We introduce the concept of an E-valued function algebra, a type of Banach algebra that consists of continuous E-valued functions on some compact Hausdorff space, where E is a Banach algebra. We present some basic results about such algebras, having to do with the Shilov boundary and the set of peak points of some commutative E-valued function algebras. We give some specific examples.

In this paper, we introduce a notion of unistructural cluster algebras, for which the set of cluster variables uniquely determines the clusters, as well as the notion of weak unistructural cluster algebras, for which the set of cluster variables determines the clusters, provided that the type of the cluster algebra is fixed. We prove that, for cluster algebras of the Dynkin type, the two notions of unistructural and weakly unistructural coincide, and that cluster algebras of rank 2 are always unistructural. We then prove that a cluster algebra $\mathcal A$ is weakly unistructural if and only if any automorphism of the ambient field, which restricts to a permutation of cluster variables of $\mathcal A$, is a cluster automorphism. We also investigate the Fomin-Zelevinsky conjecture that two cluster variables are compatible if and only if one does not appear in the denominator of the Laurent expansions of the other.

Let 1 ≤ p < ∞. A sequence 〈 xn 〉 in a Banach space X is defined to be p-operator summable if for each 〈 fn 〉 ∈ lw*p(X*) we have 〈〈 fn(xk)〉k〉n ∈ lsp(lp). Every norm p-summable sequence in a Banach space is operator p-summable whereas in its turn every operator p-summable sequence is weakly p-summable. An operator T ∈ B(X, Y) is said to be p-limited if for every 〈 xn 〉 ∈ lpw(X), 〈 Txn 〉 is operator p-summable. The set of all p-limited operators forms a normed operator ideal. It is shown that every weakly p-summable sequence in X is operator p-summable if and only if every operator T ∈ B(X, lp) is p-absolutely summing. On the other hand, every operator p-summable sequence in X is norm p-summable if and only if every p-limited operator in B(lp', X) is absolutely p-summing. Moreover, this is the case if and only if X is a subspace of Lp(μ) for some Borel measure μ.

Let F be a field of characteristic p ≠ 2 and G a group without 2-elements having an involution ∗. Extend the involution linearly to the group ring FG, and let (FG)− denote the set of skew elements with respect to ∗. In this paper, we show that if G is finite and (FG)− is Lie metabelian, then G is nilpotent. Based on this result, we deduce that if G is torsion, p > 7 and (FG)− is Lie metabelian, then G must be abelian. Exceptions are constructed for smaller values of p.

We develop a theory of group actions and coverings on Brauer graphs that parallels the theory of group actions and coverings of algebras. In particular, we show that any Brauer graph can be covered by a tower of coverings of Brauer graphs such that the topmost covering has multiplicity function identically one, no loops, and no multiple edges. Furthermore, we classify the coverings of Brauer graph algebras that are again Brauer graph algebras.

Let Sg be a closed orientable surface of genus g ≥ 2 and C a simple closed nonseparating curve in F. Let tC denote a left-handed Dehn twist about C. A fractional power of tC of exponent ℓ//n is an h ∈ Mod(Sg) such that hn = tCℓ. Unlike a root of a tC, a fractional power h can exchange the sides of C. We derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of both side-exchanging and side-preserving fractional powers. We show in the side-preserving case that if gcd(ℓ,n) = 1, then h will be isotopic to the ℓth power of an nth root of tC and that n ≤ 2g+1. In general, we show that n ≤ 4g, and that side-preserving fractional powers of exponents 2g//2g+2 and 2g//4g always exist. For a side-exchanging fractional power of exponent ℓ//2n, we show that 2n ≥ 2g+2, and that side-exchanging fractional powers of exponent 2g+2//4g+2 and 4g+1//4g+2 always exist. We give a complete listing of certain side-preserving and side-exchanging fractional powers on S5.

In this paper, we introduce the notions of almost upper semi-Fredholm and strictly singular pairs of subspaces and show that the class of almost upper semi-Fredholm pairs of subspaces is stable under strictly singular pairs perturbation. We apply this perturbation result to investigate the stability of almost semi-Fredholm multi-valued linear operators in normed spaces under strictly singular perturbation as well as the behaviour of the index under perturbation.

In response to questions by Kassabov, Nikolov and Shalev, we show that a given subset A of a finite simple group G is the image of some word map w : G × G → G if and only if (i) A contains the identity and (ii) A is invariant under Aut(G).

In this paper we generalise a result of Izuchi and Suárez (K. Izuchi and D. Suárez, Norm-closed invariant subspaces in L∞ and H∞, Glasgow Math. J. 46 (2004), 399–404) on the shift invariant subspaces of $L^\infty(\mathbb{T})$ to the non-commutative setting. Considering these subspaces as $C(\mathbb{T})$-modules contained in $L^\infty(\mathbb{T})$, we show that under some restrictions, a similar description can be given for the ${\mathfrak{B}}$-submodules of ${\mathfrak{A}}$, where ${\mathfrak{A}}$ is a C*-algebra and ${\mathfrak{B}}$ is a commutative C*-subalgebra of ${\mathfrak{A}}$. We use this to give a description of the $\mathbb{M}_n({\mathfrak{B}})$-submodules of $\mathbb{M}_n({\mathfrak{A}})$.

In this paper we deal with locally graded groups whose subgroups are either subnormal or soluble of bounded derived length, say d. In particular, we prove that every locally (soluble-by-finite) group with this property is either soluble or an extension of a soluble group of derived length at most d by a finite group, which fits between a minimal simple group and its automorphism group. We also classify all the finite non-abelian simple groups whose proper subgroups are metabelian.

Lutwak (Adv. Math., vol. 118(2), 1996, pp. 244–294) defined the notion of Lp-geominimal surface area based on Lp-mixed volumes. Recently, Wang and Qi (J. Inequal. Appl., vol. 2011, 2011, pp. 1–10) introduced the concept of Lp-dual geominimal surface area based on Lp-dual mixed volumes. In this paper, based on Lp-dual mixed quermassintegrals, we define the concept of Lp-dual mixed geominimal surface area and establish several inequalities for this new notion.