The bargaining problem with an uncertain conflict outcome

We construct an axiomatic bargaining model for a class of bargaining situations in which the conflict outcome is uncertain but information pertaining to it is available. A solution function, termed the compounded-Nash solution, is proposed for this class. This function satisfies uniquely several requirements. Interestingly, the natural extension of Nash's Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives is not satisfied by the compounded-Nash solution.     

Moral Dilemmas and Vagueness

In this paper we point out some interesting structural similarities between vagueness and moral dilemmas as well as between some of the proposed solutions to both problems. Moral dilemma involves a situation with opposed obligations that cannot all be satisfied. Transvaluationism as an approach to vagueness makes three claims concerning the nature of vagueness: (1) it involves incompatibility between mutually unsatisfiable requirements, (2) the underlying requirements retain their normative power even when they happen to be overruled, and (3) this incompatibility turns out to be rather benign in practice. Given that transvaluationism is inspired by moral dilemmas, these claims are assessed in respect to them. Transvaluationism provides a smooth account of the mentioned claims concerning vagueness. Following a brief discussion of Sorensen’s views on moral dilemmas and conflict vagueness, we offer a model of moral pluralism accommodating structurally similar claims about the nature of moral conflict and moral dilemmas.     

A local radial basis function collocation method to solve the variable‐order time fractional diffusion equation in a two‐dimensional irregular domain

The local radial basis function (RBF) method is a promising solver for variable‐order time fractional diffusion equation (TFDE), as it overcomes the computational burden of the traditional global method. Application of the local RBF method is limited to Fickian diffusion, while real‐world diffusion is usually non‐Fickian in multiple dimensions. This article is the first to extend the application of the local RBF method to two‐dimensional, variable‐order, time fractional diffusion equation in complex shaped domains. One of the main advantages of the local RBF method is that only the nodes located in the subdomain, surrounding the local point, need to be considered when calculating the numerical solution at this point. This approach can perform well with large scale problems and can also mitigate otherwise ill‐conditioned problems. The proposed numerical approach is checked against two examples with curved boundaries and known analytical solutions. Shape parameter and subdomain node number are investigated for their influence on the accuracy of the local RBF solution. Furthermore, quantitative analysis, based on root‐mean‐square error, maximum absolute error, and maximum error of the partial derivative indicates that the local RBF method is accurate and effective in approximating the variable‐order TFDE in two‐dimensional irregular domains.     

Gears,pregears and related domains

We study conformal mappings from the unit disc to one-toothed gear-shaped planar domains from the point of view of the Schwarzian derivative. Gear-shaped (or “gearlike”) domains fit into a more general category of domains we call “pregears” (images of gears under Möbius transformations), which aid in the study of the conformal mappings for gears and which we also describe in detail. Such domains being bounded by arcs of circles, the Schwarzian derivative of the Riemann mapping is known to be a rational function of a specific form. One accessory parameter of these mappings is naturally related to the conformal modulus of the gear (or pregear) and we prove several qualitative results relating it to the principal remaining accessory parameter. The corresponding region of univalence (parameters for which the rational function is the Schwarzian derivative of a conformal mapping) is determined precisely.     

Large Scale Simulation with Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method

Nowadays scientific and engineering applications often require wave propagation in infinite or unbounded domains. In order to model such applications we separate our model into near-field and far-field. The near-field is represented by the well-known finite element method (FEM), whereas the far-field is mapped by a scaled boundary finite element (SBFE) approach. This latter approach allows wave propagation in infinite domains and suppresses the reflection of waves at the boundary, thus being a suitable method to model wave propagation to infinity. It is non-local in time and space. From a computational point of view, those characteristics are a drawback because they lead to storage consuming calculations with high computational time-effort. The non-locality in space causes fully populated unit-impulse acceleration influence matrices for each time step, leading to immense storage consumption for problems with a large number of degrees of freedom. Additionally, a different influence matrix has to be assembled for each time step which yields unacceptable storage requirements for long simulation times. For long slender domains, where many nodes are rather far from each other and where the influence of the degrees of freedom of those distant nodes is neglectable, substructuring represents an efficient method to reduce storage requirements and computational effort. The presented simulation with substructuring still yields satisfactory results. (© 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

TOPSIS for bi-level MODM problems

TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution) is a multiple criteria method to identify solutions from a finite set of alternatives based upon simultaneous minimization of distance from an ideal point and maximization of distance from a nadir point. This paper proposes a fuzzy TOPSIS algorithm to solve bi-level multi-objective decision-making (BL-MODM) problems, and in which the objective function at each level are non-linear functions which are to be maximized. The proposed model for getting the satisfactory solution of the BL-MODM problems includes the membership functions for the upper level decision variables vector with possible tolerances, the membership function of the distance function from the positive ideal solution (PIS) and the membership function of the distance function from the negative ideal solution (NIS). A numerical illustrative example is given to clarify the proposed TOPSIS approach of this paper.     

Boundedness of the gradient of a solution and Wiener test of order one for the biharmonic equation

The behavior of solutions to the biharmonic equation is well-understood in smooth domains. In the past two decades substantial progress has also been made for the polyhedral domains and domains with Lipschitz boundaries. However, very little is known about higher order elliptic equations in the general setting. In this paper we introduce new integral identities that allow to investigate the solutions to the biharmonic equation in an arbitrary domain. We establish: (1) boundedness of the gradient of a solution in any three-dimensional domain; (2) pointwise estimates on the derivatives of the biharmonic Green function; (3) Wiener-type necessary and sufficient conditions for continuity of the gradient of a solution. Mathematics Subject Classification (2000)  35J40, 35J30, 35B65     

域外奇源分布法场点解的唯一性

应用奇源解的核函数沿距离递减的条件和积分不等式,可证这类奇源在凸域外分布只要满足以它产生的响应来表达的边界条件时,所引起相应的域内场点解是唯一的。文中给出这类奇源的部分例子,如Kelvin的点力,点圆力偶(PRC)等。并给出PRC分布解回转体扭转问题的场点解的唯一性证明作为应用例。     

Topology optimization based on the first optimization steps strain energy analysis.

The paper presents the algorithm for obtaining “the near optimal” topology very fast, based on the first optimization steps strain energy analysis. The objective function is the compliance of the structure. It is equal to the strain energy and it is minimized under the body mass constraints. Because the material density is proportional to the strain energy accumulated in discrete material point, the identification of more and less effort domains especially for the first optimization steps let analyse the structure from the topology point of view. This identification is the base of relative faster finding out material domains and void domains within the design domain which leads to the topology, which is very similar to the optimal topology even from the strain energy level point of view. (© 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On singular solutions of the initial boundary value problem for the Stokes system in a power cusp domain

The initial boundary value problem for the non-steady Stokes system is considered in bounded domains with the boundary having a peak-type singularity (power cusp singularity). The case of the boundary value with a nonzero time-dependent flow rate is studied. The formal asymptotic expansion of the solution near the singular point is constructed. This expansion contains both the outer asymptotic expansion and the boundary-layer-in-time corrector with the ‘fast time’ variable depending on the distance to the cusp point. The solution of the problem is constructed as the sum of the asymptotic expansion and the term with finite energy.     

Development of the direct Lyapunov method for functional-differential equations with infinite delay

We propose new sufficient conditions for the uniform asymptotic stability of the zero solution of a retarded functional-differential equation with unbounded (infinite) delay. The equation can be nonlinear and nonautonomous. The conditions are formulated in terms of Razumikhin-type functions, and in this case, a function is coupled with a functional related to this function by a certain dependence. In the results presented here, because of additional restrictions imposed on the right-hand side of the equation and the use of the limiting equation techniques, the classical requirements stating that the function and its derivative must be of fixed sign along the solution are weakened to the requirements that the function and its derivative must be of constant signs.     

Saddle points for vector valued functions: existence, necessary and sufficient theorems

Necessary and sufficient conditions for a point to be a weak saddle point of a vector valued function (i.e. to be a solution of the vector saddle point problem) are given. Also, an existence result for a vector saddle point to have a solution is given.     

考虑路径冲突的AGV配置与调度优化

合理调度有限的码头资源以满足船舶的装卸时间要求是自动化集装箱码头的重要目标之一。针对自动化集装箱码头自动导引车(automated guided vehicle,AGV)配置与调度问题,考虑船舶装卸时间要求和AGV运输过程中的路径冲突,提出分阶段调度策略。将船舶装卸作业分为卸船阶段、装卸同步阶段、装船阶段三个阶段,在每个阶段中,建立以最小化最大完工时间和最小化AGV空载和等待时间为双目标的调度优化模型,并设计基于NSGA-Ⅱ的启发式算法求解。根据本阶段的实际完工时间,从最优解集中选择下一阶段AGV的配置与调度方案。最后对比其他调度方案表明本文调度方案能够满足集装箱船的装卸时间要求,且提高了AGV的利用率,更符合码头实际作业要求。     

Least energy solutions of the generalized Hénon equation in reflectionally symmetric or point symmetric domains

We study the generalized Hénon equation in reflectionally symmetric or point symmetric domains and prove that a least energy solution is neither reflectionally symmetric nor even. Moreover, we prove the existence of a positive solution with prescribed exact symmetry.     

Solving Rectilinear Planar Location Problems with Barriers by a Polynomial Partitioning

This paper considers planar location problems with rectilinear distance and barriers where the objective function is any convex, nondecreasing function of distance. Such problems have a non-convex feasible region and a nonconvex objective function. Based on an equivalent problem with modified barriers, derived in a companion paper [3], the non convex feasible set is partitioned into a network and rectangular cells. The rectangular cells are further partitioned into a polynomial number of convex subcells, called convex domains, on which the distance function, and hence the objective function, is convex. Then the problem is solved over the network and convex domains for an optimal solution. Bounds are given that reduce the number of convex domains to be examined. The number of convex domains is bounded above by a polynomial in the size of the problem.     

Attractor properties of physical branches of the solution to the renormalization group equation

We investigate the global phase-portrait structure of a local version of the exact renormalization group (RG) equation for a fluctuating scalar field of the order parameter. All the physical branches of the RG equation solution for the fixed points belong to the attractor subspace to which the local density of the Ginzburg-Landau-Wilson functional is attracted for largely arbitrary initial configurations. The solution of the RG equation corresponding to the nontrivial fixed point determining the critical behavior under the second-order phase transition is a fixed saddle point of this attractor subspace separating the attraction domains of two stable solutions corresponding to the high- and low-temperature thermodynamic regimes. Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Matematicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 117, No. 3, pp. 397–410, December, 1998.     

On singular solutions of time-periodic and steady Stokes problems in a power cusp domain

The time-periodic and steady Stokes problems with the boundary value having a nonzero flux are considered in the power cusp domains. The asymptotic expansion near the singularity point is constructed in order to reduce the problem to the case where the energy solution exists. The solution of the problem is found then as the sum of the asymptotic expansion and the term with finite dissipation of energy.     

Multiple goal non-cooperative conflicts under uncertainty: A fuzzy set approach

This paper investigates strategy selection for a participant in a two-party non-cooperative conflict which involves both uncertainty and multiple goals. Uncertainty arises from the players not knowing the utility functions. Multiple objectives appear as the result of the payoff being a vector of prizes and the players attempt to attain various goals for each prize separately. The main objective is to present a fuzzy set/fuzzy programming solution concept to the conflict situation. In doing so, we compare a Bayesian player to one that employs fuzzy set techniques. We point out some of the advantages of the fuzzy set method. The necessary computations in the fuzzy set method are explained in detail through an example.     

On output functionals of boundary value problems on stochastic domains

We consider the computation of output functionals of random solutions to elliptic boundary value problems in domains with random boundary perturbations. We use a second‐order shape calculus to linearize the problem around a fixed nominal domain. For known mean and two‐point correlation function of the boundary perturbation, we derive, with leading order, deterministic expressions for the mean and the variance of the random output functional. These expressions include the solution of the boundary value problem on the nominal domain and a further, deterministic solution of the so‐called adjoint equation. The theoretical findings are supported and quantified by numerical experiments. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Diffraction of Plane Waves on Bodies of Different Types

The problem on the diffraction of plane waves on compact domains and on an arbitrary cone is considered. The method of moving a point source to infinity for the solution of such diffraction problems is justified. Bibliography: 4 titles.