Triangular norms which are meet-morphisms in interval-valued fuzzy set theory

In this paper we study t-norms on the lattice of closed subintervals of the unit interval. Unlike for t-norms on a product lattice for which there exists a straightforward characterization of t-norms which are join-morphisms, respectively meet-morphisms, the situation is more complicated for t-norms in interval-valued fuzzy set theory. In previous papers several characterizations were given of t-norms in interval-valued fuzzy set theory which are join-morphisms and which satisfy additional properties, but little attention has been paid to meet-morphisms. Therefore, in this paper, we focus on t-norms which are meet-morphisms. We consider a general class of t-norms and investigate under which conditions t-norms belonging to this class are meet-morphisms. We also characterize the t-norms which are both a join- and a meet-morphism and which satisfy an additional border condition.     

Determination of Lagrangians from Equations of Motion and Commutator Brackets

The question as to whether a given set of equations, which govern the dynamical evolution of a system, determine a Lagrangian is considered. This problem, which has come to be known as the inverse problem of the calculus of variations, is reviewed and theorems which contain systems of partial differential equations which determine a type of self-adjointness are developed. It is shown that, given a reasonable form for the classical correspondence, the usual quantum commutator brackets can be expressed in terms of classical quantities which satisfy a particular form of these equations.     

Crowns,cutsets, and valuable partial orders

We consider the problem of recognizing those partial orders which admit a valuation: this is a linear-algebraic condition which arises naturally in an algebraic/geometric context. We show that a partial order has at most one valuation (which is integer-valued) and present various structural conditions which are either necessary or sufficient for a partial order to be valuable. The first main result is a reduction theorem which allows us to restrict attention to those partial orders which do not have a bounded cutset. We use this and a theorem of Kelly and Rival to prove the second main result: that every contraction of a bounded partial order is fibre-valuable if and only if the partial order is a dismantlable lattice. This result has a geometric interpretation.This research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada under operating grant OGP0105392.     

Two-dimensional body of maximum mean resistance

A two-dimensional body, exhibiting a slight rotational movement, moves in a rarefied medium of particles which collide with it in a perfectly elastic way. In previously realized investigations by the first two authors, [Alexander Yu. Plakhov, Paulo D.F. Gouveia, Problems of maximal mean resistance on the plane, Nonlinearity, 20 (2007), 2271-2287], shapes of nonconvex bodies were sought which would maximize the braking force of the medium on their movement. Giving continuity to this study, new investigations have been undertaken which culminate in an outcome which represents a large qualitative advance relative to that which was achieved earlier. This result, now presented, consists of a two-dimensional shape which confers on the body a resistance which is very close to its theoretical supremum value. But its interest does not lie solely in the maximization of Newtonian resistance; on regarding its characteristics, other areas of application are seen to begin to appear which are thought to be capable of having great utility. The optimal shape which has been encountered resulted from numerical studies, thus it is the object of additional study of an analytical nature, where it proves some important properties which explain in great part its effectiveness.     

A Minkowskian theory of observation: Application to uncertainty and fuzziness

This paper examines various ways to introduce subjectivity in the measures of uncertainty. In the first part, by using a simple physical remark concerning discrete entropy in Shannon sense, we derive a so-called ‘complete discrete entropy’ which provides a unified approach to discrete and continuous entropy, and applies directly to variables which involves both probability and possibility.In the second part, by using three elementary axioms, we derive a Minkowskian theory of observation which holds when the observable is a pair (syntax, semantics) and which involves a parameter which is directly related to the subjectivity of the observer. This model is then applied to the observation of uncertainty, transinformation and membership, in which case it provides a new approach to fuzzy number.     

Cycles of covers

We initially consider an example of Flynn and Redmond, which gives an infinite family of curves to which Chabauty’s Theorem is not applicable, and which even resist solution by one application of a certain bielliptic covering technique. In this article, we shall consider a general context, of which this family is a special case, and in this general situation we shall prove that repeated application of bielliptic covers always results in a sequence of genus 2 curves which cycle after a finite number of repetitions. We shall also give an example which is resistant to repeated applications of the technique.     

Bounds for certain integrals

A certain class of definite integrals is considered in which the integrand consists of a one-signed function together with another function which has a one-signed derivative in a certain interval. By examining the Cauchy form of the remainder, sets of bounds are developed which have a certain optimum property. The integrals may be multi-dimensional. The case in which the derivative component is not one-signed is briefly considered.     

Strictly ascending HNN extensions in soluble groups

We show that there exist finitely generated soluble groups which are not LERF but which do not contain strictly ascending HNN extensions of a cyclic group. This solves Problem 16.2 in the Kourovka notebook. We further show that there is a finitely presented soluble group which is not LERF but which does not contain a strictly ascending HNN extension of a polycyclic group.     

Wavelet Decomposition of Spherical Vector Fields with Respect to Sources

This article is concerned with an approach of modelling the Earth’s magnetic field as measured by satellites in terms of a special system of vector spherical harmonics and in terms of vector kernel functions, called vector scaling functions and wavelets. The main ingredient is the presentation of a system of vector spherical harmonics which separates a given spherical vector field with respect to its sources, i.e., the spherical vector field is separated into a part which is induced by sources inside the sphere, a part which is induced by sources outside the sphere and a part which is induced by sources on the sphere, which are, for example, currents crossing the sphere. Using this special system of vector spherical harmonics vector scaling functions and wavelets are constructed which keep the advantageous property of separating with respect to sources but which also allow a locally reflected modelling of the respective vector field. At the end of the article, the method is tested on real magnetic field data measured by the German geoscientific research satellite CHAMP.     

Variations on a theme of Debs and Saint Raymond

A famous theorem of Debs and Saint Raymond states that the complementof a set of first category is of strong multiplicity. We provea theorem which combines this with a result of Rudin which statesthat independent closed sets of strong multiplicity exist. Wealso prove a theorem which combines the theorem of Debs andSaint Raymond with a theorem of Wiener and Wintner which statesthat there exists a measure with singular support whose convolutionsquare is absolutely continuous.     

The nucleolus and kernel of veto-rich transferable utility games

The process of computing the nucleolus of arbitrary transferable utility games is notoriously hard. A number of papers have appeared in which the nucleolus is computed by an algorithm in which either one or a huge number of huge linear programs have to be solved. We show that on the class of veto-rich games, the nucleolus is the unique kernel element. Veto-rich games are games in which one of the players is needed by coalitions in order to obtain a non-zero payoff. We then provide a fast algorithm which does not use linear programming techniques to compute the nucleolus of these games. Furthermore, we provide a few examples of economic situations which belong to the class of veto-rich games and which are treated in the literature.     

Potential solutions of linear systems: The multi-criteria multiple constraint levels program

The realistic modeling of decision problems requires considerable flexibility in the model structure. Frequently one is faced with problems involving multiple criteria for which the constraint level is acceptable if a certain parameter (which may be a random variable) lies within a prescribed set. Furthermore, in formulating the problem, the criteria and constraints may be interchangeable. This requires a treatment which is more general than the nondominated solution in a multicriteria problem. We shall introduce the concept of a potential solution to cope with the above problem. To effectively locate these potential solutions, a generalization of the multicriteria (MC) simplex method, which handles multiple constraint levels (right hand sides) is developed. Geometric properties of adjacent potential solutions will be described together with a computational procedure which is based on the “connectedness” of the set of potential solutions. The natural duality relationship which exists in the double-MC simplex method and its consequences are also explored.     

Functions not first-return integrable

Benedetto Bongiorno constructed a certain class of improperly Riemann integrable functions on [0,1] which are not first-return integrable. He asked if all improper Riemann integrable functions which are not Lebesgue integrable are not first-return integrable. Recently David Fremlin provided a clever example to show that this is not the case. It remains open as to which functions are first-return integrable. We prove two general theorems which imply the existence of a large class of improperly Riemann integrable functions which are not first-return integrable. As a corollary we obtain that there is an improperly Riemann integrable function which is C^∞ on (0,1] yet fails to be first-return integrable.     

Global stability of stationary solutions of reaction-diffusion systems

We give a condition which implies that the trivial solution, U ≡ 0, of a class of reaction-diffusion systems with homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions, is a global attractor for all nonnegative solutions. In certain cases, this condition, which relates the diffusion matrix and the domain to a parameter which depends on the nonlinear term, significantly improves similar conditions which can be obtained from energy estimates. Applications are given to equations arising in mathematical ecology.     

On the identification of large multilinear systems

We consider multivariate time series which can be written as the output of a nonlinear system corrupted by noise. We propose an algorithm which allows to identify the structure of such a system and which generalizes a popular procedure for the identification of linear systems.     

Graphs which are locally a cube

We prove that there are exactly two connected graphs which are locally a cube: a graph on 15 vertices which is the complement of the (3×5)-grid and a graph on 24 vertices which is the 1-skeleton of a certain 4-dimensional regular polytope called the 24-cell.     

A Chart for Evaluating Product Research and Development Projects

A method of evaluating research and development projects is described. The method is based on the use of an evaluation chart. The main purpose of the chart is to calculate a project score which is a measure of a selected evaluation criterion. A method of constructing a chart is illustrated using a project index as the evaluation criterion. The chart contains a list of twelve questions, the answers to which are assumed to be the main determinants of the variables in the formula of the index. Each question is followed by a set of answers from which a choice is to be made, and underneath each answer is a numerical score. The numerical scores are logarithmic functions of the answers to which they relate, and when added together give a project score which is a logarithmic function of the index. Various methods of using the chart, and a suggested evaluation procedure, are also described.     

Analysis of a Class of Frictional Contact Problems for the Bingham Fluid

We consider a mathematical model which describes the stationary flow of a Bingham fluid with friction. The frictional contact is modeled by a general velocity dependent dissipation functional. We derive a weak formulation of the model which consists in a variational inequality for the velocity field. We establish the existence and uniqueness of the weak solution as well as its continuous dependence with respect to the contact condition. Finally, we describe a number of concrete friction conditions which may be set in this general framework and for which our results apply.     

Cycles of covers

We initially consider an example of Flynn and Redmond, which gives an infinite family of curves to which Chabauty’s Theorem is not applicable, and which even resist solution by one application of a certain bielliptic covering technique. In this article, we shall consider a general context, of which this family is a special case, and in this general situation we shall prove that repeated application of bielliptic covers always results in a sequence of genus 2 curves which cycle after a finite number of repetitions. We shall also give an example which is resistant to repeated applications of the technique. E. V. Flynn thanks the International Center for Transdisciplinary Studies at Jacobs University Bremen for its hospitality during July 2007, and thanks EPSRC for support: grant number EP/F060661/1.     

A Cardinal Pattern Inspired by AD

Assuming Con(AD), a model in which there are unboundedly many regular cardinals below Θ and in which the only regular cardinals below Θ are limit cardinals was previously constructed. Using a large cardinal hypothesis far beyond Con(AD), we construct in this paper a model in which there is a proper class of regular cardinals and in which the only regular cardinals in the universe are limit cardinals. Mathematics Subject Classification: 03E55, 03E60.