We improve and expand in two directions the theory of norms on complex matrices induced by random vectors. We first provide a simple proof of the classification of weakly unitarily invariant norms on the Hermitian matrices. We use this to extend the main theorem in Chávez, Garcia, and Hurley (2023, Canadian Mathematical Bulletin 66, 808–826) from exponent $d\geq 2$ to $d \geq 1$. Our proofs are much simpler than the originals: they do not require Lewis’ framework for group invariance in convex matrix analysis. This clarification puts the entire theory on simpler foundations while extending its range of applicability.

We introduce a family of norms on the $n \times n$ complex matrices. These norms arise from a probabilistic framework, and their construction and validation involve probability theory, partition combinatorics, and trace polynomials in noncommuting variables. As a consequence, we obtain a generalization of Hunter’s positivity theorem for the complete homogeneous symmetric polynomials.

By analogy with the trace of an algebraic integer $\alpha $ with conjugates $\alpha _1=\alpha , \ldots , \alpha _d$ , we define the G-measure $ {\mathrm {G}} (\alpha )= \sum _{i=1}^d ( |\alpha _i| + 1/ | \alpha _i | )$ and the absolute ${\mathrm G}$ -measure ${\mathrm {g}}(\alpha )={\mathrm {G}}(\alpha )/d$ . We establish an analogue of the Schur–Siegel–Smyth trace problem for totally positive algebraic integers. Then we consider the case where $\alpha $ has all its conjugates in a sector $| \arg z | \leq \theta $ , $0 < \theta < 90^{\circ }$ . We compute the greatest lower bound $c(\theta )$ of the absolute G-measure of $\alpha $ , for $\alpha $ belonging to $11$ consecutive subintervals of $]0, 90 [$ . This phenomenon appears here for the first time, conforming to a conjecture of Rhin and Smyth on the nature of the function $c(\theta )$ . All computations are done by the method of explicit auxiliary functions.

For a not-necessarily commutative ring $R$ we define an abelian group $W(R;M)$ of Witt vectors with coefficients in an $R$-bimodule $M$. These groups generalize the usual big Witt vectors of commutative rings and we prove that they have analogous formal properties and structure. One main result is that $W(R) := W(R;R)$ is Morita invariant in $R$. For an $R$-linear endomorphism $f$ of a finitely generated projective $R$-module we define a characteristic element $\chi _f \in W(R)$. This element is a non-commutative analogue of the classical characteristic polynomial and we show that it has similar properties. The assignment $f \mapsto \chi _f$ induces an isomorphism between a suitable completion of cyclic $K$-theory $K_0^{\mathrm {cyc}}(R)$ and $W(R)$.

Let ${\mathcal{A}}$ be a semisimple Banach algebra with minimal left ideals and $\text{soc}({\mathcal{A}})$ be the socle of ${\mathcal{A}}$. We prove that if $\text{soc}({\mathcal{A}})$ is an essential ideal of ${\mathcal{A}}$, then every 2-local derivation on ${\mathcal{A}}$ is a derivation. As applications of this result, we can easily show that every 2-local derivation on some algebras, such as semisimple modular annihilator Banach algebras, strongly double triangle subspace lattice algebras and ${\mathcal{J}}$-subspace lattice algebras, is a derivation.

This paper deals with the following problem. Given a finite extension of fields $\mathbb{L}/\mathbb{K}$ and denoting the trace map from $\mathbb{L}$ to $\mathbb{K}$ by $\text{Tr}$, for which elements $z$ in $\mathbb{L}$, and $a$, $b$ in $\mathbb{K}$, is it possible to write $z$ as a product $xy$, where $x,y\in \mathbb{L}$ with $\text{Tr}(x)=a,\text{Tr}(y)=b$? We solve most of these problems for finite fields, with a complete solution when the degree of the extension is at least 5. We also have results for arbitrary fields and extensions of degrees 2, 3 or 4. We then apply our results to the study of perfect nonlinear functions, semifields, irreducible polynomials with prescribed coefficients, and a problem from finite geometry concerning the existence of certain disjoint linear sets.

This paper concerns HH-relations in the lattices P(M) of all projections of W*-algebras M. If M is a finite algebra, all these relations are generated by trails in P(M). If M is an infinite countably decomposable factor, they are either generated by trails or associated with them.

Given an open set with finite perimeter $\Omega \subset {\open R}^n$, we consider the space $LD_\gamma ^{p}(\Omega )$, $1\les p<\infty $, of functions with pth-integrable deformation tensor on Ω and with pth-integrable trace value on the essential boundary of Ω. We establish the continuous embedding $LD_\gamma ^{p}(\Omega )\subset L^{pN/(N-1)}(\Omega )$. The space $LD_\gamma ^{p}(\Omega )$ and this embedding arise naturally in studying the motion of rigid bodies in a viscous, incompressible fluid.

In this paper we define B-Fredholm elements in a Banach algebra A modulo an ideal J of A. When a trace function is given on the ideal J, it generates an index for B-Fredholm elements. In the case of a B-Fredholm operator T acting on a Banach space, we prove that its usual index ind(T) is equal to the trace of the commutator [T, T0], where T0 is a Drazin inverse of T modulo the ideal of finite rank operators, extending Fedosov's trace formula for Fredholm operators (see Böttcher and Silbermann [Analysis of Toeplitz operators, 2nd edn (Springer, 2006)]. In the case of a primitive Banach algebra, we prove a punctured neighbourhood theorem for the index.

The trace (or zeroth Hochschild homology) of Khovanov’s Heisenberg category is identified with a quotient of the algebra $W_{1+\infty }$. This induces an action of $W_{1+\infty }$ on the center of the categorified Fock space representation, which can be identified with the action of $W_{1+\infty }$ on symmetric functions.

In this short note we present a common characterisation of the logarithmic function and the subspace of all trace zero elements in finite von Neumann factors.

Motivated by traces of matrices and Euler characteristics of topological spaces, we expect abstract traces in a symmetric monoidal category to be “additive”. When the category is “stable” in some sense, additivity along cofiber sequences is a question about the interaction of stability and the monoidal structure.

May proved such an additivity theorem when the stable structure is a triangulation, based on new axioms for monoidal triangulated categories. in this paper we use stable derivators instead, which are a different model for “stable homotopy theories”. We define and study monoidal structures on derivators, providing a context to describe the interplay between stability and monoidal structure using only ordinary category theory and universal properties. We can then perform May's proof of the additivity of traces in a closed monoidal stable derivator without needing extra axioms, as all the needed compatibility is automatic.

A semigroup $S$ is called idempotent-surjective (respectively, regular-surjective) if whenever $\rho $ is a congruence on $S$ and $a\rho $ is idempotent (respectively, regular) in $S/ \rho $, then there is $e\in {E}_{S} \cap a\rho $ (respectively, $r\in \mathrm{Reg} (S)\cap a\rho $), where ${E}_{S} $ (respectively, $\mathrm{Reg} (S)$) denotes the set of all idempotents (respectively, regular elements) of $S$. Moreover, a semigroup $S$ is said to be idempotent-regular-surjective if it is both idempotent-surjective and regular-surjective. We show that any regular congruence on an idempotent-regular-surjective (respectively, regular-surjective) semigroup is uniquely determined by its kernel and trace (respectively, the set of equivalence classes containing idempotents). Finally, we prove that all structurally regular semigroups are idempotent-regular-surjective.