Convergence and divergence of the Ramanujan AGM fraction

We prove that the Ramanujan AGM fraction diverges if |a|=|b| with a ²≠b ². Thereby we prove two conjectures posed by J. Borwein and R. Crandall. We also demonstrate a method for accelerating the convergence of this continued fraction when it converges.      

On a class of secant-like methods for solving nonlinear equations

We provide a semilocal convergence analysis for a certain class of secant-like methods considered also in Argyros (J Math Anal Appl 298:374–397, 2004, 2007), Potra (Libertas Mathematica 5:71–84, 1985), in order to approximate a locally unique solution of an equation in a Banach space. Using a combination of Lipschitz and center-Lipschitz conditions for the computation of the upper bounds on the inverses of the linear operators involved, instead of only Lipschitz conditions (Potra, Libertas Mathematica 5:71–84, 1985), we provide an analysis with the following advantages over the work in Potra (Libertas Mathematica 5:71–84, 1985) which improved the works in Bosarge and Falb (J Optim Theory Appl 4:156–166, 1969, Numer Math 14:264–286, 1970), Dennis (SIAM J Numer Anal 6(3):493–507, 1969, 1971), Kornstaedt (1975), Larsonen (Ann Acad Sci Fenn, A 450:1–10, 1969), Potra (L’Analyse Numérique et la Théorie de l’Approximation 8(2):203–214, 1979, Aplikace Mathematiky 26:111–120, 1981, 1982, Libertas Mathematica 5:71–84, 1985), Potra and Pták (Math Scand 46:236–250, 1980, Numer Func Anal Optim 2(1):107–120, 1980), Schmidt (Period Math Hung 9(3):241–247, 1978), Schmidt and Schwetlick (Computing 3:215–226, 1968), Traub (1964), Wolfe (Numer Math 31:153–174, 1978): larger convergence domain; weaker sufficient convergence conditions, finer error bounds on the distances involved, and a more precise information on the location of the solution. Numerical examples further validating the results are also provided.     

A convergence analysis for directional two-step Newton methods

We present a Kantorovich-type semilocal convergence analysis of the Newton–Josephy method for solving a certain class of variational inequalities. By using a combination of Lipschitz and center-Lipschitz conditions, and our new idea of recurrent functions, we provide an analysis with the following advantages over the earlier works (Wang 2009, Wang and Shen, Appl Math Mech 25:1291–1297, 2004) (under the same or less computational cost): weaker sufficient convergence conditions, larger convergence domain, finer error bounds on the distances involved, and an at least as precise information on the location of the solution.     

Extending the applicability of the Gauss–Newton method under average Lipschitz–type conditions

We extend the applicability of the Gauss–Newton method for solving singular systems of equations under the notions of average Lipschitz–type conditions introduced recently in Li et al. (J Complex 26(3):268–295, 2010). Using our idea of recurrent functions, we provide a tighter local as well as semilocal convergence analysis for the Gauss–Newton method than in Li et al. (J Complex 26(3):268–295, 2010) who recently extended and improved earlier results (Hu et al. J Comput Appl Math 219:110–122, 2008; Li et al. Comput Math Appl 47:1057–1067, 2004; Wang Math Comput 68(255):169–186, 1999). We also note that our results are obtained under weaker or the same hypotheses as in Li et al. (J Complex 26(3):268–295, 2010). Applications to some special cases of Kantorovich–type conditions are also provided in this study.     

One-dimensional chemotaxis kinetic model

In this paper, we study a variation of the equations of a chemotaxis kinetic model and investigate it in one dimension. In fact, we use fractional diffusion for the chemoattractant in the Othmar–Dunbar–Alt system (Othmer in J Math Biol 26(3):263–298, 1988). This version was exhibited in Calvez in Amer Math Soc, pp 45–62, 2007 for the macroscopic well-known Keller–Segel model in all space dimensions. These two macroscopic and kinetic models are related as mentioned in Bournaveas, Ann Inst H Poincaré Anal Non Linéaire, 26(5):1871–1895, 2009, Chalub, Math Models Methods Appl Sci, 16(7 suppl):1173–1197, 2006, Chalub, Monatsh Math, 142(1–2):123–141, 2004, Chalub, Port Math (NS), 63(2):227–250, 2006. The model we study here behaves in a similar way to the original model in two dimensions with the spherical symmetry assumption on the initial data which is described in Bournaveas, Ann Inst H Poincaré Anal Non Linéaire, 26(5):1871–1895, 2009. We prove the existence and uniqueness of solutions for this model, as well as a convergence result for a family of numerical schemes. The advantage of this model is that numerical simulations can be easily done especially to track the blow-up phenomenon.     

A Fréchet derivative-free cubically convergent method for set-valued maps

We introduce a new iterative method in order to approximate a locally unique solution of variational inclusions in Banach spaces. The method uses only divided differences operators of order one. An existence–convergence theorem and a radius of convergence are given under some conditions on divided difference operator and Lipschitz-like continuity property of set-valued mappings. Our method extends the recent work related to the resolution of nonlinear equation in Argyros (J Math Anal Appl 332:97–108, 2007) and has the following advantages: faster convergence to the solution than all the previous known ones in Argyros and Hilout (Appl Math Comput, 2008 in press), Hilout (J Math Anal Appl 339:53–761, 2008, Positivity 10:673–700, 2006), and we do not need to evaluate any Fréchet derivative. We provide also an improvement of the ratio of our algorithm under some center-conditions and less computational cost. Numerical examples are also provided.      

Multi-step nonlinear conjugate gradient methods for unconstrained minimization

Conjugate gradient methods are appealing for large scale nonlinear optimization problems, because they avoid the storage of matrices. Recently, seeking fast convergence of these methods, Dai and Liao (Appl. Math. Optim. 43:87–101, 2001) proposed a conjugate gradient method based on the secant condition of quasi-Newton methods, and later Yabe and Takano (Comput. Optim. Appl. 28:203–225, 2004) proposed another conjugate gradient method based on the modified secant condition. In this paper, we make use of a multi-step secant condition given by Ford and Moghrabi (Optim. Methods Softw. 2:357–370, 1993; J. Comput. Appl. Math. 50:305–323, 1994) and propose two new conjugate gradient methods based on this condition. The methods are shown to be globally convergent under certain assumptions. Numerical results are reported.     

On the convergence of Newton-type methods under mild differentiability conditions

We introduce the new idea of recurrent functions to provide a new semilocal convergence analysis for Newton-type methods, under mild differentiability conditions. It turns out that our sufficient convergence conditions are weaker, and the error bounds are tighter than in earlier studies in some interesting cases (Chen, Ann Inst Stat Math 42:387–401, 1990; Chen, Numer Funct Anal Optim 10:37–48, 1989; Cianciaruso, Numer Funct Anal Optim 24:713–723, 2003; Cianciaruso, Nonlinear Funct Anal Appl 2009; Dennis 1971; Deuflhard 2004; Deuflhard, SIAM J Numer Anal 16:1–10, 1979; Gutiérrez, J Comput Appl Math 79:131–145, 1997; Hernández, J Optim Theory Appl 109:631–648, 2001; Hernández, J Comput Appl Math 115:245–254, 2000; Huang, J Comput Appl Math 47:211–217, 1993; Kantorovich 1982; Miel, Numer Math 33:391–396, 1979; Miel, Math Comput 34:185–202, 1980; Moret, Computing 33:65–73, 1984; Potra, Libertas Mathematica 5:71–84, 1985; Rheinboldt, SIAM J Numer Anal 5:42–63, 1968; Yamamoto, Numer Math 51: 545–557, 1987; Zabrejko, Numer Funct Anal Optim 9:671–684, 1987; Zinc̆ko 1963). Applications and numerical examples, involving a nonlinear integral equation of Chandrasekhar-type, and a differential equation are also provided in this study.     

Efficient three-step iterative methods with sixth order convergence for nonlinear equations

In this paper, we present two new three-step iterative methods for solving nonlinear equations with sixth convergence order. The new methods are obtained by composing known methods of third order of convergence with Newton’s method and using an adequate approximation for the derivative, that provides high order of convergence and reduces the required number of functional evaluations per step. The first method is obtained from Potra-Pták’s method and the second one, from Homeier’s method, both reaching an efficiency index of 1.5651. Our methods are comparable with the method of Parhi and Gupta (Appl Math Comput 203:50–55, 2008). Methods proposed by Kou and Li (Appl Math Comput 189:1816–1821, 2007), Wang et al. (Appl Math Comput 204:14–19, 2008) and Chun (Appl Math Comput 190:1432–1437, 2007) reach the same efficiency index, although they start from a fourth order method while we use third order methods and simpler arithmetics. We prove the convergence results and check them with several numerical tests that allow us to compare the convergence order, the computational cost and the efficiency order of our methods with those of the original methods.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">π</Emphasis>-formulas implied by Dougall’s summation theorem for <Subscript>5</Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">F</Emphasis><Subscript>4</Subscript>-series

The general summation theorem for well-poised ₅ F ₄-series discovered by Dougall (Proc. Edinb. Math. Soc. 25:114–132, 1907) is shown to imply several infinite series of Ramanujan-type for 1/π and 1/π ², including those due to Bauer (J. Reine Angew. Math. 56:101–121, 1859) and Glaisher (Q. J. Math. 37:173–198, 1905) as well as some recent ones by Levrie (Ramanujan J. 22:221–230, 2010).     

On characters and formal degrees of discrete series of affine Hecke algebras of classical types

We address two fundamental questions in the representation theory of affine Hecke algebras of classical types. One is an inductive algorithm to compute characters of tempered modules, and the other is the determination of the constants in the formal degrees of discrete series (in the form conjectured by Reeder (J. Reine Angew. Math. 520:37–93, 2000)). The former is completely different from the Lusztig-Shoji algorithm (Shoji in Invent. Math. 74:239–267, 1983; Lusztig in Ann. Math. 131:355–408, 1990), and it is more effective in a number of cases. The main idea in our proof is to introduce a new family of representations which behave like tempered modules, but for which it is easier to analyze the effect of parameter specializations. Our proof also requires a comparison of the C ^∗-theoretic results of Opdam, Delorme, Slooten, Solleveld (J. Inst. Math. Jussieu 3:531–648, 2004; ; Int. Math. Res. Not., 2008; Adv. Math. 220:1549–1601, 2009; Acta Math. 205:105–187, 2010), and the geometric construction from Kato (Duke Math. J. 148:305–371, 2009; Am. J. Math. 133:518–553, 2011), Ciubotaru and Kato (Adv. Math. 226:1538–1590, 2011).     

Convergence rate of McCormick relaxations

Theory for the convergence order of the convex relaxations by McCormick (Math Program 10(1):147–175, 1976) for factorable functions is developed. Convergence rules are established for the addition, multiplication and composition operations. The convergence order is considered both in terms of pointwise convergence and of convergence in the Hausdorff metric. The convergence order of the composite function depends on the convergence order of the relaxations of the factors. No improvement in the order of convergence compared to that of the underlying bound calculation, e.g., via interval extensions, can be guaranteed unless the relaxations of the factors have pointwise convergence of high order. The McCormick relaxations are compared with the αBB relaxations by Floudas and coworkers (J Chem Phys, 1992, J Glob Optim, 1995, 1996), which guarantee quadratic convergence. Illustrative and numerical examples are given.     

Axioms for Sequential Convergence

It is of general knowledge that those (ultra)filter convergence relations coming from a topology can be characterized by two natural axioms. However, the situation changes considerable when moving to sequential spaces. In case of unique limit points Kisyński (Colloq Math 7:205–211, 1959/1960) obtained a result for sequential convergence similar to the one for ultrafilters, but the general case seems more difficult to deal with. Finally, the problem was solved by Koutnik (Closure and topological sequential convergence. In: Convergence Structures 1984 (Bechyně, 1984). Math. Res., vol. 24, pp. 199–204. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin, 1985). In this paper we present an alternative approach to this problem. Our goal is to find a characterization more closely related to the case of ultrafilter convergence. We extend then the result to characterize sequential convergence relations corresponding to Fréchet topologies, as well to those corresponding to pretopological spaces.      

On Ramanujan’s large argument formula for the Gamma function

The aim of this paper is to improve some approximation formulas of Ramanujan type discussed by E.A. Karatsuba [J. Comput. Appl. Math. 135 (2001), 225–240].     

Convergence of the Law of the Environment Seen by the Particle for Directed Polymers in Random Media in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis><Superscript>2</Superscript> Region

We consider the model of directed polymers in an i.i.d. Gaussian or bounded environment (Imbrie and Spencer in J. Stat. Phys. 52(3/4), 609–626, 1988; Carmona and Hu in Probab. Theory Relat. Fields 124(3), 431–457, 2002; Comets et al. in Adv. Stud. Pure Math. 39, 115–142, 2004) in the L ² region. We prove the convergence of the law of the environment seen by the particle.     

Generalized Qualification and Qualification Levels for Spectral Regularization Methods

The concept of qualification for spectral regularization methods (SRM) for inverse ill-posed problems is strongly associated to the optimal order of convergence of the regularization error (Engl et al. in Regularization of inverse problems. Mathematics and its applications, vol. 375, Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, 1996; Mathé in SIAM J. Numer. Anal. 42(3):968–973, 2004; Mathé and Pereverzev in Inverse Probl. 19(3):789–803, 2003; Vainikko in USSR Comput. Math. Math. Phys. 22(3): 1–19, 1982). In this article, the definition of qualification is extended and three different levels are introduced: weak, strong and optimal. It is shown that the weak qualification extends the definition introduced by Mathé and Pereverzev (Inverse Probl. 19(3):789–803, 2003), mainly in the sense that the functions associated with orders of convergence and source sets need not be the same. It is shown that certain methods possessing infinite classical qualification (e.g. truncated singular value decomposition (TSVD), Landweber’s method and Showalter’s method) also have generalized qualification leading to an optimal order of convergence of the regularization error. Sufficient conditions for a SRM to have weak qualification are provided and necessary and sufficient conditions for a given order of convergence to be strong or optimal qualification are found. Examples of all three qualification levels are provided and the relationships between them as well as with the classical concept of qualification and the qualification introduced in Mathé and Pereverzev (Inverse Probl. 19(3):789–803, 2003) are shown. In particular, SRMs having extended qualification in each one of the three levels and having zero or infinite classical qualification are presented. Finally, several implications of this theory in the context of orders of convergence, converse results and maximal source sets for inverse ill-posed problems, are shown. This work was supported by DARPA/SPO, NASA LaRC and the National Institute of Aerospace under Grant VT-03-1, 2535, by AFOSR Grants F49620-03-1-0243 and FA9550-07-1-0273, by Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CONICET, and by Universidad Nacional del Litoral, U.N.L., Argentina, through Project CAI+D 2006, P.E. 236.     

On some new general theorems for the explicit evaluations of Ramanujan’s remarkable product of theta-functions

On pages 338 and 339 in his first notebook (Notebooks (2 volumes), [1957]), Ramanujan records eighteen values for a certain product of theta-functions. All these have been proved by B.C. Berndt, H.H. Chan and L.-C. Zhang (Proc. Edinburg Math. Soc. 40:583–612, [1997]). The main purpose of this paper is to establish some new general theorems for the explicit evaluations of Ramanujan’s product of theta-functions and some new explicit evaluations there from.      

On Ulm’s method using divided differences of order one

We provide new sufficient convergence conditions for the semilocal convergence of Ulm’s method (Tzv Akad Nauk Est SSR 16:403–411, 1967) in order to approximate a locally unique solution of an equation in a Banach space setting. We show that in some cases, our hypotheses hold true but the corresponding ones in Burmeister (Z Angew Math Mech 52:101–110, 1972), Kornstaedt (Aequ Math 13:21–45, 1975), Moser (1973), and Potra and Pták (Cas Pest Mat 108:333–341, 1983) do not. We also show that under the same hypotheses and computational cost, finer error bounds can be obtained. Some error bounds are also shown to be sharp. Numerical examples are also provided further validating the results.     

Recurrence relations for semilocal convergence of a fifth-order method in Banach spaces

In this paper, we study the semilocal convergence for a fifth-order method for solving nonlinear equations in Banach spaces. The semilocal convergence of this method is established by using recurrence relations. We prove an existence-uniqueness theorem and give a priori error bounds which demonstrates the R-order of the method. As compared with the Jarratt method in Hernández and Salanova (Southwest J Pure Appl Math 1:29–40, 1999) and the Multi-super-Halley method in Wang et al. (Numer Algorithms 56:497–516, 2011), the differentiability conditions of the convergence of the method in this paper are mild and the R-order is improved. Finally, we give some numerical applications to demonstrate our approach.     

Γ-convergence of Variational Integrators for Constrained Systems

For a physical system described by a motion in an energy landscape under holonomic constraints, we study the Γ-convergence of variational integrators to the corresponding continuum action functional and the convergence properties of solutions of the discrete Euler–Lagrange equations to stationary points of the continuum problem. This extends the results in Müller and Ortiz (J. Nonlinear Sci. 14:279–296, 2004) to constrained systems. The convergence result is illustrated with examples of mass point systems and flexible multibody dynamics.