We develop the metric theory of Diophantine approximation on homogeneous varieties of semisimple algebraic groups and prove results analogous to the classical Khintchine and Jarník theorems. In full generality our results establish simultaneous Diophantine approximation with respect to several completions, and Diophantine approximation over general number fields using $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}S$-algebraic integers. In several important examples, the metric results we obtain are optimal. The proof uses quantitative equidistribution properties of suitable averaging operators, which are derived from spectral bounds in automorphic representations.

We investigate Cartan subalgebras in nontracial amalgamated free product von Neumann algebras ${\mathop{M{}_{1} \ast }\nolimits}_{B} {M}_{2} $ over an amenable von Neumann subalgebra $B$. First, we settle the problem of the absence of Cartan subalgebra in arbitrary free product von Neumann algebras. Namely, we show that any nonamenable free product von Neumann algebra $({M}_{1} , {\varphi }_{1} )\ast ({M}_{2} , {\varphi }_{2} )$ with respect to faithful normal states has no Cartan subalgebra. This generalizes the tracial case that was established by A. Ioana [Cartan subalgebras of amalgamated free product ${\mathrm{II} }_{1} $factors, arXiv:1207.0054]. Next, we prove that any countable nonsingular ergodic equivalence relation $ \mathcal{R} $ defined on a standard measure space and which splits as the free product $ \mathcal{R} = { \mathcal{R} }_{1} \ast { \mathcal{R} }_{2} $ of recurrent subequivalence relations gives rise to a nonamenable factor $\mathrm{L} ( \mathcal{R} )$ with a unique Cartan subalgebra, up to unitary conjugacy. Finally, we prove unique Cartan decomposition for a class of group measure space factors ${\mathrm{L} }^{\infty } (X)\rtimes \Gamma $ arising from nonsingular free ergodic actions $\Gamma \curvearrowright (X, \mu )$ on standard measure spaces of amalgamated groups $\Gamma = {\mathop{\Gamma {}_{1} \ast }\nolimits}_{\Sigma } {\Gamma }_{2} $ over a finite subgroup $\Sigma $.

A probabilistic cellular automaton (PCA) can be viewed as a Markov chain. The cells are updated synchronously and independently, according to a distribution depending on a finite neighborhood. We investigate the ergodicity of this Markov chain. A classical cellular automaton is a particular case of PCA. For a one-dimensional cellular automaton, we prove that ergodicity is equivalent to nilpotency, and is therefore undecidable. We then propose an efficient perfect sampling algorithm for the invariant measure of an ergodic PCA. Our algorithm does not assume any monotonicity property of the local rule. It is based on a bounding process which is shown to also be a PCA. Last, we focus on the PCA majority, whose asymptotic behavior is unknown, and perform numerical experiments using the perfect sampling procedure.

The theory of L2-spectral gaps for reversible Markov chains has been studied by many authors. In this paper we consider positive recurrent general state space Markov chains with stationary transition probabilities. Replacing the assumption of reversibility with a weaker assumption, we still obtain a simple necessary and sufficient condition for the spectral gap property of the associated Markov operator in terms of the isoperimetric constant. We show that this result can be applied to a large class of Markov chains, including those that are related to positive recurrent finite-range random walks on Z.

An ergodic Markov chain is proved to be the realization of a random walk in a directed graph subject to a synchronizing road coloring. The result ensures the existence of appropriate random mappings in Propp-Wilson's coupling from the past. The proof is based on the road coloring theorem. A necessary and sufficient condition for approximate preservation of entropies is also given.

We describe a class of topological vector spaces admitting a mixing uniformly continuous operator group with holomorphic dependence on the parameter t. This result builds on those existing in the literature. We also describe a class of topological vector spaces admitting no supercyclic strongly continuous operator semigroups .

Suppose that {Xt} is a Markov chain such as the state space model for a threshold GARCH time series. The regularity assumptions for a drift condition approach to establishing the ergodicity of {Xt} typically are ϕ-irreducibility, aperiodicity, and a minorization condition for compact sets. These can be very tedious to verify due to the discontinuous and singular nature of the Markov transition probabilities. We first demonstrate that, for Feller chains, the problem can at least be simplified to focusing on whether the process can reach some neighborhood that satisfies the minorization condition. The results are valid not just for the transition kernels of Markov chains but also for bounded positive kernels, opening the possibility for new ergodic results. More significantly, we show that threshold GARCH time series and related models of interest can often be embedded into Feller chains, allowing us to apply the conclusions above.

The so-called STIT tessellations form a class of homogeneous (spatially stationary) tessellations in Rd which are stable under the nesting/iteration operation. In this paper we establish the mixing property for these tessellations and give the decay rate of P(A ∩ M = ∅, ThB ∩ M = ∅) / P(A ∩ Y = ∅)P(B ∩ Y = ∅) − 1, where A and B are both compact connected sets, h is a vector of Rd, Th is the corresponding translation operator, and M is a STIT tessellation.

We develop classification results for max-stable processes, based on their spectral representations. The structure of max-linear isometries and minimal spectral representations play important roles. We propose a general classification strategy for measurable max-stable processes based on the notion of co-spectral functions. In particular, we discuss the spectrally continuous-discrete, the conservative-dissipative, and the positive-null decompositions. For stationary max-stable processes, the latter two decompositions arise from connections to nonsingular flows and are closely related to the classification of stationary sum-stable processes. The interplay between the introduced decompositions of max-stable processes is further explored. As an example, the Brown-Resnick stationary processes, driven by fractional Brownian motions, are shown to be dissipative.

Given a finite field 𝔽p={0,…,p−1} of p elements, where p is a prime, we consider the distribution of elements in the orbits of a transformation ξ↦ψ(ξ) associated with a rational function ψ∈𝔽p(X). We use bounds of exponential sums to show that if N≥p1/2+ε for some fixed ε then no N distinct consecutive elements of such an orbit are contained in any short interval, improving the trivial lower bound N on the length of such intervals. In the case of linear fractional functions we use a different approach, based on some results of additive combinatorics due to Bourgain, that gives a nontrivial lower bound for essentially any admissible value of N.

In this paper, a general construction of a skew-product dynamical system, for which the skew-product dynamical system studied by Hahn is a special case, is given. Then the ergodic and topological properties (of a special type) of our newly defined systems (called Milnes-type systems) are investigated. It is shown that the Milnes-type systems are actually natural extensions of dynamical systems corresponding to some special distal functions. Finally, the topological centre of Ellis groups of any skew-product dynamical system is calculated.

We prove that the Bartlett spectrum of a stationary, infinitely divisible (ID) random measure determines ergodicity, weak mixing, and mixing. In this context, the Bartlett spectrum plays the same role as the spectral measure of a stationary Gaussian process.

The concept of loosely Markov dynamical systems is introduced. We show that for these systems the recurrence rates and pointwise dimensions coincide. The systems generated by hyperbolic exponential maps, arbitrary rational functions of the Riemann sphere, and measurable dynamical systems generated by infinite conformal iterated function systems are all checked to be loosely Markov.

Let F′ be the commutator subgroup of F and let Γ0 be the cyclic group generated by the first generator of F. We continue the study of the central sequences of the factor L(F′), and we prove that the abelian von Neumann algebra L(Γ0) is a strongly singular MASA in L(F). We also prove that the natural action of F on [0, 1] is ergodic and that its ratio set is {0} ∪ {2k; k ∞ Z}.

Within reliability theory, identifiability problems arise through competing risks. If we have a series system of several components, and if that system is replaced or repaired to as good as new on failure, then the different component failures represent competing risks for the system. It is well known that the underlying component failure distributions cannot be estimated from the observable data (failure time and identity of failed component) without nontestable assumptions such as independence. In practice many systems are not subject to the ‘as good as new’ repair regime. Hence, the objective of this paper is to contrast the identifiability issues arising for different repair regimes. We consider the problem of identifying a model within a given class of probabilistic models for the system. Different models corresponding to different repair strategies are considered: a partial-repair model, where only the failing component is repaired; perfect repair, where all components are as good as new after a failure; and minimal repair, where components are only minimally repaired at failures. We show that on the basis of observing a single socket, the partial-repair model is identifiable, while the perfect- and minimal-repair models are not.

We study the suprema over compact time intervals of stationary locally bounded α-stable processes. The behaviour of these suprema as the length of the time interval increases turns out to depend significantly on the ergodic-theoretical properties of a flow generating the stationary process.