In earlier work I defined a class of curves, forming a dense open set in the space of maps from S1 to P3, such that the family of projections of a curve in this class is stable under perturbations of C: we call the curves in the class projection-generic. The definition makes sense also in the complex case. The partition of projective space according to the singularities of the corresponding projection of C is a stratification. Its local structure outside C is the same as that of the versal unfoldings of the singularities presented.

To study points on C we introduce the blow-up BC of P3 along C, and a family of plane curves, parametrised by z ∈ BC; we saw in the earlier work that this is a flat family.

Here we show that near most z ∈ BC, the family gives a family of parametrised germs which versally unfolds the singularities occurring. Otherwise we find that the double point number δ of Γz drops by 1 for z ∉ EC. We establish a theory of versality for unfoldings of A or D singularities such that δ drops by at most 1, and show that in the remaining cases, we have an unfolding which is versal in this sense.

This implies normal forms for the stratification of BC; further work allows us to derive local normal forms for strata of the stratification of P3.

The ‘hit problem’ of F. P. Peterson in algebraic topology asks for a minimal generating set for the polynomial algebra P(n) = 2[x1,. . ., xn] as a module over the Steenrod algebra 2. An equivalent problem is to find an 2-basis for the subring K(n) of elements f in the dual Hopf algebra D(n), a divided power algebra, such that Sqk(f)=0 for all k > 0. The Steenrod kernel K(n) is a 2GL(n,2)-module dual to the quotient Q(n) of P(n) by the hit elements +2P(n). A submodule S(n) of K(n) is obtained as the image of a family of maps from the permutation module Fl(n) of GL(n,2) on complete flags in an n-dimensional vector space V over 2. We use the Schubert cell decomposition of the flags to calculate S(n) in degrees , where λ1 > λ2 > ⋅⋅⋅ > λn ≥ 0. When λn = 0, we define a 2GL(n,2)-module map δ: Qd(n) → Q2d+n−1(n) analogous to the well-known isomorphism Qd(n) → Q2d+n(n) of M. Kameko. When λn−1 ≥ 2, we show that δ is surjective and δ*: S2d+n−1(n)→ Sd(n) is an isomorphism.

This paper is devoted to the rational approximation of automatic real numbers, that is, real numbers whose expansion in an integer base can be generated by a finite automaton. We derive upper bounds for the irrationality exponent of famous automatic real numbers associated with the Thue–Morse, Rudin–Shapiro, paperfolding and Baum–Sweet sequences. These upper bounds arise from the construction of some explicit Padé or Padé type approximants for the generating functions of these sequences. In particular, we prove that the Thue–Morse–Mahler numbers have an irrationality exponent at most equal to 4. We also obtain an explicit description of infinitely many convergents to these numbers.

Let Σg,r be a compact oriented surface of genus g with r boundary components. We determine the abelianization of the symmetric mapping class group (g,r)(p2) of a double unbranched cover p2: Σ2g − 1,2r → Σg,r using the Riemann constant, Schottky theta constant, and the theta multiplier. We also give lower bounds on the order of the abelianizations of the level d mapping class group.

Since the development of the calculus of variations there has been interest in finding critical points of functionals. This was intensified by the fact that for many equations arising in practice, the solutions are critical points. In searching for critical points, there is a distinct advantage if the functional G is semibounded. In this case one can find a Palais–Smale (PS) sequence or even a Cerami sequence These sequences produce critical points if they have convergent subsequences. However, there is no clear method of finding critical points of functionals which are not semibounded. Linking subsets do provide such a method. They can produce a PS sequence provided they separate the functional. In the present paper we show that there are pairs of subsets that can produce Cerami-like sequences even though they do not separate the functional. All that is required is that the functional be bounded from above on one of the sets and bounded from below on the other, with no relationship needed between the bounds. This provides a distinct advantage in applications. We apply the method to several situations.

In this paper we introduce two new methods for constructing harmonic morphisms from solvable Lie groups. The first method yields global solutions from any simply connected nilpotent Lie group and from any Riemannian symmetric space of non-compact type and rank r ≥ 3. The second method provides us with global solutions from any Damek–Ricci space and many non-compact Riemannian symmetric spaces. We then give a continuous family of 3-dimensional solvable Lie groups not admitting any complex-valued harmonic morphisms, not even locally.

Stoimenow and Kidwell asked the following question: let K be a non-trivial knot, and let W(K) be a Whitehead double of K. Let F(a, z) be the Kauffman polynomial and P(v, z) the skein polynomial. Is then always max degzPW(K) − 1 = 2 max degzFK? Here this question is rephrased in more general terms as a conjectured relation between the maximum z-degrees of the Kauffman polynomial of an annular surface A on the one hand, and the Rudolph polynomial on the other hand, the latter being defined as a certain Möbius transform of the skein polynomial of the boundary link ∂ A. That relation is shown to hold for algebraic alternating links, thus simultaneously solving the conjecture by Kidwell and Stoimenow and a related conjecture by Tripp for this class of links. Also, in spite of the heavyweight definition of the Rudolph polynomial {K} of a link K, the remarkably simple formula {◯}{L#M} = {L}{M} for link composition is established. This last result can be used to reduce the conjecture in question to the case of prime links.

In this paper we prove an existence result for local and global isometric immersions of semi-Riemannian surfaces into the three dimensional Heisenberg group endowed with a homogeneous left–invariant Lorentzian metric. As a corollary, we prove a rigidity result for such immersions.

We study local singularities of ruled surfaces in 3. We show that any map germ f : (2, 0) → (3, 0) with a simple singularity is -equivalent to a ruled surface. Moreover, we give a topological classification of -finitely determined singularities of ruled surfaces and show that there are just eleven topological classes.

We show that each of the topological 4-manifolds , for k = 5, 6, 7, 8 admits a smooth structure which has an Einstein metric of scalar curvature s > 0, a smooth structure which carries an Einstein metric with s < 0 and infinitely many non-diffeomorphic smooth structures which do not admit Einstein metrics. We also exhibit new examples of higher dimensional manifolds carrying Einstein metrics of both positive and negative scalar curvature.

Let G be a finite group acting on vector spaces V and W and consider a smooth G-equivariant mapping f: V → W. This paper addresses the question of the zero set of f near a zero x with isotropy subgroup G. It is known from results of Bierstone and Field on G-transversality theory that the zero set in a neighbourhood of x is a stratified set. The purpose of this paper is to partially determine the structure of the stratified set near x using only information from the representations V and W. We define an index s(Σ) for isotropy subgroups Σ of G which is the difference of the dimension of the fixed point subspace of Σ in V and W. Our main result states that if V contains a subspace G-isomorphic to W, then for every maximal isotropy subgroup Σ satisfying s(Σ) > s(G), the zero set of f near x contains a smooth manifold of zeros with isotropy subgroup Σ of dimension s(Σ). We also present partial results in the case of group representations V and W which do not satisfy the conditions of our main theorem. The paper contains many examples and raises several questions concerning the computation of zero sets of equivariant maps. These results have application to the bifurcation theory of G-reversible equivariant vector fields.

Complex hyperbolic packs are hypersurfaces of complex hyperbolic plane H2ℂ which may be considered as dual to the well known bisectors. In this paper we study the geometric aspects associated to packs.

We discuss general notions of metrics and of Finsler structures which we call weak metrics and weak Finsler structures. Any convex domain carries a canonical weak Finsler structure, which we call its tautological weak Finsler structure. We compute distances in the tautological weak Finsler structure of a domain and we show that these are given by the so-called Funk weak metric. We conclude the paper with a discussion of geodesics, of metric balls, of convexity, and of rigidity properties of the Funk weak metric.

Let f: M → S1 be a Morse map of a closed manifold M into the circle, where a Morse map is a smooth map with only nondegenerate critical points. In this paper, we classify such maps up to fold cobordism. In the course of the classification, we get several fold cobordism invariants for such Morse maps. We also consider a slightly general situation where the source manifold M has boundary and the map f restricted to the boundary has no critical points. Let g: (Rm, 0) → (R2, 0), m ≥ 2, be a generic smooth map germ, where the target R2 is oriented. Using the above-mentioned fold cobordism invariants, we show that the number of cusps with a prescribed index appearing in a C∞ stable perturbation of g, counted with signs, gives a topological invariant of g.

Recently, the first author and Y. Wang proved that (n ≥ 2) is a Möbius transformation if and only if f is a non-degenerate circle-preserving map. In this paper, we will further the result to show that f is a Möbius transformation if and only if f is a non-degenerate r–dimensional sphere-preserving map. The versions for the Euclidean and hyperbolic cases are also obtained. These results make no surjectivity or injectivity or even continuity assumptions on f. Moreover, certain degenerate sphere-preserving maps are given, which completes the characterizations of sphere-preserving maps.

We prove that the symmetrizer of a permutation group preserves stability if and only if the group is orbit homogeneous. A consequence is that the hypothesis of permutation invariance in the Grace–Walsh–Szegő Coincidence Theorem cannot be relaxed. In the process we obtain a new characterization of the Grace-like polynomials, introduced by D. Ruelle, and prove that the class of such polynomials can be endowed with a natural multiplication.

Professor Vicente Muñoz kindly informed us that there is an inaccuracy in Lemma 3.5 of [1]. The correct statement of Lemma 3.5 is now that the fundamental group π1(X′) of the manifold X′ is Z, since the monodromy coming from φ8 does not imply that g4 = g4−1. Therefore, what we have actually constructed in Section 3 of [1] is a closed non-formal 8-dimensional symplectic manifold with π1 = Z whose triple Massey product is non-zero, so that the simply-connectedness in Theorem 1.1 should be dropped. As far as we know, the existence of a simply connected closed non-formal 8-dimensional symplectic manifold whose triple Massey product is non-zero still remains an open question. All other main results, especially Theorem 1.2 and Corollary 1.3, in [1] are not affected by this mistake. Furthermore, the stability of the non-formality under a finite covering as in Subsection 3.3 holds in general. We want to thank Professor Muñoz for his careful reading.

We deal with contracting finite and countably infinite iterated function systems acting on Polish spaces, and we introduce conformal Graph Directed Markov Systems on Polish spaces. Sufficient conditions are provided for the closure of limit sets to be compact, connected, or locally connected. Conformal measures, topological pressure, and Bowen's formula (determining the Hausdorff dimension of limit sets in dynamical terms) are introduced and established. We show that, unlike the Euclidean case, the Hausdorff measure of the limit set of a finite iterated function system may vanish. Investigating this issue in greater detail, we introduce the concept of geometrically perfect measures and provide sufficient conditions for geometric perfectness. Geometrical perfectness guarantees the Hausdorff measure of the limit set to be positive. As a by–product of the mainstream of our investigations we prove a 4r–covering theorem for all metric spaces. It enables us to establish appropriate co–Frostman type theorems.