On Characterizations of Proper Efficiency for Nonconvex Multiobjective Optimization

In this paper, nonconvex multiobjective optimization problems are studied. New characterizations of a properly efficient solution in the sense of Geoffrion's are established in terms of the stability of one scalar optimization problem and the existence of an exact penalty function of a scalar constrained program, respectively. One of the characterizations is applied to derive necessary conditions for a properly efficient control-parameter pair of a nonconvex multiobjective discrete optimal control problem with linear constraints.     

CP violation and extra dimensions

It is shown that new sources of CP violation can be generated in models with more than one extra dimension. In the supersymmetric models on the space-time , where the radius moduli have auxiliary vacuum expectation values and the supersymmetry breaking is mediated by the Kaluza–Klein states of the gauge supermultiplets, we analyze the gaugino masses and trilinear couplings for two scenarios and obtain the result that there exist relative CP violating phases among the gaugino masses and trilinear couplings. Received: 10 October 2001 / Published online: 20 December 2001     

On-line arbitrarily vertex decomposable trees

A tree T is arbitrarily vertex decomposable if for any sequence τ of positive integers adding up to the order of T there is a sequence of vertex-disjoint subtrees of T whose orders are given by τ. An on-line version of the problem of characterizing arbitrarily vertex decomposable trees is completely solved here.     

Formation of functional groups on graphite during oxygen plasma treatment

Improved sample wettability was obtained by oxygen plasma functionalization of pyrolytic graphite. The samples were exposed to highly dissociated oxygen plasma with the density of 1 × 10¹⁶ m⁻³, the electron temperature of about 5.5 eV and the density of neutral oxygen atoms of 8 × 10²¹ m⁻³ for 20 s. The surface wettability was measured by a contact angle of water drop. The contact angle dropped from original 112° down to about 1°. The functional groups were detected by XPS analyses. The survey spectrum showed a substantial increase of oxygen concentration on the surface, while high-resolution analyses showed additional oxygen was bonded onto the graphite surface in the form of C-O polar functional group responsible for the increase of the surface energy.     

Growth of NaBi（WO4）2 Dendrite and Mechanism

The solid-liquid interface motion of NaBi（WO4）2 （NBWO） melt crystal growth is observed in an in situ system, in which the whole processes of interface transition from fiat interface and cellular to dendrite are visualized. The spacing of the dendrite under smaller temperature gradient turns out to be larger than that under larger temperature gradient, which is found to be sensitive to the temperature distribution. The mechanism of dendrite growth of NBWO is studied based on the model of the growth units of anion coordination polyhedra. The { 001} face has two apex links, so it shows higher stability and has high growth rate and forms the arm of dendrite, whereas the {010} face has only one apex link, and thus shows relative slower growth rate and firstly forms the branches.     

Students’ Reasoning About One-Object Stochastic Phenomena in an ICT-Environment

This paper focuses on the different ways in which students in lower secondary school (14–16 year olds) experience compound random events, presented to them in the form of combined junctions. A carefully designed ICT environment was developed enabling the students to interact with different representations of such structures. Data for the analysis was gathered from two interview sessions. The analysis of the interaction is based on constructivist principles on learning; i.e. we adopted a student-oriented perspective, taking into consideration the different ways students try to make sense of chance encounters. Our results show how some students give priority to geometrical and physical concerns, and we discuss how seeking causal explanations of random phenomena may have encouraged this. With respect to numerically oriented models a division strategy appears to stand out as the preferred one.     

Asymmetric responses of international stock markets to trading volume

The major goal of this paper is to examine the hypothesis that stock returns and return volatility are asymmetric, threshold nonlinear, functions of change in trading volume. A minor goal is to examine whether return spillover effects also display such asymmetry. Employing a double-threshold GARCH model with trading volume as a threshold variable, we find strong evidence supporting this hypothesis in five international market return series. Asymmetric causality tests lend further support to our trading volume threshold model and conclusions. Specifically, an increase in volume is positively associated, while decreasing volume is negatively associated, with the major price index in four of the five markets. The volatility of each series also displays an asymmetric reaction, four of the markets display higher volatility following increases in trading volume. Using posterior odds ratio, the proposed threshold model is strongly favored in three of the five markets, compared to a US news double threshold GARCH model and a symmetric GARCH model. We also find significant nonlinear asymmetric return spillover effects from the US market.     

Biham–Middleton–Levine model with four-directional traffic

We study the four-directional traffic flow on a two-dimensional lattice. In the case of discrete densities, we assume equal number of vehicles in each lane. Except for the minimum density, the gridlock emerges swiftly. Two kinds of gridlock have been observed. The global gridlock dominates the system when the density is twice the minimum value. At higher densities, the system is pervaded by local gridlocks. We also analyze the time evolution of average speed. In the case of continuous densities, the vehicle numbers vary from lane to lane. The global gridlock is then destroyed by the fluctuations; while the local gridlock can still be observed.     

On the genericity of chaos

Let M be a compact manifold with dimM?2. We prove that some iteration of the generic homeomorphism on M is semiconjugated to the shift map and has infinite topological entropy (Theorem 1.1).