Generate upper boundary vectors meeting the demand and budget for a p-commodity network with unreliable nodes

The system capacity for a single-commodity flow network is the maximum flow from the source to the sink. This paper discusses the system capacity problem for a p-commodity limited-flow network with unreliable nodes. In such a network, arcs and nodes all have several possible capacities and may fail. Different types of commodity, which are transmitted through the same network simultaneously, competes the capacities of arcs and nodes. In particular, the consumed capacity by different types of commodity varies from arcs and nodes. We first define the system capacity as a vector and then a performance index, the probability that the upper bound of the system capacity is a given pattern subject to the budget constraint, is proposed. Such a performance index can be easily computed in terms of upper boundary vectors meeting the demand and budget. A simple algorithm based on minimal cuts is thus presented to generate all upper boundary vectors. The manager can apply this performance index to measure the system capacity level for a supply-demand system.     

Stochastic decomposition in production inventory with service time

We study an (s, S) production inventory system where the processing of inventory requires a positive random amount of time. As a consequence a queue of demands is formed. Demand process is assumed to be Poisson, duration of each service and time required to add an item to the inventory when the production is on, are independent, non-identically distributed exponential random variables. We assume that no customer joins the queue when the inventory level is zero. This assumption leads to an explicit product form solution for the steady state probability vector, using a simple approach. This is despite the fact that there is a strong correlation between the lead-time (the time required to add an item into the inventory) and the number of customers waiting in the system. The technique is: combine the steady state vector of the classical M/M/1 queue and the steady state vector of a production inventory system where the service is instantaneous and no backlogs are allowed. Using a similar technique, the expected length of a production cycle is also obtained explicitly. The optimal values of S and the production switching on level s have been studied for a cost function involving the steady state system performance measures. Since we have obtained explicit expressions for the performance measures, analytic expressions have been derived for calculating the optimal values of S and s.     

On asymptotic behaviors of solutions of “almost linear” and essential nonlinear functional differential equations

In the paper the following differential equation

(0.1)     

A methodology for supporting strategy implementation based on the VSM: A case study in a Latin-American multi-national

Soft OR tools have increasingly been used to support the strategic development of companies at operational and managerial levels. However, we still lack OR applications that can be useful in dealing with the “implementation gap”, understood as the scarcity of resources available to organizations seeking to align their existing processes and structures with a new strategy. In this paper we contribute to filling that gap, describing an action research case study where we supported strategy implementation in a Latin American multinational corporation through a soft OR methodology. We enhanced the ‘Methodology to support organizational self-transformation’, inspired by the Viable System Model, with substantive improvements in data collection and analyses. Those adjustments became necessary to facilitate second order learning and agreements on required structural changes among a large number of participants. This case study contributes to the soft OR and strategy literature with insights about the promise and constraints of this soft OR methodology to collectively structure complex decisions that support organizational redesign and strategy implementation.     

Quasi-linear functional differential equations with Property A

We study oscillatory properties of solutions of a functional differential equation of the form

(0.1)     

The characterization of a class of multivariate MRA and semi-orthogonal parseval frame wavelets

Let A be a d × d expansive matrix with ∣detA∣ = 2. This paper addresses Parseval frame wavelets (PFWs) in the setting of reducing subspaces of L²(R^d). We prove that all semi-orthogonal PFWs (semi-orthogonal MRA PFWs) are precisely the ones with their dimension functions being non-negative integer-valued (0 or 1). We also characterize all MRA PFWs. Some examples are provided.     

Area minimizing sets subject to a volume constraint in a convex set

For a given convex subset Ω of Euclidean n-space, we consider the problem of minimizing the perimeter of subsets of Ω subject to a volume constraint. The problem is to determine whether in general a minimizer is also convex. Although this problem is unresolved, we show that if Ω satisfies a “great circle” condition, then any minimizer is convex. We say that Ω satisfies a great circle condition if the largest closed ball B contained in Ω has a great circle that is contained in the boundary of Ω. A great circle of B is defined as the intersection of the boundary of B with a hyperplane passing through the center of B.     

Recursive algorithm for the reliability of a connected-(1, 2)-or-(2, 1)-out-of-(m, n):F lattice system

The connected-(1, 2)-or-(2, 1)-out-of-(m, n):F lattice system is included by the connected-X-out-of-(m, n):F lattice system defined by Boehme et al. [Boehme, T.K., Kossow, A., Preuss, W., 1992. A generalization of consecutive-k-out-of-n:F system. IEEE Transactions on Reliability 41, 451–457]. This system fails if and only if at least one subset of connected failed components occurs which includes at least a (1, 2)-matrix (that is, a row and two columns) or a (2, 1)-matrix(that is, two rows and a column) of failed components. This system is applied to two-dimensional network problems with adjacent constraints, and various systems, for example, a supervision system, etc.     

Propagation of P waves from stress-free surface elastic half-space with voids under thermal relaxation and magnetic field

In this paper, an attempt is allocated to investigate the influence of the magnetic field and voids on the reflection of P waves under LS model. The basic governing equations for isotropic and homogeneous generalized thermoelastic half-space with voids under Maxwell’s stress are formulated in the context of the Lord Shulman theory. The boundary conditions at stress-free thermally insulated surface are satisfied to obtain a system of four equations in the reflection coefficients of various reflected waves. It is shown that there exist four plane waves; _P1,_P2,_P3$P_1\text{,}{P}_2\text{,}{P}_3$ and SV waves. In addition, the reflection coefficients from insulated and isothermal stress-free surface for the incidence of P waves are obtained. Finally, numerical values of the complex modulus of the reflection coefficients are visualized graphically to display the effects of the magnetic field, thermal relaxation and voids parameters.     

Squarefree P-modules and the cd-index

In this paper, we introduce a new algebraic concept, which we call squarefree P-modules. This concept is inspired from Karu's proof of the non-negativity of the cd-indices of Gorenstein* posets, and supplies a way to study cd-indices from the viewpoint of commutative algebra. Indeed, by using the theory of squarefree P-modules, we give several new algebraic and combinatorial results on CW-posets. First, we define an analogue of the cd-index for any CW-poset and prove its non-negativity when a CW-poset is Cohen–Macaulay. This result proves that the h-vector of the barycentric subdivision of a Cohen–Macaulay regular CW-complex is unimodal. Second, we prove that the Stanley–Reisner ring of the barycentric subdivision of an odd dimensional Cohen–Macaulay polyhedral complex has the weak Lefschetz property. Third, we obtain sharp upper bounds of the cd-indices of Gorenstein* posets for a fixed rank generating function.     

Improved T − ψ nodal finite element schemes for eddy current problems

The aim of this paper is to propose improved T − ψ finite element schemes for eddy current problems in the three-dimensional bounded domain with a simply-connected conductor. In order to utilize nodal finite elements in space discretization, we decompose the magnetic field into summation of a vector potential and the gradient of a scalar potential in the conductor; while in the nonconducting domain, we only deal with the gradient of the scalar potential. As distinguished from the traditional coupled scheme with both vector and scalar potentials solved in a discretizing equation system, the proposed decoupled scheme is presented to solve them in two separate equation systems, which avoids solving a saddle-point equation system like the traditional coupled scheme and leads to an important saving in computational effort. The simulation results and the data comparison of TEAM Workshop Benchmark Problem 7 between the coupled and decoupled schemes show the validity and efficiency of the decoupled one.     

Cyclotomic factors of the descent set polynomial

We introduce the notion of the descent set polynomial as an alternative way of encoding the sizes of descent classes of permutations. Descent set polynomials exhibit interesting factorization patterns. We explore the question of when particular cyclotomic factors divide these polynomials. As an instance we deduce that the proportion of odd entries in the descent set statistics in the symmetric group Sn only depends on the number on 1's in the binary expansion of n. We observe similar properties for the signed descent set statistics.     

On a new class of Finsler metrics

In this paper, the geometric meaning of (α,β)-norms is made clear. On this basis, a new class of Finsler metrics called general (α,β)-metrics are introduced, which are defined by a Riemannian metric and a 1-form. These metrics not only generalize (α,β)-metrics naturally, but also include some metrics structured by R. Bryant. The spray coefficients formula of some kinds of general (α,β)-metrics is given and the projective flatness is also discussed.     

The Resolvent Problem and $${{H^{\infty}}}$$ -calculus of the Stokes Operator in Unbounded Cylinders with Several Exits to Infinity

It is proved that the Stokes operator in L^q -space on an infinite cylindrical domain of , , with several exits to infinity generates a bounded and exponentially decaying analytic semigroup and admits a bounded -calculus. For the resolvent estimates, the Stokes resolvent system with a prescribed divergence in an infinite straight cylinder with bounded cross-section is studied in L ^q where and is an arbitrary Muckenhoupt weight. The proofs use cut-off techniques and the theory of Schauder decomposition of UMD spaces based on -boundedness of operator families and on square function estimates involving Muckenhoupt weights.     

Graphic sequences with a realization containing a generalized friendship graph

Gould, Jacobson and Lehel [R.J. Gould, M.S. Jacobson, J. Lehel, Potentially G-graphical degree sequences, in: Y. Alavi, et al. (Eds.), Combinatorics, Graph Theory and Algorithms, vol. I, New Issues Press, Kalamazoo, MI, 1999, pp. 451-460] considered a variation of the classical Turán-type extremal problems as follows: for any simple graph H, determine the smallest even integer σ(H,n) such that every n-term graphic sequence π=(d₁,d₂,…,d_n) with term sum σ(π)=d₁+d₂+?+d_n≥σ(H,n) has a realization G containing H as a subgraph. Let F_t,r,k denote the generalized friendship graph on kt−kr+r vertices, that is, the graph of k copies of K_t meeting in a common r set, where K_t is the complete graph on t vertices and 0≤r≤t. In this paper, we determine σ(F_t,r,k,n) for k≥2, t≥3, 1≤r≤t−2 and n sufficiently large.     

On Hanner type inequalities with a weight for Banach spaces

We shall present several Hanner type inequalities with a weight constant and characterize 2-uniformly smooth and 2-uniformly convex Banach spaces with these inequalities. p-Uniformly smooth and q-uniformly convex Banach spaces will be also characterized with another Hanner type inequalities with a weight in the other side term. The best value of the weight in these inequalities will be determined for Lp spaces. Also we shall present a duality theorem between these inequalities in a generalized form.