H. Läuchli (9) constructed, within a model of a weak form of set theory, an algebraic closure L of the field Q of rationals which had no real-closed subfield. Läuchli's construction is easily transferred to a model N of ZF (= Zermelo–Fraenkel set theory without the axiom of Choice), and it follows at once that neither of the two following statements is provable from ZF alone:

Every algebraic closure of Q has a real-closed subfield. (1)

There is, up to isomorphism, at most one algebraic closure of Q. (2)

C. Ehresmann (2) has shown that if a leaf L of a smooth foliation has a foliated neighbourhood, then there exists a fibre bundle over L, normal to the leaves, with discrete structure group. Using the concept of a microbundle and the n-isotopy extension theorem, we find a similar result for both PL and TOP categories, and, in addition, show that the structure group can be chosen to be the holonomy group of L. As for applications we show that holonomy characterizes the foliated neighbourhood of a leaf (proved by Haefliger in the differentiable case (3)). In particular, if the holonomy group of a compact leaf L is trivial then the leaf has a trivial foliated neighbourhood, and if it is finite it has a neighbourhood of compact leaves which are covering spaces of L. Another corollary is the known result that a proper submersion with compact fibre is a fibration. Finally we use the fact that the constructed normal microbundle can be chosen to have its fibres contained in the leaves of a transverse foliation to demonstrate isotopy uniqueness of normal microbundles.

It seems worthwhile to point out that a few of the theorems in (2) can, as indeed one would expect in a paper of such length and scope, be somewhat generalized or simplified. This note uses the notation of (2) and all references are to that paper.

In this paper, k is a positive integer, k ≧ 2; K denotes 2k−1, and ε is an arbitrary positive number. X = (x1, …, xs) and U = (u1, …, ur) are integer vectors; is the distance from the real number y to the nearest integer.

H. Herrlich ((2), p. 193) defines, for a given nearness ξ, a property ξ̃ (which by analogy with the case of filters on a proximity space may be called compression) and remarks that ξ is determined by ξ̃. He continues: ‘Consequently, each of the axioms (Ni) can be translated into a condition concerning ξ̃, thus providing an axiomatization of the concept of collections of sets containing arbitrary small members.’ This last remark seems slightly misleading; it might reasonably be taken to mean that the reciprocity between ξ and ξ̃ is a mere set-theoretic tautology, independent of the nearness axioms themselves. (Compare, for example, the relation between the ideas of ‘closure-point of a set’ and ‘neighbourhood of a point’ in the axiomatics of topology.) This is not in fact the case; however, one cannot select from Herrlich's axioms a subset which is necessary and sufficient for ξ to be determined by ξ̃. Moreover, the relation between ξ and ξ̃ appears to be asymmetrical. We shall exhibit, in terms of stacks ((4), p. 36), an elegant set of mutually independent axioms, first for the more general ‘Čech nearness’ discussed by Naimpally in (3) and then for a Herrlich nearness (called in (3) a LO-nearness, with a compatible topology as there defined); these axioms make the reciprocity between nearness and compression, and its relationship with the axioms, explicit and obvious.

The results given here are a natural continuation of those given by G. P. Shannon (4). The extension of various operators to the completions of the respective spaces are considered and the adjoint operator is more closely examined. A perturbation result for strictly cosingular operators is also given.

In this paper we consider the classification problem for separable special simple J*-algebras (cf. (8)). We show, using a result of Ancochea, that if is the (finite-dimensional) Jordan algebra of all complex n × n matrices and ø a Jordan isomorphism of onto a special J*-algebra J then An can be given the structure of an H*-algebra such that ø is a *-preserving isomorphism of the J*-algebra onto J. This result enables us to construct explicitly a canonical basis for a finite-dimensional simple special J*-algebra isomorphic to a Jordan algebra of type I from which we also obtain canonical bases for special simple finite-dimensional J*-algebras isomorphic to Jordan algebras of type II and III.

We shall verify Miller's conjectured characterization of parts in measure algebras and obtain also a simpler proof of the main result of (2). The basic pattern of argument follows Miller while the chief novelty resides in the approximation method using Wiener–Ditkin sets which is introduced in section 2.

Following LeVan (6), we were led in (3) to investigate a purely categorical formulation of shape theory, which had hitherto been confined to certain rather circumscribed areas of topology. However, several authors (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) had noted that, within this topological context, shape theory could be related to the process of expressing objects of the larger category T as filtered limits of objects of the given full subcategory P.

One of the key results in the work of the second author ((7), (8)) on integrability of systems of vectorfields is the theorem which relates integrability of a distribution to the concept of homogeneity. In this paper, we show that the homogeneity theorem also applies in an infinite-dimensional context, and this allows us to derive infinite-dimensional versions of several further results in (7) and (8), formulated in terms of distributions. In particular, we are able to express necessary and sufficient conditions for homogeneity in terms of Lie brackets (Theorems 3 and 4) and to characterize integrable real-analytic distributions (Theorem 5). As a corollary to our Theorem 2, we recover the standard Frobenius theorem on the integrability of regular distributions. We also discuss briefly a basic problem which arises in infinite dimensions when we view an integral manifold of an integrable distribution as part of a singular foliation.

This paper concerns the existence and uniqueness of non-negative solutions of non-linear Volterra integral equations of the type

and

where the kernel function k(.,.) is non-negative and sufficiently smooth, and either 0 < p < 1 or – 1 < p < 1. We will consider also the corresponding Fredholm equations

and

This note contains a partial generalization of the results of (3). We extend to arbitrary n and k the complete determination of the cases in which cup length is strictly less than the maximum possible value dim Gn, k(R) = nk. We also show that the Lusternik–Schnirelmann category cat Gn, k(R) < nk in the same cases.

The object of this paper is to study stable operations on the K-cohomology of torsion-free spaces and spectra. Such a study was begun by Novikov ((4), § 8). We hope the present work may among other things serve to clarify some of the obscure points in this part of his work.

Given a set consisting of n1, objects of type 1, n2 of type 2, …, nk of type k, we denote by the number of possible derangements of the set i.e. permutations in which no object occupies a site originally occupied by an object of the same type. A formula is found for in terms of Laguerre polynomials, and some of its implications are considered.

Krickeberg (in (5) and (6)) showed that disintegration applied to invariant measures sometimes yields an integral representation which is useful in analysing the moment measures of point processes. His results, based on Bourbaki's disintegration theory, raised several questions. We refine the theory, using a more general disintegration theorem, and answer his questions by several examples. Finally we consider how far the enlarged theory is applicable in stochastic geometry.

By an orthonormal system in a general complex Banach space, we mean a collection {eα: α ∈ } it vectors such that, for each α, there is an hermitian (in the numerical range sense, see (4)) projection Pα whose range is lin (eα) and such that PαPβ = 0, if α ≠ β. This paper is devoted to the study of orthonormal systems in general Banach spaces, and their applications to problems of characterizing isometries and hermitian operators.

1. The singularities of solutions of linear partial differential equations are most appropriately described in terms of wave front sets of distributions. (For the definition and properties of wave front sets, see (4) and (5).) In particular, let Ω ⊂ RN be an open set and let P be a linear partial differential operator defined on Ω, with smooth coefficients, real principal symbol p(x, ξ), and simple characteristics. Then if u ∈ ′ (Ω) and Pu = 0, the wave front set of u, WF(u), is a set in the cotangent bundle T*Ω (minus the zero section) that is contained in p−1(0) and is invariant under the flow generated in p−1(0) by the Hamiltonian vector field (gradξp, − gradxp). In other words, WF(u) is made up of bicharacteristic strips. This is a special case of an important theorem due to Hörmander (5), and Duistermaat and Hörmander (1), which generalizes classical results on the relation between discontinuities of solutions of a partial differential equation and the characteristics of the equation.

An elaborated version of Zeeman's Catastrophe Machine (1), which physically illustrates the butterfly catastrophe, is described and analyzed.

0·0. Let G be an infinite compact abelian group with dual X. Parseval's identity shows that if f ∈ C(G) and ω ∈ l∞(X) then . Edwards has shown in (2) that L2(G) here cannot, in general, be replaced by any smaller Lp(G) space. Precisely: there exist f ∈ C(G) and ω: X → {± 1} such that . We strengthen this result by showing much more can be said about the summability of the Fourier series of f than . For example, when G is the circle group, f can be chosen to also satisfy

The functions introduced here and called darts, generalize this type of series condition.

A class of approximate stationary vacuum solutions are obtained by expanding the metric in powers of a certain parameter, and by solving explicitly the first few orders in terms of two harmonic functions ø and ψ. These solutions, to the order considered, reduce to the Weyl solutions when ψ = 0 and yield the Papapetrou solutions when ø = 0, and contain a subclass that is asymptotically flat and has non-zero mass. The physical interpretation and the possibility of proceeding further are briefly discussed.