On simplicial commutative algebras with Noetherian homotopy

In this paper, a strategy is developed studying a simplicial commutative algebra A whose zeroth homotopy group is a Noetherian ring B and whose higher homotopy groups are finite over B. The strategy replaces A with a connected simplicial supplemented k(q)-algebra, for each prime ideal q in B, which preserves much of the Andre-Quillen homology of A. The methods for this construction involves a mixture of methods of homotopy theory (e.g. Postnikov towers) with methods of commutative algebras (e.g. completions, Cohen factorizations). We finish by indicating how these methods resolve a more general form of a conjecture posed by Quillen.Comment: 10 page

Simplicial commutative algebras with vanishing Andre-Quillen homology

In this paper, we study the Andr\'e-Quillen homology of simplicial commutative $\ell$-algebras, $\ell$ a field, having certain vanishing properties. When $\ell$ has non-zero characteristic, we obtain an algebraic version of a theorem of J.-P. Serre and Y. Umeda that characterizes such simplicial algebras having bounded homotopy groups. We further discuss how this theorem fails in the rational case and, as an application, indicate how the algebraic Serre theorem can be used to resolve a conjecture of D. Quillen for algebras of finite type over Noetherian rings, which have non-zero characteristic.Comment: 11 page

Weak convergence of the localized disturbance flow to the coalescing Brownian flow

We define a new state-space for the coalescing Brownian flow, also known as the Brownian web, on the circle. The elements of this space are families of order-preserving maps of the circle, depending continuously on two time parameters and having a certain weak flow property. The space is equipped with a complete separable metric. A larger state-space, allowing jumps in time, is also introduced, and equipped with a Skorokhod-type metric, also complete and separable. We prove that the coalescing Brownian flow is the weak limit in this larger space of a family of flows which evolve by jumps, each jump arising from a small localized disturbance of the circle. A local version of this result is also obtained, in which the weak limit law is that of the coalescing Brownian flow on the line. Our set-up is well adapted to time-reversal and our weak limit result provides a new proof of time-reversibility of the coalescing Brownian flow. We also identify a martingale associated with the coalescing Brownian flow on the circle and use this to make a direct calculation of the Laplace transform of the time to complete coalescence.Comment: Published at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/13-AOP845 in the Annals of Probability (http://www.imstat.org/aop/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org). arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:0810.021