arXiv subjects

H. Blaine Lawson, Jr.

Publications and source records attributed to H. Blaine Lawson, Jr..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2020

The Richberg technique for subsolutions

This note adapts the sophisticated Richberg technique for approximation in pluripotential theory to the $F$-potential theory associated to a general nonlinear convex subequation $F \subset J^2(X)$ on a manifold $X$. The main theorem is the following "local to global" result. Suppose $u$ is a continuous strictly $F$-subharmonic function such that each point $x\in X$ has a fundamental neighborhood system consisting of domains for which a "quasi" form of $C^\infty$ approximation holds. Then for any positive $h\in C(X)$ there exists a strictly $F$-subharmonic function $w\in C^\infty(X)$ with $u< w< u+h$. Applications include all convex constant coefficient subequations on ${\bf R}^n$, various nonlinear subequations on complex and almost complex manifolds, and many more.

math.AP↗

arXiv2014

Smooth Approximation of Plurisubharmonic Functions on Almost Complex Manifolds

This note establishes smooth approximation from above for J-plurisubharmonic functions on an almost complex manifold (X,J). The following theorem is proved. Suppose X is J-pseudoconvex, i.e., X admits a smooth strictly J-plurisubharmonic exhaustion function. Let u be an (upper semi-continuous) J-plurisubharmonic function on X. Then there exists a sequence {u_j} of smooth, strictly J-plurisubharmonic functions point-wise decreasing down to u. On any almost complex manifold (X,J) each point has a fundamental neighborhood system of J-pseudoconvex domains, and so the theorem above establishes local smooth approximation on X. This result was proved in complex dimension 2 by the third author, who also showed that the result would hold in general dimensions if a parallel result for continuous approximation were known. This paper establishes the required step by solving the obstacle problem.

math.CV↗

arXiv2007

The Projective Hull of Certain Curves in C^2

The projective hull X^ of a subset X in complex projective space P^n is an analogue of the classical polynomial hull of a set in C^n. If X is contained in an affine chart C^n on P^n, then the affine part of X^ is the set of points x in C^n for which there exists a constant M=M_x so that |p(x)| < M^d sup{|p(y)| : y in X} for all polynomials p of degree less than or equal to d, and any d > 0. Let X^(M) be the set of points x where M_x can be chosen < M. Using an argument of E. Bishop, we show the following. Let G be a compact real analytic curve (not necessarily connected) in C^2. Then for any linear projection p: C^2 --> C^1, the set of points in G^(M) lying above a point z in C^1 is finite for almost all z. Using this, we prove the conjecture that for any compact stable real-analytic curve G in P^n, the set G^-G is a 1-dimensional complex analytic subvariety of P^n-G.

math.CV↗

arXiv2005

The de Rham-Federer Theory of Differential Characters and Character Duality

The theory of differential characters is developed completely from a de Rham - Federer viewpoint. Characters are defined as equivalence classes of special currents, called sparks, which appear naturally in the theory of singular connections. There are many different spaces of currents which yield the character groups. A multiplication of de Rham-Federer characters is defined using transversality results for flat and rectifiable currents. There is a natural equivalence of ring functors from deRham - Federer characters to Cheeger-Simons characters. Differential characters have a topology and natural smooth Pontrjagin duals (introduced here). A principal result is the formulation and proof of duality for characters on oriented manifolds. It is shown that the pairing (a,b) --> a*b([X]) given by multiplication and evaluation on the fundamental cycle, gives an isomorphism of the group of differential characters of degree k with the dual to characters in degree n-k-1 where n = dim(X). It is also shown that there are natural Thom homomorphisms for differential characters. Gysin maps are also defined for differential characters. Many examples including Morse sparks, Hodge sparks and characteristic sparks are examined in detail.

math.DG↗

arXiv1999

Algebraic Cycles and the Classical Groups - Part I, Real Cycles

Algebraic cycles on complex projective space P(V) are known to have beautiful and surprising properties. Therefore, when V carries a real or quaternionic structure, it is natural to ask for the properties of the groups of real or quaternionic algebraic cycles on P(V). In this paper and its sequel the homotopy structure of these cycle groups is determined. They bear a direct relationship to characteristic classes for the classical groups, and functors in K-theory extend directly to these groups. These groups give rise to E-infinity-ring spaces, and the maps extending the K-theory functors are ring maps. The stabilized space of cycles is a product of (Z/2Z)-equivariant Eilenberg-MacLane spaces indexed by the representations R^{n,n} for n > 0. This gives a wide generalization of the results in Boyer, Lawson, Lima-Filho, Mann and Michelsohn on the Segal question. The ring structure on the homotopy groups of these stabilized spaces is explicitly computed. In the real case it is a quotient of a polynomial algebra on two generators corresponding to the first Pontrjagin and first Stiefel-Whitney classes. This yields an interesting total characteristic class for real bundles. It is a mixture of integral and mod 2 classes and has nice multiplicative properties. The class is shown to be the (Z/2Z)-equivariant Chern class on Atiyah's KR-theory.

math.AT↗