Coupled intervals in the discrete calculus of variations: necessity and sufficiency

In this work we study nonnegativity and positivity of a discrete quadratic functional with separately varying endpoints. We introduce a notion of an interval coupled with 0, and hence, extend the notion of conjugate interval to 0 from the case of fixed to variable endpoint(s). We show that the nonnegativity of the discrete quadratic functional is equivalent to each of the following conditions: The nonexistence of intervals coupled with 0, the existence of a solution to Riccati matrix equation and its boundary conditions. Natural strengthening of each of these conditions yields a characterization of the positivity of the discrete quadratic functional. Since the quadratic functional under consideration could be a second variation of a discrete calculus of variations problem with varying endpoints, we apply our results to obtain necessary and sufficient optimality conditions for such problems. This paper generalizes our recent work in [R. Hilscher, V. Zeidan, Comput. Math. Appl., to appear], where the right endpoint is fixed.     

方程w"-w+f(t,w)=O的Dirichlet边值问题的正解存在性与多解性

考察了下列常微分方程的Dirichlet边值问题的正解[w″(t)-w(t) f(t,w(t))=0,0≤t≤1 w(0)=w(1)=0建立了n正解的存在性，其中n是一个任意的自然数。     

Metastability in the Potts model on the Cayley tree

Metastability in the ferromagneticp-state Potts model defined on the Cayley tree is discussed. It is shown that the sign of the boundary fieldH _s determines the order of the transition as well as the stability of the low-temperature phase. Lowering the temperature withH _s >0, a system withp<2 (p>2) will display a second (first)-order transition to a metastable (stable) phase. ForH _s >0 a second (first)-order transition to a metastable (stable) phase occurs ifp>2 (p<2). In this case the system also has a residual entropy which is negative forp<2.     

Convexity of Domains of Riemannian Manifolds

In this paper the problem of the geodesic connectedness and convexity ofincomplete Riemannian manifolds is analyzed. To this aim, a detailedstudy of the notion of convexity for the associated Cauchy boundary iscarried out. In particular, under widely discussed hypotheses,we prove the convexity of open domains (whose boundaries may benondifferentiable) of a complete Riemannian manifold. Variationalmethods are mainly used. Examples and applications are provided,including a result for dynamical systems on the existence oftrajectories with fixed energy.     

Generalized quasilinearization method for reaction-diffusion equations under nonlinear and nonlocal flux conditions

In this paper we consider an initial boundary value problem for a reaction-diffusion equation under nonlinear and nonlocal Robin type boundary condition. Assuming the existence of an ordered pair of upper and lower solutions we establish a generalized quasilinearization method for the problem under consideration whose characteristic feature consists in the construction of monotone sequences converging to the unique solution within the interval of upper and lower solutions, and whose convergence rate is quadratic. Thus this method provides an efficient iteration technique that produces not only improved approximations due to the monotonicity of its iterates, but yields also a measure of the convergence rate.     

非线性奇异边值问题的正解

利用锥映射的不动点指数定量，研究了一类非线性奇异边值问题多个正解的存在性问题。在构造的解的存在条件之下，证明了奇异边值问题至少有两个正解的存在性定理。     

A Modified Quasi-Newton Method for Structured Optimization with Partial Information on the Hessian

This paper develops a modified quasi-Newton method for structured unconstrained optimization with partial information on the Hessian, based on a better approximation to the Hessian in current search direction. The new approximation is decided by both function values and gradients at the last two iterations unlike the original one which only uses the gradients at the last two iterations. The modified method owns local and superlinear convergence. Numerical experiments show that the proposed method is encouraging comparing with the methods proposed in [4] for structured unconstrained optimization Presented at the 6th International Conference on Optimization: Techniques and Applications, Ballarat, Australia, December 9–11, 2004     

Acoustic reflection from a baffled elastic/piezoelectric plate

A finite difference/boundary integral procedure to determine the acoustic reflected pressure from a fluid-loaded bi-laminated plate is described. The bi-laminate is composed of a piezoelectric layer and an elastic layer in contact with the fluid, and is held by an acoustically hard baffle. In the numerical model, the fluid pressure at fluid/solid interface is replaced by a continuum of point sources weighted by the normal acceleration of the elastic plate, and the governing equation system is solved in the solid domain. With the normal acceleration found, the reflected pressure in the fluid is determined by an integral expression involving the Green's function. It is demonstrated that an appropriate applied voltage potential across the piezoelectric layer has the effect of cancelling either the reflected or scattered pressure of the plate at any chosen field points in the fluid. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 10172039).     

Numerical solution of the three‐dimensional parabolic equation with an integral condition

Developement of numerical methods for obtaining approximate solutions to the three dimensional diffusion equation with an integral condition will be carried out. The numerical techniques discussed are based on the fully explicit (1,7) finite difference technique and the fully implicit (7,1) finite difference method and the (7,7) Crank‐Nicolson type finite difference formula. The new developed methods are tested on a problem. Truncation error analysis and numerical examples are used to illustrate the accuracy of the new algorithms. The results of numerical testing show that the numerical methods based on the finite difference techniques discussed in the present article produce good results. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 18: 193–202, 2002; DOI 10.1002/num.1040     

Co-Segregation Effects on Boundary Migration

We analyze the effect of co-segregation on the mobility of grain boundaries within the framework of the impurity drag theory originally proposed by Cahn and Lücke and Stüwe for an ideal solution. The new derivation extends this model to the case where there are two types of impurities (or three components in the alloy). Since the resultant expression for the boundary mobility is complicated, numerical solutions were obtained for several cases to show how co-segregation affects the boundary mobility. Depending on the relative diffusivities of the two impurities which are both attracted to the boundary, the mobility may either increase or decrease with increasing concentration of one of the impurities. When one of the impurities is attracted to the boundary and the other repelled from the boundary, increasing the concentration of the attractive impurity can lead to a sharp decrease in the boundary mobility.