Fuzzy logic in measurements

Our main interest in this paper is to translate from “natural language” into “system theoretical language”. This is of course important since a statement in system theory can be analyzed mathematically or computationally. We assume that, in order to obtain a good translation, “system theoretical language” should have great power of expression. Thus we first propose a new frame of system theory, which includes the concepts of “measurement” as well as “state equation”. And we show that a certain statement in usual conversation, i.e., fuzzy modus ponens with the word “very”, can be translated into a statement in the new frame of system theory. Though our result is merely one example of the translation from “natural language” into “system theoretical language”, we believe that our method is fairly general.     

Construction of the value function in a pursuit-evasion game with three pursuers and one evader

A differential pursuit-evasion game is considered with three pursuers and one evader. It is assumed that all objects (players) have simple motions and that the game takes place in a plane. The control vectors satisfy geometrical constraints and the evader has a superiority in control resources. The game time is fixed. The value functional is the distance between the evader and the nearest pursuer at the end of the game. The problem of determining the value function of the game for any possible position is solved.

Three possible cases for the relative arrangement of the players at an arbitrary time are studied: “one-after-one”, “two-after-one”, “three-after-one-in-the-middle” and “three-after-one”. For each of the relative arrangements of the players a guaranteed result function is constructed. In the first three cases the function is expressed analytically. In the fourth case a piecewise-programmed construction is presented with one switchover, on the basis of which the value of the function is determined numerically. The guaranteed result function is shown to be identical with the game value function. When the initial pursuer positions are fixed in an arbitrary manner there are four game domains depending on their relative positions. The boundary between the “three-after-one-in-the-middle” domain and the “three-after-one” domain is found numerically, and the remaining boundaries are interior Nicomedean conchoids, lines and circles. Programs are written that construct singular manifolds and the value function level lines.     

Multi-step quasi-Newton methods for optimization

Quasi-Newton methods update, at each iteration, the existing Hessian approximation (or its inverse) by means of data deriving from the step just completed. We show how “multi-step” methods (employing, in addition, data from previous iterations) may be constructed by means of interpolating polynomials, leading to a generalization of the “secant” (or “quasi-Newton”) equation. The issue of positive-definiteness in the Hessian approximation is addressed and shown to depend on a generalized version of the condition which is required to hold in the original “single-step” methods. The results of extensive numerical experimentation indicate strongly that computational advantages can accrue from such an approach (by comparison with “single-step” methods), particularly as the dimension of the problem increases.     

Statistical learning control of uncertain systems: theory and algorithms

It has recently become clear that many control problems are too difficult to admit analytic solutions. New results have also emerged to show that the computational complexity of some “solved” control problems is prohibitive. Many of these control problems can be reduced to decidability problems or to optimization questions. Even though such questions may be too difficult to answer analytically, or may not be answered exactly given a reasonable amount of computational resources, researchers have shown that we can “approximately” answer these questions “most of the time”, and have “high confidence” in the correctness of the answers.     

From the classical to the generalized von Kármán and Marguerre–von Kármán equations

In this work, we describe and analyze two models that were recently proposed for modeling generalized von Kármán plates and generalized Marguerre–von Kármán shallow shells.

First, we briefly review the “classical” von Kármán and Marguerre–von Kármán equations, their physical meaning, and their mathematical justification. We then consider the more general situation where only a portion of the lateral face of a nonlinearly elastic plate or shallow shell is subjected to boundary conditions of von Kármán type, while the remaining portion is free. Using techniques from formal asymptotic analysis, we obtain in each case a two-dimensional boundary value problem that is analogous to, but is more general than, the classical equations.

In particular, it is remarkable that the boundary conditions for the Airy function can still be determined on the entire boundary of the nonlinearly elastic plate or shallow shell solely from the data.

Following recent joint works, we then reduce these more general equations to a single “cubic” operator equation, which generalizes an equation introduced by Berger and Fife, and whose sole unknown is the vertical displacement of the shell. We next adapt an elegant compactness method due to Lions for establishing the existence of a solution to this operator equation.     

One-dimensional, two-fluid modelling of turbulent premixed flames

The “two-fluid” mathematical model for turbulent combustion is applied to a one-dimensional, premixed, stabilized ducted flame. The flame is assumed to consist of two interspersed fluids (“reactants” and “products”), each characterized by its own properties and interacting through the exchange of mass, heat, and momentum. The distributions of pressure, densities, velocities, and volume fractions across the duct were successfully simulated. From a parametric study on the effects of the empirical constants involved in the interfluid relations, the significant dependence of the system on the parameters that characterize the mass transfer rate and the relative effect of mass transfer to momentum transfer was confirmed. The application of the model to transient states proved its ability to predict system oscillations.     

Numerical analysis of diamond buckles

The “diamond” modes of collapse are studied with finite element methods. Both linear and nonlinear analyses are performed on the buckling of a cylindrical shell under axial compression. Among the postbuckling shapes of the cylindrical shell, a number of diamond modes (cost nθ; N = 0, 14, 18, 10, 24 and 28) are found to be possible. The analysis is compared to those conducted by Maewal and Nachbar, Crisfield, and Yoshida et al. Agreement is established in conceiving the deformed shape with circumferential number of 14 as the stable postbuckling mode of the cylindrical shell.

The transition from the axisymmetric mode to a diamond mode of collapse is shown to be an instantaneous process triggered in the proximity of the critical state by a small perturbation of the load increment.     

Levy and set theory

Azriel Levy (1934–) did fundamental work in set theory when it was transmuting into a modern, sophisticated field of mathematics, a formative period of over a decade straddling Cohen’s 1963 founding of forcing. The terms “Levy collapse”, “Levy hierarchy”, and “Levy absoluteness” will live on in set theory, and his technique of relative constructibility and connections established between forcing and definability will continue to be basic to the subject. What follows is a detailed account and analysis of Levy’s work and contributions to set theory.     

Universal deformation formulas and breaking symmetry

We show that an algebra with a non-nilpotent Lie group of automorphisms or “symmetries” (e.g., smooth functions on a manifold with such a group of diffeomorphisms) may generally be deformed (in the function case, “quantized”) in such a way that only a proper subgroup of the original group acts. This symmetry breaking is a consequence of the existence of certain “universal deformation formulas” which are elements, independent of the original algebra, in the tensor algebra of the enveloping algebra of the Lie algebra of the group.     

The Dempster–Shafer calculus for statisticians

The Dempster–Shafer (DS) theory of probabilistic reasoning is presented in terms of a semantics whereby every meaningful formal assertion is associated with a triple (p, q, r) where p is the probability “for” the assertion, q is the probability “against” the assertion, and r is the probability of “don’t know”. Arguments are presented for the necessity of “don’t know”. Elements of the calculus are sketched, including the extension of a DS model from a margin to a full state space, and DS combination of independent DS uncertainty assessments on the full space. The methodology is applied to inference and prediction from Poisson counts, including an introduction to the use of join-tree model structure to simplify and shorten computation. The relation of DS theory to statistical significance testing is elaborated, introducing along the way the new concept of “dull” null hypothesis.     

Quasilinear conflict-controlled processes with additional restrictions

A class of conflict-controlled processes [1–3] with additional (“phase” type) restrictions on the state of the evader is considered. A similar unrestricted problem was considered in [4]. Unlike [5, 6] the boundary of the “phase” restrictions is not a “death line” for the evader. Sufficient conditions for the solvability of the pursuit and evasion problems are obtained, which complement a range of well-known results [5–10].^‡     

Factors Influencing the Outcomes of Collaborative Mathematical Problem Solving: An Introduction

This study is an investigation of the factors that influence the effectiveness of collaboration on open-ended mathematical tasks. Students in Grades 3, 6, and 9 worked in groups of 3 on 2 chance and data tasks-1 related to fair dice and the other related to associations among variables presented on data cards. The groups' outcomes and the types of collaboration observed are investigated in relation to issues raised in the literature. Various phenomena are identified that influence cognitive “lifting,” “hovering,” and “falling,” that is, improvement, no change, and reduction in levels of functioning, respectively. These phenomena include cognitive factors, social or interpersonal factors, and external factors.     

The Borda rule and Pareto stability: a further comment

In their paper “The Borda rule and Pareto stability: a comment” published in 1979 by Econometrica, Farkas and Nitzan revealed the “intimate relationship” between the Borda rule and the Pareto criterion. The idea was the following: in a profile of total orders, when there is a candidate who obviously wins under unanimous agreement of the voters, that candidate should be in the choice set. In a profile where there is no obvious winner, the candidates that are the closest to unanimity should be chosen. According to this principle, they defined a choice rule called “closeness to unanimity” and they showed that it is equivalent to the Borda rule. In our paper, we give an equivalent result for a ranking rule. Then we try to obtain similar results when aggregating profiles of tournaments, weak orders, semiorders, fuzzy relations, … and we show that the definition of an obvious winner is no more obvious.     

A quantum mechanical approach to a fuzzy theory

Recently, we proposed a general measurement theory for classical and quantum systems (i.e., “objective fuzzy measurement theory”). In this paper, we propose “subjective fuzzy measurement theory”, which is characterized as the statistical method of the objective fuzzy measurement theory. Our proposal of course has a lot of advantages. For example, we can directly see “membership functions” (= “fuzzy sets”) in this theory. Therefore, we can propose the objective and the subjective methods of membership functions. As one of the consequences, we assert the objective (i.e., individualistic) aspect of Zadeh's theory. Also, as a quantum application, we clarify Heisenberg's uncertainty relation.     

Mereological relations

A “mereological” relation is one of “part-to-whole” type. This paper proposes a model-theoretic approach to identifying and classifying such relations. Three initial applications of this approach are investigated. In each case, the class of identified relations is found to consist precisely of the partial orders on the underlying set. Further applications are proposed.     

Categories of projective spaces

Starting with an abelian category , a natural construction produces a category such that, when is an abelian category of vector spaces, is the corresponding category of projective spaces. The process of forming the category destroys abelianess, but not completely, and the precise measure of what remains of it gives the possibility to reconstruct out from , and allows to characterize categories of the form , for an abelian (projective categories). The characterization is given in terms of the notion of “Puppe exact category” and of an appropriate notion of “weak biproducts”. The proof of the characterization theorem relies on the theory of “additive relations”.     

Landmarks in graphs

Navigation can be studied in a graph-structured framework in which the navigating agent (which we shall assume to be a point robot) moves from node to node of a “graph space”. The robot can locate itself by the presence of distinctively labeled “landmark” nodes in the graph space. For a robot navigating in Euclidean space, visual detection of a distinctive landmark provides information about the direction to the landmark, and allows the robot to determine its position by triangulation. On a graph, however, there is neither the concept of direction nor that of visibility. Instead, we shall assume that a robot navigating on a graph can sense the distances to a set of landmarks.

Evidently, if the robot knows its distances to a sufficiently large set of landmarks, its position on the graph is uniquely determined. This suggests the following problem: given a graph, what are the fewest number of landmarks needed, and where should they be located, so that the distances to the landmarks uniquely determine the robot's position on the graph? This is actually a classical problem about metric spaces. A minimum set of landmarks which uniquely determine the robot's position is called a “metric basis”, and the minimum number of landmarks is called the “metric dimension” of the graph. In this paper we present some results about this problem. Our main new results are that the metric dimension of a graph with n nodes can be approximated in polynomial time within a factor of O(log n), and some properties of graphs with metric dimension two.     

A covariance inequality under a two-part dependence assumption

A covariance inequality is proved under a certain “two-part” dependence assumption. It generalizes and sharpens, with a simpler and more transparent proof, two earlier covariance inequalities used in central limit theory under certain “two-part” strong mixing assumptions.     

Planar and axially symmetric configurations which are circumvented with the maximum critical mach number

The structure of planar and axially symmetric configurations which, by satisfying a number of geometrical constraints, are circumvented in a boundless space or in a cylindrical channel by an ideal (non-viscous and non-thermally conducting) gas with a maximal critical Mach number M* is found. The analysis is carried out using the “rectilinearity property” of a sonic line in “subsonic” flows (SF), the “principle of a maximum” for an SF and “comparison theorems” which are either taken from /1/ or serve as a generalization of the corresponding assertions from /1/. Following /1/, configurations are considered which have a plane or axis of symmetry parallel to the velocity V_∞ of the approach stream, while flows in which (including the boundary) the Mach number M 1 are said to be “subsonic”. As usual, by M* we mean a value of M_∞ such that the inequality M1, which is satisfied in the whole stream when M_∞ M*, is violated when M_∞>M*.

The configurations investigated include closed bodies and the leading (trailing) parts of a semi-infinite plate or a circular cylinder in an unbounded flow and in a channel as well as lattices of symmetric profiles. Both in /1/, where the structure of closed planar and axially symmetric bodies was found, as well as in /2/, where such bodies were constructed numerically, the generatrices of all the configurations investigated contain the end planes or the segments replacing them of the maximum permissible slope (in modulus) and the “free” streamlines with M 1. Now, however, unlike in /1, 2/, segments of the horizontals are added to it in the general case. Furthermore, in the case of flows in channels and lattices, the configurations which have been found can be circumvented with the development of finite domains of advancing sonic flow.     

On generalized formulation of the equilibrium problem of an elastic strip

A “nonenergetic” formulation of the boundary value problems of statics of an elastic strip based on the principle of admissible displacements, is studied. The formulation makes possible, in particular, the study of problems concerning the strips of infinite energy, while retaining the external form of the “energetic” formulation /1–3/, and produces unique solvability of the problem under weaker restrictions imposed on the external loads. Such a formulation is also possible for other problems of the theory of elasticity.