Topological Persistence for Circle-Valued Maps

We study circle-valued maps and consider the persistence of the homology of their fibers. The outcome is a finite collection of computable invariants which answer the basic questions on persistence and in addition encode the topology of the source space and its relevant subspaces. Unlike persistence of real-valued maps, circle-valued maps enjoy a different class of invariants called Jordan cells in addition to bar codes. We establish a relation between the homology of the source space and of its relevant subspaces with these invariants and provide a new algorithm to compute these invariants from an input matrix that encodes a circle-valued map on an input simplicial complex.     

Partial regularity for harmonic maps of evolution into spheres

We consider the global Cauchy problem for generalized Kirchhoff equations with small non-linear terms or small data. We solve this problem in the space of functions which are twice differentiable with respect to time coordinate and uniformly analytic with respect to other coordinates. We determine, in two different situations, estimates of lifespan of solutions for some problems with perturbations and we give stability result of the solution for small perturbations.     

On the integrability and perturbation of three-dimensional fluid flows with symmetry

Summary The purpose of this paper is to develop analytical methods for studyingparticle paths in a class of three-dimensional incompressible fluid flows. In this paper we study three-dimensionalvolume preserving vector fields that are invariant under the action of a one-parameter symmetry group whose infinitesimal generator is autonomous and volume-preserving. We show that there exists a coordinate system in which the vector field assumes a simple form. In particular, the evolution of two of the coordinates is governed by a time-dependent, one-degree-of-freedom Hamiltonian system with the evolution of the remaining coordinate being governed by a first-order differential equation that depends only on the other two coordinates and time. The new coordinates depend only on the symmetry group of the vector field. Therefore they arefield-independent. The coordinate transformation is constructive. If the vector field is time-independent, then it possesses an integral of motion. Moreover, we show that the system can be further reduced toaction-angle-angle coordinates. These are analogous to the familiar action-angle variables from Hamiltonian mechanics and are quite useful for perturbative studies of the class of systems we consider. In fact, we show how our coordinate transformation puts us in a position to apply recent extensions of the Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser (KAM) theorem for three-dimensional, volume-preserving maps as well as three-dimensional versions of Melnikov's method. We discuss the integrability of the class of flows considered, and draw an analogy with Clebsch variables in fluid mechanics.     

On optimal probabilities in stochastic coordinate descent methods

We propose and analyze a new parallel coordinate descent method—NSync—in which at each iteration a random subset of coordinates is updated, in parallel, allowing for the subsets to be chosen using an arbitrary probability law. This is the first method of this type. We derive convergence rates under a strong convexity assumption, and comment on how to assign probabilities to the sets to optimize the bound. The complexity and practical performance of the method can outperform its uniform variant by an order of magnitude. Surprisingly, the strategy of updating a single randomly selected coordinate per iteration—with optimal probabilities—may require less iterations, both in theory and practice, than the strategy of updating all coordinates at every iteration.     

Vendor managed inventory contracts – coordinating the supply chain while looking from the vendor’s perspective

The paper studies coordination of a supply chain when the inventory is managed by the vendor (VMI). We also provide a general mathematical framework that can be used to analyze contracts under both retailer managed inventory (RMI) and VMI. Using a simple newsvendor scenario with a single vendor and single retailer, we study five popular coordinating supply chain contracts: buyback, quantity flexibility, quantity discount, sales rebate, and revenue sharing contracts. We analyze the ability of these contracts to coordinate the supply chain under VMI when the vendor freely decides the quantity. We find that even though all of them coordinate under RMI, quantity flexibility and sales rebate contracts do not generally coordinate under VMI. Furthermore, buyback and revenue sharing contracts are equivalent. Hence, we propose two new contracts which coordinate under VMI (one of which coordinates under RMI too, provided a well-known assumption holds). Finally, we extend our analysis to consider multiple independent retailers with the vendor incurring linear or convex production cost, and show that our results are qualitatively unchanged.     

Exploratory data analysis for interval compositional data

Compositional data are considered as data where relative contributions of parts on a whole, conveyed by (log-)ratios between them, are essential for the analysis. In Symbolic Data Analysis (SDA), we are in the framework of interval data when elements are characterized by variables whose values are intervals on \(\mathbb {R}\) representing inherent variability. In this paper, we address the special problem of the analysis of interval compositions, i.e., when the interval data are obtained by the aggregation of compositions. It is assumed that the interval information is represented by the respective midpoints and ranges, and both sources of information are considered as compositions. In this context, we introduce the representation of interval data as three-way data. In the framework of the log-ratio approach from compositional data analysis, it is outlined how interval compositions can be treated in an exploratory context. The goal of the analysis is to represent the compositions by coordinates which are interpretable in terms of the original compositional parts. This is achieved by summarizing all relative information (logratios) about each part into one coordinate from the coordinate system. Based on an example from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), several possibilities for an exploratory data analysis approach for interval compositions are outlined and investigated.     

Accelerated reference systems in AdS space

We consider reference systems of uniformly accelerated observers in anti-de Sitter space. We construct coordinate transformations for the transition from an inertial reference system to a uniformly accelerated reference system for all acceleration values, both greater and less than critical. The basis for the construction are the Beltrami coordinates, natural coordinates for describing a uniformly accelerated motion because geodesics in anti-de Sitter space in these coordinates become straight lines, i.e., can be described by linear functions. Because translations of space–time coordinates in anti-de Sitter space are non-Abelian, a nontrivial problem of defining the comoving inertial reference system arises. Constructing the coordinate system of an accelerated observer using this auxiliary comoving inertial reference system requires additional transformations that not only equalize the velocities of the two systems but also equalize the system origins. The presence of a critical acceleration in anti-de Sitter space leads to a difference in explicit expressions in passing to an accelerated coordinate system for accelerations greater and less than critical.     

On the optimal coding of one class of vector functions

We consider the problem of coding of parametrically defined vector functions by continuous functionals which act on their coordinate functions. We obtain the optimal method for coding some class of vector functions. In the linear case, we show the relation between this method and the informativeness of functionals with respect to the class of coordinate functions. Institute of Mathematics, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Kiev. Translated from Ukrainskii Matematicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 49, No. 12, pp. 1638–1645, December, 1997.     

Orthogonal curvilinear coordinate systems corresponding to singular spectral curves

We study the limiting case of the Krichever construction of orthogonal curvilinear coordinate systems when the spectral curve becomes singular. We show that when the curve is reducible and all its irreducible components are rational curves, the construction procedure reduces to solving systems of linear equations and to simple computations with elementary functions. We also demonstrate how well-known coordinate systems, such as polar coordinates, cylindrical coordinates, and spherical coordinates in Euclidean spaces, fit in this scheme. Published in Russian in Trudy Matematicheskogo Instituta imeni V.A. Steklova, 2006, Vol. 255, pp. 180–196.     

Barycentric coordinates for convex sets

In this paper we provide an extension of barycentric coordinates from simplices to arbitrary convex sets. Barycentric coordinates over convex 2D polygons have found numerous applications in various fields as they allow smooth interpolation of data located on vertices. However, no explicit formulation valid for arbitrary convex polytopes has been proposed to extend this interpolation in higher dimensions. Moreover, there has been no attempt to extend these functions into the continuous domain, where barycentric coordinates are related to Green’s functions and construct functions that satisfy a boundary value problem. First, we review the properties and construction of barycentric coordinates in the discrete domain for convex polytopes. Next, we show how these concepts extend into the continuous domain to yield barycentric coordinates for continuous functions. We then provide a proof that our functions satisfy all the desirable properties of barycentric coordinates in arbitrary dimensions. Finally, we provide an example of constructing such barycentric functions over regions bounded by parametric curves and show how they can be used to perform freeform deformations.      

Iteration complexity analysis of block coordinate descent methods

In this paper, we provide a unified iteration complexity analysis for a family of general block coordinate descent methods, covering popular methods such as the block coordinate gradient descent and the block coordinate proximal gradient, under various different coordinate update rules. We unify these algorithms under the so-called block successive upper-bound minimization (BSUM) framework, and show that for a broad class of multi-block nonsmooth convex problems, all algorithms covered by the BSUM framework achieve a global sublinear iteration complexity of \(\mathcal{{O}}(1/r)\), where r is the iteration index. Moreover, for the case of block coordinate minimization where each block is minimized exactly, we establish the sublinear convergence rate of O(1/r) without per block strong convexity assumption.     

On the Parameter Identification Problem in the Plane and the Polar Fractal Interpolation Functions

Fractal interpolation functions provide a new means for fitting experimental data and their graphs can be used to approximate natural scenes. We first determine the conditions that a vertical scaling factor must obey to model effectively an arbitrary function. We then introduce polar fractal interpolation functions as one fractal interpolation method of a non-affine character. Thus, this method may be suitable for a wider range of applications than that of the affine case. The interpolation takes place in polar coordinates and then with an inverse non-affine transformation a simple closed curve arises as an attractor which interpolates the data in the usual plane coordinates. Finally, we prove that this attractor has the same Hausdorff dimension as the polar one.     

On the controllability of Lagrangian systems by active constraints

We consider a mechanical system which is controlled by means of moving constraints. Namely, we assume that some of the coordinates can be directly assigned as functions of time by implementing frictionless constraints. This leads to a system of ODE's whose right hand side depends quadratically on the time derivative of the control. In this paper we introduce a simplified dynamics, described by a differential inclusion. We prove that every trajectory of the differential inclusion can be uniformly approximated by a trajectory of the original system, on a sufficiently large time interval, starting at rest. Under a somewhat stronger assumption, we show this second trajectory reaches exactly the same terminal point.     

Lifting the j-invariant: Questions of Mazur and Tate

In this paper we analyze the j-invariant of the canonical lifting of an elliptic curve as a Witt vector. We show that its coordinates are rational functions on the j-invariant of the elliptic curve in characteristic p. In particular, we prove that the second coordinate is always regular at j=0 and j=1728, even when those correspond to supersingular values. A proof is given which yields a new proof for some results of Kaneko and Zagier about the modular polynomial.     

Regularity Results for the Spherically Symmetric Einstein–Vlasov System

The spherically symmetric Einstein–Vlasov system is considered in Schwarzschild coordinates and in maximal-isotropic coordinates. An open problem is the issue of global existence for initial data without size restrictions. The main purpose of the present work is to propose a method of approach for general initial data, which improves the regularity of the terms that need to be estimated compared to previous methods. We prove that global existence holds outside the center in both these coordinate systems. In the Schwarzschild case we improve the bound on the momentum support obtained in Rein et al. (Commun Math Phys 168:467–478, 1995) for compact initial data. The improvement implies that we can admit non-compact data with both ingoing and outgoing matter. This extends one of the results in Andréasson and Rein (Math Proc Camb Phil Soc 149:173–188, 2010). In particular our method avoids the difficult task of treating the pointwise matter terms. Furthermore, we show that singularities never form in Schwarzschild time for ingoing matter as long as 3m ≤ r. This removes an additional assumption made in Andréasson (Indiana Univ Math J 56:523–552, 2007). Our result in maximal-isotropic coordinates is analogous to the result in Rendall (Banach Center Publ 41:35–68, 1997), but our method is different and it improves the regularity of the terms that need to be estimated for proving global existence in general.     

Invariance property of proximity conditions in nonlinear subdivision

Proximity conditions are used extensively in the analysis of smoothness and approximation order properties of subdivision schemes for manifold-valued data. While these properties under question are independent of choice of coordinates on the manifold, it is not known whether the proximity condition itself is invariant under arbitrary change of coordinates. In this note, we answer this question to the affirmative, i.e. we prove that the proximity condition is satisfied in one coordinate system if and only if it is satisfied in any other coordinate system. In passing, we prove a connection between the general proximity condition and an alternate proximity condition used in the interpolatory case. This interpolatory proximity condition also enjoys the same invariance under change of coordinates.     

黎曼流形上的法坐標

<正> 1952年P.Hartman和A.Wintner建立了下述定理:設連續函數E(u,ν),F(u,ν),G(u,ν)在點(0,0)的鄰域內满足條件     

Erratum: Betweenness Centralization for Bipartite Graphs

We address two related issues. First, we analyze the effects of risk preferences on cooperation in social dilemmas. Second, we compare social dilemmas in which outcomes represent gains with dilemmas where outcomes represent losses. We show that predictions on gain‐loss asymmetries with respect to conditions for cooperation crucially depend on assumptions concerning risk preferences. Under the assumption of risk aversion for gains as well as losses together with an assumption of decreasing absolute risk aversion, conditions for cooperation are less restrictive if outcomes represent losses than if outcomes represent gains. Conversely ‐ and counterintuitively ‐ under the assumption of S‐shaped utility, conditions for cooperation are more restrictive if outcomes represent losses than if outcomes represent gains. We provide an experimental test of such predictions. Only a minority of subjects behaves consistent with the assumption of S‐shaped utility. Furthermore, we find no empirical evidence for a general difference between cooperation in social dilemmas in which outcomes represent gains and dilemmas where outcomes represent losses. We do find evidence that risk preferences affect cooperation rates.     

Asymptotic computation for transient heat conduction performance of periodic porous materials in curvilinear coordinates by the second‐order two‐scale method

A novel second‐order two‐scale (SOTS) analysis method is developed for predicting the transient heat conduction performance of porous materials with periodic configurations in curvilinear coordinates. Under proper coordinate transformations, some non‐periodic porous structures in Cartesian coordinates can be transformed into periodic structures in general curvilinear coordinates, which is our particular interest in this study. The SOTS asymptotic expansion formulas for computing the temperature field of transient heat conduction problem in curvilinear coordinates are constructed, some coordinate transformations are discussed, and the related SOTS formulas are given. The feature of this asymptotic model is that each of the cell functions defined in the periodic cell domain is associated with the macroscopic coordinates and the homogenized material coefficients varies continuously in the macroscopic domain behaving like the functional gradient material. Finally, the corresponding SOTS finite element algorithms are brought forward, and some numerical examples are given in detail. The numerical results demonstrate that the SOTS method proposed in this paper is valid to predict transient heat conduction performance of porous materials with periodicity in curvilinear coordinates. By proper coordinate transformations, the SOTS asymptotic analysis method can be extended to more general non‐periodic porous structures in Cartesian coordinates. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.