In this paper, we first obtain the sub-Laplacian comparison theorem in a complete noncompact pseudohermitian manifold of vanishing torsion (i.e. Sasakian manifold). Secondly, we derive the sub-gradient estimate for positive pseudoharmonic functions in a complete noncompact pseudohermitian manifold which satisfies the CR sub-Laplacian comparison property. It is served as the CR analogue of Yauís gradient estimate. As a consequence, we have the natural CR analogue of Liouville-type theorems in a complete noncompact Sasakian manifold of nonnegative pseudohermitian Ricci curvature tensors.

We give an explicit formula for the logarithmic potential of the asymptotic zero-counting measure of the sequence {(dn/dzn)(R(z)expT(z))}∞n=1. Here, R(z) is a rational function with at least two poles, all of which are distinct, and T(z) is a polynomial. This is an extension of a recent measure-theoretic refinement of Pólya’s Shire theorem for rational functions.

We consider two natural problems arising in geometry which are equivalent to the local solvability of specific equations of Monge- Amp`ere type. These two problems are: the local isometric embedding problem for two-dimensional Riemannian manifolds, and the problem of locally prescribed Gaussian curvature for surfaces in R3. We prove a general local existence result for a large class of Monge-Amp`ere equations in the plane, and obtain as corollaries the existence of regular solutions to both problems, in the case that the Gaussian curvature vanishes to arbitrary finite order on a single smooth curve.

In this paper we present an {\em a priori} error estimate of the Runge-Kutta discontinuous Galerkin method for solving symmetrizable conservation laws, where the time is discretized with the third order explicit total variation diminishing Runge-Kutta method and the finite element space is made up of piecewise polynomials of degree $k\geq 2$. Quasi-optimal error estimate is obtained by energy techniques, for the so-called generalized E-fluxes under the standard temporal-spatial CFL condition $\tau\leq\gamma h$, where $h$ is the element length and $\tau$ is time step, and $\gamma$ is a positive constant independent of $h$ and $\tau$. Optimal estimates are also considered when the upwind numerical flux is used.

Published in 1999, Christodoulou proved that the naked singularities of a self-gravitating scalar field are not stable in spherical symmetry and therefore the cosmic censorship conjecture is true in this context. The original proof is by contradiction and sharp estimates are obtained strictly depending on spherical symmetry. In this paper, appropriate a priori estimates for the solution are obtained. These estimates are more relaxed but sufficient for giving another robust argument in proving the instability, in particular not by contradiction. In a companion paper, we are able to prove certain instability theorems of the spherically symmetric naked singularities of a scalar field under gravitational perturbations without symmetries. The argument given in this paper plays a central role.