Exact multiplicity results for variational inequalities involving pointwise constraints on the derivatives

This paper concerns a class of nonlinear variational problems involving pointwise constraints on the second derivatives. Our aim is to describe the set of data for which these problems have solutions and to analyse the structure of the set of solutions under suitable assumptions on the asymptotic behaviour of the nonlinear term. In particular, if this term is assumed to be convex, then we can specify the number of solutions and obtain exact multiplicity results.The existence, nonexistence and multiplicity results we obtain show that the presence of constraints of this kind produces some phenomena which are typical of nonlinear elliptic equations with “jumping” nonlinearities.     

Microwave heating of carbon-coated ceramic fibres: A mathematical model

The microwave heating of a thinly carbon-coated ceramic fibreis modelled and analysed in the small Biot number regime. Theelectric field is assumed known and uniform throughout the cross-section,and constant along the axis of the cylinder. The mathematicalmodel consists of a nonlinear heat equation with an idealizedsource term that models the thin carbon coating and simplifiedreaction kinetics. The analysis yields an asymptotic approximationof the heating process on two time scales. The first capturesthe initial heating of the carbon coating and the ceramic, andthe carbon reaction, while the second determines the long timebehaviour of the sample. The results show a qualitative relationshipbetween the coating thickness and the final temperature of thefibre. If the coating thickness is not uniform along the fibreaxis, then the model explains the mechanism for the formationand propagation of hot-spots.     

Upscaling in nonlinear thermal diffusion problems

The aim of this paper is to study the homogenization of a nonlinear problem arising in the modelling of thermal diffusion in a two-component composite. We consider, at the microscale, a periodic structure formed by two materials with different thermal properties. We assume that we have nonlinear sources and that at the interface between our two materials the flux is continuous and depends in a nonlinear way on the jump of the temperature field. We shall be interested in describing the asymptotic behavior, as the small parameter which characterizes the sizes of our two regions tends to zero, of the temperature field in the periodic composite. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The Generic Stability and Existence of Essentially Connected Components of Solutions for Nonlinear Complementarity Problems

The aim of this paper is to develop the general generic stability theory for nonlinear complementarity problems in the setting of infinite dimensional Banach spaces. We first show that each nonlinear complementarity problem can be approximated arbitrarily by a nonlinear complementarity problem which is stable in the sense that the small change of the objective function results in the small change of its solution set; and thus we say that almost all complementarity problems are stable from viewpoint of Baire category. Secondly, we show that each nonlinear complementarity problem has, at least, one connected component of its solutions which is stable, though in general its solution set may not have good behaviour (i.e., not stable). Our results show that if a complementarity problem has only one connected solution set, it is then always stable without the assumption that the functions are either Lipschitz or differentiable.     

Asymptotic bifurcation points, and global bifurcation of nonlinear operators and its applications

Using the cone theory and lattice structure, we discuss the existence of asymptotic bifurcation points and the global bifurcation of nonlinear operators which are not assumed to be cone mappings and may not be Frechet differentiable at points at infinity. As an application, the structure of the set of solutions of the superlinear Sturm-Liouville problems is investigated.     

A hard ferromagnetic and elastic beam-plate sandwich structure

In this paper, the deformation of a composite hard ferromagnetic-elastic beam-plate structure is investigated. A sandwich structure, composed of two thin hard ferromagnetic layers, with a linear elastic layer in between, is considered. The deformation is due to the self generated magnetic field (magnetostriction). The aim is to assess the interaction forces among the perfectly bonded layers, through a consistent application of the classical nonlinear magneto-elastic theory. Once the general mechanical model is stated, the analysis is specialized to study longitudinal elongation, given its great relevance in technical applications. Owing to the non-local character of the magnetic action, a nonlinear integro-differential equation is derived. Some qualitative properties of the solution are pointed out and the asymptotic behavior near the end sections is examined in detail. A finite differences approach allows writing an approximating nonlinear system of equations in the non asymptotic part of the solution, which is solved through a Newton’s iterative scheme. The numerical results are discussed and it is shown how the asymptotic part of the solution well approximates the full behavior of the structure. Furthermore, the longitudinal interaction force density is found to be singular at the end cross-sections, regardless of the assumed bonding type.     

Nonlinear geometric optics for contact discontinuities and shock waves in one-dimensional Euler system for gas dynamics

The aim of this paper is to study the rigorous theory of nonlinear geometric optics for a contact discontinuity and a shock wave to the Euler system for one-dimensional gas dynamics. For the problem of a contact discontinuity and a shock wave perturbed by a small amplitude, high frequency oscillatory wave train, under suitable stability assumptions, we obtain that the perturbed problem has still a shock wave and a contact discontinuity, and we give their asymptotic expansions.     

A hard ferromagnetic and elastic beam-plate sandwich structure

In this paper, the deformation of a composite hard ferromagnetic-elastic beam-plate structure is investigated. A sandwich structure, composed of two thin hard ferromagnetic layers, with a linear elastic layer in between, is considered. The deformation is due to the self generated magnetic field (magnetostriction). The aim is to assess the interaction forces among the perfectly bonded layers, through a consistent application of the classical nonlinear magneto-elastic theory. Once the general mechanical model is stated, the analysis is specialized to study longitudinal elongation, given its great relevance in technical applications. Owing to the non-local character of the magnetic action, a nonlinear integro-differential equation is derived. Some qualitative properties of the solution are pointed out and the asymptotic behavior near the end sections is examined in detail. A finite differences approach allows writing an approximating nonlinear system of equations in the non asymptotic part of the solution, which is solved through a Newton’s iterative scheme. The numerical results are discussed and it is shown how the asymptotic part of the solution well approximates the full behavior of the structure. Furthermore, the longitudinal interaction force density is found to be singular at the end cross-sections, regardless of the assumed bonding type.     

Efficient determination of higher-order periodic solutions using n-mode harmonic balance

This paper presents a systematic procedure to explicitly determinethe algebraic equations arising from the method of harmonicbalance with an arbitrary number of modes in the assumed solutions.The technique can be used for a wide variety of nonlinear oscillators(including systems of ordinary differential equations). Themethod is illustrated in the case of second-order differentialequations with nonlinear restoring force. Although numericalmethods have been employed to solve the resulting systems ofalgebraic equations, the general approach is analytic. As such,this study confirms independently (i.e. nonsimulation) the period-doublingcascade of an escape equation including the bifurcation universalscaling laws.     

Asymptotic behavior for solutions of a one-dimensional parabolic equation with homogeneous Neumann boundary conditions

We investigate a nonlinear autonomous parabolic partial differential equation in one space variable subject to Neumann boundary conditions on a compact interval. The object of our study is to determine the asymptotic behavior of solutions. Our methods are borrowed from the Liapunov theory of stability for dynamical systems. We give conditions under which a solution has a nonempty ω-limit set. We show that any such ω-limit set consists solely of equilibrium solutions. We render criteria for asymptotic stability and for instability of an equilibrium solution. We examine the possibility of escape behavior.     

Boundary-value problems of the asymmetric theory of elasticity for thin plates

Boundary-value problems of the three-dimensional asymmetric micropolar, moment theory of elasticity with free rotation are considered for thin plates. It is assumed that the total stress-strain state is the sum of the internal stress-strain state and the boundary layers, which are determined in an approximation using asymptotic analysis. Three different asymptotic forms are constructed for the three-dimensional boundary-value problem posed, depending on the values of dimensionless physical constants of the plate material. The initial approximation for the first asymptotic form leads to a theory of micropolar plates with free rotation, the initial approximation for the second asymptotic form leads to a theory of micropolar plates with constrained rotation, and the initial approximation for the third asymptotic form leads to a theory of micropolar plates with “small shear stiffness.” The corresponding micropolar boundary layers are constructed and studied. The regions of applicability of each of the theories of micropolar plates constructed are indicated.     

Numerical convergence properties of option pricing PDEs with uncertain volatility

The pricing equations derived from uncertain volatility modelsin finance are often cast in the form of nonlinear partial differentialequations. Implicit timestepping leads to a set of nonlinearalgebraic equations which must be solved at each timestep. Tosolve these equations, an iterative approach is employed. Inthis paper, we prove the convergence of a particular iterativescheme for one factor uncertain volatility models. We also demonstratehow non-monotone discretization schemes (such as standard Crank–Nicolsontimestepping) can converge to incorrect solutions, or lead toinstability. Numerical examples are provided.     

Static and dynamic stability modeling of a capacitive FGM micro-beam in presence of temperature changes

Stability of a functionally graded (FG) micro-beam, based on modified couple stress theory (MCST), subjected to nonlinear electrostatic pressure and thermal changes regarding convection and radiation, is the main purpose of this paper. It is assumed that the functionally graded beam, made of metal and ceramic, follows the volume fraction definition and law of mixtures, and its properties change as an exponential function through its thickness. By changing the ceramic constituent percent of the bottom surface, five different types of the micro-beams are investigated. The static pull-in voltages in presence of temperature changes are obtained by using step-by-step linearization method (SSLM) and, by adapting Runge–Kutta approach, the dynamic pull-in voltages are obtained numerically. Though the temperature distribution through the thickness of FG micro-beam (due to its too small measurement) is considered uniform, owing to the different thermal expansions of layers, temperature changes cause deflection in the micro-beam, and consequently affect pull-in values. Hence the profound effects of different material constituent over the pull-in voltages are illustrated and it is graphically displayed that how in some cases neglecting components of the couple stress leads to inaccurate results.     

The indentation of a punch in the form of an elliptic paraboloid into the plane boundary of an elastic body

The three-dimensional contact problem for an elastic body of arbitrary geometry with a single plane face, into which a punch in the shape of an elliptic paraboloid is indented, is considered. The curvilinear boundary of the body is partially clamped, and the remaining boundary (outside the contact region) is stress-free. It is assumed that the dimensions of the contact area are small compared with the characteristic dimension of the body. Using the method of matched asymptotic expansions a model problem of unilateral contact without friction is derived for the boundary layer, which is solved using the apparatus of Hertz's theory. Asymptotic models of the contact interaction of different degrees of accuracy are constructed, including corrections to the geometry and clamping conditions of the elastic body. The sensitivity of the parameters of the elliptic region of the contact to these factors is investigated.     

二阶椭圆和抛物型偏微分方程的非线性非局部边值问题与温控系统稳定性

本文讨论了由温度控制中提出的二阶椭圆和抛物型偏微分方程的非线性非局部边值问题.通过把问题化为变分不等方程,利用单调算子理论、凸分析和非线性发展方程理论,研究了其弱解的适定性和增长估计.证明了当反馈因(辶回)路的总增益适当小的时候,系统是全局渐近稳定的.     

Recovering unknown terms in a nonlinear boundary condition for Laplace's equation

^** Email: gabriele{at}fi.iac.cnr.it We consider a thin metallic plate whose top side is inaccessibleand in contact with a corroding fluid. Heat exchange betweenmetal and fluid follows linear Newton's cooling law as longas the inaccessible side is not damaged. We assume that theeffects of corrosion are modelled by means of a nonlinear perturbationin the exchange law. On the other hand, we are able to heatthe conductor and take temperature maps of the accessible side.Our goal is to recover the nonlinear perturbation of the exchangelaw on the top side from thermal data collected on the oppositeone (thermal imaging). In this paper, we use a stationary model,i.e. the temperature inside the plate is assumed to fulfil Laplace'sequation. Hence, our problem is stated as an inverse ill-posedproblem for Laplace's equation with nonlinear boundary conditions.We study identifiability and local Lipschitz stability. In particular,we prove that the nonlinear term is identified by one Cauchydata set. Moreover, we produce approximated solutions by meansof an optimizational method.     

The asymptotics of the solutions of the signorini problem without friction or with small friction

We find the first few terms of the asymptotic expansion of a regular solution of the two-dimensional Signorini problem with a small coefficient of friction. As the fundamental approximation we take the solution of the limiting problem without friction. This solution is assumed to be known, and it is assumed that the region of contact consists of a finite number of arcs, on each of which one boundary condition or another is realized. We study the asymptotics of the solution of the Signorini problem without friction under small load variation. Bibliography: 12 titles.Translated fromProblemy Matematicheskogo Analiza, No. 12, 1992, pp. 82–110.     

An asymptotic theory for sample covariances of Bernoulli shifts

Covariances play a fundamental role in the theory of stationary processes and they can naturally be estimated by sample covariances. There is a well-developed asymptotic theory for sample covariances of linear processes. For nonlinear processes, however, many important problems on their asymptotic behaviors are still unanswered. The paper presents a systematic asymptotic theory for sample covariances of nonlinear time series. Our results are applied to the test of correlations.     

The contact problem for a two-layer spherical base

Analytical methods for solving problems of the interaction of punches with two-layer bases are described using in the example of the axisymmetric contact problem of the theory of elasticity of the interaction of an absolutely rigid sphere (a punch) with the inner surface of a two-layer spherical base. It is assumed that the outer surface of the spherical base is fixed, that the layers have different elastic constants and are rigidly joined to one anther, and that there are no friction forces in the contact area. Several properties of the integral equation of this problem are investigated, and schemes for solving them using the asymptotic method and the direct collocation method are devised. The asymptotic method can be used to investigate the problem for relatively small layer thicknesses, and the proposed algorithm for solving the problem by the collocation method is applicable for practically any values of the initial parameters. A calculation of the contact stress distribution, the parameters of the contact area, and the relation between the displacement of the punch and the force acting on it is given. The results obtained by these methods are compared, and a comparison with results obtained using Hertz, method is made for the case in which the relative thickness of the layers is large.     

A solution for antiplane‐strain local problems using elliptic integrals of Cauchy type

Quasi‐periodic piecewise analytic solutions, without poles, are found for the local antiplane‐strain problems. Such problems arise from applying the asymptotic homogenization method to an elastic problem in a parallel fiber‐reinforced periodic composite that presents an imperfect contact of spring type between the fiber and the matrix. Our methodology consists of rewriting the contact conditions in a complex appropriate form that allow us to use the elliptic integrals of Cauchy type. Several general conditions are assumed including that the fibers are disposed of arbitrary manner in the unit cell, that all fibers present imperfect contact with different constants of imperfection, and that their cross section is smooth closed arbitrary curves. Finally, we obtain a family of piecewise analytic solutions for the local antiplane‐strain problems that depend of a real parameter. When we vary this parameter, it is possible to improve classic bounds for the effective coefficients. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.