In 1975, P. Erd\"{o}s proposed the problem of determining the maximum number $f(n)$ of edges in a graph with $n$ vertices in which any two cycles are of different lengths. In this paper, it is proved that $$f(n)\geq n+\frac{107}{3}t+\frac{7}{3}$$ for $t=1260r+169 \,\ (r\geq 1)$ and $n \geq \frac{2119}{4}t^{2}+87978t+\frac{15957}{4}$. Consequently, $\liminf\sb {n \to \infty} {f(n)-n \over \sqrt n} \geq \sqrt {2 + \frac{7654}{19071}},$ which is better than the previous bounds $\sqrt 2$ (Shi, 1988), $\sqrt {2.4}$ (Lai, 2003). The conjecture $\lim_{n \rightarrow \infty} {f(n)-n\over \sqrt n}=\sqrt {2.4}$ is not true.

It is known that finitely generated FI-modules over a field of characteristic 0 are Noetherian. We generalize this result to the abstract setting of an infinite EI category satisfying certain combinatorial conditions.

F. Labourie [arXiv:1212.5015] characterized the Hitchin components for PSL(n,R) for any n>1 by using the swapping algebra, where the swapping algebra should be understood as a ring equipped with a Poisson bracket. We introduce the rank n swapping algebra, which is the quotient of the swapping algebra by the (n+1)×(n+1) determinant relations. The main results are the well-definedness of the rank n swapping algebra and the "cross-ratio" in its fraction algebra. As a consequence, we use the sub fraction algebra of the rank n swapping algebra generated by these "cross-ratios" to characterize the PSL(n,R) Hitchin component for a fixed n>1. We also show the relation between the rank 2 swapping algebra and the cluster X space.

An analogue of the well-known $$ \frac{3}{{16}} $$ lower bound for the first eigenvalue of the Laplacian for a congruence hyperbolic surface is proven for a congruence tower associated with any non-elementary subgroup$L$of SL(2,$Z$). The proof in the case that the Hausdorff of the limit set of$L$is bigger than $$ \frac{1}{2} $$ is based on a general result which allows one to transfer such bounds from a combinatorial version to this archimedian setting. In the case that delta is less than $$ \frac{1}{2} $$ we formulate and prove a somewhat weaker version of this phenomenon in terms of poles of the corresponding dynamical zeta function. These “spectral gaps” are then applied to sieving problems on orbits of such groups.

A simplicial complex Δ is called$flag$if all minimal nonfaces of Δ have at most two elements. The following are proved: First, if Δ is a flag simplicial pseudomanifold of dimension$d$−1, then the graph of Δ (i) is (2$d$−2)-vertex-connected and (ii) has a subgraph which is a subdivision of the graph of the$d$-dimensional cross-polytope. Second, the$h$-vector of a flag simplicial homology sphere Δ of dimension$d$−1 is minimized when Δ is the boundary complex of the$d$-dimensional cross-polytope.