End Conditions for Interpolatory Quintic Splines

Present address: Department of Mathematics, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran. Accurate end conditions are derived for quintic spline interpolationat equally spaced knots. These conditions are in terms of availablefunction values at the knots and lead to O(h⁶) convergence uniformlyon the interval of interpolation.     

An LMI-based approach for robust stabilization of time delay systems containing saturating actuators

Email: elhaous_fati{at}yahoo.fr Corresponding author. Email: elh_tissir{at}yahoo.fr Received on September 8, 2005; Accepted on July 24, 2006 This paper deals with the problem of robust stabilization foruncertain systems with input saturation and time delay in thestate. The parameter uncertainties are time-varying and unknownbut are norm bounded. Sufficient conditions obtained via a linearmatrix inequality formulation are stated to guarantee the localstabilization. The method of synthesis consists in determiningsimultaneously a state feedback control law and an associateddomain of safe admissible states for which the stability ofthe closed-loop system is guaranteed when control saturationseffectively occur. Numerical examples are used to demonstratethe effectiveness of the proposed design technique.     

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.     

Estimating vaccine coverage by using computer algebra

Email: altmannd{at}rki.deEmail: altmann{at}mathematik.hu-berlin.de The approach of N Gay for estimating the coverage of a multivalentvaccine from antibody prevalence data in certain age cohortsis complemented by using computer aided elimination theory ofvariables. Hereby, Gay's usage of numerical approximation canbe replaced by exact formulae which are surprisingly nice, too.     

Estimates of the region of attraction of continuous-time cascade systems

Xiao-Song Yang Department of Mathematics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan, Hubei 430074, People's Republic of China Huimin Li Departments of Mathematics and Control and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan, Hubei 430074, People's Republic of China Corresponding author. Email: yangxs{at}cqupt.edu.cn Received on May 1, 2006; Accepted on October 6, 2006 In this paper, we first present some new sufficient conditionsfor global asymptotic stability of continuous-time cascade systems.Then, we give some detailed results on the region of attractionof continuous-time cascade systems. Some examples are presentedto illustrate these results.     

Error estimates for the finite-element solution of an elliptic singularly perturbed problem

e-mail:ang{at}am.uni-erlangen.de The paper deals with an upwind discretization of finite-volume-typefor singularly perturbed elliptic boundary value problems. Stability,inverse monotonicity and convergence are considered. The mainobjective is to pursue the dependence of the error estimateon the perturbation parameter.     

New conditions on absolute stability of uncertain Lur'e systems and the maximum admissible perturbed bound

Email: fhao{at}buaa.edu.cn Received on April 5, 2006; Accepted on September 10, 2006 The robust absolute stability problem for structured uncertainLur'e systems is considered in this paper by using Popov criterionand extended strictly positive real lemma. The conditions onrobust absolute stability for Lur'e systems with structureduncertainties are established in terms of multilinear matrixinequalities. An estimate of the maximum bound of all admissibleperturbations is given by a generalized eigenvalue problem.Finally, a numerical example is worked out to illustrate theefficiency of the main results.     

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.     

Computation and parametrization of periodic and connecting orbits

Email: g.moore{at}ma.ic.ac.uk or na.gmoore New algorithms for the computation of periodic and connectingorbits of autonomous differential equations are developed. Previousmethods have parametrized these curves by the independent timevariable, but our procedure is based on the canonical arclengthparametrization.     

Multiple criteria models for evaluation of competitive bids

Email: slliu{at}mail.east.net.cnAuthor for correspondence Email: mskklai{at}cityu.edu.hkEmail: sywang{at}iss02.iss.ac.cn In this paper, two general bidding systems are proposed to aidan owner to select one contractor based on multiple-attributedecision making models. They are named the general multiple-attributelower-bidder system and the general multiple-attribute average-bid system and are an extension (and refreshment) of the multiparameterbidding system and the average-bid method, respectively. Thepreference of the owner over the criteria (or attributes) relevantto construction work award is incorporated into the two newsystems if necessary and required by the owner. The values ofthe attributes (excluding the cost) required to be determinedby the owner in the multiparameter bidding system are not necessarilydetermined in the general multiple-attribute lower-bidder system.This reduces the burden to the owner. The two new bidding systemsare demonstrated via an example, and are compared with the multiparameterbidding system and the average-bid method. The comparisons showthat the preference of the owner in regard to the attributesrelevant to selection of contractors has a significant effecton bid evaluation. The two new systems preserve the form ofthe competitive bidding concept and can easily be applied topractice.     

Properties of the weighted logarithmic matrix norms

Mingzhu Liu Department of Mathematics, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China Email: ghu{at}hit.edu.cn, ghuca{at}yahoo.ca Email: mzliu{at}hit.edu.cn Received on January 31, 2006; Accepted on December 9, 2006 In this paper, we are concerned with the properties of the weightedlogarithmic matrix norms. A relation between the elliptic logarithmicmatrix norm and the weighted logarithmic matrix norm is given.Based on Lyapunov equations, two weighted logarithmic matrixnorms are constructed which are less than 1-logarithmic matrixnorm and -logarithmic matrix norm, respectively. Then, an iterativescheme is presented to obtain the logarithmically -efficientmatrix norm. Numerical examples are given to illustrate theresults.     

Necessary and sufficient conditions for parameter insensitive disturbance-rejection problems with dynamic output feedback

Email: otsuka{at}j.dendai.ac.jp Received on November 11, 2005; Accepted on December 16, 2006 In this paper, necessary and sufficient conditions for the parameterinsensitive disturbance-rejection problem with dynamic outputfeedback which was studied in Otsuka (1999) to be solvable aregiven for the structured uncertain linear systems. Further,necessary and sufficient conditions for the solvability of theproblems with static output feedback and state feedback arealso studied as special cases. The obtained results containsome extensions of the previous results to the structured uncertainlinear systems.     

A semi-Markov maintenance model with credit rating application

Email: g.damico{at}unich.it Received on 6 December 2006. Accepted on 2 April 2008. The impact of a preventive rating maintenance policy on therating process is investigated through the definition of a semi-Markovmaintenance model with imperfect repair at random times. Theresults allow us to study the rating migrations process in thetransient and the asymptotic case.     

Infinite horizon quadratic control of linear singularly perturbed systems with small state delays: an asymptotic solution of Riccati-type equations

Email: valery{at}techunix.technion.ac.il Received on January 31, 2006; Accepted on October 5, 2006 An infinite horizon linear-quadratic optimal control problemfor a singularly perturbed system with multiple point-wise anddistributed small delays in the state variable is considered.The set of Riccati-type equations, associated with this problemby the control optimality conditions, is studied. Since thesystem in the control problem is singularly perturbed, the equationsof this set are also perturbed by a small parameter of the singularperturbations. The zero-order asymptotic solution to this setof equations is constructed and justified. Based on this asymptoticsolution, parameter-free sufficient conditions for the existenceand uniqueness of solution to the original optimal control problemare established.     

Optimal boundary feedback stabilization of a string with moving boundary

Email: gugat{at}am.uni-erlangen.de Received on April 30, 2006; We consider a finite string that is fixed at one end and subjectto a feedback control at the other end which is allowed to move.We show that the behaviour is similar to the situation whereboth ends are fixed: As long as the movement is not too fast,the energy decays exponentially and for a certain parameterin the feedback law it vanishes in finite time. We considermovements of the boundary that are continuously differentiablewith a derivative whose absolute value is smaller than the wavespeed. We solve a problem of worst-case optimal feedback control,where the parameter in the feedback law is chosen such thatthe worst-case L^p-norm of the space derivative at the fixedend of the string is minimized (p [1, )). We consider the worstcase both with respect to the initial conditions and with respectto the boundary movement. It turns out that the parameter forwhich the energy vanishes in finite time is optimal in thissense for all p.     

Time optimal control of retarded parabolic systems

Email: skrakowi{at}usk.pk.edu.pl Received on June 15, 2005; Accepted on July 12, 2006 In this paper, the time-optimal control problem for parabolicsystems in which time lags appear in the integral form bothin the state equation and in the Neumann boundary conditionis presented. The particular properties of the optimal controlare discussed.     

Non-linear Theory of Wave-front Propagation

Present address: Division of Mathematical Sciences, Perdue University, Lafayette, Indiana, U.S.A. Equations are derived which govern the mode of propagation andchange in strengths of wave fronts whose behaviours are controlledby quite general systems of quasi-linear hyperbolic equations.The general theory is applied to discuss conditions at the headof a sound wave of arbitrary initial form and strength and alsoat the head of gravity waves on sloping beaches. Conditionsunder which shocks and bores occur are derived. At expansivewaves the non-linearity produces "forgetfulness" at "large"times.     

Optimal control problems of parabolic equations with an infinite number of variables and with equality constraints

Email: bahaa_gm{at}hotmail.com Received on December 6, 2005; Accepted on December 7, 2006 Optimal control problems of systems governed by parabolic equationswith an infinite number of variables and with additional equalityconstraints are considered. The extremum principle, as wellas sufficient condition of optimality, is formulated for theNeumann problem by using certain extensions of Dubovitskii–Milyutinmethod.     

Therapy burden, drug resistance, and optimal treatment regimen for cancer chemotherapy

Email: boldrini{at}ime.unicamp.brAuthor to whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: michel{at}Incc.br Three nonlinear models of tumour cell growth under continuousdelivery of cycle nonspecific anticancer agents are studied.A dynamical optimization problem with the objective of minimizingthe final level of tumour cells is posed for these mathematicalsetups. The simplest setup does not possess toxicity constraints,whereas the other setups contain a dynamical equation describingthe therapy burden as a toxicity criterion. In addition, thethird setting contains the dynamics of drug resistant cells.A discussion conceming the optimal strategies of the respectivemodels is performed.     

Delay-dependent dissipativity of singular time-delay systems

Email: msmahmoud{at}kfupm.edu.sa Received on September 21, 2007; Revision received March 10, 2008. Accepted on April 30, 2008 In this paper, new results are established for the delay-dependentproblems of dissipative analysis and state-feedback synthesisof singular time-delay (STD) systems with polytopic uncertainties.The developed results for the nominal singular system encompassavailable results on approach, passivity and positive realnessfor STD systems as special cases. All the sufficient stabilityconditions are cast as linear matrix inequality-based feasibilitytests. Robust dissipativity results are also derived. Numericalexamples are provided.