Interconnected air spring model

This article considers the mathematical modelling of the spring force of three interconnected rolling diaphragm type air springs used on a 40-ton tri-axle semi-trailer. The aim of the air spring model is to obtain a validated mathematical model that can be used in full vehicle multi-body dynamic simulations. The model considers the flow effects in the pipes connecting the three air springs as well as the mass transfer between them. Comparisons with experimental results show that the proposed mathematical model of the interconnected air springs is indeed able to accurately predict the pressures and forces of the air springs.     

Vibration analysis and optimization of a primary circuit of the nuclear power plant

The mathematical model of the primary circuit of a nuclear power plant VVER 420/213 has been developed. The aim of modelling is a vibration analysis and parameter optimization leading to the decrease of velocity and stress amplitudes of the circuit components. For an assemblage of the mathematical model of the whole primary circuit the modal synthesis method with significant DOF reduction is used.     

On hidden sums compatible with a given block cipher diffusion layer

Sometimes it is possible to embed an algebraic trapdoor into a block cipher. Building on previous research, in this paper we investigate an especially dangerous algebraic structure, which is called a hidden sum and which is related to some regular subgroups of the affine group. Mixing group theory arguments and cryptographic tools, we pass from characterizing our hidden sums to designing an efficient algorithm to perform the necessary preprocessing for the exploitation of the trapdoor.     

Revealing hidden mathematics curriculum to pre-teachers using technology: the case of partitions

Motivated by work done with pre-teachers of mathematics in a problem-solving course, this paper shows how computing technologies, including a spreadsheet and Maple, facilitate an informal journey into a hidden aspect of the formal content of the pre-college curriculum dealing with the arithmetic of partitions. By using three problems from different grade levels within a state curriculum as an example, the paper suggests that a deeper perspective on seemingly disconnected problem-solving contexts may serve as a powerful didactical tool in helping teachers to appreciate mathematics and its pedagogy as an integrated whole. The connection of the hidden aspect of the curriculum to the concept of mathematical play is also explored.     

非线性阻尼非线性刚度隔振系统随机动力学特性研究

针对随机激励环境,同时引入刚度和阻尼非线性来提高隔振系统的隔振性能.刚度和阻尼非线性分别是由水平弹簧和水平阻尼的几何布置获得.通过求解Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov(FPK)方程等效非线性随机振动方程来研究非线性隔振系统在随机激励下的隔振性能,并使用路径积分和Monte-Carlo数值方法进行验证.在此基础上研究刚度非线性和阻尼非线性对隔振系统在随机激励下力传递率及其概率分布的影响.研究表明随着噪声强度的增加,非线性阻尼抑制振动的能力增强,但是在较小的随机激励下线性阻尼优于非线性阻尼.     

Generating hierarchial scale-free graphs from fractals

Motivated by the hierarchial network model of E. Ravasz, A.-L. Barabási, and T. Vicsek, we introduce deterministic scale-free networks derived from a graph directed self-similar fractal Λ. With rigorous mathematical results we verify that our model captures some of the most important features of many real networks: the scale-free and the high clustering properties. We also prove that the diameter is the logarithm of the size of the system. We point out a connection between the power law exponent of the degree distribution and some intrinsic geometric measure theoretical properties of the underlying fractal. Using our (deterministic) fractal Λ we generate random graph sequence sharing similar properties.     

Free vibrations and stability of hydraulic cylinder fixed elastically on both ends

The boundary value problem of the stability and free vibration of a hydraulic cylinder has been formulated and solved in this paper. The considered hydraulic cylinder has been elastically fixed at both ends and loaded by Euler force. An elastical fixation has been modelled by rotational springs. The mentioned above hydraulic cylinder consists of a piston rod and cylinder replaced by rods. There are conditions of continuity between the rods. The boundary value problem has been formulated on the basis of minimum potential energy (static problem) and on the basis of Hamilton's principle (free vibration problem). In this paper example results of numerical calculations of the stability and free vibration have been presented. Experimental research has been performed in order to verify the correctness of the assumed mathematical model. Professional measuring apparatus and special stand for research into the slender systems have been used in experiment. Natural frequencies have been measured in dependence on the values of an external load. (© 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Ultra-low frequency passive vertical vibration isolation system

An ultra-low frequency passive vertical vibration isolator is constructed by mounting a couple of additional masses on the crank-arms of the torsion spring. The theoretical analysis and experimental results show that the system with additional masses can achieve better vertical vibration isolation and longer resonant period. Measured displacement response of the test mass under seismic excitation reaches 3 x 10^{-12 m/√ Hz} around 10 Hz, and the isolation ratio comes to about 60 dB attenuation at 6 Hz, which is about 30 dB lower than that of the system without additional masses.     

Reorganizing freshman business mathematics II: authentic assessment in mathematics through professional memos

The first part of this two-part paper (13) described the developmentof a new freshman business mathematics (FBM) course at our college.In this paper, we discuss our assessment tool, the businessmemo, as a venue for students to apply mathematical skills,via mathematical modelling, to realistic business problems.These memos have proven a crucial step in turning our FBM coursearound from a dreaded course with little connection to students’intended careers into a course where students experience thepower of mathematics for solving problems and informing decisions.Comments from students in the course throughout its 6-year historyclearly point to the course's value and importance.     

Some mathematical tools for linguistic probabilities

We propose and develop, in this paper, some concepts and techniques useful for the theory of linguistic probabilisies introduced by L.A. Zadeh. These probabilities are expressed in linguistic rather than numerical terms. The mathematical framework for this study is based upon the possibility theory.We formulate first the problem of optimization under elastic constraints which is not only important for mathematical programming but will be served to justify the extension of possibility measure to linguistic variables. Next, in connection with translation rules in natural languages we study some transformations of fuzzy sets using a relation between random sets and fuzzy sets. Finally, we point out some differences between random variables and fuzzy variables, and present the mathematical notion of possibility, in the setting of set-functions, as a special case of Choquet capacities.     

The Chow rings for 3-dimensional toric varieties with one bad isolated singularity

The properties of a toric variety have strong connection with the combinatorial structure of the corresponding fan and the relations among the generators. Using this fact, we have described explicitly the Chow ring for aQ-factorial toric variety as the Stanley-Reisner ring for the corresponding fan modulo the linear equivalence relation. In this paper, we calculate the Chow ring for 3-dimensionalQ-factorial toric varieties having one bad isolated singularity.     

Application of Gray codes to the study of the theory of symbolic dynamics of unimodal maps

In this paper we provide a closed mathematical formulation of our previous results in the field of symbolic dynamics of unimodal maps. This being the case, we discuss the classical theory of applied symbolic dynamics for unimodal maps and its reinterpretation using Gray codes. This connection was previously emphasized but no explicit mathematical proof was provided. The work described in this paper not only contributes to the integration of the different interpretations of symbolic dynamics of unimodal maps, it also points out some inaccuracies that exist in previous works.     

Wind energy prediction using a two-hidden layer neural network

The power generated by wind turbines changes rapidly because of the continuous fluctuation of wind speed and air density. As a consequence, it can be important to predict the energy production, starting from some basic input parameters. The aim of this paper is to show that a two-hidden layer neural network can represent a useful tool to carefully predict the wind energy output. By using proper experimental data (collected from three wind farm in Southern Italy) in combination with a back propagation learning algorithm, a suitable neural architecture is found, characterized by the hyperbolic tangent transfer function in the first hidden layer and the logarithmic sigmoid transfer function in the second hidden layer. Simulation results are reported, showing that the estimated wind energy values (predicted by the proposed network) are in good agreement with the experimental measured values.     

Ultra-low frequency passive vertical vibration isolation system

An ultra-low frequency passive vertical vibration isolator is constructed by mounting a couple of additional masses on the crank-arms of the torsion spring. The theoretical analysis and experimental results show that the system with additional masses can achieve better vertical vibration isolation and longer resonant period. Measured displacement response of the test mass under seismic excitation reaches 3 x 10^{-12 m/√ Hz} around 10 Hz, and the isolation ratio comes to about 60 dB attenuation at 6 Hz, which is about 30 dB lower than that of the system without additional masses. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 19425008, 49674246 and 59678032).     

Type II hidden symmetries through weak symmetries for some wave equations

The Type II hidden symmetries are extra symmetries in addition to the inherited symmetries of the differential equations when the number of independent and dependent variables is reduced by a Lie-point symmetry. In [Gandarias RML. Type-II hidden symmetries through weak symmetries for nonlinear partial differential equations. J Math Anal Appl 2008;348:752–9] it was shown that the provenance of the Type II Lie point hidden symmetries found for differential equations can be explained by considering weak symmetries or conditional symmetries of the original PDE.In this paper we analyze the connection between one of the methods analyzed in [Abraham-Shrauner B, Govinder KS. Provenance of Type II hidden symmetries from nonlinear partial differential equations. J Nonlin Math Phys 2006;13:612–22] and the weak symmetries of some partial differential equations in order to determine the source of these hidden symmetries. We have considered some of the models presented in [Abraham-Shrauner B, Govinder KS. Provenance of Type II hidden symmetries from nonlinear partial differential equations. J Nonlin Math Phys 2006;13:612–22], as well as the linear two-dimensional and three-dimensional wave equations [Abraham-Shrauner B, Govinder KS, Arrigo JA. Type II hidden symmetries of the linear 2D and 3D wave equations. J h Phys A Math Theor 2006;39:5739–47].     

A triangular shell element for vibration analysis of cambered and twisted fan blades

A ten-node triangular shell element of thirty degrees of freedom was successfully developed and applied to plate and shell static analysis, and free vibrations of rectangular plates with different boundary conditions. The element is also suitable for the vibration analysis of pretwisted and cambered fan blades. Natural frequencies of cambered and untwisted fan blades having a rectangular planform with constant thickness are determined for different shallowness ratio and blade thickness. For different blade-tip twist angles, the element can be applied to obtain the frequencies of twisted blades with constant thickness. Frequencies, resulting from the applied element, are compared to those of experimental results which are available in literature, and to those of shallow shell theory and other finite elements. Good correlations and reasonably accurate results are obtained by using a coarse mesh size.     

On Hidden Markov Processes with Infinite Excess Entropy

We investigate stationary hidden Markov processes for which mutual information between the past and the future is infinite. It is assumed that the number of observable states is finite and the number of hidden states is countably infinite. Under this assumption, we show that the block mutual information of a hidden Markov process is upper bounded by a power law determined by the tail index of the hidden state distribution. Moreover, we exhibit three examples of processes. The first example, considered previously, is nonergodic and the mutual information between the blocks is bounded by the logarithm of the block length. The second example is also nonergodic but the mutual information between the blocks obeys a power law. The third example obeys the power law and is ergodic.     

Helical torsion springs for minimum weight by geometric programming

Geometric programming is applied to solve a design optimization problem for minimum weight of torsional coil springs. An explicit solution of the optimization problem is obtained and applied to a numerical example.The author is indebted to Professor E. J. Haug, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, for the technical editing of this paper.     

Computation of periodic solutions in maximal monotone dynamical systems with guaranteed consistency

In this paper, we study a class of set-valued dynamical systems that satisfy maximal monotonicity properties. This class includes linear relay systems, linear complementarity systems, and linear mechanical systems with dry friction under some conditions. We discuss two numerical schemes based on time-stepping methods for the computation of the periodic solutions when these systems are periodically excited. We provide formal mathematical justifications for the numerical schemes in the sense of consistency, which means that the continuous-time interpolations of the numerical solutions converge to the continuous-time periodic solution when the discretization step vanishes. The two time-stepping methods are applied for the computation of the periodic solution exhibited by a power electronic converter and the corresponding methods are compared in terms of approximation accuracy and computation time.