Homotopy classification of braided graded categorical groups

For any group G, a certain cohomology theory of G-modules is developed. This cohomology arises from the homotopy theory of G-spaces and it is called the “abelian cohomology of G-modules”. Then, as the main results of this paper, natural one-to-one correspondences between elements of the 3^rd cohomology groups of G-modules, G-equivariant pointed simply-connected homotopy 3-types and equivalence classes of braided G-graded categorical groups are established. The relationship among all these objects with equivariant quadratic functions between G-modules is also discussed.     

Rational homotopy theory and differential graded category

We propose a generalization of Sullivan’s de Rham homotopy theory to non-simply connected spaces. The formulation is such that the real homotopy type of a manifold should be the closed tensor dg-category of flat bundles on it much the same as the real homotopy type of a simply connected manifold is the de Rham algebra in original Sullivan’s theory. We prove the existence of a model category structure on the category of small closed tensor dg-categories and as a most simple case, confirm an equivalence between the homotopy category of spaces whose fundamental groups are finite and whose higher homotopy groups are finite dimensional rational vector spaces and the homotopy category of small closed tensor dg-categories satisfying certain conditions.     

Estimating conjectural variations for electricity market models

Agents’ behavior in oligopolistic markets has traditionally been represented by equilibrium models. Recently, several approaches based on conjectural variations equilibrium models have been proposed for representing agents’ behavior in electrical power markets. These models provide insight of market equilibrium sensitivity to agents’ strategies and external variables, and therefore, they are widely applied. Unfortunately, not enough analysis has been done in how these user-supplied parameters, the conjectural variations, should be estimated. This paper proposes a parameter inference procedure based on two stages. The first stage infers historical values of the parameter by fitting the models’ results to historical market data. The second stage is based on a statistical time-series model whose objective is to forecast parameter values in future scenarios. Additionally, results of this procedure’s application to a real-size case are presented.     

A scaling and energy equality preserving approximation for the 3D Navier-Stokes equations in the finite energy case

We discuss a new model (inspired by the work of Vishik and Fursikov) approximating the 3D Navier-Stokes equations, which preserves the scaling as in the Navier-Stokes equations and thus allows the study of self-similar solutions. Using some energy estimates and Leray’s limiting process, we show the existence of a solution of this model in the finite energy case, and the energy equality and inequality fulfilled by it. This approximation can be shown to converge to the Navier-Stokes equations using a mild approach based on the approximated pressure, and the solution satisfies Scheffer’s local energy inequality, an essential tool for proving Caffarelli, Kohn and Nirenberg’s regularity criterion. We also give a partial result of self-similarity satisfied by the approximated solution in the infinite energy case.     

Nerves of bicategories as stratified simplicial sets

In this paper, we aim to move towards a definition of weak n-category akin to Street’s definition of weak ω-category. This will be accomplished in dimension 1 directly and in dimension 2 by comparison with work of Duskin. In particular, we discuss the relationship between certain weak complicial sets and Duskin’s n-dimensional Postnikov complexes.     

Formulations and Benders decomposition algorithms for multidepot salesmen problems with load balancing

This paper describes new models and exact solution algorithms for the fixed destination multidepot salesmen problem defined on a graph with n nodes where the number of nodes each salesman is to visit is restricted to be in a predefined range. Such problems arise when the time to visit a node takes considerably longer as compared to the time of travel between nodes, in which case the number of nodes visited in a salesman’s tour is the determinant of their ‘load’. The new models are novel multicommodity flow formulations with O(n²) binary variables, which is contrary to the existing formulations for the same (and similar) problems that typically include O(n³) binary variables. The paper also describes Benders decomposition algorithms based on the new formulations for solving the problem exactly. Results of the computational experiments on instances derived from TSPLIB show that some of the proposed algorithms perform remarkably well in cases where formulations solved by a state-of-the-art optimization code fail to yield optimal solutions within reasonable computation time.     

Pseudogroups and their étale groupoids

A pseudogroup is a complete infinitely distributive inverse monoid. Such inverse monoids bear the same relationship to classical pseudogroups of transformations as frames do to topological spaces. The goal of this paper is to develop the theory of pseudogroups motivated by applications to group theory, C^∗$C^{\ast }$-algebras and aperiodic tilings. Our starting point is an adjunction between a category of pseudogroups and a category of étale groupoids from which we are able to set up a duality between spatial pseudogroups and sober étale groupoids. As a corollary to this duality, we deduce a non-commutative version of Stone duality involving what we call boolean inverse semigroups and boolean étale groupoids, as well as a generalization of this duality to distributive inverse semigroups. Non-commutative Stone duality has important applications in the theory of C^∗$C^{\ast }$-algebras: it is the basis for the construction of Cuntz and Cuntz–Krieger algebras and in the case of the Cuntz algebras it can also be used to construct the Thompson groups. We then define coverages on inverse semigroups and the resulting presentations of pseudogroups. As applications, we show that Paterson’s universal groupoid is an example of a booleanization, and reconcile Exel’s recent work on the theory of tight maps with the work of the second author.     

Comparison of three semiparametric methods for estimating dependence parameters in copula models

Three semiparametric methods for estimating dependence parameters in copula models are compared, namely maximum pseudo-likelihood estimation and the two method-of-moment approaches based on the inversion of Spearman’s rho and Kendall’s tau. For each of these three asymptotically normal estimators, an estimator of their asymptotic (co)variance is stated in three different situations, namely the bivariate one-parameter case, the multivariate one-parameter case and the multivariate multiparameter case. An extensive Monte Carlo study is carried out to compare the finite-sample performance of the three estimators under consideration in these three situations. In the one-parameter case, it involves up to six bivariate and four-variate copula families, and up to five levels of dependence. In the multiparameter case, attention is restricted to trivariate and four-variate normal and t copulas. The maximum pseudo-likelihood estimator appears as the best choice in terms of mean square error in all situations except for small and weakly dependent samples. It is followed by the method-of-moment estimator based on Kendall’s tau, which overall appears to be significantly better than its analogue based on Spearman’s rho. The simulation results are complemented by asymptotic relative efficiency calculations. The numerical computation of Spearman’s rho, Kendall’s tau and their derivatives in the case of copula families for which explicit expressions are not available is also investigated.     

Coordinated decisions for substitutable products in a common retailer supply chain

This paper studies coordination mechanisms in a supply chain which consists of two suppliers with capacity uncertainties selling differential yet substitutable products through a common retailer who faces price-sensitive random demand of these two products. We develop in a noncompetitive setting three coordination models – revenue sharing, return policy, and combination of revenue sharing and return policy – and contrast them with a basic and uncoordinated model. We are able to establish the ordinal relationship among the retailer’s ordering and pricing decisions and analytically compare the performances between certain models when two suppliers are identical. We find that the retailer’s ordering and pricing decisions in the model with return policy in the case of identical suppliers are independent of demand or supply uncertainty. Our numerical results reveal that the performances of coordination models in the case of nonidentical suppliers resemble those in the case of identical suppliers. We find that the retailer will place a larger order quantity in models where her average cost per unit sold is smaller. We also find that product substitutability and uncertainties have different effects on chain performances.     

Homotopy fiber sequences induced by 2-functors

This paper contains some contributions to the study of the relationship between 2-categories and the homotopy types of their classifying spaces. Mainly, generalizations are given of both Quillen’s Theorem B and Thomason’s Homotopy Colimit Theorem to 2-functors.     

Optimal production and shipment models for a single-vendor–single-buyer integrated system

This paper develops a more general production-inventory model for a single-vendor–single-buyer integrated system. Unlike the hitherto existing production-inventory models for the vendor–buyer system, the present model neither requires the buyer’s unit holding cost greater than the vendor’s nor assumes the structure of shipment policy. Secondly, the model is extended to the situation with shortages permitted, based on shortages being allowed to occur only for the buyer. Thirdly, the paper also presents a corresponding production-inventory model for a deteriorating item for the integrated system. The solution procedures are provided for finding the optimal production and shipment policies and illustrated with numerical examples. Three significant insights are shown: (1) no matter whether the buyer’s unit holding cost is greater than the vendor’s or not, the present model always performs best in reducing the average total cost as compared to the hitherto existing models; (2) if the buyer’s unit holding cost is less than the vendor’s, the optimal shipment policy for the integrated system will only comprise shipments with successive shipment sizes increasing by a fixed factor. It is different from that obtained by Hill [Hill, R.M., 1999. The optimal production and shipment policy for the single-vendor single-buyer integrated production-inventory problem. International Journal of Production Research 37, 2463–2475] for the opposite case; (3) when designing a single-vendor–single-buyer integrated system, making the buyer’s unit holding cost lower than the vendor’s is more beneficial to the system if shortages are not permitted to occur; otherwise it just reverses.     

Local Solarity of Suns in Normed Linear Spaces

The paper is concerned with solarity of intersections of suns with bars (in particular, with closed balls and extreme hyperstrips) in normed linear spaces. A sun in a finite-dimensional (BM)-space (in particular, in ? ¹(n)) is shown to be monotone path connected. A nonempty intersection of an m-connected set (in particular, a sun in a two-dimensional space or in a finite-dimensional (BM)-space) with a bar is shown to be a monotone path-connected sun. Similar results are obtained for boundedly compact subsets of infinite-dimensional spaces. A nonempty intersection of a monotone path-connected subset of a normed space with a bar is shown to be a monotone path-connected α-sun.     

On extremum properties of orthogonal quotients matrices

In this paper we explore the extremum properties of orthogonal quotients matrices. The orthogonal quotients equality that we prove expresses the Frobenius norm of a difference between two matrices as a difference between the norms of two matrices. This turns the Eckart-Young minimum norm problem into an equivalent maximum norm problem. The symmetric version of this equality involves traces of matrices, and adds new insight into Ky Fan’s extremum problems. A comparison of the two cases reveals a remarkable similarity between the Eckart-Young theorem and Ky Fan’s maximum principle. Returning to orthogonal quotients matrices we derive “rectangular” extensions of Ky Fan’s extremum principles, which consider maximizing (or minimizing) sums of powers of singular values.     

Enumeration of bilaterally symmetric 3-noncrossing partitions

Schützenberger’s theorem for the ordinary RSK correspondence naturally extends to Chen et al.’s correspondence for matchings and partitions. Thus the counting of bilaterally symmetric k-noncrossing partitions naturally arises as an analogue for involutions. In obtaining the analogous result for 3-noncrossing partitions, we use a different technique to develop a Maple package for 2-dimensional vacillating lattice walk enumeration problems. The package also applies to the hesitating case. As applications, we find several interesting relations for some special bilaterally symmetric partitions.     

Normal Hopf subalgebras of semisimple Drinfeld doubles

In this paper we study normal Hopf subalgebras of a semisimple Drinfeld double. This is realized by considering an analogue of Goursat’s lemma concerning fusion subcategories of Deligne products of two fusion categories. As an application we show that the Drinfeld double of any abelian extension is also an abelian extension.     

A pathway from Bayesian statistical analysis to superstatistics

Superstatistics and Tsallis statistics in statistical mechanics are given an interpretation in terms of Bayesian statistical analysis. Subsequently superstatistics is extended by replacing each component of the conditional and marginal densities by Mathai’s pathway model and further both components are replaced by Mathai’s pathway models. This produces a wide class of mathematically and statistically interesting functions for prospective applications in statistical physics. It is pointed out that the final integral is a particular case of a general class of integrals introduced by the authors earlier. Those integrals are also connected to Krätzel integrals in applied analysis, inverse Gaussian densities in stochastic processes, reaction rate integrals in the theory of nuclear astrophysics and Tsallis statistics in nonextensive statistical mechanics. The final results are obtained in terms of Fox’s H-function. Matrix variate analogue of one significant specific case is also pointed out.     

Sum rules for hitting times of Markov chains

Using matrix algebra we obtain a general equation for the sum, normalized with suitable constants, of all the expected hitting times in an ergodic Markov chain. This equation yields as corollaries, among others, Broder and Karlin’s formula, Foster’s nth formula and an expression of the Kirchhoff index in terms of the eigenvalues of the Laplacian.     

有限个任意小同胚连接区域的性质

本文给出了一个条件,证明了在此条件下任意小同胚连接区域是道路连通的．     

L-stable Simpson’s 3/8 rule and Burgers’ equation

In this paper we develop an unconditionally stable third order time integration formula for the diffusion equation with Neumann boundary condition. We use a suitable arithmetic average approximation and explicit backward Euler formula and then develop a third order L-stable Simpson’s 3/8 type formula. We also observe that the arithmetic average approximation is not unique. Then L-stable Simpson’s 3/8 type formula and Hopf-Cole transformation is used to solve Burger’s equation with Dirichlet boundary condition. It is also observed that this numerical method deals efficiently in case of inconsistencies in initial and boundary conditions.