We show that the function \[ V_q(x)=\frac{2e^{x^2}}{\Gamma(q+1)}\int_{x}^{\infty}e^{-t^2}(t^2-x^2)^qdt\quad{(-1<q\in\mathbf{R}; 0<x\in \mathbf{R})}, \] which has applications in the study of atoms in magnetic fields, satisfies certain monotonicity and convexity properties as well as inequalities. In particular, we prove that $1/V_q$ is convex on $(0,\infty)$ if and only if $q\geq 0$. This extends a recent result of M. B. Ruskai and E. Werner, who established the convexity for all integers $q\geq 0$.

Square grid circle patterns with prescribed intersection angles, mimicking holomorphic maps $z^{\gamma }$ and ${\rm log}(z)$ are studied. It is shown that the corresponding circle patterns are embedded and described by special separatrix solutions of discrete Painlevé and Riccati equations. The general solution of this Riccati equation is expressed in terms of the hypergeometric function. Global properties of these solutions, as well as of the discrete $z^{\gamma }$ and ${\rm log}(z)$, are established.

We show that there exists a locally compact separable metrizable space $L$ such that $C_{0}(L)$, the Banach space of all continuous complex-valued functions vanishing at infinity with the supremum norm, is almost transitive. Due to a result of Greim and Rajagopalan [3], this implies the existence of a locally compact Hausdorff space $\tilde L$ such that $C_{0}(\tilde L)$ is transitive, disproving a conjecture of Wood [9]. We totally owe our construction to a topological characterization due to Sánches [8].

Let $n$ and $r$ be positive integers with $1\,{<}\,r\,{<}\,n$, and let $X_n\,{=}\break\{1,2,\ldots,n\}$. An $r$-set $A$ and a partition $\pi$ of $X_n$ are said to be orthogonal if every class of $\pi$ meets $A$ in exactly one element. We prove that if $A_{1},A_{2},\ldots, A_{\binom n r}$ is a list of the distinct $r$-sets of $X_ n$ with $|A_{i}\cap A_{i+1}|\,{=}\,r-1$ for $i=1,2,\ldots, \binom n r$ taken modulo $\binom n r$, then there exists a list of distinct partitions $\pi_{1},\pi_{2},\ldots, \pi_{\binom n r}$ such that $\pi_{i}$ is orthogonal to both $A_{i}$ and $A_{i+1}$. This result states that any constant weight Gray code admits a labeling by distinct orthogonal partitions. Using an algorithm from the literature on Gray codes, we provide a surprisingly efficient algorithm that on input $(n,r)$ outputs an orthogonally labeled constant weight Gray code. We also prove a two-fold Gray enumeration result, presenting an orthogonally labeled constant weight Gray code in which the partition labels form a cycle in the covering graph of the lattice of all partitions of $X_n$. This leads to a conjecture related to the Middle Levels Conjecture. Finally, we provide an application of our results to calculating minimal generating sets of idempotents for finite semigroups.

We propose a differential-geometric classification of the four-component hyperbolic systems of conservation laws which satisfy the following properties: (a) they do not possess Riemann invariants; (b) they are linearly degenerate; (c) their rarefaction curves are rectilinear; (d) the cross-ratio of the four characteristic speeds is harmonic. This turns out to provide a classification of projective congruences in ${\mathbb P}^5$ whose developable surfaces are planar pencils of lines, each of these lines cutting the focal variety at points forming a harmonic quadruplet. Symmetry properties and the connection of these congruences to Cartan's isoparametric hypersurfaces are discussed.

We prove under quite general assumptions the global existence of classical solutions for quasilinear parabolic equations in bounded domains with homogeneous Neumann boundary conditions.

We determine the rings of invariants $S^G$ where $S$ is the symmetric algebra on the dual of a vector space $V$ over ${\mathbb F}_2$ and $G$ is the orthogonal group preserving a non-singular quadratic form on $V$. The invariant ring is shown to have a presentation in which the difference between the number of generators and the number of relations is equal to the minimum possibility, namely $\dim V$, and it is shown to be a complete intersection. In particular, the rings of invariants computed here are all Gorenstein and hence Cohen-Macaulay.

In this paper, general existence theorems are presented for the singular equation \[\left\{\begin{array}{@{}l}-(\varphi_p(u^{\prime}))^{\prime}=f(t,u,u^{\prime}),\;0<t<1\\[3pt]u(0)=u(1)=0.\end{array}\right.\] Throughout, our nonlinearity is allowed to change sign. The singularity may occur at $u=0,$$t=0$ and $t=1$.

In this paper we consider a generalization of supersolvability called groups of polycyclic breadth $n$ for $n\ge 1$, we see that a number of well known results for supersolvable groups generalize to groups of polycyclic breadth $n$. This generalization of supersolvability is especially strong for the groups of polycyclic breadth 2.

We develop results for bifurcation from the principal eigenvalue for certain operators based on the $p$-Laplacian and containing a superlinear nonlinearity with a critical Sobolev exponent. The main result concerns an asymptotic estimate of the rate at which the solution branch departs from the eigenspace. The method can also be applied for nonpotential operators.

The goal of this paper is to present a solution of the cellular automaton associated with the discrete KdV equation, using an algebro-geometric solution of the discrete KP equation over a finite field out of a hyperelliptic curve.

In [11] the authors obtained an operator matrix with two variables that distinguishes the classes of $p$-hyponormal operators, $w$-hyponormal, absolute-$p$-paranormal, and normaloid operators on Hilbert spaces. We establish the general model for $n$ variables, which provides many more examples to show that such classes are distinct.

We give a spectral characterization of the norm closure of the class of all weakly hypercyclic operators on a Hilbert space. Analogous results are obtained for weakly supercyclic operators.

It is shown that the countable saturated discrete linear ordering has the small index property, but that the countable 1-transitive linear orders which contain a convex subset isomorphic to ${\Bbb Z}^2$ do not. Similar results are also proved in the coloured case.

Given a sequence $\{A_n\}_{n\in\mathbb{Z}_+}$ of bounded linear operators between complex Hilbert spaces $\mathcal{H}$ and $\mathcal{K}$ we characterize the existence of a contraction (resp. isometry, unitary operator, shift) $T$ on $\mathcal{K}$ such that \[A_n=T^nA_0,\quad n\in\mathbb{Z}_+.\] Such moment problems are motivated by their connection with the dilatability of positive operator measures having applications in the theory of stochastic processes.

The solutions, based on the fact that a certain operator function attached to $T$ is positive definite on $\mathbb{Z}$, extend the ones given by Sebestyén in [18], [19] or, recently, by Jabłoński and Stochel in [8]. Some applications, containing new characterizations for isometric, unitary operators, orthogonal projections or commuting pairs having regular dilation, conclude the paper.

Two themes are considered in this paper. First of all in the Introduction a comment is made about the Tzitzéica equation which occurred in the author's work as reported in [1]. Much recent work has referred to this equation and a representative bibliography is given in this paper with brief comments. The second theme of this paper is concerned with work surrounding Quantum Solitons and the author's talk at the ISLAND 2 meeting under the title ‘Quantum solitons’ is briefly summarised. An extended review of this subject matter has now appeared in [2] and as there the quantum soliton of the quantum attractive NLS model is seen as a ‘qubit’ for quantum information purposes. It is hoped that this summary and/or the reference [2] can help to stimulate further interest in this ‘quantum’ aspect of our subject in the solitons community. The actual observation of a quantum soliton is also reported and a proper theoretical description of it given. Reference is made to $q$-boson lattices first as a simple example of the quantum inverse method in the Introduction and then as a subject matter in its own right at the end of the paper.

We investigate the radial behavior of holomorphic functions in the unit ball $B$ of $\mtc^n$. In particular, we prove the existence of universal holomorphic functions $f$ in the following sense : given any measurable function $\vphi$ on $\partial B$, there is a sequence $(r_n)_{n\geq 1}$, $0<r_n<1$, that converges to 1, such that $f(r_n\xi)$ converges to $\vphi(\xi)$ for almost every $\xi\,{\in}\,\partial B$.

The main goal of the paper is to find the discrete analogue of the Bianchi system in spaces of arbitrary dimension together with its geometric interpretation. We show that the proper geometric framework for such generalization is the language of dual quadrilateral lattices and of dual congruences. After introducing the notion of the dual Koenigs lattice in a projective space of arbitrary dimension, we define the discrete dual congruences and we present, as an important example, the normal dual discrete congruences. Finally, we introduce the dual Bianchi lattice as a dual Koenigs lattice allowing for a conjugate normal dual congruence, and we find its characterization in terms of a system of integrable difference equations.

Let X and Y be Banach spaces such that each one is isomorphic to a complemented subspace of the other. In 1996, W. T. Gowers solved the Schroeder-Bernstein Problem for Banach spaces by showing that X is not necessarily isomorphic to Y. In this paper, we give suitable conditions on X, Y, the supplemented subspaces of Y in X and of X in Y to yield that X is isomorphic to Y. In other words, we obtain generalizations of Pełczyński's decomposition method via supplemented subspaces. In order to determine all the possible generalizations, we introduce the notion of Mixed Schroeder-Bernstein Quadruples for Banach spaces. Then, we use some Banach spaces constructed by W. T. Gowers and B. Maurey in 1997 to characterize them.

Tensor analogues of right 2-Engel elements in groups were introduced by D. P. Biddle and L.-C. Kappe. We investigate the properties of right 2-Engel tensor elements and introduce the concept of $2_{\otimes}$-Engel margin. With the help of these results we describe the structure of $2_{\otimes}$-Engel groups. In particular, we prove a tensor version of Levi's theorem for 2-Engel groups and determine tensor squares of two-generator $2_{\otimes}$-Engel $p$-groups.