The algebraic proof of the fundamental theorem of algebra uses two facts about real numbers. First, every polynomial with odd degree and real coefficients has a real root. Second, every nonnegative real number has a square root. Shipman [‘Improving the fundamental theorem of algebra’, Math. Intelligencer29(4) (2007), 9–14] showed that the assumption about odd degree polynomials is stronger than necessary; any field in which polynomials of prime degree have roots is algebraically closed. In this paper, we give a simpler proof of this result of Shipman.

We prove that the dual of a Banach space E is isomorphic to an ℓ1(Γ) space if and only if, for a fixed integer m, every m-homogeneous 1-dominated polynomial on E is nuclear. This extends a result for linear operators due to Lewis and Stegall. The same techniques used for this result allow us to prove that, if every m-homogeneous integral polynomial between two Banach spaces is nuclear, then every integral (linear) operator between the same spaces is nuclear.

A sharp Landau-Kolmogorov inequality on a finite interval is proved. The proof yields the known Landau-Kolmogorov inequality on R as a limiting case, and thus provides a new proof for that result.

We characterise finite unitary rings $R$ such that all Sylow subgroups of the group of units $R^{\ast }$ are cyclic. To be precise, we show that, up to isomorphism, $R$ is one of the three types of rings in $\{O,E,O\oplus E\}$, where $O\in \{GF(q),\mathbb{Z}_{p^{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}}}\}$ is a ring of odd cardinality and $E$ is a ring of cardinality $2^{n}$ which is one of seven explicitly described types.

For a nonconstant L2 (−π, π) function f, we prove that and that the inequalities are sharp.

The structure of finite quotients of “large” subgroups of the multiplicative group of a finite dimensional division algebra is interesting and is related to the Margulis-Platonov conjecture. We develop machinery to handle such quotients and we conjecture that finite quotients of the multiplicative group of a finite dimensional division algebra are solvable. The proofs rely on Wedderburn's Factorisation Theorem.

It is shown that a minimal surface in ℍ2×ℝ is invariant under a one-parameter group of screw motions if and only if it lies in the associate family of helicoids. It is also shown that the conjugate surfaces of the parabolic and hyperbolic helicoids in ℍ2×ℝ are certain types of catenoids.

If $X$ is a subgroup of a group $G$, the cardinal number $\min \{ \vert X: X_{G}\vert , \vert {X}^{G} : X\vert \} $ is called the normal oscillation of $X$ in $G$. It is proved that if all subgroups of a locally finite group $G$ have finite normal oscillation, then $G$ contains a nilpotent subgroup of finite index.

We show that the system of equations

$$ \begin{align*} \sum_{i=1}^{s} (x_{i}^{\,j}-y_{i}^{\,j}) = a_{j} \quad (1 \leqslant j \leqslant k) \end{align*} $$

has appreciably fewer solutions in the subcritical range $s < \tfrac 12k(k+1)$ than its homogeneous counterpart, provided that $a_{\ell } \neq 0$ for some $\ell \leqslant k-1$ . Our methods use Vinogradov’s mean value theorem in combination with a shifting argument.

Higher-rank graphs were introduced by Kumjian and Pask to provide models for higher-rank Cuntz–Krieger algebras. In a previous paper, we constructed 2-graphs whose path spaces are rank-two subshifts of finite type, and showed that this construction yields aperiodic 2-graphs whoseC*-algebras are simple and are not ordinary graph algebras. Here we show that the construction also gives a family of periodic 2-graphs which we call domino graphs. We investigate the combinatorial structure of domino graphs, finding interesting points of contact with the existing combinatorial literature, and prove a structure theorem for the C*-algebras of domino graphs.

Let G be a graph with vertex degree sequence d1 ≤ d2 ≤ … ≤ dp It is shown that if di + dp–i+1 ≥ p for some i, then G is uniquely reconstructable from its collection of maximal (edge deleted) subgraphs. This generalizes considerably a result of Lovász. As a corollary, it is shown that Chvátal's existence condition for hamiltonian cycles implies edge reconstructability as well.

The full collineation group of the flag transitive plane of order 27 constructed by Hering is determined. It is shown that the stabilizer of the origin of this plane is of order 2184.

In this paper, we prove that the twisted Alexander polynomial for the Lawrence-Krammer representation of the braid group B4 is trivial. This gives an answer to the problem of whether the twisted Alexander polynomial for given faithful representations is always non-trivial.

We consider the function $f(n)$ that enumerates partitions of weight $n$ wherein each part appears an odd number of times. Chern [‘Unlimited parity alternating partitions’, Quaest. Math. (to appear)] noted that such partitions can be placed in one-to-one correspondence with the partitions of $n$ which he calls unlimited parity alternating partitions with smallest part odd. Our goal is to study the parity of $f(n)$ in detail. In particular, we prove a characterisation of $f(2n)$ modulo 2 which implies that there are infinitely many Ramanujan-like congruences modulo 2 satisfied by the function $f.$ The proof techniques are elementary and involve classical generating function dissection tools.

This paper demonstrates a connection between two measures of discrepancy of sequences which arise in the theory of uniform distribution modulo one. The sequence formed from the non-negative integer multiples of an irrational number ξ is investigated and, by an application of the “Steinhaus Conjecture”, some values of the two discrepancies are obtained using continued fractions.

Some of the results in the theory of Möbius functions of finite partially ordered sets are extended to arbitrary non-singular binary relations on finite sets.

The main theorem of this paper shows that a complex p-normed algebra which is a pre-Bezout domain is isomorphic to the field of complex numbers, if it is a generalized unique factorization domain. This theorem generalizes the previous result of the authors proved by them in their paper Bull. Austral. Math. Soc. 20 (1979), 247–252. Some applications are then given.