From “You have to have three numbers and a plus sign” to “It’s the exact same thing”: K–1 students learn to think relationally about equations

This research shares progressions in thinking about equations and the equal sign observed in ten students who took part in an early algebra classroom intervention across Kindergarten and first grade. We report on data from task-based interviews conducted prior to the intervention and at the conclusion of each school year that elicited students’ interpretations of the equal sign and equations of various forms. We found at the beginning of the intervention that most students viewed the equal sign as an operational symbol and did not accept many equations forms as valid. By the end of first grade, almost all students described the symbol as indicating the equivalence of two amounts and were much more successful interpreting and working with equations in a variety of forms. The progressions we observed align with those of other researchers and provide evidence that very young students can learn to reason flexibly about equations.     

Boundary Value Problems for Ordinary Differential Equations with Deviated Arguments

We discuss differential equations with nonlinear boundary conditions. We formulate sufficient conditions under which problems with deviating arguments have quasisolutions or solutions. To obtain the results, we apply the method of monotone iterations.     

Sign properties of Green's functions for disconjugate dynamic equations on time scales

This paper continues the development of disconjugacy of higher order dynamic equations on time scales. Two-point conjugate type boundary value problems for general disconjugate dynamic equations on time scales are studied and the sign properties of associated Green's functions are established. As expected, the results unify known results from the theories of ordinary differential equations and finite difference equations.     

Multiplicative asymptotics of solutions of the first boundary value problem on a half-axis for a parabolic equation with a small parameter

In this work we consider the first boundary value problem for a parabolic equation of second order with a small parameter on a half-axis (i.e., we consider the one-dimensional case). We take the zero initial condition. We construct the global (that is, the caustic points are taken into account) asymptotics of a solution for the boundary value problem. The asymptotic solution of this problem has a different structure depending on the sign of the coefficient (the drift coefficient) at the derivative of first order at a boundary point. The constructed asymptotic solutions are justified.     

Existence and Comparison Results for Difference φ-Laplacian Boundary Value Problems with Lower and Upper Solutions in Reverse Order

This paper is devoted to the study of the existence and comparison results for nonlinear difference φ-Laplacian problems with mixed, Dirichlet, Neumann, and periodic boundary value conditions. We deduce existence of extremal solutions of periodic and Neumann boundary value problems lying between a pair of lower and upper solutions given in reverse order. We prove the optimality of some assumptions in φ.     

Equation structure and the meaning of the equal sign: The impact of task selection in eliciting elementary students’ understandings

This paper reports results from a written assessment given to 290 third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students prior to any instructional intervention. We share and discuss students’ responses to items addressing their understanding of equation structure and the meaning of the equal sign. We found that many students held an operational conception of the equal sign and had difficulty recognizing underlying structure in arithmetic equations. Some students, however, were able to recognize underlying structure on particular tasks. Our findings can inform early algebra efforts by highlighting the prevalence of the operational view and by identifying tasks that have the potential to help students begin to think about equations in a structural way at the very beginning of their early algebra experiences.     

Maximum principles and nonexistence results for radial solutions to equations involving p‐Laplacian

We obtain the variant of maximum principle for radial solutions of, possibly singular, p‐harmonic equations of the form as well as for solutions of the related ODE. We show that for the considered class of equations local maxima of |w| form a monotone sequence in |x| and constant sign solutions are monotone. The results are applied to nonexistence and nonlinear eigenvalue problems. We generalize our previous work for the case h≡0. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solvability of three point boundary value problems for second order differential equations with deviating arguments

The monotone iterative technique is used to boundary problems for second order ordinary differential equations with deviating arguments. Corresponding results are formulated when the problem has extremal solutions or weakly coupled extremal quasi-solutions.     

Dynamic programming in stochastic control of systems with delay

We consider optimal control problems for systems described by stochastic differential equations with delay (SDDE). We prove a version of Bellman's principle of optimality (the dynamic programming principle) for a general class of such problems. That the class in general means that both the dynamics and the cost depends on the past in a general way. As an application, we study systems where the value function depends on the past only through some weighted average. For such systems we obtain a Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman partial differential equation that the value function must solve if it is smooth enough. The weak uniqueness of the SDDEs we consider is our main tool in proving the result. Notions of strong and weak uniqueness for SDDEs are introduced, and we prove that strong uniqueness implies weak uniqueness, just as for ordinary stochastic differential equations.     

On optimal investment with processes of long or negative memory

We consider the problem of utility maximization for investors with power utility functions. Building on the earlier work Larsen et al. (2016), we prove that the value of the problem is a Fréchet-differentiable function of the drift of the price process, provided that this drift lies in a suitable Banach space.We then study optimal investment problems with non-Markovian driving processes. In such models there is no hope to get a formula for the achievable maximal utility. Applying results of the first part of the paper we provide first order expansions for certain problems involving fractional Brownian motion either in the drift or in the volatility. We also point out how asymptotic results can be derived for models with strong mean reversion.     

Multiple and sign‐changing solutions for the multivalued p ‐Laplacian equation

We consider a class of elliptic inclusions under Dirichlet boundary conditions involving multifunctions of Clarke's generalized gradient. Under conditions given in terms of the first eigenvalue as well as the Fu?ik spectrum of the p ‐Laplacian we prove the existence of a positive, a negative and a sign‐changing solution. Our approach is based on variational methods for nonsmooth functionals (nonsmooth critical point theory, second deformation lemma), and comparison principles for multivalued elliptic problems. In particular, the existence of extremal constant‐sign solutions plays a key role in the proof of sign‐changing solutions (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On the dynamics of equations with infinite delay

We consider a system of ordinary differential equations with infinite delay. We study large time dynamics in the phase space of functions with an exponentially decaying weight. The existence of an exponential attractor is proved under the abstract assumption that the right-hand side is Lipschitz continuous. The dimension of the attractor is explicitly estimated. Research supported by the project LC06052 of the Czech Ministry of Education.     

Principal Eigenvalues for Generalised Indefinite Robin Problems

We consider the principal eigenvalue of generalised Robin boundary value problems on non-smooth domains, where the zero order coefficient of the boundary operator is negative or changes sign. We provide conditions so that the related eigenvalue problem has a principal eigenvalue. We work with the framework involving measure data on the boundary due to Arendt and Warma (Potential Anal 19:341–363, 2003). Examples of simple domains with cusps are used to illustrate all possible phenomena.     

二阶完全非线性蜕化抛物方程

本文研究了一个空间变量的二阶完全非线性蜕化抛物方程ｕｔ＝Ｆ（ｕｘｘ，ｕｘ，ｘ，ｔ）的第一边值问题。在仅要求Ｆ及其一阶导数满足结构条件的情形，给出了蜕化问题连续解的存在唯一性。这个工作将渗流方程的结果推广到非常一般的情形。     

Optimal portfolio selection for general provisioning and terminal wealth problems

In Dhaene et al. (2005), multiperiod portfolio selection problems are discussed, using an analytical approach to find optimal constant mix investment strategies in a provisioning or a savings context. In this paper we extend some of these results, investigating some specific, real-life situations. The problems that we consider in the first section of this paper are general in the sense that they allow for liabilities that can be both positive or negative, as opposed to Dhaene et al. (2005), where all liabilities have to be of the same sign. Secondly, we generalize portfolio selection problems to the case where a minimal return requirement is imposed. We derive an intuitive formula that can be used in provisioning and terminal wealth problems as a constraint on the admissible investment portfolios, in order to guarantee a minimal annualized return. We apply our results to optimal portfolio selection.     

Bounds on the local bases of primitive nonpowerful nearly reducible sign patterns

In this work, we study the kth local base, which is a generalization of the base, of a primitive non-powerful nearly reducible sign pattern of order n ≥ 7. We obtain the sharp bound together with a complete characterization of the equality case, of the kth local bases for primitive non-powerful nearly reducible sign patterns. We also show that there exist “gaps” in the kth local base set of primitive non-powerful nearly reducible sign patterns.     

Opérateurs différentiels linéaires à coefficients constants et schémas de Hilbert ponctuels

We use algebraic methods to study systems of linear partial differential equations with constant coefficients. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Mountain pass theorem in order intervals and multiple solutions for semilinear elliptic Dirichlet problems

In this paper, we prove a mountain pass theorem in order intervals in which the position of the mountain pass point is given precisely in terms of the order structure. By using this result and constructing special flows, we deal with the existence of multiple solutions and sign-changing solutions for the following classes of elliptic Dirichlet boundary value problems: (1) nonlinear terms have concave property near zero and have superlinear but subcritical growth at infinity; (2) nonlinear terms are of the formh(x)f(u), withh(x) changing sign; (3) the asymptotically linear case. We obtain several new existence results of nodal solutions and give more comparable relations among the positive, negative and sign-changing solutions obtained. Our method is set up in an abstract setting and should be useful in other problems. Dedicated to P.H. Rabinowitz on the occasion of his 60th birthday This work was carried out while the first author was visiting Utah State University. He acknowledges the support from a NSF grant of the U.S.A. and from the Chinese National Science Foundation. Supported in part by a NSF grant.     

On the discontinuous second‐order deviated Dirichlet problem with non‐monotone conditions

We provide a new result on the existence of extremal solutions for second‐order Dirichlet problems with deviation argument. As a novelty in this work, the nonlinearity need not be continuous or monotone. In order to obtain this new result, we use a generalized monotone method coupled with lower and upper solutions.     

Second Order Scalar Functional Differential Equations with Piecewise Constant Arguments

The study of functional differential equations with piecewise constant arguments usually results in a study of certain related difference equations. In this paper we consider certain neutral functional differential equations of this type and the associated difference equations. We give conditions under which such equations with almost periodic time dependence will have unique almost periodic solutions, and for certain autonomous cases, we obtain certain stability results and also conditions for chaotic behavior of solutions. We are particularly concerned with such equations which are partially discretized versions of non-forced Duffing equations.