Mathematics Problem Archive
Number of degenerate Herman rings
v1.3 research notesIs the number of degenerate Herman rings of a rational function finite, and can it be bounded in terms of the degree of the rational function?...
Indicators of linear combinations
v1.3 research notesLet $A$ be a set of vectors $a=(a_1,\ldots,a_n)\in\mathbb C^n$ such that every $n$ of them are linearly independent, and assign to every $a\in A$ a $\...
Analytic germs with prescribed convex barriers
v1.3 research notesLet $A$ be a set of vectors $a=(a_1,\ldots,a_n)\in\mathbb C^n$ such that every $n$ are linearly independent, and let $K_a$ be plane convex compact set...
Composite periodic entire functions
v1.3 research notesClassify entire functions $f,g$ for which $f\circ g$ is periodic. Prove that, up to the natural equivalences, the possibilities are exhausted by: $g$ ...
Zeros and one-points on three rays
v1.3 research notesDoes there exist an entire function whose zeros lie on the positive ray and whose $1$-points lie on two rays making angles $\pm\alpha$ with it, for so...
A fifth-root functional equation
v1.3 research notesFor $\omega=e^{2\pi i/5}$, is an entire solution of $$f(\omega z)f(\omega^{-1}z)=f(z)-1$$ unique up to rotation of the variable $z$?...
Locally constant logarithmic potentials
v1.3 research notesLet $\mu$ be a positive plane measure with $\mu(\{|z|\le r\})\le cr^\alpha$ for some $0<\alpha<1/2$. Can its logarithmic potential $$u(z)=\int\log\lef...
Rational Goldberg extremals
v1.3 research notesFor rational functions of each fixed degree, determine the analogues of Goldberg's constant and the unit-disk zero/one-point extremal quantities, and ...
Connectedness of extremal Green level sets
v1.3 research notesIf the definition of $\sup_E\beta_E$ is extended from connected regular compact plane sets to all regular compact sets, is the supremum attained on co...
Finiteness of Newtonian equilibrium points
v1.3 research notesFor finitely many positive charges $a_k$ at points $x_k\in\mathbb R^3$, is the critical set of $u(x)=\sum_{k=1}^n a_k/|x-x_k|$ always finite?...
Median inequality for three subharmonic functions
v1.3 research notesLet $u_1,u_2,u_3$ be subharmonic in the plane with $u_j(0)=0$, and let $v_1\le v_2\le v_3$ be their pointwise increasing rearrangement. Put $I(r,v)=\i...
Defect relation for points in $\mathbb P^2$
v1.3 research notesLet $f:\mathbb C\to\mathbb P^2$ be linearly nondegenerate and let $\delta(a,f)$ be the Nevanlinna deficiency of a point $a\in\mathbb P^2$. Prove that ...
Holomorphic curves with bounded spherical derivative
v1.3 research notesLet $f:\mathbb C\to\mathbb P^n$ be holomorphic with spherical derivative $\|f'\|(z)=O(|z|^\sigma)$ for some $\sigma>-1$, and let $a_1,\ldots,a_q$ be h...
Modified Cartan conjecture
v1.3 research notesFor $p\ge3$, let $V(D)$ consist of zero-free holomorphic vectors $(f_1,\ldots,f_p)$ on $D$ with $\sum f_j=0$, and use the source's definition of a $C$...
Degenerate facets of polytopes
v1.3 research notesA facet of a $d$-polytope is degenerate if it has more than $d$ vertices. Determine the maximum number of degenerate facets of an $n$-vertex $d$-polyt...
Faces of intricate polytopes
v1.3 research notesDetermine the maximum total number of faces of a $d$-dimensional convex polytope with $n$ vertices and $n$ facets. In dimension four, do such fat-latt...
Extreme points
v1.3 research notesFor fixed $d>3$, determine whether every point of an $n$-point set in $\mathbb R^d$ is a convex-hull vertex faster than the best known near-$n^{2\lflo...
A dynamic-programming interval problem
v1.3 research notesGiven a sorted list of $n$ real numbers, find for every $1\le k\le n$ the shortest interval containing exactly $k$ entries. Find a subquadratic algori...
Shortest paths in line arrangements
v1.3 research notesGiven lines in the plane and two vertices $s,t$ of their arrangement, find a subquadratic algorithm for the shortest $s$-$t$ path along arrangement ed...
Bounded-degree triangulations
v1.3 research notesCan every convex polytope be triangulated so that every vertex degree, or every edge degree, is bounded by a constant or by a polylogarithmic function...
Nilpotent groups
v1.3 research notesWhat is the coarse Ricci curvature of discrete or continuous nilpotent groups? In particular, for the natural random walk generated by $a,b$ on the di...
Isoperimetric profile and curvature at infinity
v1.3 research notesSuppose the global infimum of coarse Ricci curvature is zero, while its infimum on every finite-radius ball about an origin is positive. Is there a sy...
Positive curvature up to delta
v1.3 research notesDefine curvature up to $\delta$ by $$T_1(m_x,m_y)\leq(1-\kappa(x,y))d(x,y)+\delta.$$ Which theorems for positive coarse Ricci curvature extend to this...
Discrete scalar curvature
v1.3 research notesDefine a scalar-curvature candidate by $S(x)=\int\kappa(x,y)\,dm_x(y)$, possibly with a distance-dependent weight. Does this quantity have useful geom...
L2 Bonnet–Myers and dimension
v1.3 research notesUnder the strengthened transport estimate $$T_1(m_x^{*t},m_{x'}^{*t'})\leq e^{-\kappa\min(t,t')}d(x,x')+C\frac{(\sqrt t-\sqrt{t'})^2}{2d(x,x')},$$ the...
Permutation groups
v1.3 research notesFor permutation groups with the transposition random walk, coarse Ricci curvature is positive but gives concentration of the wrong order. Can this dis...
Classification of Finite Metric Spaces and Combinatorics of Convex Polytopes
v1.3 research notesLet $(X,\rho)$ be a finite metric space. Its fundamental polytope $R_{X,\rho}$ is the convex hull of the vectors $e_{x,y}=(\delta_x-\delta_y)/\rho(x,y...
Fractal caustics
v1.3 research notesAre there geodesic flows or Birkhoff billiards with fractal caustics? More specifically, for every $1\leq s<2$, is there a caustic of a convex billiar...
The good, the bad, and the ugly
v1.3 research notesFor a Hamiltonian system, call the good set the maximal invariant subset on which the invariant Liouville measure is almost periodic; call the bad set...
Analogues of Pesin theory
v1.3 research notesIs there an analogue of Pesin theory for suitably defined smooth maps of the objects that arise naturally in algebraic dynamical systems—compact sets ...
Pingree open problems — Hochman problem 1
v1.3 research notesLet $X=\{0,1\}^{\mathbb{Z}}$ and $Y=\{y\in\{0,1,2\}^{\mathbb{Z}}:y_i\neq y_{i+1}\}$. Both are mixing shifts of finite type with entropy $\log2$, but t...
Pingree open problems — Hochman problem 2
v1.3 research notesLet $T:[0,1)\to[0,1)$ be the doubling map $x\mapsto2x\pmod1$, and let $\mu$ be an ergodic measure for $T$ with $0<h(\mu)<1$. Call $f:\mathbb{R}\to\mat...
Pingree open problems — Petersen tail-field problem 1
v1.3 research notesLet $A=\{0,1,\ldots,d-1\}$ and let $\sigma$ be the shift on $A^{\mathbb{Z}}$. Define $(v_n(x))_i=\#\{0\leq j\leq n:x_j=i\}$ and $(w_n(x))_i=\#\{0\leq ...
Pingree open problems — Petersen tail-field problem 2
v1.3 research notesWith $\mathcal{F}^+$ and $\mathcal{F}^-$ defined from the forward and backward symbol-count tail fields on the full shift $A^{\mathbb{Z}}$, if $\mathc...
Pingree open problems — Thouvenot problem
v1.3 research notesLet $(M,T)$ be a smooth map on a manifold with a good symbolic cover: a mixing shift of finite type factors onto $(M,T)$ and is injective on a set of ...
Pingree open problems — Boyle problem 2
v1.3 research notesLet $S$ and $T$ be subshifts. If $S$ is a mixing shift of finite type and $T$ is topologically orbit equivalent to $S$, must $T$ also be a mixing shif...
Periods of Pseudo-Integrable Billiards
v1.3 research notesConsider billiard tables formed by two concentric semicircles joined by two line segments. Consider trajectories with a fixed circle, concentric with ...
Stochastic zeta functions
v1.3 research notesCharacterize the functions that occur as stochastic zeta functions of mixing Markov shifts....
Commuting expansive automorphisms
v1.3 research notesIf $S$ is an expansive automorphism of an irreducible shift of finite type, must $S$ itself be a shift of finite type?...
Equal-entropy SFT covers
v1.3 research notesFor $d>1$, must every $\mathbb Z^d$ sofic shift be a factor of a $\mathbb Z^d$ shift of finite type having the same entropy?...
Jointly periodic points in one dimension
v1.3 research notesProve that the jointly periodic points of every surjective one-dimensional cellular automaton are dense....
Sparse jointly periodic points
v1.3 research notesProve that for some $N>1$ there is a surjective one-dimensional cellular automaton $f$ with $\nu(f,S_N)<N$....
Low degree rigid systems
v1.3 research notesConsider the planar cubic rigid systems $$\begin{cases}\dot x=-y+x(a+bx+cy+dx^2+exy),\\ \dot y=x+y(a+bx+cy+dx^2+exy).\end{cases}$$ Is $2$ the maximum ...
Systems with homogeneous components I
v1.3 research notesIs $(n+m)/2$ the maximum number of limit cycles of $$\dot x=P_n(x,y),\qquad \dot y=Q_m(x,y),$$ where $n\neq m$ and $P_n,Q_m$ are homogeneous polynomia...
Systems with homogeneous components II
v1.3 research notes(i) For the cubic family $$\begin{cases}\dot x=ax+by,\\ \dot y=cx^3+dx^2y+exy^2+fy^3,\end{cases}$$ is $2$ the maximum number of limit cycles? (ii) If ...
Trigonometric Abel differential equations I
v1.3 research notesFor $$\frac{dx}{dt}=(a_0+a_1\sin t+a_2\cos t)x^3+(b_0+b_1\sin t+b_2\cos t)x^2,$$ is $3$ the maximum number of $2\pi$-periodic limit cycles?...
Trigonometric Abel differential equations II
v1.3 research notesGiven integers $p>q\geq2$ and $m,n\in\mathbb{N}$, find the maximum number of $2\pi$-periodic limit cycles of $$\frac{dx}{dt}=A_m(t)x^p+B_n(t)x^q,$$ wh...
A new Hilbert sixteenth-type problem
v1.3 research notesLet $\mathcal M_m$ be the family of planar polynomial vector fields that are linear combinations of $m$ distinct monomial vector fields $(x^{n_j}y^{k_...
A second-order differential equation
v1.3 research notesLet $f$ be a continuous, nonzero, $T$-periodic function and let $p>0$. Find necessary and sufficient conditions on $f$ for the existence of positive $...
Periodic rational difference equations
v1.3 research notesConsider $$x_{n+k}=\frac{A_0+A_1x_n+\cdots+A_kx_{n+k-1}}{B_0+B_1x_n+\cdots+B_kx_{n+k-1}},$$ where the coefficients are nonnegative, $\sum A_i,\sum B_i...