On farthest points of sets

For a convex closed bounded set in a Banach space, we study the existence and uniqueness problem for a point of this set that is the farthest point from a given point in space. In terms of the existence and uniqueness of the farthest point, as well as the Lipschitzian dependence of this point on a point in space, we obtain necessary and su.cient conditions for the strong convexity of a set in several infinite-dimensional spaces, in particular, in a Hilbert space. A set representable as the intersection of closed balls of a fixed radius is called a strongly convex set. We show that the condition “for each point in space that is sufficiently far from a set, there exists a unique farthest point of the set” is a criterion for the strong convexity of a set in a finite-dimensional normed space, where the norm ball is a strongly convex set and a generating set.     

A method for analytically representing area-preserving mappings

An area-preserving mapping is considered. It is assumed that the mapping has a fixed point and is analytic in a small neighbourhood near it. A constructive algorithm for obtaining a representation of the mapping in the form of a composite of two area-preserving mappings, one of which is a nearly identity mapping, while the other corresponds to the real normal form of a linearized mapping, is described. The algorithm is used in the problem of the stability of the translational motion of a rigid body in a uniform gravitational field when it undergoes collisions with a fixed horizontal plane and in the problem of the stability of one type of resonant in-plane rotations of a satellite, i.e., a rigid body, in an elliptic orbit.     

Anisotropy of wetting and spreading

We give a survey of articles in which the anisotropy of the processes of wetting and spreading has been studied as manifested in a change in the contact angle as a function of a chosen direction within the confines of a single facet in passage from one facet of a crystal to another and also in a deviation from the axisymmetric shape of a drop lying or spreading over a planar surface of a solid body.Translated fromMatematicheskie Metody i Fiziko-Mekhanicheskie Polya, Issue 31, 1990, pp. 8–16.     

A Small-Parameter Problem from the Theory of Boundary-Value Problems with a Small Nonlinearity

We consider a system of nonlinear equations with a small (in a certain sense) nonlinearity. The existence of a solution is investigated in the presence of a perturbation parameter of small absolute value, and the perturbed solution is required to approach the original solution of the limiting linear system. The sufficient conditions are presented in geometrical and analytical forms. The problem considered in this article arises in connection with nonlinear boundary-value problems for systems of differential equations with a small (in a certain sense) nonlinearity.     

Constructing a perfect matching is in random NC

We show that the problem of constructing a perfect matching in a graph is in the complexity class Random NC; i.e., the problem is solvable in polylog time by a randomized parallel algorithm using a polynomial-bounded number of processors. We also show that several related problems lie in Random NC. These include:

1. Constructing a perfect matching of maximum weight in a graph whose edge weights are given in unary notation;
2. Constructing a maximum-cardinality matching;
3. Constructing a matching covering a set of vertices of maximum weight in a graph whose vertex weights are given in binary;
4. Constructing a maximums-t flow in a directed graph whose edge weights are given in unary.

     

Continuous conjugation of special nonisentropic one-dimensional gas motions

The exact partially invariant solution of equations of motion of a compressible fluid describing the collapse of particles to a point and an instantaneous source from the point in a one-dimensional nonisentropic motion is cut off by the characteristics and glued into a continuous solution of a one-dimensional submodel in a finite domain. The possibility of a continuous periodic nonisentropic motion of a compressible fluid in a bounded domain under the action of a piston is shown.     

Some qualitative effects in the exact solutions of the Lamé problem for large deformations

Qualitative effects in the solution of a number of radially symmetric and plane axisymmetric problems for bodies made of non-linearly elastic incompressible materials are analysed for large deformations. In the case of problems of the axisymmetric plane deformation of cylindrical bodies, the lack of uniqueness of the solution for a given follower load in the case of a Bartenev–Khazanovich material and the existence of a limiting load in the case of a Treloar (neo-Hookian) material have been studied in detail and the dependences of the limiting load on the ratio of the external and internal radii of a hollow cylinder in the undeformed state have been presented. A similar study has been carried out for constitutive relations of a special form that well describe the properties of rubber. For this material, the lack of uniqueness of the solution is revealed for fairly high loads. The axisymmetric problem of the plane stress state of a circular ring made of a Bartenev–Khazanovich material has been solved and a lack of uniqueness of the solution for a given follower load was discovered in the case when the dimensions of the ring are given in the undeformed state. Similar studies have been carried out for Chernykh and Treloar materials in the case of the problem of the radially symmetric deformation of a spherical shell. It was established that, in the case of a Chernykh material, the lack of uniqueness of the solution depends considerably on the constant characterizing the physical non-linearity. The limit case of the deformation of a spherical cavity in an infinitely extended body has been investigated. The effect of an unbounded increase in the boundary stresses is observed for finite external loads, that appears in the case of the problem of the plane axisymmetric deformation of a cylindrical cavity in an infinitely extended body made of a Bartenev–Khazanovich material and in the case of the problem of the radially symmetric deformation of an infinitely extended body made of a Chernykh material with a spherical cavity.     

Dynamic investment strategies with demand-side and cost-side risks

Investments in cost reductions are critical for the long run success of companies that operate in dynamic and stochastic market environments. This paper studies optimal investment in cost reductions as a real option under the assumption that a single firm faces two different sources of risk, stochastic demand and input prices. We derive optimal investment strategies for a monopoly as well as a firm in a perfectly competitive market and show that in case of high marginal costs, cost reductions take place earlier in competitive than in monopoly markets. While the existence of an option to invest in cost reductions increases firm value it also increases a firm’s systematic risk. Risk can be smaller in a monopolistic than in a competitive industry.     

Invariant diffusion processes under Lie group actions

We study a decomposition of a diffusion process in a manifold that is invariant under the action of a Lie group. As applications, we consider a diffusion process in a Euclidean space that is invariant under translations in a subspace, and a skew-product in a general setting.     

How to estimate the number of limit cycles in Lienard systems with a small parameter

To estimate the number of limit cycles and locate them for polynomial Lienard systems with a small parameter in the case of a perturbation of a center and in the case of the existence of relaxation limit cycles, we develop a method for constructing a modified Dulac function in the form of a series in the small parameter.     

Quantum Mechanics in Riemannian Space: Different Approaches to Quantization of the Geodesic Motion Compared

We compare different approaches to the construction of the quantum mechanics of a particle in the general Riemannian space and space–time via quantization of motion along geodesic lines. We briefly review different quantization formalisms and the difficulties arising in their application to geodesic motion in a Riemannian configuration space. We then consider canonical, semiclassical (Pauli–De Witt), and Feynman (path-integral) formalisms in more detail and compare the quantum Hamiltonians of a particle arising in these models in the case of a static, topological elementary Riemannian configuration space. This allows selecting a unique ordering rule for the coordinate and momentum operators in the canonical formalism and a unique definition of the path integral that eliminates a part of the arbitrariness involved in the construction of the quantum mechanics of a particle in the Riemannian space. We also propose a geometric explanation of another main problem in quantization, the noninvariance of the quantum Hamiltonian and the path integral under configuration space diffeomorphisms.     

Linear problems of the stability of a type of rotation of a satellite about the centre of mass

The stability in the first approximation of the rotation of a satellite about a centre of mass is investigated. In the unperturbed motion the satellite performs, in absolute space, three rotations around the normal to the orbital plane in a time equal to two periods of rotation of its centre of mass in the orbit (Mercury-type rotation). Three cases of such rotations are considered: the rotations of a dynamically symmetrical satellite and a satellite, the central ellipsoid of inertia of which is close to a sphere, in an elliptic orbit of arbitrary eccentricity, and the rotation of a satellite with three different principal central moments of inertia in a circular orbit.     

Optimal models for a multi-stage supply chain system controlled by kanban under just-in-time philosophy

This research studies a multi-stage supply chain system that operates under a JIT (just-in-time) delivery policy. Kanbans play an important role in the information and material flows in a supply chain system. Thus, a kanban mechanism is employed to assist in linking different production processes in a supply chain system to implement the scope of JIT philosophy. For a multi-stage supply chain system, a mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem is formulated from the perspective of JIT delivery policy where a kanban may reflect to a transporter such as a truck or a fork-lifter. The number of kanbans, the batch size, the number of batches and the total quantity over one period are determined optimally. It is solved optimally by branch and bound method. A greedy heuristic to avoid the large computational time in branch-and-bound algorithm is developed for solving a large MINLP. Coupled with plant-wide efforts for cost control and management commitment, a logistic system for controlling the production as well as the supply chain is built, which results in minimizing the total cost of the supply chain system. The results show that the improvements in reduction of inventory, wasted labor and customer service in a supply chain are significantly accomplished through the kanban mechanism.     

Algorithms for the design of network topologies with balanced disjoint rings

We define the Balanced Disjoint Rings (BDR) problem as developing a method to partition of the nodes in a network to form a given number of disjoint rings of minimum total link length in such a way that there is almost the same number of nodes in each ring. The BDR problem has potential applications in the design of survivable network structures in telecommunications as well as in the identification of local distribution/collection routes in logistics. The BDR problem can also be considered a generalization of the traveling salesman problem since we are interested in multiple tours instead of a single tour. We develop an efficient heuristic solution methodology that involves various GRASP-based randomized solution construction routines that allow a multi-start framework and a n effective combination of cyclic-exchange and single-move neighborhoods in a local search improvement procedure. The algorithms perform very well in our numerical studies, providing encouraging optimality and lower bound gaps with very reasonable runtimes.     

Effect of initial conditions on the dispersion dynamics of a diffusing substance

This work continues the studies on the diffusion of a substance over a water surface, in particular, the effect of nonuniformity in the initial distribution of a substance on the dynamic characteristics of a pollution spot has been investigated. A pollution spot is understood to mean a water surface area in which the concentration of a diffusing substance is higher than a specified threshold value. The analytical solutions of boundary-value problems have been found by the Fourier method in special functions for the equation of diffusion in unlimited areas. Asymptotic and numerical methods are used for their analysis. It has been concluded that the initial distribution of a polluting substance over the surface has a slight effect not only on the lifetime of a pollution spot but also on its maximum radius at the same volume of pollution. The maximum size of a pollution spot and the time moment at which this size is attained have been found in the case of a uniform substance distribution.     

Self-similar time-varying flows of an ideal gas with a change in the adiabatic exponent in a “reflected” shock wave

Self-similar one-dimensional time-varying problems are considered under the assumption that there is a change in the adiabatic exponent in a shock wave (SW) running (“reflected”) from a centre or axis of symmetry (later from a centre of symmetry, CS) or from a plane. The medium is an ideal (inviscid and non-heat-conducting) perfect gas with constant heat capacities. In problems with strong SW, the change in the adiabatic exponent in a gas approximately simulates physicochemical processes such as dissociation and ionization and, in the problem of the collapse of a spherical cavity in a liquid, the conversion of liquid into vapour. In both cases, the adiabatic exponent decreases on passing across a reflected SW. Problems of the collapse of a spherical cavity, the reflection of a strong SW from a centre of symmetry and a simpler problem with a self-similarity index of one are examined. When it is assumed that there is an increase in the adiabatic exponent, the self-similar solutions of the first two problems are rejected due to the decrease in entropy from the instant when the SW is reflected. When it is assumed that there is a decrease in the adiabatic exponent, the solutions of these problems only become unsuitable after a finite time has elapsed for the same reason. Up to this time when the decrease in the adiabatic exponent has not reached a certain threshold, the structure of the self-similar solution does not undergo qualitative changes. When the above-mentioned threshold is exceeded, a self-similar solution is possible if a cylindrical or spherical piston expands according to a special law from the instant of SW reflection from the CS. When there is no piston, the flow behind the reflected wave becomes non-self- similar. In the case of the deceleration of a plane flow, conditions are possible with the joining of SW from different sides to a centred rarefaction wave.     

Modeling the spread of fault in majority-based network systems: Dynamic monopolies in triangular grids

In a graph theoretical model of the spread of fault in distributed computing and communication networks, each element in the network is represented by a vertex of a graph where edges connect pairs of communicating elements, and each colored vertex corresponds to a faulty element at discrete time periods. Majority-based systems have been used to model the spread of fault to a certain vertex by checking for faults within a majority of its neighbors. Our focus is on irreversible majority processes wherein a vertex becomes permanently colored in a certain time period if at least half of its neighbors were in the colored state in the previous time period. We study such processes on planar, cylindrical, and toroidal triangular grid graphs. More specifically, we provide bounds for the minimum number of vertices in a dynamic monopoly defined as a set of vertices that, if initially colored, will result in the entire graph becoming colored in a finite number of time periods.     

Closed geodesics on multiply connected manifolds

The existence of a finite number of non-hyperbolic periodic trajectories in Kirchhoff's problem of the motion of a rigid body in an ideal fluid as well as in its twin problem of the motion of a rigid body with a fixed point in a force field with a quadratic potential is proved using one of Klingenberg's theorems. The dynamical system is considered on a multiply connected manifold of even dimension with a Riemann metric.     

Optimum strategies for the application of border guard detection devices

A model of the interaction between a violator of a frontier and a sentry guarding it using a certain detection device is considered. The efficiency of the device depends on the moment in time at which it is applied. The interaction between a sentry and a violator of a frontier is formally described by an antagonistic game that has no saddle point in pure strategies in cases of practical interest. The search for equilibrium in mixed strategies is reduced to a maximin problem that is solved using the equalization principle.     

On a model of quantum field theory

A model of quantum field theory in an accelerated frame of reference is considered. It was suggested by Unruh that a uniformly accelerated detector in vacuum would perceive a noise with a thermal Gibbsian distribution. However, in justifying the assertion a singular transformation was implicitly performed, and doubts were expressed by some researches. We discuss a model of quantum field theory in an accelerated frame of reference in the two-dimensional spacetime for the wave equation. By using the Mellin transform, we obtain a representation of solutions of the wave equation. The representation includes a dependence on a parameter. The Unruh field corresponds to a singular limit of the representation.