MPEJ Volume 7, No. 1, 18pp. Received: May 31, 2001. Accepted: Sep 26, 2001. Mayer D., Neunhaeuserer J. An isomorphism between polynomial eigenfunctions of the transfer operator and the Eichler cohomology for modular groups ABSTRACT: For the group $PSL(2,\Z)$ it is known that there is an isomorphism between polynomial eigenfunctions of the transfer operator for the geodetic flow and the Eichler cohomology in number theory, see \cite{[CM3]}, \cite{[LW]}, \cite{[LZ]}. In \cite{[CM3]} it is indicated that such an isomorphism exists as well for the subgroups $\Gamma(2)$ and $\Gamma_{0}(2)$ of $PSL(2,\Z)$. We will prove this and provide some evidence by computer aided algebraic calculations that such an isomorphism exists for all principal congruence subgroups $\Gamma(N)$ and all congruence subgroups of Hecke type $\Gamma_{0}(N)$. ------------------------------ MPEJ Volume 7, No. 2, 19 pp. Received: Jun 13, 2000. Revised: Oct 3, 2001. Accepted: Oct 9, 2001. M. Abadi: Exponential approximation for hitting times in mixing processes ABSTRACT: We present bounds for the error of the exponential approximation of the first occurrence time of a rare event in a stationary stochastic process with a finite alphabet with the $\alpha$-mixing property with a summable function $\alpha$ or with a general $\phi$-mixing property. We prove a lower bound for this error in terms of the measure of the cylinder and an upper bound as a function of the measure of the cylinder plus the decay of correlation of the process. ------------------------------ MPEJ Volume 7, No. 3, 22 pp. Received: Oct 23, 2001. Revised: Nov 14, 2001. Accepted: Nov 17, 2001. G. Benettin, L. Rondoni: A new model for the transport of particles in a thermostatted system ABSTRACT: We introduce an elementary microscopic model for the free expansion of a gas from a smaller to a larger reservoir; a ``pump'' takes the particles back to the original reservoir, so as to maintain a stationary situation. The system is dissipative and thermostatted (with an elementary non Gaussian reversible thermostat). We consider here only the case of noninteracting particles. We identify a parameter in the system, playing the role of the field, and investigate numerically the usual transport properties, among them the proportionality of the current to the field for small fields, and the proportionality of the volume contraction rate to the product of field and current, in the same conditions. In spite of the simplicity of the model (and of the difficulty in the thermodynamical interpretation, the model being non interacting) we find apparently normal transport laws. We also make a particularly accurate test of the Gallavotti--Cohen fluctuation formula, which turns out to be always well satisfied (though fluctuations, in some conditions, are rather far from Gaussian). A leading idea of the paper is to look for the minimal requirements that a particle system should satisfy in order to give rise, at least formally, to normal transport. ------------------------------ MPEJ Volume 7, No. 4, 59 pp. Received: Mar 15, 2001. Revised: Oct 17, 2001. Accepted: Dec 12, 2001. F. Besnard: Number Operator Algebras ABSTRACT: Under some hypotheses (symmetry, confluence), we enumerate all quadratically presented algebras, generated by creation and destruction operators, in which number operators exist. We show that these are algebras of bosons, fermions, their immediate generalizations that we call pseudo-bosons and pseudo-fermions, and also matrix algebras, in the finitely generated case. We then recover $q$-bosons (and pseudo-$q$-bosons) by a completion operation. .