Micropolar flow past a stretching sheet

Summary This paper studies the flow of an incompressible, constant density micropolar fluid past a stretching sheet. The governing boundary layer equations of the flow are solved numerically using a globally convergent homotopy method in conjunction with a least change secant update quasi-Newton algorithm. The flow pattern depends on three non-dimensional parameters. Some interesting results are illustrated graphically and discussed.

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Résumé Nous étudions l'écoulement d'un fluid micropolaire et incompressible, de densité constante, le long d'une surface qui l'étend. Les équations de la couche limite qui régissent l'écoulement sont résolues numériquement. On utilise un algorithme quasi-Newtonien de type least change secant update avec une méthode homotopique /`a convergence globale. Certains résultats intéressants sont discutés et illustrés graphiquement.

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This work performed at Sandia National Laboratories supported by the U. S. Department of Energy under contract number DE-AC04-76DP00789.     

Computational experience with the Chow—Yorke algorithm

The Chow—Yorke algorithm is a nonsimplicial homotopy type method for computing Brouwer fixed points that is globally convergent. It is efficient and accurate for fixed point problems. L.T. Watson, T.Y. Li, and C.Y. Wang have adapted the method for zero finding problems, the nonlinear complementarity problem, and nonlinear two-point boundary value problems. Here theoretical justification is given for applying the method to some mathematical programming problems, and computational results are presented.This work was partially supported by NSF Grant MCS 7821337.     

A Comparison of Global Optimization Methods for the Design of a High-speed Civil Transport

The conceptual design of aircraft often entails a large number of nonlinear constraints that result in a nonconvex feasible design space and multiple local optima. The design of the high-speed civil transport (HSCT) is used as an example of a highly complex conceptual design with 26 design variables and 68 constraints. This paper compares three global optimization techniques on the HSCT problem and two test problems containing thousands of local optima and noise: multistart local optimizations using either sequential quadratic programming (SQP) as implemented in the design optimization tools (DOT) program or Snyman's dynamic search method, and a modified form of Jones' DIRECT global optimization algorithm. SQP is a local optimizer, while Snyman's algorithm is capable of moving through shallow local minima. The modified DIRECT algorithm is a global search method based on Lipschitzian optimization that locates small promising regions of design space and then uses a local optimizer to converge to the optimum. DOT and the dynamic search algorithms proved to be superior for finding a single optimum masked by noise of trigonometric form. The modified DIRECT algorithm was found to be better for locating the global optimum of functions with many widely separated true local optima.     

Dynamics of Nonlinear Cyclic Systems with Structural Irregularity

The dynamics of weakly coupled, nonlinear cyclic assemblies are investigated in the presence of weak structural mistuning. The method of multiple scales is used to obtain a set of nonlinear algebraic equations which govern the steady-state, synchronous (modal-like) motions for the structures. Considering a degenerate assembly of uncoupled oscillators, spatially localized modes are computed corresponding to motions during which vibrational energy is spatially confined to one oscillator (strong localization) or a subset of oscillators (weak localization). In the limit of weak substructural coupling, asymptotic solutions are obtained which correspond to (i) spatially extended, (ii) strongly localized, and (iii) weakly localized modes for fully coupled systems. Throughout the analysis, the influence of structural mistunings on the resulting solutions are discussed. Additionally, numerical solutions (including linearized stability characteristics) are obtained for prototypical two- and three-degree-of-freedom (DoF) systems with various structural mistunings. The numerical results provide insight into the strong influence of structural irregularities on the dynamical behavior of nonlinear cyclic systems, and demonstrate that the combined influences of structural mistunings and nonlinearities do not lead to uniform improvement of motion confinement characteristics.     

Magnetohydrodynamic flow past a porous rotating disk in a circular magnetic field

This paper studies the effects of a circular magnetic field on the flow of a conducting fluid about a porous rotating disk. Using modern quasi-Newton and globally convergent homotopy methods, numerical solutions are obtained for a wide range of magnetic field strengths, suction and injection velocities and Alfven and disk speeds. Results are presented graphically in terms of three non-dimensional parameters. There is excellent agreement with previous work and asymptotic formulae.     

Fixed points of C2 maps

S.N. Chow and J.A. Yorke have proposed in abstract terms an algorithm for computing fixed points of C² maps that is globally convergent with probability one. A numerical implementation of that algorithm is presented here, where careful attention has been paid to computational efficiency, accuracy, and robustness. Convergence proofs for the numerical algorithm require differential geometry, and are given elsewhere. FORTRAN subroutines are given and explained in detail, and some typical numerical results are presented. It is shown how to modify the subroutines to compute zeros and handle some large sparse problems.     

A finite characterization ofK-matrices in dimensions less than four

The class of realn × n matricesM, known asK-matrices, for which the linear complementarity problemw – Mz = q, w 0, z 0, w ^T z =0 has a solution wheneverw – Mz =q, w 0, z 0 has a solution is characterized for dimensionsn <4. The characterization is finite and practical. Several necessary conditions, sufficient conditions, and counterexamples pertaining toK-matrices are also given. A finite characterization of completelyK-matrices (K-matrices all of whose principal submatrices are alsoK-matrices) is proved for dimensions <4.Partially supported by NSF Grant MCS-8207217.Research partially supported by NSF Grant No. ECS-8401081.