Dense sets of integers with prescribed representation functions

Let A be a set of integers and let h \geq 2. For every integer n, let r_{A, h}(n) denote the number of representations of n in the form n=a_1+...+a_h, where a_1,...,a_h belong to the set A, and a_1\leq ... \leq a_h. The function r_{A,h} from the integers Z to the nonnegative integers N_0 U {\infty} is called the representation function of order h for the set A. We prove that every function f from Z to N_0 U {\infty} satisfying liminf_{|n|->\infty} f (n)\geq g is the representation function of order h for some sequence A of integers, and that A can be constructed so that it increases "almost" as slowly as any given B_h[g] sequence. In particular, for every epsilon >0 and g \geq g(h,epsilon), we can construct a sequence A satisfying r_{A,h}=f and A(x)\gg x^{(1/h)-epsilon}.Comment: 10 page

Flexible Multi-layer Sparse Approximations of Matrices and Applications

The computational cost of many signal processing and machine learning techniques is often dominated by the cost of applying certain linear operators to high-dimensional vectors. This paper introduces an algorithm aimed at reducing the complexity of applying linear operators in high dimension by approximately factorizing the corresponding matrix into few sparse factors. The approach relies on recent advances in non-convex optimization. It is first explained and analyzed in details and then demonstrated experimentally on various problems including dictionary learning for image denoising, and the approximation of large matrices arising in inverse problems

pp-adic quotient sets

For $A \subseteq \mathbb{N}$, the question of when $R(A) = \{a/a' : a, a' \in A\}$ is dense in the positive real numbers $\mathbb{R}_+$ has been examined by many authors over the years. In contrast, the $p$-adic setting is largely unexplored. We investigate conditions under which $R(A)$ is dense in the $p$-adic numbers. Techniques from elementary, algebraic, and analytic number theory are employed in this endeavor. We also pose many open questions that should be of general interest.Comment: 24 page

Semicontinuity for representations of one-dimensional Cohen-Macaulay rings

We show that the number of parameters for CM-modules of prescribed rank is semi-continuous in families of CM rings of Krull dimension 1. This transfers a result of Knoerrer from the commutative to the not necessarily commutative case. For this purpose we introduce the notion of ``dense subrings'' which seems rather technical but, nevertheless, useful. It enables the construction of ``almost versal'' families of modules for a given algebra and the definition of the ``number of parameters''. The semi--continuity implies, in particular, that the set of so-called ``wild algebras'' in any family is a countable union of closed subsets. A very exciting problem is whether it is actually closed, hence whether the set of tame algebras is open. However, together with the results of a former paper of the authors the semi-continuity implies that tame is indeed an open property for curve singularities (commutative CM rings). An analogous procedure leads to the semicontinuity of the number of parameters in other cases, like representations of finite dimensional algebras or finite dimensional bimodules.Comment: LaTeX2