Estimates of the asphericity of sections of convex bodies

We define the function (n, k) to be the infimum of all such that any bounded centrally symmetric convex body inR ⁿ possesses an -asphericalk-dimensional central section. It is proved that (3, 2)=2–1 and (n, n-1)n-1-1. Several related functions are defined and their values on the pairs (n, n-1) are estimated.Translated from Ukrainskií Geometricheskií Sbornik, Issue 28, 1985, pp. 76–79.     

Efficiency and the uniform linear minorization of convex functions

LetX be a Banach space, and let {f _i:iI} be a family of proper lower semicontinuous convex functions defined onX, each of whose epigraphs meets a fixed bound subset ofX×. We say that {f _i:iI} is uniformly linearly minorized if there exists a positive scalar such that for alliI andxX, we havef _i(x)–(1+x). We present two very different characterizations of uniform linear minorization for such a family. Using one of these, we show that either strong or weak epi-convergence of a sequence of convex functions at some point in the effective domain of the limit implies, uniform linear minorization for the entire sequence.With 1 Figure     

Lower semicontinuity of attractors of gradient systems and applications

Summary For 0₀, let T(t), t0, be a family of semigroups on a Banach space X with local attractors A. Under the assumptions that T₀(t) is a gradient system with hyperbolic equilibria and T(t) converges to T₀(t) in an appropriate sense, it is shown that the attractors {A, 0₀} are lower-semicontinuous at zero. Applications are given to ordinary and functional differential equations, parabolic partial differential equations and their space and time discretizations. We also give an estimate of the Hausdorff distance between A and A₀, in some examples.Research supported by U.S. Army Research Office DAAL-03-86-K-0074 and the National Science Foundation DMS-8507056.     

Homogenization of a Singularly Perturbed Parabolic Problem in a Thick Periodic Junction of the Type 3:2:1

We prove a convergence theorem and obtain asymptotic (as 0) estimates for a solution of a parabolic initial boundary-value problem in a junction that consists of a domain ₀ and a large number N ² of -periodically located thin cylinders whose thickness is of order = O(N ^–1).     

The maximum size of a convex polygon in a restricted set of points in the plane

Assume we havek points in general position in the plane such that the ratio between the maximum distance of any pair of points to the minimum distance of any pair of points is at mostk, for some positive constant. We show that there exist at leastk ^1/4 of these points which are the vertices of a convex polygon, for some positive constant=(). On the other hand, we show that for every fixed>0, ifk>k(), then there is a set ofk points in the plane for which the above ratio is at most 4k, which does not contain a convex polygon of more thank ^1/3+ vertices.The work of the first author was supported in part by the Allon Fellowship, by the Bat Sheva de Rothschild Foundation, by the Fund for Basic Research administered by the Israel Academy of Sciences, and by the Center for Absorbtion in Science. Work by the second author was supported by the Technion V. P.R. Fund, Grant No. 100-0679. The third author's work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canada, and the joint project Combinatorial Optimization of the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Canada, and the German Research Association (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, SFB 303).     

Shift invariant spaces inL 2

If is a complex, separable Hilbert space, letL ² () denote theL ²-space of functions defined on the unit circle and having values in . The bilateral shift onL ²() is the operator (U f)()=f(). A Hilbert spaceH iscontractively contained in the Hilbert spaceK ifHK and the inclusion mapH–K is a contraction. We describe the structure of those Hilbert spaces, contractively contained inL ²(), that are carried into themselves contractively byU . We also do this for the subcase of those spaces which are carried into themselves unitarily byU .     

Homothetic floating bodies

We show that a convex bodyK in ⁿ is homothetic to an ellipsoid if there is a sequence { _k }k converging to 0 so thatK is homothetic to its floating bodiesK _k.Supported by NSF grant DMS-9108003.     

On the sums of a family of Kapteyn series

The series ₁ n ^r–1 J _n (n)J _n (n) (r 0, 0 < 1) arise in studying the emission and absorption of radiation by a charged particle on a Kepler orbit. For the first few even,r, the sums are obtained in closed form, and for oddr they are given in terms of a certain definite integral. The integral is expressed as a power series in for ||<1, and, near =1, an asymptotic expansion in powers of (1–²)^1/2 may be obtained.

---

Résumé La série ₁ n ^r–1 J _n (n)J _n (n) (r 0, 0 < 1) se trouve par l'émission et l'absorption du rayonnement d'une particule chargée sur l'orbite Keplerien. Pour les plus petites valuers paires der, les sommes s'obtienment en forme compacte, et pour les valuers impaires, elles se déterminent d'après une intégrale definie. Pour ||<1, cette intégrale se développe dans une série de puissances de , et dans le voisinage de =1, on obtient une série asymptotique et puissances de (1–²)^1/2.

     

Epsilon efficiency

This paper considers the extension of -optimality for scalar problems to vector maximization problems, or efficiency problems, which havem objective functions defined on a set .It is shown that the natural extension of the scalar -optimality concepts [viz, given >0, given a solution setS, ifxS there exists an efficient solutiony with f(x)–f(y), and given an efficient solutiony, there exists anxS with f(x)–f(y)] do not hold for some methods used. Six concepts of -efficient sets are introduced and examined, to a very limited extent, in the context of five methods used for generating efficient points or near efficient points.In doing so, a distinction is drawn between methods in which the surrogate optimizations are carried out exactly, and those where terminal -optimal solutions are obtained.The author would like to thank the referees whose thoroughness was extremely helpful for the revised paper.     

Higher order methods for a singularly perturbed problem

Summary A finite element method using piecewise polynomials of degree k is used to approximate the problem u+u=f, >0 a small parameter. A very irregular mesh is used. On this mesh error estimates of order0(h ^k+1) are obtained uniformly in ,h the maximum stepsize, fork2. The condition number of the system of linear equations one has to solve in order to get the approximation is estimated. Extension of the results to more complicated problems is briefly indicated. Finally, a numerical example is given.Work performed while visiting the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, N.Y.     

ε-Enlargements of Maximal Monotone Operators in Banach Spaces

Given a maximal monotone operator T in a Banach space, we consider an enlargement T, in which monotonicity is lost up to , in a very similar way to the -subdifferential of a convex function. We establish in this general framework some theoretical properties of T, like a transportation formula, local Lipschitz continuity, local boundedness, and a Brøndsted–Rockafellar property.     

Constraint decomposition algorithms in global optimization

Many global optimization problems can be formulated in the form min{c(x, y): x X, y Y, (x, y) Z, y G} where X, Y are polytopes in ^p , ⁿ , respectively, Z is a closed convex set in ^p+n, while G is the complement of an open convex set in ⁿ . The function c: ^p+n is assumed to be linear. Using the fact that the nonconvex constraints depend only upon they-variables, we modify and combine basic global optimization techniques such that some new decomposition methods result which involve global optimization procedures only in ⁿ . Computational experiments show that the resulting algorithms work well for problems with smalln.     

Range of the posterior probability of an interval for priors with unimodality preserving contaminations

Range of the posterior probability of an interval over the -contamination class ={=(1–)₀+q:qQ} is derived. Here, ₀ is the elicited prior which is assumed unimodal, is the amount of uncertainty in ₀, andQ is the set of all probability densitiesq for which =(1–)₀+q is unimodal with the same mode as that of ₀. We show that the sup (resp. inf) of the posterior probability of an interval is attained by a prior which is equal to (1–)₀ except in one interval (resp. two disjoint intervals) where it is constant.     

Convergence of the Gradient Projection Method for Generalized Convex Minimization

This paper develops convergence theory of the gradient projection method by Calamai and Moré (Math. Programming, vol. 39, 93–116, 1987) which, for minimizing a continuously differentiable optimization problem min{f(x) : x } where is a nonempty closed convex set, generates a sequence x_k+1 = P(x_k – _k f(x_k)) where the stepsize _k > 0 is chosen suitably. It is shown that, when f(x) is a pseudo-convex (quasi-convex) function, this method has strong convergence results: either x_k x^* and x^* is a minimizer (stationary point); or x_k arg min{f(x) : x } = , and f(x_k) inf{f(x) : x }.     

On Localization and Stabilization for Factorization Systems

If (, M)is a factorization system on a category C, we define new classes of maps as follows: a map f:AB is in if each of its pullbacks lies in (that is, if it is stably in ), and is in M ^* if some pullback of it along an effective descent map lies in M(that is, if it is locally in M). We find necessary and sufficient conditions for (, M ^*) to be another factorization system, and show that a number of interesting factorization systems arise in this way. We further make the connexion with Galois theory, where M ^*is the class of coverings; and include self-contained modern accounts of factorization systems, descent theory, and Galois theory.     

Factorization intok-dimensional linear bijections

LetV be a vector space,k withkdimV andS _k{GL(V)|dimV(–1)=k}. ThenS _k generates GL _f (V){GL(V)|V(-1) is finite-dimensional} (with the exception that dimV=2=k and the field is GF2). We study the length problem in GL _f (V) withS _k as set of generators.     

Homogenization and concentrated capacity for the heat equation with non-linear variational data in reticular almost disconnected structures and applications to visual transduction

Out of a right, circular cylinder of height H and cross-section a disc of radius R+ one removes a stack of nH/ parallel, equi-spaced cylinders C_j,j=1,2,...,n, each of radius R and height . Here , are fixed positive numbers and is a positive parameter to be allowed to go to zero. The union of the C_j almost fills in the sense that any two contiguous cylinders C_j are at a mutual distance of the order of and that the outer shell, i.e., the gap S=-_o has thickness of the order of (_o is obtained from by formally setting =0). The cylinder from which the C_j are removed, is an almost disconnected structure, it is denoted by , and it arises in the mathematical theory of phototransduction.For each >0 we consider the heat equation in the almost disconnected structure , for the unknown function u, with variational boundary data on the faces of the removed cylinders C_j. The limit of this family of problems as 0 is computed by concentrating heat capacity and diffusivity on the outer shell, and by homogenizing the u within the limiting cylinder _o.It is shown that the limiting problem consists of an interior diffusion in _o and a boundary diffusion on the lateral boundary S of _o. The interior diffusion is governed by the 2-dimensional heat equation in _o, for an interior limiting function u. The boundary diffusion is governed by the Laplace–Beltrami heat equation on S, for a boundary limiting function u_S. Moreover the exterior flux of the interior limit u provides the source term for the boundary diffusion on S. Finally the interior limit u, computed on S in the sense of the traces, coincides with the boundary limit u_S. As a consequence of the geometry of , local arguments do not suffice to prove convergence in _o, and also we have to take into account the behavior of the solution in S. A key, novel idea consists in extending equi-bounded and equi-Hölder continuous functions in -dependent domains, into equi-bounded and equi-Hölder continuous functions in the whole ^N, by means of the Kirzbraun–Pucci extension technique.The biological origin of this problem is traced, and its application to signal transduction in the retina rod cells of vertebrates is discussed. Mathematics Subject Classification (2000) 35B27, 35K50, 92C37     

Approximation by linear methods of summation of orthogonal series

We give an estimate of the rapidity of convergence of certain linear means of the orthogonal series _k =0 c_{k k} (x) to the functionf (x) L₂ (a, b) defined by this series according to the Riesz-Fisher theorem for almost all x (a, b). The results obtained are, in a certain sense, final.Translated from Matematicheskie Zametki, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 345–356, March, 1968.     

Spectral parameter asymptotics of the Weyl solutions of Sturm-Liouville equations

In the paper one investigates the dependence of Weyl's solution ,)=c(,)+n()s(,) of the Sturm-Liouville equation y+q()y=²y on the spectral parameter . Under the condition that the potential q is bounded from below and q()exp(c₀+c[in1 ¦¦), it is proved for {ie217-01} for any positive values and A. If q()>1 and {ie217-02} for all >0, then in the semiplane >0 the Weyl solution (, ) is obtained from the Weyl solution (,x) is obtained from the Weyl solution e^ix with zero potential, with the aid of a generalization of B. Ya Levin's transformation operators.Translated from Zapiski Nauchnykh Seminarov Leningradskogo Otdeleniya Matematicheskogo Instituta im. V. A. Steklova Akademii Nauk SSSR, Vol. 170, pp. 184–206, 1989.I express my sincere gratitude to L. A. Pastur and I. V. Ostrovskii for valuable advice and discussions.     

How to approximate the solutions of certain free boundary problems for the Laplace equation by using the contraction principle

We show how the free boundary of an ideal fluid, subject to a generalized Bernoulli condition, can (under appropriate circumstances) be approximated. Our method is based on a class of free-boundary perturbation operatorsT , 0<<1, which are all contracting relative to a suitable norm and class of boundaries, and whose fixed points converge to the desired free boundary solution as 0+.

---

Zusammenfassung Wir zeigen, wie der freie Rand einer idealen Flüssigkeit, welcher einer verallgemeinerten Bernoulli-Bedingung genügt, unter geeigneten Umständen approximiert werden kann. Unsere Methode stützt sich auf eine Klasse freier RandperturbationsoperatorenT , 0<<1, welche relativ zu einer geeigneten Norm und Ränderklasse kontrahierend sind und deren Fixpunkte gegen die gewünschte Lösung der freien Randaufgabe mit 0+ konvergieren.