It is well known ((1), pp. 120–1) that if G is a finite p–group then the factor group G/G′ is cyclic if and only if G is itself cyclic. A trivial consequence of this fact is that, in such a case, the factor group G′/G″ is the unit group. (As usual, G(r) denotes the rth derived group of the group G.)

We prove the following theorem.

Let R* be a ring with unit element I. For every A ∈ R*, let the mapping A → A′ be an involutory anti-automorphism, i.e. a one-to-one mapping of R* onto itself with the following properties:

Let C* denote the set of all symmetric elements of R*, i.e. C′ = C for all C ∈ C*.

An element A ∈ R* is said to be skew-symmetric if A′ + A = 0 (the zero element of the ring).

This paper is concerned with what, for lack of a better name, the author proposes to call geometric modules over a field k. These modules are defined as follows. A geometric module M consists of a vector space, also denoted by M, over k, together with a ring of linear transformations A of M into itself subject to the following conditions:

(i) A is a homomorphic image of the ring Sn = k[X1, …, Xn] of polynomials in n indeterminates X1, …, Xn for some value of n;

(ii) M, considered as an A-module, is finitely generated.

It is well known that Hubert's function of a homogeneous ideal in the ring of polynomials K[x0, …, xm], where K is a field and x0, …, xm are independent indeterminates over K, is, for large values of r, a polynomial in r of degree equal to the projective dimension of (1). Samuel (4) and Northcott (2) have both shown that if the field K is replaced by an Artin ring A, is still a polynomial in r for large values of r. Applying this generalization Samuel (4) has shown that in a local ring Q the length of an ideal qρ, where q is a primary ideal belonging to the maximal ideal m of Q, is, for sufficiently large values of ρ, a polynomial in ρ whose degree is equal to the dimension of Q.

The purpose of this note is to present two characterizations of conjugate Banach spaces. More precisely, we present two conditions, each necessary and sufficient for a (real or complex) Banach space to be isomorphic to the conjugate space of a Banach space, and two corresponding conditions for to be equivalent to the conjugate space of a Banach space. Other characterizations, in terms of weak topologies, have been given by Alaoglu ((1), Theorem 2:1, p. 256, and Corollary 2:1, p. 257) and Bourbaki ((4), Chap, IV, §5, exerc. 15c, p. 122). Here, by the conjugate space* of a Banach space we mean ((2), p. 188) the space of continuous linear functionals over . Two Banach spaces and are said to be isomorphic if there is a one-one continuous linear mapping of onto (its inverse is necessarily continuous by the inversion theorem ((2), Théorème 5, p. 41; (6), Theorem 2·13·7, Corollary, p. 29)); they are said to be equivalent if there is a norm-preserving linear mapping of onto .((2), p. 180).

This paper is concerned with the properties of precompact and compact linear operators from a locally convex Hausdorff space into itself, the field of scalars being the complex number field.

The Riesz–Schauder theory for the equations

where T is a compact linear operator from the Bacach space into itself, is well known (see, for example, Banach(1), Chapter 10, §2) and has been extended to the more general setting of locally convx Hausdorff spaces by Leray (4). In particular, the ‘Fredholm alternative theorem’ remains valid.

A number of authors ((2), (4), (5)) have recently considered problems relating to the convergence of specified sequences of partial sums of a gap Taylor series on its circle of convergence. For convenience in stating such results we shall standardize the Taylor series as Σanzn with the unit circle as circle of convergence, and denote the partial sums and the sum function by sn(z) and f(z) respectively. Following the notation of ((4)) and (5) we shall define φ(x) for 0 ≤ x < ∞ to be the least concave majorant of log (|an| + 2). One of the recent results in this field ((5), Theorem 1, and see also (2)) may be stated as

THEOREM A. Suppose that f(z) is regular on an arc α < arg z < β. Suppose also that there are sequences of integers nk, Nk → ∞ such that Nk – nk → ∞ and am = 0 if nk < m < Nk.

In the integral

the functions g(z), f(z, α) are analytic functions of their arguments, and N is a large positive parameter. When N tends to ∞, asymptotic expansions can usually be found by the method of steepest descents, which shows that the principal contributions arise from the saddle points, i.e. the values of z at which ∂f/∂z = 0. The position of the saddle points varies with α, and if for some a (say α = 0) two saddle points coincide (say at z = 0) the ordinary method of steepest descents gives expansions which are not uniformly valid for small α. In the present paper we consider this case of two nearly coincident saddle points and construct uniform expansions as follows. A new complex variable u is introduced by the implicit relation

where the parameters ζ(α), A(α) are determined explicitly from the condition that the (u, z) transformation is uniformly regular near z = 0, α = 0 (see § 2 below). We show that with these values of the parameters there is one branch of the transformation which is uniformly regular. By taking u on this branch as a new variable of integration we obtain for the integral uniformly asymptotic expansions of the form

where Ai and Ai′ are the Airy function and its derivative respectively, and A(α), ζ(α) are the parameters in the transformation. The application to Bessel functions of large order is briefly described.

This paper represents a new method for obtaining an asymptotic representation for integrals of the form when p is large. It is shown that if f(x) satisfies certain conditions this representation is also convergent. Numerical calculations seem to show that the first term of the representation gives a close approximation to the value of the integral for a wide range of values of p.

A method is described for finding the frequency functions of bivariate random variables which are the products or ratios of other bivariate random variables. If (ξ, n) are a pair of bivariate random variables with joint frequency function f(x, y) then the method depends upon the fact that the expectation of │ ξ │r–1│η│s–1 is related to the Mellin transform of f(x, y) in two dimensions. Knowing the expectation we can then recover the frequency function by means of the inverse Mellin transform. Some examples are given to illustrate the theory.

The paper studies, in a general way, how the random properties of a ‘medium’ influence the percolation of a ‘fluid’ through it. The treatment diifers from conventional diffusion theory, in which it is the random properties of the fluid that matter. Fluid and medium bear general interpretations: for example, solute diffusing through solvent, electrons migrating over an atomic lattice, molecules penetrating a porous solid, disease infecting a community, etc.

The previous paper (1) omitted the proof of the theorem on the connective constant of a crystal. This paper supplies the proof. For ease of reference, we first recall the relevant nomenclature and enunciate the theorem; to this extent the present paper is self-contained.

An experiment is suggested to settle the question whether two clocks which are synchronized and subsequently separated must necessarily show identical readings on being brought together again. Charged π-mesons play the role of a clock travelling with a velocity comparable with c, this clock being read by passing the mesons through a scintillation counter or counters. It is pointed out that the experiment can be designed in a way which makes it technically feasible for a laboratory possessing an accelerating machine capable of producing mesons in the 100 Me V. energy range.

Some considerations suggested by the proposed experiment are examined, and it is concluded that only the orthodox result—that in general the two clocks will record the passage of different time intervals between successive coincidences—is consistent with the result of an experiment which has already been made, or with the special theory of relativity.

In Feynman's ‘space-time’ formulation of quantum mechanics the Green's function for the Schrödinger equation is defined by an integral over all histories of the system. By integrating over one-parameter sets of functions, one gets the same Green's function as by integrating over a Fourier series, in simple cases. The method may be useful for estimating the result in cases when the integration over all histories cannot be performed exactly.

The paper is concerned with the solution of the algebraic problems arising in the partial wave treatment of electron-hydrogen atom collisions. Explicitly antisymmetrized wave functions are used throughout. The boundary conditions are written in S-matrix notation and expressions for total and differential cross-sections obtained. The algebraic coefficients fλ and gλ occurring in the continuous state Hartree-Fock equations are expressed in terms of Racah coefficients, and tabulated as functions of the total angular momentum for atomic s, p and d electrons and all angular momenta of the scattered electron. Expressions are given for the calculation of first-order corrections to the results obtained using approximate wave functions.

Solutions of Fock's equations for the self-consistent field with exchange have been carried out for Ne+4, using the EDSAC at the Mathematical Laboratory, Cambridge. The initial estimates for the calculation were made by a simplified version of a method previously suggested for interpolating atomic wave functions with respect to atomic number. This gave good estimates for Ne+4, and it is probable that estimates for Ne+3, obtained similarly, are already accurate enough for practical use. Such wave functions for Ne+3 are given. The results have application in astrophysical contexts.

The four first-order ‘coupled’ equations governing the propagation of electromagnetic waves in the ionosphere, previously obtained in symbolic matrix form (Clemmow and Heading (4)), are expressed explicitly in terms of the ionospheric parameters. The physical significance of the equations is illustrated by considering the energy flux in one characteristic wave when coupling and damping are neglected. Three special cases are then discussed for which second-order coupled equations are also given, namely, the cases of (a) vertical incidence with oblique magnetic field, (b) oblique incidence with vertical magnetic field, (c) horizontal magnetic field in the plane of incidence. For case (a) the second-order equations are those previously derived by Försterling(5).

The form of the coupled equations is physically illuminating and, in principle, suitable for solution by successive approximations. Extensive numerical work has indeed been carried out on the second-order coupled equations in case (a) (e.g. Gibbons and Nertney(6)), and it is probable that the first-order coupled equations would prove more advantageous. The present authors, however, feel that better methods are available for purely numerical work (e.g. Budden(3)), and that the chief interest of the coupled form is that it shows the scope and limitations of the physical conception of characteristic waves.

Certain equivalence relationships between different problems occurring in diffraction theory are established. The method used is essentially Schwarz's principle of analytic continuation by reflexion across a straight boundary. An explicit solution is also obtained by this method for a plane wave normally incident on a T-shaped structure.

In some recent work Kodis* considers the scattering of a plane harmonic wave by a circular cylinder and uses variational methods to deduce an asymptotic formula for the scattering coefficient in the case of high-frequency waves. The scattering coefficient, σ, is denned as the total energy flux outward from the cylinder in the scattered wave divided by the energy flux in the beam of the incident wave which falls on the cylinder. In the limit, of geometrical optics, the scattered wave is made up of a wave reflected from the forward half of the cylinder with energy flux equal to that in the incident beam, and a wave behind the cylinder cancelling the incident wave there to form the shadow. Thus σ → 2 as ka → ∞, k being the wave number of the incident wave and a the radius of the cylinder. The next term in the asymptotic expansion for σ is proportional to . It has been determined already from the exact series expression for the field by White (6), Wu and Rubinow (7) and Kear (3). But Kodis gives an approximate method which also supplies this result and, since the coefficient is in good agreement with the values obtained from the exact solution, concludes that his approximate procedure could also be used for more general obstacles. In the present paper, we propose an alternative approximate method which is related to the one given by Kodis but is very much simpler. Also we go on to obtain the correction terms for general obstacles in detail. Various writers (see, for example, Keller (4) and van de Hulst(8)) have suggested previously that the correction is still proportional to , where a is some length defined by the body shape. However, the determination of a and of the numerical coefficient has been limited to two-dimensional obstacles.

A theoretical treatment is given of the absorption of longitudinally polarized sound in dielectric crystals of high symmetry, due to interaction with the thermal phonous. The Q value for the absorption is calculated in terms of the deviation from Hooke's law, the result being applicable at low temperatures when the mean free path of the phonons is greater than the wavelength of the acoustic wave. The theory is applied to cubic crystals, and in particular to solid argon, where a minimum Q value of about 108–109 is calculated. It is suggested that measurement of the absorption (at present somewhat beyond experimental techniques) would supply information on the deviation from linear elasticity, as well as providing a satisfactory verification of the basic interaction theory. The effect of isotopes, and, in more complicated structures, of optic modes, is shown to be negligible.