C_{k,n}$ in a $k$-out-of-$n$ secret sharing scheme is approximately $4^{-(k-1)}$. More precisely, we show that $4^{-(k-1)} \leq C_{k,n} \leq 4^{-(k-1)}n^k/(n(n-1)\cdots(n-(k-1)))$. This implies that the largest possible contrast equals $4^{-(k-1)}$ in the limit when $n$ approaches infinity. For large $n$, the above bounds leave almost no gap. For values of $n$ that come close to $k$, we will present alternative bounds (being tight for $n=k$). The proofs of our results proceed by finding a relationship between the largest possible contrast in a secret sharing scheme and the smallest possible approximation error in problems occurring in approximation theory.

The branching random walk on a regular graph turns out to be particularly easy to analyse using results for the corresponding simple random walk. In this way, one can show that there is an intermediate phase of weak survival if and only if the graph is nonamenable. No such simple analysis holds more generally, and it is known that the nonamenability equivalence does not extend to general connected graphs of bounded degree (although we observe that it does hold for such graphs if the branching random walk is modified in a certain natural way). The most important general class of (bounded degree, connected) graphs for which it is thought that the equivalence may hold is that of quasi-transitive graphs: we show that this is indeed the case.

It is known that random $k$-Sat instances with at least $(2^k \cdot \ln 2)\cdot n$ random clauses are unsatisfiable with high probability. This result is simply obtained by showing that the expected number of satisfying assignments tends to $0$ when the number of variables $n$ tends to infinity. This proof does not directly provide us with an efficient algorithm certifying the unsatisfiability of a given random formula. Concerning efficient algorithms, it is essentially known that random formulas with $n^\varepsilon \cdot n^{k/2}$ clauses with $k$ literals can be efficiently certified as unsatisfiable. The present paper is the result of trying to lower this bound. We obtain better bounds for some specialized satisfiability problems. These results are based on discrepancy investigations for hypergraphs.

Further, we show that random formulas with a linear number of clauses can be efficiently certified as unsatisfiable in the Not-All-Equal-$3$-Sat sense. A similar result holds for the non-$3$-colourability of random graphs with a linear number of edges. We obtain these results by direct application of approximation algorithms.

We present an exact residual based error formula in natural norms for a class of transport equations. The derivation of the error formula relies on an abstract formulation in a general Hilbert space setting. The key role is played by the validity of an inversion formula. Its verification is for particular radiative transfer equations equivalent to the identification of strong and weak traces. The residual based error formula can be used in the design of efficient and accurate simulations of the cooling process of high quality glass [5].

We present a multi-parameter non-constant-invariant class of Abel ordinary differential equations with the following remarkable features. This one class is shown to unify, i.e. it contains as particular cases all the integrable classes presented by Abel, Liouville and Appell, as well as all those shown in Kamke's book and various other references. In addition, the class being presented includes other new and fully integrable subclasses, as well as the most general parameterized class of which we know whose members can systematically be mapped into Riccati equations. Finally, many integrable members of this class can be systematically mapped into an integrable member of a different class. We thus find new integrable classes from previously known ones.

We present a coupled system of elliptic equations describing the steady state of the thermoelectrical behaviour of an aluminium electrolytic cell. The thermal model is a free boundary problem which consists of the heat equation with Joule heating as a source. We neglect the Joule heating in the ledge, and allow for temperature-dependent electrical conductivity. We also formulate a numerical approximation using a finite element method. An iterative algorithm and numerical results are presented. The existence of a weak solution is also proved.

We perform an analytical and numerical study of the crossover from the Josephson effect to that of bulk superconducting flow for a one-dimensional superconductor containing a sandwich layer of normal material. A generalized Ginzburg–Landau (GL) model, proposed in Chapman & Gunzburger [1] is used in modelling the whole structure. When the thickness of the normal layer is very small, the introduction of three effective $\delta$-function potentials of specified strength leads to an exact analytical solution of the modified stationary GL equation. The resulting current density-phase offset relation is analyzed numerically. We show that the critical Josephson current density $j_c$ corresponds to a bifurcation of the solutions of the nonlinear boundary value problem for the modified GL-equation. The influence of the second term in the Fourier-decomposition of the supercurrent density-phase relation is also investigated. We derive also a simple analytical formula for the critical Josephson current.

We consider heat transfer processes where radiation in a large number of frequency bands plays a dominant role. In the simulation of such processes, the radiative transfer equation has to be solved repeatedly. To obtain an efficient and accurate solution method, we propose a new hybrid algorithm which combines fast solvers for the radiative transfer equation in the low and high absorption regime, respectively. A key role is played by an exact, residual based error formula. The algorithm is applied to a cooling problem of high quality optical glass.

We present an algorithm for solving first-order ordinary differential equations by systematically determining symmetries of the form $[\xi=F(x),\, \eta=P(x)\,y+Q(x)]$, where $\xi\; \pa/\pa x + \eta\; \pa/\pa y$ is the symmetry generator. To these linear symmetries one can associate an ordinary differential equation class which embraces all first-order equations mappable into separable ones through linear transformations $\{t=f(x),\,u=p(x)\,y+q(x)\}$. This single class includes as members, for instance, 429 of the 552 solvable first-order examples of Kamke's [12] book. Concerning the solution of this class, a restriction on the algorithm being presented exists, only in the case of Riccati equations, for which linear symmetries always exist, but the algorithm will only partially succeed in finding them.

Motivated by a parameter identification problem for a fourth-order partial differential equation which models the design of car windscreens by the sagging process, we numerically study a parameter identification problem which is of second-order as an equation for the parameter. The error magnitude and structure for a regularized Landweber method for solving this nonlinear inverse problem with interior data depend markedly on the type of this second-order equation.

Extending results and methods of Thomson and Trent, we prove the existence of non trivial quasi-invariant subspaces for subnormal families of unbounded operators having sufficiently rich domains. In some special cases, proper invariant subspaces are obtained.

Let $\rho:G\hookrightarrow {\rm GL}(n, {\bb F})$ be a representation of a finite group over the field ${\bb F}, V = {\bb F}^n$ the corresponding $G$-module, and ${\bb F}[V\hspace*{1.5pt}]$ the algebra of polynomial functions on $V$. The action of $G$ on $V$ extends to ${\bb F}[V\hspace*{1.5pt}]$, and ${\bb F}[V\hspace*{1.5pt}]^G$, respectively ${\bb F}[V\hspace*{1.5pt}]_G$, denotes the ring of invariants, respectively coinvariants. The theorem of Steinberg referred to in the title says that when ${\bb F} = {\bb C}$, dim$_{\bb C}$ (Tot$({\bb C}[V\hspace*{1.5pt}]_G))=|G|$ if and only if $G$ is a complex reflection group. Here Tot$({\bb F}[V\hspace*{1.5pt}]_G)$ denotes the direct sum of all the homogeneous components of the graded algebra ${\bb F}[V\hspace*{1.5pt}]_G$ and $|G|$ is the order of $G$. Chevalley's theorem tells us that the ring of invariants of a complex pseudoreflection representation $G\hookrightarrow {\rm GL}(n, {\bb C})$ is polynomial algebra, and the theorem of Shephard and Todd yields the converse. Combining these results gives: dim$_{\bb F}$(Tot$({\bb C}[V\hspace*{1.5pt}]_G) = |G|$ if and only if ${\bb C}[V\hspace*{1.5pt}]^G$ is a polynomial algebra. The purpose of this note is to show that the two conditions

(i) dim$_{\bb F}$(Tot(${\bb F}[V\hspace*{1.5pt}]_G))\,{=}\,|G|$,

(ii) ${\bb F}[V\hspace*{1.5pt}]^G$ is a polynomial algebra

are equivalent regardless of the ground field; in particular in the modular case.

Let $\alpha$ be an irrational number. We determine the Hausdorff dimension of sets of real numbers which are close to infinitely many elements of the sequence $(\{n\alpha\})_{n\,{\ge}\,1}$.

We show that the order of an automorphism of an arithmetic Riemann surface of genus $g$ is not greater than $2g\,{-}\,2$, provided $g$ is large enough. This bound is an arithmetic analog of the classical Wiman bound. We prove that it is sharp and attained for any genus but in contrast to the general case the automorphisms of maximal order act without fixed points. This allows us to consider the automorphisms which act on arithmetic Riemann surfaces and have a given number of fixed points. For these automorphisms we describe the asymptotic behavior of their orders.

We show that surfaces such that the natural projections of the unit normal bundles are harmonic morphisms are composed of minimal points and totally umbilical points. As its application, we find a harmonic map from the torus to the complex quadric in $CP^3$ such that the projection map of the associated sphere bundle constructed by Gudmundsson is not a harmonic morphism. This contrasts sharply with the situation for holomorphic maps. We also establish sufficient conditions for reducing the codimension of an isometric immersion with conformal second fundamental form.

From the classical differential equation of Jacobi fields, one naturally defines the Jacobi operator of a Riemannian manifold with respect to any tangent vector. A straightforward computation shows that any real, complex and quaternionic space forms satisfy that any two Jacobi operators commute. In this way, we classify the real hypersurfaces in quaternionic projective spaces all of whose tangent Jacobi operators commute.

Finite groups in which the Frattini subgroup of each proper normal subgroup is trivial, while the group itself has a nontrivial Frattini subgroup, are investigated. A direct result of this study leads to a classification of finite groups in which the Frattini subgroup of each proper subgroup is trivial, while the group itself has a nontrivial Frattini subgroup.