In this paper, we deal with the multiplicity of solutions for a fourth-order impulsive differential equation with a parameter. Using variational methods and a ‘three critical points’ theorem, we give some new criteria to guarantee that the impulsive problem has at least three classical solutions. An example is also given in order to illustrate the main results.

We answer a recent question posed by Li et al. [‘Imprimitive symmetric graphs with cyclic blocks’, European J. Combin.31 (2010), 362–367] regarding a family of imprimitive symmetric graphs.

In this paper we prove the existence and uniqueness of both entropy solutions and renormalized solutions for the p(x)-Laplacian equation with variable exponents and a signed measure in L1(Ω)+W−1,p′(⋅)(Ω). Moreover, we obtain the equivalence of entropy solutions and renormalized solutions.

In this paper our aim is to deduce some sharp Turán type inequalities for modified Bessel functions of the first and second kinds. Our proofs are based on explicit formulas for the Turánians of the modified Bessel functions of the first and second kinds and on a formula which is related to the infinite divisibility of the Student t-distribution.

We consider finite p-groups G in which every cyclic subgroup has at most p conjugates. We show that the derived subgroup of such a group has order at most p2. Further, if the stronger condition holds that all subgroups have at most p conjugates then the central factor group has order p4 at most.

A matrix A over a field F is said to be an AJT matrix if there exists a vector x over F such that both x and Ax have no zero component. The Alon–Jaeger–Tarsi (AJT) conjecture states that if F is a finite field, with |F|≥4, and A is an element of GL n (F) , then A is an AJT matrix. In this paper we prove that every nonzero matrix over a field F, with |F|≥3 , is similar to an AJT matrix. Let AJTn (q) denote the set of n×n, invertible, AJT matrices over a field with q elements. It is shown that the following are equivalent for q≥3 : (i) AJTn (q)=GL n (q) ; (ii) every 2n×n matrix of the form (A∣B)t has a nowhere-zero vector in its image, where A,B are n×n, invertible, upper and lower triangular matrices, respectively; and (iii) AJTn (q) forms a semigroup.

We observe that a solvability criterion for finite groups, conjectured by Miller [The product of two or more groups, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc.12 (1911)] and Hall [A characteristic property of soluble groups, J. London Math. Soc.12 (1937)] and proved by Thompson [Nonsolvable finite groups all of whose local subgroups are solvable, Bull. Amer. Math. Soc.74(3) (1968)], can be sharpened as follows: a finite group is nonsolvable if and only if it has a nontrivial 2-element and an odd p-element, such that the order of their product is not divisible by either 2 or p. We also prove a solvability criterion involving conjugates of odd p-elements. Finally, we define, via a condition on products of p-elements with p′-elements, a formation Pp,p′, for each prime p. We show that P2,2′ (which contains the odd-order groups) is properly contained in the solvable formation.

Clark et al. [‘The axiomatizability of topological prevarieties’, Adv. Math.218 (2008), 1604–1653] have shown that, for k≥2, there exists a Boolean topological graph that is k-colourable but not topologically k-colourable; that is, for every ϵ>0, it cannot be coloured by a paintbrush of width ϵ. We generalize this result to show that, for k≥2, there is a Boolean topological graph that is 2-colourable but not topologically k-colourable. This graph is an inverse limit of finite graphs which are shown to exist by an Erdős-style probabilistic argument of Hell and Nešetřil [‘The core of a graph’, Discrete Math.109 (1992), 117–126]. We use the fact that there exists a Boolean topological graph that is 2-colourable but not k-colourable, and some other results (some new and some previously known), to answer the question of which finitely generated topological residual classes of graphs are axiomatizable by universal Horn sentences. A more general version of this question was raised in the above-mentioned paper by Clark et al., and has been investigated by various authors for other structures.

Let ℬ be an abstract Segal algebra with respect to 𝒜. For a nonzero character ϕ on 𝒜, we study ϕ-amenability, and ϕ-contractibility of 𝒜 and ℬ. We then apply these results to abstract Segal algebras related to locally compact groups.

The results of Szele and Szendrei [‘On Abelian groups with commutative endomorphism rings’, Acta Math. Acad. Sci. Hungar.2 (1951), 309–324] characterizing abelian groups with commutative endomorphism rings are generalized to modules whose endomorphism rings have various restrictions on their idempotents. Such properties include central or commuting idempotents, and one-sided ideals being two-sided. Related properties include direct summands having unique complements, or being fully invariant.

A radical γ is prime-like if, for every prime ring A, the polynomial ring A[x] is γ-semisimple. In this paper, we study properties of prime-like radicals. In particular, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for a radical γ containing the prime radical β to be prime-like. This allows us to easily find distinct special radicals that coincide on simple rings and on polynomial rings, which answers a question put by Ferrero. It also allows us to reformulate a long-standing open problem of Gardner in terms of prime-like radicals.

A number is called upper (lower) flat if its shift by +1 ( −1) is a power of 2 times a squarefree number. If the squarefree number is 1 or a single odd prime then the original number is called upper (lower) thin. Upper flat numbers which are primes arise in the study of multi-perfect numbers. Here we show that the lower or upper flat primes have asymptotic density relative to that of the full set of primes given by twice Artin’s constant, that more than 53% of the primes are both lower and upper flat, and that the series of reciprocals of the lower or the upper thin primes converges.

We generalize the main result of the paper by Bennett and Mulholland [‘On the diophantine equation xn+yn=2αpz2’, C. R. Math. Acad. Sci. Soc. R. Can.28 (2006), 6–11] concerning the solubility of the diophantine equation xn+yn=2αpz2. We also demonstrate, by way of examples, that questions about solubility of a class of diophantine equations of type (3,3,p) or (4,2,p) can be reduced, in certain cases, to studying several equations of the type (p,p,2).

A finite group is called a CH-group if for every x,y∈G∖Z(G), xy=yx implies that . Applying results of Schmidt [‘Zentralisatorverbände endlicher Gruppen’, Rend. Sem. Mat. Univ. Padova44 (1970), 97–131] and Rebmann [‘F-Gruppen’, Arch. Math. 22 (1971), 225–230] concerning CA-groups and F-groups, the structure of CH-groups is determined, up to that of CH-groups of prime-power order. Upper bounds are found for the derived length of nilpotent and solvable CH-groups.

Let R be an integral domain and A a symmetric cellular algebra over R with a cellular basis {CλS,T∣λ∈Λ,S,T∈M(λ)}. We construct an ideal L(A) of the centre of A and prove that L(A) contains the so-called Higman ideal. When R is a field, we prove that the dimension of L(A) is not less than the number of nonisomorphic simple A-modules.

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.

We introduce the concept of ‘shift operators’ in order to establish sufficient conditions for the existence of the resolvent for the Volterra integral equation on time scales. The paper will serve as the foundation for future research on the qualitative analysis of solutions of Volterra integral equations on time scales, using the notion of the resolvent.

For an infinite set X, denote by Γ(X) the semigroup of all injective mappings from X to X. For α∈Γ(X), let C(α)={β∈Γ(X):αβ=βα} be the centralizer of α in Γ(X). For an arbitrary α∈Γ(X), we characterize the elements of C(α) and determine Green’s relations in C(α), including the partial orders of ℒ-, ℛ-, and 𝒥-classes.

We study properties of the Drazin index of regular elements in a ring with a unity 1. We give expressions for generalized inverses of 1−ba in terms of generalized inverses of 1−ab. In our development we prove that the Drazin index of 1−ba is equal to the Drazin index of 1−ab.