A Finite Algorithm for Global Minimization of Separable Concave Programs

Researchers first examined the problem of separable concave programming more than thirty years ago, making it one of the earliest branches of nonlinear programming to be explored. This paper proposes a new algorithm that finds the exact global minimum of this problem in a finite number of iterations. In addition to proving that our algorithm terminates finitely, the paper extends a guarantee of finiteness to all branch-and-bound algorithms for concave programming that (1) partition exhaustively using rectangular subdivisions and (2) branch on the incumbent solution when possible. The algorithm uses domain reduction techniques to accelerate convergence; it solves problems with as many as 100 nonlinear variables, 400 linear variables and 50 constraints in about five minutes on an IBM RS/6000 Power PC. An industrial application with 152 nonlinear variables, 593 linear variables, and 417 constraints is also solved in about ten minutes.     

Backward particle production in neutrino neon interactions

Backward proton and pion production is studied in ν and \(\bar v\) charged current interactions in neon. The results are compared with other experiments and theory. The complete backward proton data is compatible with protons produced by reinteractions in the nucleus. However in events with only one proton, muon variables appear correlated to those for the backward proton, as expected by the two-nucleon correlation model.     

Gaseous acidity and basicity scales as guides to chemical ionization in reversed-phase liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry with direct liquid introduction

During direct liquid introduction (DLI) liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), the detectability of acetone is shown to be predictable, based on consideration of the gas-phase acidities and basicities of solvents methanol and acetonitrile and modifiers formic acid and ammonium formate. Consequently, ion formation in DLI LC-MS resembles gas-phase chemical ionization processes; since the order of acidities is altered in solution, solution ionization must be much less important than gas-phase. Ion populations could be predicted on the basis of gas-phase proton affinities and acidities: acetone could be detected in all solvent mixture by positive ions, but it was not readily detected by negative ions when acid was also present. In solvents without additives it was always detected.     

Synthesis and characterization of polymerizable bisphthalonitrile monomers

The reactions of 4-aminophthalonitrile (APN) with 3,3′,4,4′-benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPTDA), and with 1,2,3,4-benzenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PMDA) have been studied to optimize the conditions for the synthesis of monomeric thermosetting bisphthalonitrile compound. Suitable procedures for the synthesis of the two monomers are presented. Elemental analyses, IR spectra, dynamic thermogravimetric analyses, differential scanning calorimetry, ¹H-NMR, and mass spectral studies have been used to characterize these compounds. Preliminary observations show that these materials can be polymerized to give high-temperature-resistant materials.