On the friction mechanism of polymers with surface-active lubricants

Questions relating to the friction mechanism of polymers with boundary lubrication are discussed. A hypothesis is proposed according to which the molecules of surface-active compounds are oriented by static electricity. A method of verifying this hypothesis is described.Mekhanika polimerov, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 128–135, 1965     

Investigation of the self-healing of cracks in polymers

The effect of the medium and the thickness of the polymer film on the self-healing of cracks in polyvinyl acetate has been investigated. The medium in which the specimen "recovers" may either facilitate or impede the self-diffusion of macromolecules and other structural units in the contact zone formed by the closing of the edges of the crack. The "recovery" coefficient decreases when healing takes place in the presence of the vapor of a surface-active agent and increases under conditions such that water molecules are desorbed from the surfaces of the crack; transition from a thick to a thin layer of polymer slows the self-healing process as a result of the reduced mobility of the kinetic units.For communication 2 see [2].Deceased.Karpov Scientific-Research Physicochemical Institute, Moscow. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 6, pp. 1110–1113, November–December, 1970.     

Rheology of Organodispersions of Alumina Nanopowders Used in Producing Articles from Engineering Ceramics

The rheological properties of molding suspensions of alumina nanopowder in paraffin have been studied. Powders with specific surface areas of 32 and 55 m²/g and the surface-active substances oleic acid and Hypermer LP1 were used. The Hamaker constant for alumina particles in paraffin wax was estimated. A rough calculation showed that a gel should arise in the suspensions studied. The linearly viscoelastic characteristics determined by the method of small-amplitude periodic shear (on the frequency range from 0.063 to 157 s⁻¹) confirmed this conclusion. The flow curves of the molding feedstock, determined over a broad range of shear rates (from 0.018 to 1070 s⁻¹), point to a pseudoplastic character of the flow. From the rheological studies it follows that, in manufacturing engineering ceramics by injection molding from the suspensions investigated and in designing or selecting the forming equipment, the realization of maximum high shear strains must be ensured, which will promote a qualitative filling of intricately shaped and small-size molds.__________Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 41, No. 3, pp. 373–390, May–June, 2005.     

Polyethylene with improved environmental stress cracking resistance

The stress cracking resistance of low-pressure polyethylene can be improved by introducing finely dispersed mineral additives (TiO₂, SiO₂, Al₂O₃ · SiO₂) and surface-active agents (anthranilic, adipic, and sebacic acids; mannitol). The amounts needed to effectively increase the cracking resistance without detriment to the principal physicomechanical and other characteristics of the material have been determined.Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 67–71, 1968Communication V of the series "Modification of the Structure and Properties of Polyolefins."     

On a Generalized Class of Minimax Inequalities

Some results on a generalized class of minimax inequalities based on the r–I–G–H-KKM mapping theorems in a G–H-space setting are presented. The r–I–G–H-KKM mappings represent a new class of KKM mappings in G–H-spaces as well as in the interval spaces.     

Interpolation of characteristic classes of singular hypersurfaces

We show that the Chern–Schwartz–MacPherson class of a hypersurface X in a nonsingular variety M ‘interpolates’ between two other notions of characteristic classes for singular varieties, provided that the singular locus of X is smooth and that certain numerical invariants of X are constant along this locus. This allows us to define a lift of the Chern–Schwartz–MacPherson class of such ‘nice’ hypersurfaces to intersection homology. As another application, the interpolation result leads to an explicit formula for the Chern–Schwartz–MacPherson class of X in terms of its polar classes.     

A Family of Semi-Regular Divisible Difference Sets

We give a construction of semi-regular divisible difference sets with parametersm = p2a(r–1)+2b (pr – 1)/(p – 1), n = pr, k = p(2a+1)(r–1)+2b (pr – 1)/(p – 1)1 = p(2a+1)(r–1)+2b (pr–1 – 1)/(p-1), 2 = p2(a+1)(r–1)–r+2b (pr – 1)/(p – 1)where p is a prime and r a + 1.     

Melting of Two-Dimensional Systems: Dependence of the Type of Transition on the Radius of the Potential

In the framework of the two-dimensional melting theory based on the density functional approach, we use a Monte Carlo computer simulation to study melting of a two-dimensional hard disk system with a rectangular-well attraction potential. We show that depending on the attraction radius, the melting can occur via a single first-order transition as well as continuously in accordance with the Kosterlitz–Thouless–Halperin–Nelson–Young theory.     

On the solution of Dirichlet’s problem of the complex Monge–Ampère equation for the Cartan–Hartogs domain of the first type

The complex Monge–Ampère equation is a nonlinear equation with high degree; therefore getting its solution is very difficult. In the present paper how to get the solution of Dirichlet’s problem of the complex Monge–Ampère equation on the Cartan–Hartogs domain of the first type is discussed, using an analytic method. Firstly, the complex Monge–Ampère equation is reduced to a nonlinear ordinary differential equation, then the solution of Dirichlet’s problem of the complex Monge–Ampère equation is reduced to the solution of a two-point boundary value problem for a nonlinear second-order ordinary differential equation. Secondly, the solution of Dirichlet’s problem is given as a semi-explicit formula, and in a special case the exact solution is obtained. These results may be helpful for a numerical method approach to Dirichlet’s problem of the complex Monge–Ampère equation on the Cartan–Hartogs domain of the first type.     

A study of turbulent flow of solutions of a polymer and a surface-active substance

We give the results of laser doppler anemometer measurements of the velocity profiles and mean-square values of the longitudinal velocity pulses in the flow of solutions of a polymer (polyacrylamides) or a surface-active substance (undustrial “metaupon” paste) that lower hydrodynamic frictional resistance and mixtures of such substances. It is shown that a solution of a mixture has a significantly greater effect on the turbulence of the flow than the polymers or surface-active substances do individually. Two figures. Bibliography: 2 titles. Translated fromTeoreticheskaya i Prikladnaya Mekhanika, No. 28, 1998, pp. 142–146.     

Optimal investment and reinsurance of an insurer with model uncertainty

We introduce a novel approach to optimal investment–reinsurance problems of an insurance company facing model uncertainty via a game theoretic approach. The insurance company invests in a capital market index whose dynamics follow a geometric Brownian motion. The risk process of the company is governed by either a compound Poisson process or its diffusion approximation. The company can also transfer a certain proportion of the insurance risk to a reinsurance company by purchasing reinsurance. The optimal investment–reinsurance problems with model uncertainty are formulated as two-player, zero-sum, stochastic differential games between the insurance company and the market. We provide verification theorems for the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman–Isaacs (HJBI) solutions to the optimal investment–reinsurance problems and derive closed-form solutions to the problems.     

Dynamic Robust Output Min–Max Control for Discrete Uncertain Systems

Min–max control is a robust control, which guarantees stability in the presence of matched uncertainties. The basic min–max control is a static state feedback law. Recently, the applicability conditions of discrete static min–max control through the output have been derived. In this paper, the results for output static min–max control are further extended to a class of output dynamic min–max controllers, and a general parametrization of all such controllers is derived. The dynamic output min–max control is shown to exist in many circumstances under which the output static min–max control does not exist, and usually allows for broader bounds on uncertainties. Another family of robust output min–max controllers, constructed from an asymptotic observer which is insensitive to uncertainties and a state min–max control, is derived. The latter is shown to be a particular case of the dynamic min–max control when the nominal system has no zeros at the origin. In the case where the insensitive observer exists, it is shown that the observer-controller has the same stability properties as those of the full state feedback min–max control.     

Complexity of the min–max (regret) versions of min cut problems

This paper investigates the complexity of the min–max and min–max regret versions of the min s–t cut and min cut problems. Even if the underlying problems are closely related and both polynomial, the complexities of their min–max and min–max regret versions, for a constant number of scenarios, are quite contrasted since they are respectively strongly NP-hard and polynomial. However, for a non-constant number of scenarios, these versions become strongly NP-hard for both problems. In the interval scenario case, min–max versions are trivially polynomial. Moreover, for min–max regret versions, we obtain the same contrasted results as for a constant number of scenarios: min–max regret min s–t cut is strongly NP-hard whereas min–max regret min cut is polynomial.     

Studying Baskakov–Durrmeyer operators and quasi-interpolants via special functions

We prove that the kernels of the Baskakov–Durrmeyer and the Szász–Mirakjan–Durrmeyer operators are completely monotonic functions. We establish a Bernstein type inequality for these operators and apply the results to the quasi-interpolants recently introduced by Abel. For the Baskakov–Durrmeyer quasi-interpolants, we give a representation as linear combinations of the original Baskakov–Durrmeyer operators and prove an estimate of Jackson–Favard type and a direct theorem in terms of an appropriate K-functional.     

An Expansion Formula for the Askey–Wilson Function

The Askey–Wilson function transform is a q-analogue of the Jacobi function transform with kernel given by an explicit non-polynomial eigenfunction of the Askey–Wilson second order q-difference operator. The kernel is called the Askey–Wilson function. In this paper an explicit expansion formula for the Askey–Wilson function in terms of Askey–Wilson polynomials is proven. With this expansion formula at hand, the image under the Askey–Wilson function transform of an Askey–Wilson polynomial multiplied by an analogue of the Gaussian is computed explicitly. As a special case of these formulas a q-analogue (in one variable) of the Macdonald–Mehta integral is obtained, for which also two alternative, direct proofs are presented.     

Mass-spectrometric investigation of solid lubricating coatings subjected to friction in a deep vacuum

The life of solid lubricating coatings of the VNII NP type, based on molybdenum disulfides and various binders, has been experimentally investigated under deep vacuum conditions (10^–8–5 · 10^–9 torr) together with the composition of the gas released in the friction process. It is shown that both under atmospheric conditions and in a deep vacuum the life of the coatings depends on the chemical nature of the film-former. The depth of the vacuum also has an important influence on the life of the coatings, both the mechanism and the end result of this effect depending to a large extent on the physicochemical properties of the bind. On the interval 10^–1–10^–2 torr there is a sudden change in the life of the coating.Physicotechnical Institute of Low Temperatures, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Khar'kov. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 6, pp. 1070–1075, November–December, 1970.     

On the existence of certain cyclic difference families and difference matrices

A theorem is proved to the effect that if there exists a BIB-schema with parameters (p^m–1,k, k–1), where k¦(p^m–1), p is prime, and m is a natural number, then there exists a BIB-schema (p^mn–1),k, k–1). A consequence is the existnece of a cyclic BIB-schema (p^mn–1, p^m–1, p^m–2) (p^m–1 is prime) that specifies each ordered pair of difference elements at any distance = 1, 2, ..., p^m–2 (cyclically) precisely once. Recursive theorems on the existence of difference matrices and (v, k, k)-difference families in the group Z_v of residue classes mod v are proved, along with a theorem on difference families in an additive abelian group.Translated from Matematicheskie Zametki, Vol. 52, No. 1, pp. 114–119, July, 1992.     

On Ginzburg's Bivariant Chern Classes, II

For a morphism whose target variety is nonsingular, the Chern–Schwartz–MacPherson class homomorphism followed by capping with the pullback of the Segre class of the target variety is called the Ginzburg–Chern class. In this paper, using the Verdier–Riemann–Roch for Chern Class, we show that the correspondence assigning to a bivariant constructible function on any morphism with nonsingular target variety the Ginzburg–Chern class of it is the unique Grothendieck transformation satisfying the 'normalization condition' that for morphisms to a point it becomes the Chern–Schwartz–MacPherson class homomorphism, except for that the bivariant homology pullback is considered only for a smooth morphism.     

Genericity of Well-Posedness, Perturbations and Smooth Variational Principles

We show that three important topics in nonlinear analysis and optimization are intimately related: the theory of perturbations, the notion of well-posedness and variational principles in the sense of Ekeland, Borwein–Preiss and Deville–Godefroy–Zizler. The concept of genericity and the new notion of flexible perturbation play a key role in these connections. This notion enables one to consider topologies on spaces of functions which have been introduced recently. A link between the Asplund and Ekeland–Lebourg methods and the Palais–Smale condition, another important topic in nonlinear analysis, is pointed out.     

On the growth of entire solutions of algebraic differential equations

This is the opening memorial plenary lecture on memorial meeting in honor of Professor Shlomo Strelitz on Conference of Differential Equations and Complex Analysis, University of Haifa, Israel, December 2000. Shlomo Strelitz: 7.1.1923–27.9.1999, teached at Vilnius University 1946–1973, professor 1967–1973.__________Published in Lietuvos Matematikos Rinkinys, Vol. 45, No. 1, pp. 57–63, January–March, 2005.