In this paper we shall consider orthodox bands of commutative groups, together with a ring of endomorphisms. We shall generalize the concept of a left module by introducing orthodox bands of left modules; we shall also deal with linear mappings, the transpose of a linear mapping and with the dual of an orthodox band of left modules.

The dual of the category of De Morgan algebras is described in terms of compact totally ordered-disconnected ordered topological spaces which possess an involutorial homeomorphism that is also a dual order-isomorphism. This description is used to study the coproduct of an arbitrary collection of De Morgan algebras and also to represent the coproduct of two De Morgan algebras in terms of the continuous order-preserving functions from the Priestley space of one algebra to the other algebra, endowed with the discrete topology. In addition, it is proved that the coproduct of a family of Kleene algebras in the category of De Morgan algebras is the same as the coproduct in the subcategory of Kleene algebras if and only if at most one of the algebras is not boolean.

A new, simplified proof is given of a theorem of J.L. Hickman (to be published; see also J. London Math. Soc. (2) 9 (1974), 239–244), giving an upper bound for the sums of a well-ordered series of ordinals under permutation.

For a constrained minimization problem with cone constraints, lagrangean necessary conditions for a minimum are well known, but are subject to certain hypotheses concerning cones. These hypotheses are now substantially weakened, but a counter example shows that they cannot be omitted altogether. The theorem extends to minimization in a partially ordered vector space, and to a weaker kind of critical point (a quasimin) than a local minimum. Such critical points are related to Kuhn-Tucker conditions, assuming a constraint qualification; in certain circumstances, relevant to optimal control, such a critical point must be a minimum. Using these generalized critical points, a theorem analogous to duality is proved, but neither assuming convexity, nor implying weak duality.

Necessary and sufficient conditions for the weak solvability of the Dirichlet problem for nonlinear differential equations of the second order are proved. The differential operators considered are in the form of a sum of a linear noninvertible operator, with the null-space generated by a positive function, and a monotone nonlinear perturbation, the growth of which is more than linear.

We obtain a general transcendence theorem for the solutions of a certain type of functional equation. A particular and striking consequence of the general result is that, for any irrational number w, the function

takes transcendental values at all algebraic points α with 0 < |α| < 1.

The aim of this paper is to extend a recent result of S.A. Husain and V.M. Sehgal [Bull. Austral. Math. Soc. 13 (1975), 261–267]. The condition that the function should be continuous in Husain and Sehgal, op. cit., is replaced by a semicontinuity condition. Moreover, a different proof is given, the last part of which requires no continuity or semicontinuity condition whatsoever.

For a Hausdorff convergence space, necessary and sufficient conditions for its Richardson compactification to be the largest Hausdorff compactification are found and by modifying the convergence structure of the Richardson compactification, it is shown that the largest Hausdorff compactification, whenever it exists, is given by that modified Richardson compactification.

High level programming languages can generally be compiled in many different ways. Thus it is natural to ask if there is a best way, for example in the sense of achieving complete execution of the program in a minimum number of steps; such a complete, minimal execution procedure will be called optimal.

In recent years this question has been studied and answered for several simple models of programming languages, and a technique for proving procedures to be optimal has gradually emerged. Even for model languages the proofs of optimality become intricate; thus it is natural to emphasize the simplicity of the underlying technique by generalising it to an abstract system. That is the purpose of this paper. The general method to be given applies to prove all theorems (on optimal executions for model languages) which are known to the author. None of the previously known proofs has explicitly used the method, but in no case is it particularly difficult to modify the known proof so as to conform with the method.

Minimal congruences on a Rees matrix semigroup S having at least one proper congruence are described. Necessary and sufficient conditions for S to te subdirectly irreducible are given in two cases according to whether the structure group of S is trivial.

In this note a sufficient optimality condition is established for nonlinear programming problems over arbitrary cone domains. A Kuhn-Tucker type sufficient condition is established if the programming problem has a pseudoconvex objective function and a convex feasible region.

Let G be a finite group. A nontrivial proper subgroup M of G is called a CC-subgpoup if M contains the centralizer in G of each of its nonidentity elements. In this paper groups containing a CC-subgroup of order divisible by 3 are completely determined.

Pseudo-autonomous linear differential equations are defined. A linear differential equation with bounded coefficient matrix is pseudo-autonomous if and only if it is almost reducible. A linear differential equation with recurrent coefficient matrix is pseudo-autonomous if and only if it has pure point spectrum.

Two theorems are presented which characterize the existence of multiplicative left invariant means on a given algebra of unbounded continuous functions on a topological semigroup S in terms of certain common fixed point properties of actions of S on completely regular spaces. Also a lattice formulation of a related result of Theodore Mitchell for the case of bounded functions is shown to be equivalent to a certain common fixed point property on Bauer simplexes.

Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for a square matrix to te the matrix of distances of a circulant code. These conditions are used to obtain some inequalities for cyclic difference sets, and a necessary condition for the existence of circulant weighing matrices.

The formula of [E.] Meissel [Math. Ann. 2 (1870), 636–642] is generalized to arbitrary arithmetic progressions. Meissel's formula is applicable not only to computation of π(x) for large x (recently x = 1013), but also is a sieve technique (see MR36#2548), useful for studying the subtle effect of primes less then or equal to x1/2 on the behavior of primes less than or equal to x. The same is true of the generalized Meissel, with the added advantage that the behavior of primes less than or equal to x can be studied in arbitrary progressions.

Dr M.F. Newman has asked whether in the absence of the Axiom of Choice it is possible to have two non-isomorphic elementary abelian groups of the same (finite) exponent and of the same (infinite) cardinality. By means of an example, I show that this is in fact possible, if the exponent is at least five; I do not know the answer in the remaining two cases. The example given requires the construction of a Fraenkel-Mostowski model of set theory, and for this purpose I draw upon the terminology, constructions, and results contained in the first two sections of a previous paper, “The construction of groups in models of set theory that fail the Axiom of Choice” (Bull. Austral. Math. Soc. 14 (1976), 199–232), with which I assume familiarity.

Let p be a rational prime and Qp be the field of p–adic numbers. Jean-Pierre Serre [Lecture Notes in Mathematics, 350, 191–268 (1973)] had defined p–adic modular forms as the limits of sequences of modular forms over the modular group SL2(Z). He proved that with each non-zero p–adic modular form there is associated a unique element called its weight k. The p–adic modular forms having the same weight form a Qp–vector space.

The object of this paper is to obtain a basis of p–adic modular forms and thus to know precisely all p–adic modular forms of a given weight k. The dimension of such modular forms as a Qp–vector space is countably infinite.

A review of the development of the theory of existence and uniqueness of solutions to initial-value problems for mostly reduced versions of the nonlinear Maxwell-Boltzmann equation with a cut-off of intermolecular interaction, precedes the formulation and discussion of a somewhat generalized initial-value problem for the full nonlinear Maxwell-Boltzmann equation, with or without a cut-off. This is followed by a derivation of a new existence-uniqueness result for a particular Cauchy problem for the full nonlinear Maxwell-Boltzmann equation with a cut-off, under the assumption that the monatomic Boltzmann gas in the unbounded physical space X is acted upon by a member of a broad class of external conservative forces with sufficiently well-behaved potentials, defined on X and bounded from below. The result represents a significant improvement of an earlier theorem by this author which was until now the strongest obtained for Cauchy problems for the full Maxwell-Boltzmann equation. The improvement is basically due to the introduction of equivalent norms in a Banach space, the definition of which is connected with an exponential function of the total energy of a free-streaming molecule.

Let R be a ring with an identity and for each x, y in R, (xy)k = xkyk for three consecutive positive integers k. It is shown in this note that R is a commutative ring.