On the Reconstruction of a String from Spectral Data

We consider the problem to reconstruct the mass distribution of a string where the mass is concentrated in a finite number of points, or, equivalently, the problem to reconstruct a simply connected mass spring system with unknown masses and stiffness parameters if the following data are given. Problem 1: The spectra of the string and of a modification of the string, or. Problem 2: The spectra of two different modifications of the string. Here a modification of the string is a string which appears if we link the unknown string with another string of known mass distribution. The paper contains a necessary condition for the existence of a solution of Problem 1, and explicit formulas and an algorithm for the solutions of the Problems 1 and 2 under the condition that there exists a solution. For the case that the mass distribution of the unknown string is not discrete we consider the problem to find discrete approximations of this distribution from the respective spectral data. The methods are based on the spectral theory of generalized second order differential operators as developed by M. G. Krein     

Efficient calculation of spectral density functions for specific classes of singular Sturm–Liouville problems

New families of approximations to Sturm–Liouville spectral density functions are derived for cases where the potential function has one of several specific forms. This particular form dictates the type of expansion functions used in the approximation. Error bounds for the residuals are established for each case. In the case of power potentials the approximate solutions of an associated terminal value problem at ∞$\infty$ are shown to be asymptotic power series expansions of the exact solution. Numerical algorithms have been implemented and several examples are given, demonstrating the utility of the approach.     

B-spline collocation for solution of two-point boundary value problems

A numerical method based on B-spline is developed to solve the general nonlinear two-point boundary value problems up to order 6. The standard formulation of sextic spline for the solution of boundary value problems leads to non-optimal approximations. In order to derive higher orders of accuracy, high order perturbations of the problem are generated and applied to construct the numerical algorithm. The error analysis and convergence properties of the method are studied via Green’s function approach. O(h⁶) global error estimates are obtained for numerical solution of these classes of problems. Numerical results are given to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed method. Results of numerical experiments verify the theoretical behavior of the orders of convergence.     

New characterizations of spectral density functions for singular Sturm–Liouville problems

A generalization is given for a characterization of the spectral density function of Weyl and Titchmarsh for a singular Sturm–Liouville problem having absolutely continuous spectrum in [0,∞)$[0,\infty )$. A recurrent formulation is derived that generates a family of approximations based on this scheme. Proofs of convergence for these new approximations are supplied and a numerical method is implemented. The computational results show more rapid rates of convergence which are in accord with the theoretical rates.     

Spectral element methods on unstructured meshes: which interpolation points?

In the field of spectral element approximations, the interpolation points can be chosen on the basis of different criteria, going from the minimization of the Lebesgue constant to the simplicity of the point generation procedure. In the present paper, we summarize some recent nodal distributions for a high order interpolation in the triangle. We then adopt these points as approximation points for the numerical solution of an elliptic partial differential equation on an unstructured simplicial mesh. The L ²-norm of the approximation error is then analyzed for a model problem.     

Approximations of the resolvent for a non-self-adjoint diffusion operator with rapidly oscillating coefficients

A strongly inhomogeneous diffusion operatorwith drift depending on a small parameter ? is studied in the space L ²(? ⁿ ). The strong inhomogeneity consists in that the coefficients of the operator are ?-periodic and, in addition, the drift vector is of the order of ? ^?1. As ? → 0, approximations in the operator L ²-norm of order ? and ? ² are constructed for the resolvent of the operator. For each of these orders of approximation, an averaged diffusion operator is obtained. A spectral method based on the Bloch representation for an operator with periodic coefficients is used.     

Modelling of Wave Propagation using Spectral Finite Elements

For the analysis of wave propagation at high frequencies, the spectral finite element method (SFEM) is under investigation. In contrast to the conventional finite element method high-order shape functions are used. They are composed of Lagrange polynomials with nodes at the Gauß-Lobatto-Legendre points. The Gauß-Lobatto-Legendre integration scheme is applied in order to obtain a diagonal mass matrix. So, the resulting system equations can be solved efficiently. In the numerical examples, spectral finite elements with shape functions of different order are applied to a plane strain problem. The numerical examples cover structures without and with stiffness discontinuities. It is shown that the results agree well with analytical solutions. (© 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Numerical simulation of the evolution of ion clouds in a mass spectrometer by the particle-in-cell method

At present, mass spectrometry is the main analytical technique used in the studies on determining the composition of biomolecules. In such studies, the accuracy of determining the mass values is affected by hidden parameters (Coulomb interaction of analyzed ions with each other and with the walls of the mass-spectrometer trap).The problem consists in the development of a parallel computer code that allows simulation of the millions of charged ions and can reproduce the times of a real experiment in order to study the influence of Coulomb forces on the mass spectrum.The mathematical formulation of the original physical problem is presented. It is proposed to use the particle-in-cell method for simulation of the motion of ion clouds in the trap. The equations of motion are integrated with the use of a scheme with frequency correction. This approach ensures exact reproduction of the cyclotron motion and the ion cyclotron resonance. The Poisson equation is solved at each time step with the use of a method based on the fast Fourier transform. The code is written in Fortran 90 and is parallelized with the use of OpenMP directives.Comparison is performed with a real experiment with protein cytochrome c. The effect of coalescence of spectral peaks is demonstrated at high charge densities in the case of three masses.     

On some issues related to the moment problem for the band matrices with operator elements

The connection between the classical moment problem and the spectral theory of second order difference operators (or Jacobi matrices) is a thoroughly studied topic. Here we examine a similar connection in the case of the second order operator replaced by an operator generated by an infinite band matrix with operator elements. For such operators, we obtain an analog of the Stone theorem and consider the inverse spectral problem which amounts to restoring the operator from the moment sequence of its Weyl matrix. We establish the solvability criterion for such problems, find the conditions ensuring that the elements of the moment sequence admit an integral representation with respect to an operator valued measure and discuss an algorithm for the recovery of the operator. We also indicate a connection between the inverse problem method and the Hermite-Padé approximations.     

Effect of variable density on hydromagnetic mixed convection flow of a non-Newtonian fluid past a moving vertical plate

The effect of temperature-dependent density on MHD mixed convection flow of power-law fluid past a moving semi-infinite vertical plate for high temperature differences between the plate and the ambient fluid is studied. The fluid density is assumed to decrease exponentially with temperature. The usual Boussinesq approximations are not considered due to the large temperature differences. The surface temperature of the moving plate was assumed to vary according to a power-law form, that is, T_w(x) = T_∞ + Ax^γ. The fluid is permeated by a uniform magnetic field imposed perpendicularly to the plate on the assumption of small magnetic Reynolds number. A numerical shooting algorithm for two unknown initial conditions with fourth-order Runge–Kutta integration scheme has been used to solve the coupled non-linear boundary value problem. The effects of various parameters on the velocity and temperature profiles as well as the local skin-friction coefficient and the local Nusselt number are presented graphically and in the tabular form. The results show that application of Boussinesq approximations in a non-Newtonian fluid subjected to high temperature differences gives a significant error in the values of the skin-friction coefficient and the application of an external magnetic field reduces this error markedly in the case of shear-thickening fluid.     

Delta shock wave formation in the case of triangular hyperbolic system of conservation laws

We describe δ-shock wave generation from continuous initial data in the case of triangular conservation law system arising from “generalized pressureless gas dynamics model.” We use smooth approximations in the weak sense that are more general than small viscosity approximations.     

Navier-Stokes regularization of multidimensional Euler shocks

We establish existence and stability of multidimensional shock fronts in the vanishing viscosity limit for a general class of conservation laws with “real”, or partially parabolic, viscosity including the Navier-Stokes equations of compressible gas dynamics with standard or van der Waals-type equation of state. More precisely, given a curved Lax shock solution u⁰ of the corresponding inviscid equations for which (i) each of the associated planar shocks tangent to the shock front possesses a smooth viscous profile and (ii) each of these viscous profiles satisfies a uniform spectral stability condition expressed in terms of an Evans function, we construct nearby smooth viscous shock solutions uε of the viscous equations converging to u⁰ as viscosity ε→0, and establish for these sharp linearized stability estimates generalizing those of Majda in the inviscid case. Conditions (i)-(ii) hold always for shock waves of sufficiently small amplitude, but in general may fail for large amplitudes.We treat the viscous shock problem considered here as a representative of a larger class of multidimensional boundary problems arising in the study of viscous fluids, characterized by sharp spectral conditions rather than symmetry hypotheses, which can be analyzed by Kreiss-type symmetrizers.Compared to the strictly parabolic (artificial viscosity) case, the main new features of the analysis appear in the high frequency estimates for the linearized problem. In that regime we use frequency-dependent conjugators to decouple parabolic components that are smoothed from hyperbolic components (like density in Navier-Stokes) that are not. The construction of the conjugators and the subsequent estimates depend on a careful spectral analysis of the linearized operator.     

Boundary-value problem for density-velocity model of collective motion of organisms

The collective motion of organisms is observed at almost all levels of biological systems. In this paper the density-velocity model of the collective motion of organisms is analyzed. This model consists of a system of nonlinear parabolic equations, a forced Burgers equation for velocity and a mass conservation equation for density. These equations are supplemented with the Neumann boundary conditions for the density and the Dirichlet boundary conditions for the velocity. The existence, uniqueness and regularity of solution for the density-velocity problem is proved in a bounded 1D domain. Moreover, a priori estimates for the solutions are established, and existence of an attractor is proved. Finally, some numerical approximations for asymptotical behavior of the density-velocity model are presented.     

The least squares spectral element method for the Cahn–Hilliard equation

The problem of numerically resolving an interface separating two different components is a common problem in several scientific and engineering applications. One alternative is to use phase field or diffuse interface methods such as the Cahn–Hilliard (C–H) equation, which introduce a continuous transition region between the two bulk phases. Different numerical schemes to solve the C–H equation have been suggested in the literature. In this work, the least squares spectral element method (LS-SEM) is used to solve the Cahn–Hilliard equation. The LS-SEM is combined with a time–space coupled formulation and a high order continuity approximation by employing C¹¹p-version hierarchical interpolation functions both in space and time. A one-dimensional case of the Cahn–Hilliard equation is solved and the convergence properties of the presented method analyzed. The obtained solution is in accordance with previous results from the literature and the basic properties of the C–H equation (i.e. mass conservation and energy dissipation) are maintained. By using the LS-SEM, a symmetric positive definite problem is always obtained, making it possible to use highly efficient solvers for this kind of problems. The use of dynamic adjustment of number of elements and order of approximation gives the possibility of a dynamic meshing procedure for a better resolution in the areas close to interfaces.     

Splineapproximationen von beliebigem Defekt zur numerischen Lösung gewöhnlicher Differentialgleichungen. Teil I

Summary In 1967, F.R. Loscalzo und T.D. Talbot presented a procedure for obtaining polynomial spline approximations of defect one for solutions of the initial value problem for first order ordinary differential equations. This method is generalized and investigated for spline approximations of arbitrary defect. The results are analogous to those of the defect one. In the first part of this paper the divergence problem is treated. The convergent procedures are investigated in a following second part of this paper.

     

Numerical solution of the problem of the stress-strain state in hollow cylinders using spline approximations

The three-dimensional theory of elasticity is used for a study of the stress-strain state in a hollow cylinder with varying stiffness. The corresponding problem is solved by a method that is partly analytical and partly numerical in nature: Spline approximations and collocation are used to reduce the partial differential equations of elasticity to a boundary-value problem for a system of ordinary differential equations of higher order for the radial coordinate, which is then solved using the method of stable discrete orthogonalization. Results for an inhomogeneous cylinder for various types of stiffness are presented.     

Saddlepoint approximations to the distribution of the total distance of the multivariate isotropic and von Mises–Fisher random walks

This article considers the random walk over R^p, with p ≥ 2, where the directions taken by the individual steps follow either the isotropic or the vonMises–Fisher distributions. Saddlepoint approximations to the density and to upper tail probabilities of the total distance covered by the random walk, i.e., of the length of the resultant, are derived. The saddlepoint approximations are onedimensional and simple to compute, even though the initial problem is p-dimensional. Numerical illustrations of the high accuracy of the proposed approximations are provided.     

Two-level schemes of higher approximation order for time-dependent problems with skew-symmetric operators

Using a model periodic problem for the one-dimensional transport equation as an example, the construction of finite difference time approximations is considered. The emphasis is on the quality criteria of finite difference schemes in what concerns the inheritance of the basic properties of the differential problem, which are related to the transfer of spectral characteristics. Schemes of higher order accuracy based on Padé are analyzed.     

Structure function and spectral density of fractal profiles

Spectral density and structure function for fractal profile are analyzed. It is found that the fractal dimension obtained from spectral density is not exactly the same as that obtained from structure function. The fractal dimension of structure function is larger than that of spectral density for small fractal dimension, and is smaller than that of spectral density for larger fractal dimension. The fractal dimension of structure function strongly depends on the spectral density at low and high wave numbers. The spectral density at low wave number affects the structure function at long distance, especially for small fractal dimension. The spectral density at high wave number affects the structure function at short distance, especially for large fractal dimension. This problem is more serious for bifractal profiles. Therefore, in order to obtain a correct fractal dimension, both spectral density and structure function should be checked.