The CMV bispectral problem

A classical result due to Bochner classifies the orthogonal polynomials on the real line which are common eigenfunctions of a second order linear differential operator. We settle a natural version of the Bochner problem on the unit circle which answers a similar question concerning orthogonal Laurent polynomials and can be formulated as a bispectral problem involving CMV matrices. We solve this CMV bispectral problem in great generality proving that, except the Lebesgue measure, no other one on the unit circle yields a sequence of orthogonal Laurent polynomials which are eigenfunctions of a linear differential operator of arbitrary order. Actually, we prove that this is the case even if such an eigenfunction condition is imposed up to finitely many orthogonal Laurent polynomials.Comment: 25 pages, final version, to appear in International Mathematics Research Notice

Some taste substances are direct activators of G-proteins

Amphiphilic substances may stimulate cellular events through direct activation of G-proteins. The present experiments indicate that several amphiphilic sweeteners and the bitter tastant, quinine, activate transducin and Gi/Go-proteins. Concentrations of taste substances required to activate G-proteins in vitro correlated with those used to elicit taste. These data support the hypothesis that amphiphilic taste substances may elicit taste through direct activation of G-proteins

New remarks on the Cosmological Argument

We present a formal analysis of the Cosmological Argument in its two main forms: that due to Aquinas, and the revised version of the Kalam Cosmological Argument more recently advocated by William Lane Craig. We formulate these two arguments in such a way that each conclusion follows in first-order logic from the corresponding assumptions. Our analysis shows that the conclusion which follows for Aquinas is considerably weaker than what his aims demand. With formalizations that are logically valid in hand, we reinterpret the natural language versions of the premises and conclusions in terms of concepts of causality consistent with (and used in) recent work in cosmology done by physicists. In brief: the Kalam argument commits the fallacy of equivocation in a way that seems beyond repair; two of the premises adopted by Aquinas seem dubious when the terms `cause' and `causality' are interpreted in the context of contemporary empirical science. Thus, while there are no problems with whether the conclusions follow logically from their assumptions, the Kalam argument is not viable, and the Aquinas argument does not imply a caused origination of the universe. The assumptions of the latter are at best less than obvious relative to recent work in the sciences. We conclude with mention of a new argument that makes some positive modifications to an alternative variation on Aquinas by Le Poidevin, which nonetheless seems rather weak.Comment: 12 pages, accepted for publication in International Journal for Philosophy of Religio

On the number of simple arrangements of five double pseudolines

We describe an incremental algorithm to enumerate the isomorphism classes of double pseudoline arrangements. The correction of our algorithm is based on the connectedness under mutations of the spaces of one-extensions of double pseudoline arrangements, proved in this paper. Counting results derived from an implementation of our algorithm are also reported.Comment: 24 pages, 16 figures, 6 table

Determining All Universal Tilers

A universal tiler is a convex polyhedron whose every cross-section tiles the plane. In this paper, we introduce a certain slight-rotating operation for cross-sections of pentahedra. Based on a selected initial cross-section and by applying the slight-rotating operation suitably, we prove that a convex polyhedron is a universal tiler if and only if it is a tetrahedron or a triangular prism.Comment: 18 pages, 12 figure

Askey-Wilson Type Functions, With Bound States

The two linearly independent solutions of the three-term recurrence relation of the associated Askey-Wilson polynomials, found by Ismail and Rahman in [22], are slightly modified so as to make it transparent that these functions satisfy a beautiful symmetry property. It essentially means that the geometric and the spectral parameters are interchangeable in these functions. We call the resulting functions the Askey-Wilson functions. Then, we show that by adding bound states (with arbitrary weights) at specific points outside of the continuous spectrum of some instances of the Askey-Wilson difference operator, we can generate functions that satisfy a doubly infinite three-term recursion relation and are also eigenfunctions of $q$-difference operators of arbitrary orders. Our result provides a discrete analogue of the solutions of the purely differential version of the bispectral problem that were discovered in the pioneering work [8] of Duistermaat and Gr\"unbaum.Comment: 42 pages, Section 3 moved to the end, minor correction

Occupation Time for Classical and Quantum Walks

This is a personal tribute to Lance Littlejohn on the occasion of his 70th birthday. It is meant as a present to him for many years of friendship. It is not written in the “Satz-Beweis” style of Edmund Landau or even in the format of a standard mathematics paper. It is rather an invitation to a fairly new, largely unexplored, topic in the hope that Lance will read it some afternoon and enjoy it. If he cares about complete proofs he will have to wait a bit longer; we almost have them but not in time for this volume. We hope that the figures will convince him and other readers that the phenomena displayed here are interesting enough