A coupled multivalued model for ice streams and its numerical simulation

^** Email: nati{at}dma.uvigo.es^*** Email: durany{at}dma.uvigo.es^**** Email: anaisabel.munoz{at}urjc.es^***** Email: emanuele.schiavi{at}urjc.es^****** Email: carlosv{at}udc.es This paper deals with the numerical solution of a non-linearmodel describing a free-boundary problem arising in modern glaciology.Considering a shallow, viscous ice sheet flow along a soft,deformable bed, a coupled non-linear system of differentialequations can be obtained. Particularly, an obstacle problemis then deduced and solved in the framework of its complementarityformulation. We present the numerical solution of the resultingmultivalued system modelling the ice sheet non-Newtonian dynamicsdriven by the underlying drainage system. Our numerical resultsshow the existence of fast ice streams when positive wave-likeinitial conditions are considered. The solutions are numericallycomputed with a decoupling iterative method and finite-elementtechnique. A duality algorithm and a projected Gauss–Seidelmethod are the alternatives used to cope with the resultingvariational inequality while the explicit treatment, Newtonmethod or a duality method are proposed to deal with the non-linearsource term. Finally, the numerical solutions are physicallyinterpreted and some comparisons among the numerical methodsare then discussed.     

Finite element approximation of the Neumann eigenvalue problem in domains with multiple cracks

^** Email: belhach{at}poncelet.univ-metz.fr^*** Email: bucur{at}math.univ-metz.fr^**** Email: jmse{at}math.univ-metz.fr We study the Neumann–Laplacian eigenvalue problem in domainswith multiple cracks. We derive a mixed variational formulationwhich holds on the whole geometric domain (including the cracks)and implements efficient finite-element discretizations forthe computation of eigenvalues. Optimal error estimates aregiven and several numerical examples are presented, confirmingthe efficiency of the method. As applications, we numericallyinvestigate the behaviour of the low eigenvalues in domainswith a large number of cracks.     

The Z-transform and linear multistep stability

^** Email: mapjjc{at}maths.bath.ac.uk^*** Corresponding author. Email: ath{at}maths.bath.ac.uk^**** Email: hl{at}maths.bath.ac.uk This paper makes systematic use of control-theoretic methodssuch as the -transform, small-gain theorems and frequency-domainstability criteria in the analysis of the stability behaviourof linear multistep methods. Some of the results in Nevanlinna'swork are recovered and a number of new boundedness and asymptoticproperties of solutions of numerical schemes are obtained. Inparticular, we give a careful and detailed analysis of the nonlinearstability properties of strictly zero-stable methods.     

Electrical coupling in proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks: mathematical and computational modelling

^** Corresponding author. Email: wetton{at}math.ubc.ca^*** Email: Peter.Berg{at}uoit.ca^**** Email: caglara{at}uwgb.edu^***** Email: kpromisl{at}math.msu.edu^****** Email: jean.st-pierre{at}ballard.com A mathematical model describing the effects of electrical couplingof proton exchange membrane unit fuel cells through shared bipolarplates is developed. Here, the unit cells are described by simple,steady-state, 1D models appropriate for straight reactant gaschannel designs. A linear asymptotic version of the model isused to give analytic insight into the effect of the coupling,including estimates of the extent of the coupling in terms ofthe number of adjacent cells affected. An efficient numericalmethod is developed to solve the non-linear coupled system.Numerical results showing the effects on stack voltage due toa single cell with anomalous oxidant flow rate are given. Theeffects on stack performance due to end plate effects are alsogiven. It is shown that electrical coupling has a significanteffect on fuel cell performance.     

Solving parallel machines scheduling problems with sequence-dependent setup times using variable neighbourhood search

^** Corresponding author. Email: mahdi{at}dcc.ufmg.br^*** Email: martin{at}dcc.ufmg.br^**** Email: mateus{at}dcc.ufmg.br^***** Email: pardalos{at}ufl.edu Variable neighbourhood search (VNS) is a modern metaheuristicbased on systematic changes of the neighbourhood structure withina search to solve optimization problems. The aim of this paperis to propose and analyse a VNS algorithm to solve schedulingproblems with parallel machines and sequence-dependent setuptimes, which are of great importance on the industrial context.Three versions of a greedy randomized adaptive search procedurealgorithm are used to compare with the proposed VNS algorithmto highlight its advantages in terms of generality, qualityand speed for large instances.     

Post-processing with computable error bounds for the finite element approximation of a nonlinear heat conduction problem

Email: ain{at}mcs.le.ac.uk Email: D.Kelly{at}unsw.edu.au^* Email: I.Sloan{at}unsw.edu.au^** Email: swang{at}cs.curtin.edu.au It is shown how the finite element approximation of a nonlinearheat conduction problem may be post-processed to yield enhancedapproximations to the solution and the flux at any point inthe domain. Sharp computable bounds on the accuracy of the post-processedapproximations are derived. A criterion is identified for guidingadaptive refinements of the finite element discretization. Anumerical example is given illustrating the theoretical results.     

A unified framework for the numerical solution of general quadratic matrix equations

^** Email: vassilios.tsachouridis{at}ieee.org^*** Email: N.karcanias{at}city.ac.uk^**** Email: ixp{at}le.ac.uk Algebraic quadratic equations are special cases of a singlegeneralized algebraic quadratic matrix equation (GQME). Thispaper focuses on the numerical solution of the GQME using probability-1homotopy methods. A synoptic review of these methods and theirapplication to algebraic matrix equations is provided as background.A large variety of analysis and design problems in systems andcontrol are reported as special cases of the presented frameworkand some of them are illustrated via numerical examples fromthe literature.     

Finite time stability of differential inclusions

^** Email: emmanuel.moulay{at}ec-lille.fr^*** Email: wilfrid.perruquetti{at}ec-lille.fr In this paper, the problem of finite time stability is investigatedfor differential inclusion. Two sufficient conditions for finitetime stability, using a smooth Lyapunov function and a non-smoothone, are established. Then, the same idea is used to give twonecessary conditions. Examples are developed using the conceptof Krasovskii solutions for differential equation with discontinuousright-hand sides.     

A stabilized finite-element method for the Stokes problem including element and edge residuals

^** Email: raraya{at}ing-mat.udec.cl^*** Corresponding author. Email: gbarrene{at}ing-mat.udec.cl^**** Email: valentin{at}lncc.br A new stabilized finite-element method is presented for theStokes problem. The method is of a Douglas–Wang type,and includes a positive jump term controlling the residual ofthe Cauchy stress tensor on the internal edges of the triangulation.A priori error estimates are obtained in the natural norms ofthe unknowns and an a posteriori error estimator is proposed,analysed and tested through numerical experiments.     

An a posteriori error indicator for discontinuous Galerkin discretizations of H(curl)-elliptic partial differential equations

^** Email: paul.houston{at}nottingham.ac.uk^*** Corresponding author. Email: ilaria.perugia{at}unipv.it^**** Email: schoetzau{at}math.ubc.ca We introduce a residual-based a posteriori error indicator fordiscontinuous Galerkin discretizations of H(curl; )-ellipticboundary value problems that arise in eddy current models. Weshow that the indicator is both reliable and efficient withrespect to the approximation error measured in terms of a naturalenergy norm. We validate the performance of the indicator withinan adaptive mesh refinement procedure and show its asymptoticexactness for a range of test problems.     

Explicit stability conditions for time-discrete vector Lur'e-type systems

^** Email: gilmi{at}cs.bgu.ac.il^*** Email: rmedina{at}ulagos.cl Non-linear discrete-time Lur'e-type systems are considered.Explicit stability conditions are suggested. They are formulatedin terms of the determinants of characteristic polynomials.Moreover, an estimate for the region of attraction of the zerosolution is derived.     

The Helmholtz equation in a locally perturbed half-plane with passive boundary

^** Email: mduran{at}ing.puc.cl^*** Email: ignacio.muga{at}ucv.cl^**** Email: nedelec{at}cmapx.polytechnique.fr In this article, we study the existence and uniqueness of outgoingsolutions for the Helmholtz equation in locally perturbed half-planeswith passive boundary. We establish an explicit outgoing radiationcondition which is somewhat different from the usual Sommerfeld'sone due to the appearance of surface waves. We work with thehelp of Fourier analysis and a half-plane Green's function framework.This is an extended and detailed version of the previous articleDurán et al. (2005, The Helmholtz equation with impedancein a half-plane. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I, 340, 483–488).     

Error estimates for stochastic differential games: the adverse stopping case

^** Email: frederic.bonnans{at}inria.fr^*** Email: stefania.maroso{at}inria.fr^**** Email: zidani{at}ensta.fr We obtain error bounds for monotone approximation schemes ofa particular Isaacs equation. This is an extension of the theoryfor estimating errors for the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellmanequation. To obtain the upper error bound, we consider the ‘Krylovregularization’ of the Isaacs equation to build an approximatesub-solution of the scheme. To get the lower error bound, weextend the method of Barles & Jakobsen (2005, SIAM J. Numer.Anal.) which consists in introducing a switching system whosesolutions are local super-solutions of the Isaacs equation.     

A posteriori error estimates of discontinuous Galerkin methods for non-standard Volterra integro-differential equations

^** Email: jingtang{at}lsec.cc.ac.cn^*** Email: hermann{at}math.mun.ca In this paper we establish a posteriori error estimates forthe discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method applied to linear, semilinearand non-standard (non-linear) Volterra integro-differentialequations. We also present an analysis of the DG method withquadrature for the memory term. Numerical experiments basedon three integro-differential equations are used to illustratevarious aspects of the error analysis.     

A descent modified Polak-Ribiere-Polyak conjugate gradient method and its global convergence

^** Email: zl606{at}tom.com^*** Corresponding author. Email: weijunzhou{at}126.com^**** Email: dhli{at}hnu.cn In this paper, we propose a modified Polak–Ribière–Polyak(PRP) conjugate gradient method. An attractive property of theproposed method is that the direction generated by the methodis always a descent direction for the objective function. Thisproperty is independent of the line search used. Moreover, ifexact line search is used, the method reduces to the ordinaryPRP method. Under appropriate conditions, we show that the modifiedPRP method with Armijo-type line search is globally convergent.We also present extensive preliminary numerical experimentsto show the efficiency of the proposed method.     

A cell-centred finite-volume approximation for anisotropic diffusion operators on unstructured meshes in any space dimension

^** Email: eymard{at}math.univ-mlv.fr^*** Email: gallouet{at}cmi.univ-mrs.fr^**** Corresponding author. Email: herbin{at}cmi.univ-mrs.fr Finite-volume methods for problems involving second-order operatorswith full diffusion matrix can be used thanks to the definitionof a discrete gradient for piecewise constant functions on unstructuredmeshes satisfying an orthogonality condition. This discretegradient is shown to satisfy a strong convergence property forthe interpolation of regular functions, and a weak one for functionsbounded in a discrete H¹-norm. To highlight the importance ofboth properties, the convergence of the finite-volume schemefor a homogeneous Dirichlet problem with full diffusion matrixis proven, and an error estimate is provided. Numerical testsshow the actual accuracy of the method.     

Numerical stabilization of polynomial and matrix

Email: jdhan{at}sia.cn Email: zhjiang{at}sia.cn Corresponding author Email: nyy{at}sia.cn Received on March 6, 2006; Accepted on September 4, 2006 In this paper, the conception of numerical stabilization, whichis related to mantissa digits of computer and dimensions ofsystem, is described; and several strategies for the numericalstabilization of polynomial and matrix are presented.     

On a Monte Carlo method for neutron transport criticality computations

^** Email: maire{at}univ-tln.fr^*** Email: denis.talay{at}sophia.inria.fr We give a stochastic representation of the principal eigenvalueof some homogeneous neutron transport operators. Our constructionis based upon the Feynman–Kac formula for integral transportequations, and uses probabilistic techniques only. We developa Monte Carlo method for criticality computations. We numericallytest this method on various homogeneous and inhomogeneous problems,and compare our results with those obtained by standard methods.     

A thermoelastic contact problem with a phase transition

^** Email: hoemberg{at}wias-berlin.de^*** Email: khlud{at}hydro.nsc.ru We investigate a thermomechanical contact problem with phasetransitions. The system of equations consists of a quasistaticmomentum balance and a semilinear energy balance. The phasetransition is described by an ordinary differential equation.Different mechanical properties of the respective phases aretaken care of by a mixture ansatz. We prove the existence ofa weak solution and a uniqueness result, the latter only beingvalid in one space dimension.     

On a modified version of ILDM approach: asymptotic analysis based on integral manifolds

^** Email: vbykov{at}cs.bgu.ac.il^*** Email: goldfarb{at}cs.bgu.ac.il^**** Email: vladimir{at}bgumail.bgu.ac.il^***** Email: umaas{at}itt.mach.uni-karlsruhe.de Using the method of integral (invariant) manifolds, the intrinsiclow-dimensional manifolds (ILDM) method is analysed. This isa method for identifying invariant manifolds of a system's slowdynamics and has proven to be an efficient tool in modellingof laminar and turbulent combustion. It allows treating multi-scalesystems by revealing their hidden hierarchy and decomposingthe system dynamics into fast and slow motions. The performedanalysis shows that the original ILDM technique can be interpretedas one of the many possible realizations of the general framework,which is based on a special transformation of the original coordinatesin the state space. A modification of the ILDM is proposed basedon a new definition of the transformation matrix. The proposednumerical procedure is demonstrated on linear examples and highlynon-linear test problems of mathematical theory of combustionand demonstrates in some cases better performance with respectto the existing one.