On a mapping of a projective space into a sphere

We obtain an exact estimate for the minimum multiplicity of a continuous finite-to-one mapping of a projective space into a sphere for all dimensions. For finite-to-one mappings of a projective space into a Euclidean space, we obtain an exact estimate for this multiplicity for n = 2, 3. For n ≥ 4, we prove that this estimate does not exceed 4. Several open questions are formulated.     

Evolution to a steady state for a rarefied gas flowing from a tank into a vacuum through a plane channel

A kinetic equation (S-model) is used to solve the nonstationary problem of a monatomic rarefied gas flowing from a tank of infinite capacity into a vacuum through a long plane channel. Initially, the gas is at rest and is separated from the vacuum by a barrier. The temperature of the channel walls is kept constant. The flow is found to evolve to a steady state. The time required for reaching a steady state is examined depending on the channel length and the degree of gas rarefaction. The kinetic equation is solved numerically by applying a conservative explicit finite-difference scheme that is firstorder accurate in time and second-order accurate in space. An approximate law is proposed for the asymptotic behavior of the solution at long times when the evolution to a steady state becomes a diffusion process.     

Asymptotics of a solution of a nonlinear system of diffusion of a magnetic field into a substance

We study the asymptotic behavior at large time of a solution to a system of nonlinear integro-differential equations which arises in mathematical modeling of diffusion of a magnetic field into a substance. We establish the corresponding stabilization rate.     

Motion of a container as a nonholonomous system in a curved section of a horizontal pipeline

The problem of the motion of a container in a curved section of a horizontal pipeline is solved using second-order Lagrange equations in the presence of nonholonous couplings. The special case of the motion of a container in a circular curve is examined.Translated from Matematicheskie Metody i Fiziko-Mekhanicheskie Polya, No. 25, pp. 90–95, 1987.     

Symmetry-based solution of a model for a combination of a risky investment and a riskless investment

Benth and Karlsen [F.E. Benth, K.H. Karlsen, A note on Merton's portfolio selection problem for the Schwartz mean-reversion model, Stoch. Anal. Appl. 23 (2005) 687-704] treated a problem of the optimisation of the selection of a portfolio based upon the Schwartz mean-reversion model. The resulting Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation in 1+2 dimensions is quite nonlinear. The solution obtained by Benth and Karlsen was very ingenious. We provide a solution of the problem based on the application of the Lie theory of continuous groups to the partial differential equation and its associated boundary and terminal conditions.     

Travelling Waves in a Nonlocal Reaction-Diffusion Equation as a Model for a Population Structured by a Space Variable and a Phenotypic Trait

We consider a nonlocal reaction-diffusion equation as a model for a population structured by a space variable and a phenotypic trait. To sustain the possibility of invasion in the case where an underlying principal eigenvalue is negative, we investigate the existence of travelling wave solutions. We identify a minimal speed c* > 0, and prove the existence of waves when c ≥ c* and the nonexistence when 0 ≤ c < c*.     

Choosing a leader on a complex network

In many real life applications a group of people interact through a communication network, mathematically modelled as a connected graph linking each element of the group. These participants may have diverse objectives and play very different roles depending on their knowledge and privileges. We focus on a particular scenario, in which a certain node is absolutely essential for completing the intended task. Moreover, if a technical failure results in disconnection of a participant to this leader node, this participant can no longer take part in the group's performance.     

Fast computation of a rational point of a variety over a finite field

We exhibit a probabilistic algorithm which computes a rational point of an absolutely irreducible variety over a finite field defined by a reduced regular sequence. Its time-space complexity is roughly quadratic in the logarithm of the cardinality of the field and a geometric invariant of the input system. This invariant, called the degree, is bounded by the Bézout number of the system. Our algorithm works for fields of any characteristic, but requires the cardinality of the field to be greater than a quantity which is roughly the fourth power of the degree of the input variety.

     

On continuation of a topology from a system of generators of a group to a topology on the group

In this paper we establish conditions under which a topology is continued from a subset of a group to a topology on the group coordinated with the group operation.     

Investigation of a nonlinear difference equation in a Banach space in a neighborhood of a quasiperiodic solution

We investigate the behavior of a diserete dynamical system in a neighborhood of a quasiperiodic trajeetory for the case of an infinite-dimensional Banach space We find conditions sufficient for the system considered to reduce, in such a neighborhood, to a system with quasiperiodic coefficients. Translated from Ukrainskii Matematicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 49, No. 12, pp. 1661–1676, December, 1997.     

The rolling of a wheel with a pneumatic tyre on a planet

A model of a pneumatic tyre as a system with an infinite number of degrees of freedom is proposed, when its surface is represented by the deformed surface of a torus. Using a number of hypotheses a functional of the potential energy of the deformations of the tyre is obtained as a function of the deformations of its tread. A complete system of equations of motion is obtained, assuming that the wheel rolls without slipping in the area of contact of the tread with the plane, with respect to the previously unknown part of the tread. In two special cases of the rolling of a wheel with breakaway and on a banking, all the characteristics of the motion (the contact area, the tyre deformation, and the forces and moments applied to the disc of the wheel) are obtained.     

Extending a matroid by a cocircuit

Our main result describes how to extend a matroid so that its ground set is a modular hyperplane of the larger matroid. This result yields a new way to view Dowling lattices and new results about line-closed geometries. We complement these topics by showing that line-closure gives simple geometric proofs of the (mostly known) basic results about Dowling lattices. We pursue the topic of line-closure further by showing how to construct some line-closed geometries that are not supersolvable.     

Torsional Oscillations of a Punch on a Layer Bonded to a Half-Space Containing a Cylindrical Cavity

A previously published algorithm [9] is implemented in application to the Reissner–Sagoci problem for a layer bonded to a half-space containing a cylindrical cavity. The influence of the mechanical and geometrical parameters of the layer and the half-space on the amplitude-frequency response curves of the punch oscillations is analyzed. Practical applications of the results are proposed for ensuring the seismic isolation of buildings on the investigated foundation in the presence of dynamic torsional excitations.     

On a variational inequality associated with a stopping game combined with a control

We study a non-linear elliptic variational inequality which corresponds to a zero-sum stopping game (Dynkin game) combined with a control. Our result is a generalization of the existing works by Bensoussan [ Stochastic Control by Functional Analysis Methods (North-Holland, Amsterdam), 1982], Bensoussan and Lions [ Applications des Inéquations Variationnelles en Contrôle Stochastique (Dunod, Paris), 1978] and Friedman [ Stochastic Differential Equations and Applications (Academic Press, New York), 1976] in the sense that a non-linear term appears in the variational inequality, or equivalently, that the underlying process for the corresponding stopping game is subject to a control. By using the dynamic programming principle and the method of penalization, we show the existence and uniqueness of a viscosity solution of the variational inequality and describe it as the value function of the corresponding combined-stochastic game problem.     

On a cycle through a specified linear forest of a graph

Results on the existence of a cycle containing a given linear forest are proved.     

Finding a minimum cost path between a pair of nodes in a time-varying road network with a congestion charge

The minimum cost path problem in a time-varying road network is a complicated problem. The paper proposes two heuristic methods to solve the minimum cost path problem between a pair of nodes with a time-varying road network and a congestion charge. The heuristic methods are compared with an alternative exact method using real traffic information. Also, the heuristic methods are tested in a benchmark dataset and a London road network dataset. The heuristic methods can achieve good solutions in a reasonable running time.     

Locating a robber on a graph

Consider the following game of a cop locating a robber on a connected graph. At each turn, the cop chooses a vertex of the graph to probe and receives the distance from the probe to the robber. If she can uniquely locate the robber after this probe, then she wins. Otherwise the robber may either stay put or move to any vertex adjacent to his location other than the probe vertex. The cop’s goal is to minimize the number of probes required to locate the robber, while the robber’s goal is to avoid being located. This is a synthesis of the cop and robber game with the metric dimension problem. We analyse this game for several classes of graphs, including cycles and trees.     

Extending a function on a graph

Let G be a graph with vertex set V, and let h be a function mapping a subset U of V into the real numbers R. If ? is a function from V to R, we define δ (?) to be the sum of ∥?(b)? ?(a)∥ over all edges {a, b} of G. A best extension of h is such a function ? with ?(x) = h(x) for X ∈ U and minimum δ (?). We show that such a best extension exists and derive an algorithm for obtaining such an extension. We also show that if instead we minimise the sum of (?(b)??(a))², there is generally a unique best extension, obtainable by solving a system of linear equations.     

On a Reliable Solution of a Volterra Integral Equation in a Hilbert Space

We consider a class of Volterra-type integral equations in a Hilbert space. The operators of the equation considered appear as time-dependent functions with values in the space of linear continuous operators mapping the Hilbert space into its dual. We are looking for maximal values of cost functionals with respect to the admissible set of operators. The existence of a solution in the continuous and the discretized form is verified. The convergence analysis is performed. The results are applied to a quasistationary problem for an anisotropic viscoelastic body made of a long memory material.     

Refinement of a criterion for superfluidity of a classical liquid in a nanotube

The problem has a large parameter, the number N of particles (outside the condensate), and a small parameter, Planck’s constant ħ (more precisely, a dimensionless parameter containing ħ in the numerator). They turn out to be interrelated for Bose particles. Using the exact solution of the variational equation for a bosonic system in a capillary, we can obtain precise criteria restricting the superfluidity of a classical liquid in the capillary. __________ Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Matematicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 155, No. 3, pp. 524–528, June, 2008.