We consider a multidimensional version of an inequality due to Leray as a substitute for Hardy’s inequality in the case $p = n ≥ 2$. In this paper we provide an optimal Sobolev-type improvement of this substitute, analogous to the corresponding improvements obtained for $p = 2 < n$ in S. Filippas, A. Tertikas, Optimizing improved Hardy inequalities, J. Funct. Anal. 192 (1) (2002) 186–233, and for $p > n ≥ 1$ in G. Psaradakis, An optimal Hardy-Morrey inequality, Calc. Var. Partial Differential Equations 45 (3-4) (2012) 421–441.

Consider an age-dependent, single-species branching process defined by a progeny number distribution, and a lifetime distribution associated with each independent particle. In this paper, we focus on the associated inverse problem where one wishes to formally solve for the progeny number distribution or the lifetime distribution that defines the Bellman-Harris branching process. We derive results for the existence and uniqueness (the identifiability) of these two distributions given one of two types of information: the extinction time probability of the entire process (extinction time distribution), or the distribution of the total number of particles at one fixed time. We demonstrate that perfect knowledge of the distribution of extinction times allows us to formally determine either the progeny number distribution or the lifetime distribution. Furthermore, we show that these constructions are unique. We then consider “data” consisting of a perfectly known total number distribution given at one specific time. For a process with known progeny number distribution and exponentially distributed lifetimes, we show that the rate parameter is identifiable. For general lifetime distributions, we also show that the progeny distribution is globally unique. Our results are presented through four theorems, each describing the constructions in the four distinct cases.

Strong compactness results for families of functions in seminormed nonnegative cones in the spirit of the Aubin-Lions-Dubinski\u{\i} lemma are proven, refining some recent results in the literature. The first theorem sharpens slightly a result of Dubinski\u{\i} (1965) for seminormed cones. The second theorem applies to piecewise constant functions in time and sharpens slightly the results of Dreher and J\"ungel (2012) and Chen and Liu (2012). An application is given, which is useful in the study of porous-medium or fast-diffusion type equations.

In a previous paper, we studied certain random walks on the hyperbolic graphs $X$ associated with the self-similar sets $K$, and showed that the discrete energy ${\mathcal E}_X$ on $X$ has an induced energy form ${\mathcal E}_K$ on $K$. The domain of ${\mathcal E}_K$ is a Besov space $\Lambda^{\alpha, \beta/2}_{2,2}$ where $\alpha$ is the Hausdorff dimension of $K$ and $\beta$ is a parameter determined by the ``return ratio" of the random walk. In this paper, we consider the functional relationship of ${\mathcal E}_X$ and ${\mathcal E}_K$. In particular, we investigate the critical exponents of the $\beta$ in the domain $\Lambda^{\alpha, \beta/2}_{2,2}$ in order for ${\mathcal E}_K$ to be a Dirichlet form. We provide some criteria to determine the critical exponents through the effective resistance of the random walk on $X$, and make use of certain electrical network techniques to calculate the exponents for some concrete examples.

Let $K$ be a self-similar set satisfying the open set condition. Following Kaimanovich’s elegant idea, it has been proved that on the symbolic space $X$ of $K$ a natural augmented tree structure $E$ exists; it is hyperbolic, and the hyperbolic boundary $\partial_H X$ with the Gromov metric is H\"older equivalent to $K$. In this paper we consider certain reversible random walks with return ratio $0 < \lambda < 1$ on $(X,E)$. We show that the Martin boundary ${\mathcal M}$ can be identified with $\partial_H X$ and $K$. With this setup and a device of Silverstein, we obtain precise estimates of the Martin kernel and the Na\"im kernel in terms of the Gromov product. Moreover, the Naïm kernel turns out to be a jump kernel satisfying the estimate $\Theta (\xi,\eta) \asymp |\xi-\eta|^{-(\alpha+\beta)}$, where $\alpha$ is the Hausdorff dimension of $K$ and $\beta$ depends on $\lambda$. For suitable $\beta$, the kernel defines a regular non-local Dirichlet form on $K$. This extends the results of Kigami concerning random walks on certain trees with Cantor-type sets as boundaries.