Generating well-behaved utility functions for compromise programming

The purpose of this paper is to seek utility functions satisfying a weak condition which guarantees that the utility optimum always belongs to the compromise set. This set is a special subset of the attainable or feasible set, which is generated through the application of the well-known operational research approach called compromise programming. It is shown that there are large families of utility functions satisfying this condition, thus reinforcing the value of compromise programming as a good surrogate of the traditional utility optimum.Thanks are due to the reviewers for their helpful suggestions. The English editing by Ms. Christine Méndez is appreciated. The authors have been supported by the Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología (CICYT), Madrid, Spain.     

On the solutions of a functional equation of dhombres

Continuous solutions of the functional equation ?(x?(x)) = (?(x))² for x ∈ [0,∞) have been characterized by Dhombres. They form a simple, two-parametric family and the result can be easily extended to solutions on the whole real line. However, the class of all solutions is much larger. We show that there is a solution ? whose graph has, among others, the full outer two-dimensional Lebesgue measure. It turns out that partial restrictions, like boundedness, monotonicity and/or continuity on a subinterval do not imply the continuity of solutions. In particular, the class of monotonic solutions has interesting properties. We provide some techniques of constructing such solutions and show that, among others, there is a strictly increasing solution ? whose points of discontinuity form a dense set in R.     

Wind tunnel simulation of air pollution dispersion in a street canyon

Physical simulation was used to study pollution dispersion in a street canyon. The street canyon model was designed to study the effect of measuring flow and concentration fields. A method of C02-laser photoacoustic spectrometry was applied for detection of trace concentration of gas pollution. The advantage of this method is its high sensitivity and broad dynamic range, permitting monitoring of concentrations from trace to saturation values. Application of this method enabled us to propose a simple model based on line permeation pollutant source, developed on the principle of concentration standards, to ensure high precision and homogeneity of the concentration flow. Spatial measurement of the concentration distribution inside the street canyon was performed on the model with reference velocity of 1.5 m/s.     

Cylindricity of tangent bundles of strongly parabolic metrics and strongly parabolic surfaces

It is proved that if the intrinsic zero-index of the Sasaki metric of a tangent bundleTM ⁿ isk, thenk is even andM ⁿ is the metric product of a Riemannian manifoldM ^n–k/2 by a Euclidean spaceE ^k/2, whileTM ⁿ is the metric product ofTM ^n–k/2 byE ^k . An expression is obtained for the second fundamental forms of the imbeddingTF ^l TM ⁿ in terms of the second fundamental forms of the imbeddingF ^l M ⁿ and the curvature tensor ofM ⁿ . It is proved thatTF ^l is totally geodesic inTM ⁿ if and only ifF ^l is totally geodesic inM ⁿ .Translated from Ukrainskií Geometricheskií Sbornik, Issue 28, 1985, pp. 12–32.     

Yttrium aluminate crystals for slabs

The methods of growing YAG:Nd crystals with a flat interface and YAP:Nd crystals with a sharp conical interface are described. The form of the interface was controlled by the He and H₂O content in the reducing atmosphere composed mainly of Ar and H₂ as well as by axial temperature gradient above the melt level. The crystals of 120–180 mm in length were machined to the high-quality slabs.     

Non-steady state homogeneous nucleation in glass-forming systems: Dimensionless kinetic equation

The kinetic equation of the classical homogeneous nucleation theory is rewritten in dimensionless form and it is shown that the numerical computation of the dimensionless kinetic equation is approximately 20 times faster in comparison with the original kinetic equation. The results are compared with known analytical results and with previous numerical results in the case of the constant and variable temperature for the model Li₂O.2 SiO₂ melt. It is shown, e.g., that under non-isothermal conditions the nucleation rate is greater than the quasistationary nucleation rate and the cluster distribution function is greater than the corresponding quasiequilibrium cluster distribution function.     

Radiative kinks and fermionic zero modes in a (λφ6)1+1 model

We consider bidimensional scalar models including kink solutions _k (x). Using the hidden supersymmetric properties of the Dirac equation, we describe a general method to find normalizable fermionic zero modes. In particular, we apply the technique to a ( ⁶)₁₊₁ model. Going to the one-loop order of the effective potential, the emergence of a radiative kink provides an interesting scalar background in order to discuss the Dirac equation.     

Mössbauer and infrared spectroscopic studies of novel mixed valence states in cobaltous ferrocyanides and ferricyanides

Novel mixed valence states have been obtained by the treatment of cobaltous ferrocyanides (Co⁺²Fe^II) and ferricyanides (Co⁺²Fe^III) in an ozone flow. The CN stretching bands occur at 2085 cm^–1 for Co⁺²Fe^II and at 2160 cm^–1 for Co⁺²Fe^III. After the ozonization process of Co⁺²Fe^II, an intense band approximately at 2125 cm^–1 is detected. This intermediate band must correspond to a mixed valence state of the type: Fe^II–CN–Co²⁺–NC–Fe^III Mössbauer spectra recorded in situ during the ozonization of Co⁺²Fe^II show the presence of two components: a doublet with isomer shift and quadrupole splitting values close to the cobalti ferricyanide and a very broad line for the mixed valence state. From the Mössbauer and infrared spectra of the aged samples of the Co⁺²Fe^II after ozonization, a relaxation process to the initial state of the samples is observed but the mixed valence state is stable.