We improve the degree of pointwise approximation of continuous functions f(x) by Bernstein operators, when x is close to the endpoints of [0,1]. We apply the new estimate to establish upper and lower pointwise estimates for the test function g(x)=xlog (x)+(1−x)log (1−x). At the end we prove a general statement for pointwise approximation by Bernstein operators.

For a real quadratic field , let tk be the exact power of 2 dividing the class number hk of k and ηk the fundamental unit of k. The aim of this paper is to study tk and the value of Nk/ℚ(ηk). Various methods have been successfully applied to obtain results related to this topic. The idea of our work is to select a special circular unit ℰk of k and investigate C(k)=〈±ℰk 〉. We examine the indices [E(k):C(k)] and [C(k):CS (k)] , where E(k) is the group of units of k, and CS (k) is that of circular units of k defined by Sinnott. Then by using the Sinnott’s index formula [E(k):CS (k)]=hk, we obtain as much information about tk and Nk/ℚ (ηk) as possible.

We study the Cauchy problem for the generalised fourth-order Schrödinger equation for data u0 in critical Sobolev spaces . With small initial data we obtain global well-posedness results. Our proof relies heavily on the method developed by Kenig et al. [‘Well-posedness and scattering results for the generalised Korteweg–de Vries equation via the contraction principle’, Commun. Pure Appl. Math.46 (1993), 527–620].

The main objective of this paper is a study of some new refinements and converses of multidimensional Hilbert-type inequalities with nonconjugate exponents. Such extensions are deduced with the help of some remarkable improvements of the well-known Hölder inequality. First, we obtain refinements and converses of the general multidimensional Hilbert-type inequality in both quotient and difference form. We then apply the results to homogeneous kernels with negative degree of homogeneity. Finally, we consider some particular settings with homogeneous kernels and weighted functions, and compare our results with those in the literature.

We study a Dirichlet problem involving the weak Laplacian on the Sierpiński gasket, and we prove the existence of at least two distinct nontrivial weak solutions using Ekeland’s Variational Principle and standard tools in critical point theory combined with corresponding variational techniques.

In this paper we present a combinatorial proof of an identity involving the two kinds of Stirling numbers and the numbers of permutations with prescribed numbers of excedances and cycles. Several recurrence relations related to the numbers of excedances, fixed points and cycles are also obtained.

The purpose of this paper is to classify nonharmonic biharmonic curves and surfaces in de Sitter 3-space and anti-de Sitter 3-space.

For a locally compact group G and an arbitrary subset J of [1,∞], we introduce ILJ(G) as a subspace of ⋂ p∈JLp(G) with some norm to make it a Banach space. Then, for some special choice of J, we investigate some topological and algebraic properties of ILJ(G) as a Banach algebra under a convolution product.

In two recent papers, Albrecht and White [‘Counting paths in a grid’, Austral. Math. Soc. Gaz.35 (2008), 43–48] and Hirschhorn [‘Comment on “Counting paths in a grid”’, Austral. Math. Soc. Gaz.36 (2009), 50–52] considered the problem of counting the total number Pm,n of certain restricted lattice paths in an m×n grid of cells, which appeared in the context of counting train paths through a rail network. Here we give a precise study of the asymptotic behaviour of these numbers for the square grid, extending the results of Hirschhorn, and furthermore provide an asymptotic equivalent of these numbers for a rectangular grid with a constant proportion α=m/n between the side lengths.

We present a characterisation of Banach spaces possessing the weak Radon–Nikodym property in terms of finitely additive interval functions whose McShane variational measures are absolutely continuous with respect to Lebesgue measure.

In this paper, we investigate properties of finite-order transcendental meromorphic solutions, rational solutions and polynomial solutions of the difference Painlevé I equation where a, b and c are constants, ∣a∣+∣b∣≠0.

Let G be a finite p-solvable group. We prove that if G has exactly two conjugacy class sizes of p′-elements of prime power order, say 1 and m, then m=paqb, for two distinct primes p and q, and G either has an abelian p-complement or G=PQ×A, with P and Q a Sylow p-subgroup and a Sylow q-subgroup of G, respectively, and A is abelian. In particular, we provide a new extension of Itô’s theorem on groups having exactly two class sizes for elements of prime power order.

In this paper we give an extension of a curious combinatorial identity due to B. Sury. Our proof is very simple and elementary. As an application, we obtain two congruences for Fermat quotients modulo p3. Moreover, we prove an extension of a result by H. Pan that generalizes Carlitz’s congruence.

A connection between Brownian motion and birth–death chains is explored. Several results concerning birth–death chains are shown to be consequences of well-known results on Brownian motion.

Using a recent result on the sum–product problem, we estimate the number of elements γ in a prime finite field such that both γ and γ+γ−1 are of small order.

In this paper, the amenability and approximate amenability of weighted ℓp-direct sums of Banach algebras with unit, where 1≤p<∞, are completely characterized. Applications to compact groups and hypergroups are given.