Archibald Scott Couper is one of the most singular appearances in the history of the development of Organic Chemistry in the nineteenth century. He comes on the scene at the time—the end of the ‘fifties—when the valency theory began its victorious entrance into our science.

The paper discusses properties of solutions of the differential equation

and in particular the existence and uniqueness of solutions to the boundary-value problem associated with the above equation and the boundary conditions

This equation, first introduced by Skyrme, is a spherically symmetric model for a soliton description of nucleons.

We define the projective stable category of a coherent scheme. It is the homotopy category of an abelian model structure on the category of unbounded chain complexes of quasi-coherent sheaves. We study the cofibrant objects of this model structure, which are certain complexes of flat quasi-coherent sheaves satisfying a special acyclicity condition.

We give several results which extend our recent proof of the Payne-Pólya–Weinberger conjecture to ratios of higher eigenvalues. In particular, we show that for a bounded domain Ω⊂ℝn the eigenvalues of its Dirichlet Laplacian obey where λm denotes the mth eigenvalue and jp,k denotes the kth positive zero of the Bessel function Jp(x). Certain extensions of this result are given, the most general being the bound where k≧2 and l(m) denotes the number of nodal domains of an mth eigenfunction. Our results imply certain further conjectures of Payne, Pólya, and Weinberger concerning λ3/λ2 and λ4/λ3. In addition, we find a resonably good bound on λ4/λ1. We also briefly discuss extensions to Schrödinger operators and other elliptic eigenvalue problems.

This paper discusses the relationship between the uniqueness and the ordering of strictly positive solutions of elliptic predator-prey interacting systems. If (ū, v) and (u#, v#) are two such solutions with ū ≧ u# or v ≧ v#, then ū ≡= u#, v ≡v#. When the positive solutions are numerically close to the extreme case, the solution is unique.

We consider the Dirichlet problem for harmonic maps from the disc D2 into the sphere S2, with prescribed boundary values γ:∂D2→S2, and we prove that if γ is not a rational function, one can find infinitely many nonhomotopic harmonic maps which agree with γon ∂D2.

‘Quadratic system’ is here used in the sense introduced by W. A. Coppel for a pair of simultaneous Riccati equations with constant coefficients. The problem is to study the occurrence of movable singularities for solutions of a system

under suitable restrictions on the lines

The aim of the restrictions is to obtain systems where the trajectories have four finite and three infinite topological singularities which form specified configurations. For the movable (function theoretical) singularities the infinitary (topological) singularities are decisive. They are the endpoints of the coordinate axes and of the line F: L2–L1 = 0. A detailed qualitative discussion is given for the trajectories. The system forces various properties of monotony on the integral curves.

The qualitative discussion is completed by quantitive data in the form of series expansions for the solutions. Here the value of the parameter

is critical.

If q is not an integer, then there is one and only one solution whose trajectory is associated with the upper end of the line F which has a simple pole at t = 0 (or any other preassigned value). All other trajectories in this family belong to solutions with expansions in terms of non-logarithmic psi-series of the form

for a singularity at t = 0. Here – 1 ≦ m, 0 ≦ n and c is an arbitrary constant.

On the other hand, if q is a positive integer, then we have logarithmic psi-series of the form

where Pn(s) and Qn(s) are polynomials in s of degree ≦ [n/q].

Solutions associated with the ends of the axes have non-logarithmic psi-series. One coordinate becomes infinite like 1/t at zero, the other goes to zero like tλ where λ = –b1/a1 for the x-axis and –a2/b2 for the y-axis. The psi-series have exponents of the form j + Kλ, where j and k are integers, –1 ≦ j, 0 ≦ k.

The results are used to construct new convergence proofs for the solutions of Emden's equation at a movable singularity.

In this paper, we study the Orr–Sommerfeld problem on a finite interval. It is shown that the eigenfunctions and associated functions form a Bari basis in a suitable Hilbert space if the unperturbed velocity profile u is sufficiently smooth. To this end, the Orr–Sommerfeld problem is considered as a bounded perturbation of a certain self-adjoint spectral problem.

We investigate the structure of the twisted Brauer monoid , comparing and contrasting it with the structure of the (untwisted) Brauer monoid . We characterize Green's relations and pre-orders on , describe the lattice of ideals and give necessary and sufficient conditions for an ideal to be idempotent generated. We obtain formulae for the rank (smallest size of a generating set) and (where applicable) the idempotent rank (smallest size of an idempotent generating set) of each principal ideal; in particular, when an ideal is idempotent generated, its rank and idempotent rank are equal. As an application of our results, we describe the idempotent generated subsemigroup of (which is not an ideal), as well as the singular ideal of (which is neither principal nor idempotent generated), and we deduce that the singular part of the Brauer monoid is idempotent generated, a result previously proved by Maltcev and Mazorchuk.

Talenti's theorem allows us to estimate the norms of the solution of an elliptic boundary value problem posed on a bounded open set Ω in terms of those of the “symmetrised” problem posed on Ω*, the ball centred at 0 and such that |Ω| = |Ω*|. We are interested in the limiting case when equality is achieved between the norms of the two solutions. We show then that Ω = Ω* and that the solution is radially symmetric and decreasing. The novelty of this exposition is that the method used is very elementary compared to the usual arguments.

A three spectral inverse Sturm–Liouville problem is considered arising in the theory of vibrating strings. It is shown that in some special cases the solution of this problem is unique.

Let 1 < p < +∞ and let Ω ⊂ ℝN be either a ball or an annulus. We continue the analysis started in [Boscaggin, Colasuonno, Noris, ESAIM Control Optim. Calc. Var. (2017)], concerning quasilinear Neumann problems of the type

$-\Delta _pu = f(u),\quad u > 0\,{\rm in }\,\Omega ,\quad \partial _\nu u = 0\,{\rm on }\,\partial \Omega .$

We give an existence theorem for a nonconvex minimum problem of the Calculus of Variations.

In this paper we prove a certain regularity property of configurations of immiscible fluids, filling a bounded container Ω and locally minimizing the interface energy ∑i<jcij‖Sij‖, where Sij represents the interface between fluid i and fluid j, ‖·‖ stands for area or more general area-type functional, and cij is a positive coefficient. More precisely, we show that, under strict triangularity of the cij, no infiltrations of other fluids are allowed between two main ones. A remarkable consequence of this fact is the almost-everywhere regularity of the interfaces. Our analysis is performed in general dimension n ≥ 2 and with volume constraints on fluids.

Let D be a bounded domain in an n-dimensional Euclidean space ℝn. Assume that

are eigenvalues of an eigenvalue problem of a system of n elliptic equations:

In particular, when n=3, the eigenvalue problem describes the behaviour of the elastic vibration. We obtain universal inequalities for eigenvalues of the above eigenvalue problem by making use of a direct and explicit method; our results are sharper than one of Hook. Furthermore, a universal inequality for lower-order eigenvalues of the above eigenvalue problem is also derived.

By Cauchy the word “symmetric,” as applied to functions, was used in a more general sense than that in which we ordinarily use it now, or than that in which it was used before his time. He spoke of “fonctions symétriques permanentes” and “fonctions symétriques alternées:” we apply the word symmetric only to certain of the first of these; the second we call simply “alternating functions.” Thus the expression

was called by him a permanent symmetric function, since if a1, a2, a3 are interchanged in order with b1, b2, b3, the function remains unaltered. It would be more definite to say that it is a permanent symmetric function with respect to a1, a2, a3 and b1, b2, b3.

We present new results in the theory of the classical theta functions of Jacobi: series expansions and defining ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The proposed dynamical systems turn out to be Hamiltonian and define fundamental differential properties of theta functions; they also yield an exponential quadratic extension of the canonical θ-series. An integrability condition of these ODEs explains the appearance of the modular ϑ-constants and differential properties thereof. General solutions to all the ODEs are given. For completeness, we also solve the Weierstrassian elliptic modular inversion problem and consider its consequences.

We prove partial regularity for local minimizers of quasiconvex integrals of the form I(v) = ∫ΩF(Dv(x))dx, where the integrand f(ξ) has sub-quadratic growth, i.e. |F(ξ)| ≤ L(1 + |ξ|p), with 1 < p < 2. A function u ∈ W1,p(Ω;RN) is a W1,q(Ω;RN) local minimizer of I(v) if there exists a δ > 0 such that I(u) ≤ I(v) whenever v and ‖Dv − Du‖q ≤ δ.

A boundary integral method is developed for the scattering of electromagnetic waves at thin obstacles. The exterior boundary value problem for the vector Helmholtz equation with given Neumann data on an open surface piece (screen S) is converted into a system of integral equations for the jumps of the tangential component of the field and its divergence across the screen. A slight modification of the Cauchy data yields a strongly elliptic system of pseudodifferential equations on S which can therefore be used for numerical computations using Galerkin's procedure. The resulting boundary integral equations are analysed using pseudodifferential operator calculus. The principal symbol concept, together with the Wiener–Hopf technique, are used to derive existence and regularity results for the solutions to the boundary integral equations. Quasi-optimal error estimates in the energy norm are given for the numerical scheme.

For $1< p<\infty$ we prove an $L^{p}$-version of the generalized trace-free Korn inequality for incompatible tensor fields $P$ in $W^{1,p}_0(\operatorname {Curl}; \Omega ,\mathbb {R}^{3\times 3})$. More precisely, let $\Omega \subset \mathbb {R}^{3}$ be a bounded Lipschitz domain. Then there exists a constant $c>0$ such that

\[ \lVert{ P }\rVert_{L^{p}(\Omega,\mathbb{R}^{3\times 3})}\leq c\,\left(\lVert{\operatorname{dev} \operatorname{sym} P }\rVert_{L^{p}(\Omega,\mathbb{R}^{3\times 3})} + \lVert{ \operatorname{dev} \operatorname{Curl} P }\rVert_{L^{p}(\Omega,\mathbb{R}^{3\times 3})}\right) \]

$P\in W^{1,p}_0(\operatorname {Curl}; \Omega ,\mathbb {R}^{3\times 3})$

$P\in W^{1,p} (\operatorname {Curl}; \Omega ,\mathbb {R}^{3\times 3})$

$P\times \nu =0$

$\partial \Omega$

$\nu$

$\partial \Omega$

$\operatorname {dev} P : = P -\frac 13 \operatorname {tr}(P) {\cdot } {\mathbb {1}}$

$P$

\begin{align*} &\lVert{ P }\rVert_{L^{p}(\Omega,\mathbb{R}^{3\times 3})}+\lVert{ \operatorname{Curl} P }\rVert_{L^{p}(\Omega,\mathbb{R}^{3\times 3})}\\ &\quad\leq c\,\left(\lVert{P}\rVert_{L^{p}(\Omega,\mathbb{R}^{3\times 3})} + \lVert{ \operatorname{dev} \operatorname{Curl} P }\rVert_{L^{p}(\Omega,\mathbb{R}^{3\times 3})}\right) \end{align*}

$P\in W^{1,p}(\operatorname {Curl}; \Omega ,\mathbb {R}^{3\times 3})$

$\Gamma \subseteq \partial \Omega$