We consider amalgamated free product II_{1}factors$M$=$M$_{1*$B$}$M$_{2*$B$}… and use “deformation/rigidity” and “intertwining” techniques to prove that any relatively rigid von Neumann subalgebra$Q$⊂$M$can be unitarily conjugated into one of the$M$_{$i$}’s. We apply this to the case where the$M$_{$i$}’s are w-rigid II_{1}factors, with$B$equal to either$C$, to a Cartan subalgebra$A$in$M$_{$i$}, or to a regular hyperfinite II_{1}subfactor$R$in$M$_{$i$}, to obtain the following type of unique decomposition results, àla Bass–Serre: If$M$= ($N$_{1 * C}N_{2*$C$}…)^{$t$}, for some$t$> 0 and some other similar inclusions of algebras$C$⊂$N$_{$i$}then, after a permutation of indices, ($B$⊂$M$_{$i$}) is inner conjugate to ($C$⊂$N$_{$i$})^{$t$}, for all$i$. Taking$B$=$C$and $ M_{i} = {\left( {L{\left( {Z^{2} \rtimes F_{2} } \right)}} \right)}^{{t_{i} }} $ , with {$t$_{$i$}}_{$i$⩾1}=$S$a given countable subgroup of$R$_{+}^{*}, we obtain continuously many non-stably isomorphic factors$M$with fundamental group $ {\user1{\mathcal{F}}}{\left( M \right)} $ equal to$S$. For$B$=$A$, we obtain a new class of factors$M$with unique Cartan subalgebra decomposition, with a large subclass satisfying $ {\user1{\mathcal{F}}}{\left( M \right)} = {\left\{ 1 \right\}} $ and Out(M) abelian and calculable. Taking$B$=$R$, we get examples of factors with $ {\user1{\mathcal{F}}}{\left( M \right)} = {\left\{ 1 \right\}} $ , Out($M$) =$K$, for any given separable compact abelian group$K$.

Let$N$be a compact simply connected smooth Riemannian manifold and, for$p$∈ {2,3,...},$W$^{1,$p$}($R$^{$p$+1},$N$) be the Sobolev space of measurable maps from$R$^{$p$+1}into$N$whose gradients are in$L$^{$p$}. The restriction of$u$to almost every$p$-dimensional sphere$S$in$R$^{$p$+1}is in$W$^{1,$p$}($S$,$N$) and defines an homotopy class in π_{$p$}($N$) (White 1988). Evaluating a fixed element$z$of Hom(π_{$p$}($N$),$R$) on this homotopy class thus gives a real number Φ_{$z$,$u$}($S$). The main result of the paper is that any$W$^{1,$p$}-weakly convergent limit$u$of a sequence of smooth maps in$C$^{∞}($R$^{$p$+1},$N$), Φ_{$z$,$u$}has a$rectifiable Poincaré dual$ $ {\left( {\Gamma ,{\overrightarrow{\Gamma }} ,\theta } \right)} $ . Here Γ is a a countable union of$C$^{1}curves in$R$^{$p$+1}with Hausdorff $ {\user1{\mathcal{H}}}^{1} $ -measurable orientation $ {\overrightarrow{\Gamma }} :\Gamma \to S^{p} $ and density function$θ$: Γ→$R$. The intersection number between $ {\left( {\Gamma ,{\overrightarrow{\Gamma }} ,\theta } \right)} $ and$S$evaluates Φ_{$z$,$u$}($S$), for almost every$p$-sphere$S$. Moreover, we exhibit a non-negative integer$n$_{$z$}, depending only on homotopy operation$z$, such that $ {\int_\Gamma {{\left| \theta \right|}^{{p \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {p {{\left( {p + n_{z} } \right)}}}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {{\left( {p + n_{z} } \right)}}}} d{\user1{\mathcal{H}}}^{1} < \infty } } $ even though the mass $ {\int_\Gamma {{\left| \theta \right|}d{\user1{\mathcal{H}}}^{1} } } $ may be infinite. We also provide cases of$N$,$p$and$z$for which this rational power$p$/($p$+$n$_{$z$}) is optimal. The construction of this Poincaré dual is based on 1-dimensional “bubbling” described by the notion of “scans” which was introduced in Hardt and Rivière (2003). We also describe how to generalize these results to$R$^{$m$}for any$m$⩾$p$+ 1, in which case the bubbling is described by an ($m$–$p$)-rectifiable set with orientation and density function determined by restrictions of the mappings to almost every oriented Euclidean$p$-sphere.

We show that a compact Riemannian manifold with weakly pointwise 1/4-pinched sectional curvatures is either locally symmetric or diffeomorphic to a space form. More generally, we classify all compact, locally irreducible Riemannian manifolds$M$with the property that$M$×$R$^{2}has non-negative isotropic curvature.

In this paper we study surfaces in$R$^{3}that arise as limit shapes in random surface models related to planar dimers. These limit shapes are$surface tension minimizers$, that is, they minimize a functional of the form ∫$σ$(∇$h$)$dx$$dy$among all Lipschitz functions$h$taking given values on the boundary of the domain. The surface tension$σ$has singularities and is not strictly convex, which leads to formation of$facets$and$edges$in the limit shapes.

Using probabilistic methods, we prove new rigidity results for groups and pseudo-groups of diffeomorphisms of one dimensional manifolds with intermediate regularity class (i.e. between$C$^{1}and$C$^{2}). In particular, we show some generalizations of Denjoy theorem and the classical Kopell lemma for abelian groups. These techniques are also applied to the study of codimension-1 foliations. For instance, we obtain several generalized versions of Sacksteder theorem in class$C$^{1}. We conclude with some remarks about the stationary measure.