Surgery diagrams for horizontal contact structures

We describe Legendrian surgery diagrams for some horizontal contact structures on non-positive plumbing trees of oriented circle bundles over spheres with negative Euler numbers. As an application we determine Milnor fillable contact structures on some Milnor fillable 3-manifolds.     

Energy-momentum schemes for large deformation contact problems

Dynamic contact problems in elasticity are dealt with in the framework of nonlinear finite element methods. A new energymomentum conserving time-stepping scheme for the mortar contact formulation is presented. The proposed method relies on a reparametrization of the contact constraints in terms of specific invariants. For the time discretisation of the contact forces emanating from the mortar formulation the notion of a discrete gradient is applied. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

T-splines discretizations for large deformation contact problems

A T-spline-based isogeometric analysis is applied to frictional contact problems between deformable bodies in the context of large deformations. The continuum is discretized with cubic T-splines and cubic NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines) for comparison purposes. A Gauss-point-to-surface (GPTS) formulation is combined with the penalty method to treat the normal and friction contact constraints in the discretized setting. It is demonstrated that the proposed formulation combined with analysis-suitable T-spline interpolations, is a computationally accurate and efficient technology for local and global solutions of contact problems. T-spline analysis models are generated using commercially available T-spline modeling software without intermediate mesh generation or geometry clean-up steps. (© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A stochastic model allowing interaction among individuals and its behavior for large populations

An important aspect of many societal and institutional processes is the way in which the involved individuals interact. Motivated by work of Conlisk (1976) we formulate a model which allows such interaction among a finite number of individuals. Conditions are established under which our model converges to an approximation suggested by Conlisk as the population becomes infinite.     

Projective structures and contact forms

Centre de Physique Théorique CNRS, France. Translated from Funktsional'nyi Analiz i Ego Prilozheniya, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 47–60, July–September, 1994.     

Tight contact structures via dynamics

We consider the problem of realizing tight contact structures on closed orientable three-manifolds. By applying the theorems of Hofer et al., one may deduce tightness from dynamical properties of (Reeb) flows transverse to the contact structure. We detail how two classical constructions, Dehn surgery and branched covering, may be performed on dynamically-constrained links in such a way as to preserve a transverse tight contact structure.

     

Open book decompositions for contact structures on Brieskorn manifolds

In this paper, we give an open book decomposition for the contact structures on some Brieskorn manifolds, in particular for the contact structures of Ustilovsky. The decomposition uses right-handed Dehn twists as conjectured by Giroux.

     

A nonlinear programming approach for the sliding mode control design

We treat the sliding mode control problem by formulating it as a two phase problem consisting of reaching and sliding phases. We show that such a problem can be formulated as bicriteria nonlinear programming problem by associating each of these phases with an appropriate objective function and constraints. We then scalarize this problem by taking weighted sum of these objective functions. We show that by solving a sequence of such formulated nonlinear programming problems it is possible to obtain sliding mode controller feedback coefficients which yield a competitive performance throughout the control. We solve the nonlinear programming problems so constructed by using the modified subgradient method which does not require any convexity and differentiability assumptions. We illustrate validity of our approach by generating a sliding mode control input function for stabilization of an inverted pendulum.     

Phase-field approach to fracture for finite-deformation contact problems

The present contribution deals with a variationally consistent Mortar contact algorithm applied to a phase-field fracture approach for finite deformations, see [4]. A phase-field approach to fracture allows for the numerical simulation of complex fracture patterns for three dimensional problems, extended recently to finite deformations (see [2] for more details). In a nutshell, the phase-field approach relies on a regularization of the sharp (fracture-) interface. In order to improve the accuracy, a fourth-order Cahn-Hilliard phase-field equation is considered, requiring global C¹ continuity (see [1]), which will be dealt with using an isogeometrical analysis (IGA) framework. Additionally, a newly developed hierarchical refinement scheme is applied to resolve for local physical phenomena e.g. the contact zone (see [3] for more details). The Mortar method is a modern and very accurate numerical method to implement contact boundaries. This approach can be extended in a straightforward manner to transient phase-field fracture problems. The performance of the proposed methods will be examined in a representative numerical example. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Finite derivation type for large ideals

In this paper we give a partial answer to the following question: does a large subsemigroup of a semigroup S with the finite combinatorial property finite derivation type (FDT) also have the same property? A positive answer is given for large ideals. As a consequence of this statement we prove that, given a finitely presented Rees matrix semigroup M[S;I,J;P], the semigroup S has FDT if and only if so does M[S;I,J;P].     

Instanton Floer homology and contact structures

We define an invariant of contact 3-manifolds with convex boundary using Kronheimer and Mrowka’s sutured instanton Floer homology theory. This is the first invariant of contact manifolds—with or without boundary—defined in the instanton Floer setting. We prove that our invariant vanishes for overtwisted contact structures and is nonzero for contact manifolds with boundary which embed into Stein fillable contact manifolds. Moreover, we propose a strategy by which our contact invariant might be used to relate the fundamental group of a closed contact 3-manifold to properties of its Stein fillings. Our construction is inspired by a reformulation of a similar invariant in the monopole Floer setting defined by Baldwin and Sivek (arXiv:1403.1930, 2014).     

Non-linear dynamic contact of thin-walled structures

In many areas of mechanical engineering contact problems of thin–walled structures play a crucial role. Car crash tests and incremental sheet metal forming can be named as examples. But also in civil engineering, for instance when determining the moment–rotation characteristics of a bolted beam–column joint, contact occurs. Effective simulation of these and other contact problems, especially in three–dimensional non–linear implicit structural mechanic is still a challenging task. Modelling of those problems needs a robust method, which takes the thin–walled character and dynamic effects into account. We use a segment–to–segment approach for discretization of the contact and introduce Lagrange Multipliers, which physically represent the contact pressure. The geometric impenetrability condition is formulated in a weak, integral sense. Choosing dual shape functions for the interpolation of the Lagrange Multipliers, we obtain decoupled nodal constraint conditions. Combining this with an active set strategy, an elimination of the Lagrange multipliers is easily possible, so that the size of the resulting system of equations remains constant. Discretization in time is done with the implicit Generalized-α Method and the Generalized Energy–Momentum Method. Using the “Velocity–Update” Method, the total energy is conserved for frictionless contact. Various examples show the performance of the presented strategies. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Tight contact structures on solid tori

In this paper we study properties of tight contact structures on solid tori. In particular we discuss ways of distinguishing two solid tori with tight contact structures. We also give examples of unusual tight contact structures on solid tori.

We prove the existence of a -valued and a -valued invariant of a closed solid torus. We call them the self-linking number and the rotation number respectively. We then extend these definitions to the case of an open solid torus. We show that these invariants exhibit certain monotonicity properties with respect to inclusion. We also prove a number of results which give sufficient conditions for two solid tori to be contactomorphic.

At the same time we discuss various ways of constructing a tight contact structure on a solid torus. We then produce examples of solid tori with tight contact structures and calculate self-linking and rotation numbers for these tori. These examples show that the invariants we defined do not give a complete classification of tight contact structure on open solid tori.

At the end, we construct a family of tight contact structure on a solid torus such that the induced contact structure on a finite-sheeted cover of that solid torus is no longer tight. This answers negatively a question asked by Eliashberg in 1990. We also give an example of tight contact structure on an open solid torus which cannot be contactly embedded into a sphere with the standard contact structure, another example of unexpected behavior.

     

Leader-follower strategy via a sliding mode approach

In this paper, the decision making problem in continuoustime dynamic systems is considered for the situation with two decision makers and a hierarchical decision structure. The leader-follower strategy is studied. To implement the leader's strategy, we propose to use a sliding mode approach, which allows the leader to constrain the state of the system within some manifold of the state space and forces the follower to choose the strategy preferable for the leader. The corresponding sliding manifolds are derived from the classical variational problem formulation for a class of systems whose right-hand side is affine with respect to the two control inputs. Numerical examples are considered with simulations to illustrate the technique.The authors wish to express their thanks to Dr. Vadim Utkin for his helpful discussions.     

Level set based multi-scale methods for large deformation contact problems

We consider the numerical simulation of contact problems in elasticity with large deformations. The non-penetration condition is described by means of a signed distance function to the obstacle's boundary. Techniques from level set methods allow for an appropriate numerical approximation of the signed distance function preserving its non-smooth character. The emerging non-convex optimization problem subject to non-smooth inequality constraints is solved by a non-smooth multiscale SQP method in combination with a non-smooth multigrid method as interior solver. Several examples in three space dimensions including applications in biomechanics illustrate the capability of our methods.     

A finite element approach for modelling hip joint contact

In this contribution a finite element model for the three dimensional investigation of hip joint contact is described. A shell-like interface element with variable thickness is developed for modelling fluid flow in the synovial gap. For this purpose the Taylor-Hood element is extended in order to take a spatial thickness distribution and local thickness changes into account. The interaction between the synovial fluid and the cartilage layers is solved by a staggered iteration using an artificial compressibility method. Cartilage is modelled using the theory of porous media and three dimensional geometries are reconstructed from medical imaging data. (© 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Implementation of the Nitsche approach for various contact kinematics

Numerical approaches are in case of contact problems mainly dealing with additional terms enforcing constraints. Within the Nitsche approach the inclusion of constraints for the non-penetration and equilibrium of stresses of the contacting bodies is carried out in a fully variational sense. Taking into account a specific choice and the physical meaning of the encountered Lagrange multipliers two different schemes for the Nitsche formulation are obtained. Both types of the Nitsche approach are implemented in a nonlinear element and verification with numerical examples is done. (© 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)