Publication list

The helium atom in its ground state, subject to strong magnetic fields, is treated using a variational method. Trial functions consisting of Gaussians with nonlinear parameters variationally optimized are used. The form of these functions is a generalized s-symmetry-state properly modified to admit spatial deformation along the direction on which the magnetic field is applied. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Absence of shocks in an initially dilute collisionless plasma

The Cauchy Problem for the relativistic Vlasov-Maxwell equations is studied in three space dimensions. It is assumed that the initial data satisfy the required constraints and have compact support. If in addition the data have sufficiently smallC ² norm, then a uniqueC ¹ solution to this system is shown to exist on all of spacetime.Research supported in part by NSF DMS 85-20662 and NSF DMS 84-20957     

Harmonic mappings of the Sierpinski gasket to the circle

Harmonic mappings from the Sierpinski gasket to the circle are described explicitly in terms of boundary values and topological data. In particular, all such mappings minimize energy within a given homotopy class. Explicit formulas are also given for the energy of the mapping and its normal derivatives at boundary points.

     

The Kissing Triangles: The Aesthetics of Mathematical Discovery

Papert's (1978) appeal to reconsider the power and possibilities of the aesthetic in mathematics learning is often ignored in mathematics education research. This paper begins with the premise, put forth by Dewey (1934), that the aesthetic structures many dimensions of inquiry and experience. In the same way that using particular paintings, musical compositions, or even everyday experiences has been instrumental to attempts by philosophers to understand the aesthetic dimensions of meaning and experience in artistic domains, I propose that analysing a particular encounter with mathematics may help reveal the nature and role of the often nebulous responses of elegance, beauty, and `fit' to which mathematicians lay claim in their mathematical activity. To achieve this, I draw on and adapt the defining features of the aesthetic character of experience set forth by the aesthetician Beardsley (1982). This, in turn, sheds light on the role thataesthetics can play in mathematical inquiry and experience, and provides initial categories and conjectures that can be used to investigate the potential roles of aesthetics in mathematics learning contexts.This revised version was published online in September 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The Implications of Cognitive-style Findings for Operational Research

Cognitive style refers to differences that can be perceived in individuals due to differing cognitive structures. There has been a large amount of research on how cognitive style affects managerial decision-making, particularly in the context of management information systems, but little or no attempt to relate these findings to operational research. This paper reviews the findings of cognitive-style research from the perspective of operational research, and draws a number of useful inferences concerning the matching of OR aids to managers, the presentation of information and recommendations, the use and acceptance of OR, and the structure of OR groups. Further, it is argued that cognitive-style findings help to give a justification to the move towards ‘soft’ approaches to analysis.     

Theory of interfacial phase transitions in surfactant systems

The spin-1 Ising model, which is equivalent to the three-component lattice gas model, is used to study wetting transitions in three-component surfactant systems consisting of an oil, water, and a nonionic surfactant. Phase equilibria, interfacial profiles, and interfacial tensions for three-phase equilibrium are determined in mean field approximation, for a wide range of temperature and interaction parameters. Surfactant interaction parameters are found to strongly influence interfacial tensions, reducing them in some cases to ultralow values. Interfacial tensions are used to determine whether the middle phase, rich in surfactant, wets or does not wet the interface between the oil-rich and water-rich phases. By varying temperature and interaction parameters, a wetting transition is located and found to be of the first order. Comparison is made with recent experimental results on wetting transitions in ternary surfactant systems.This paper is dedicated to J. K. Percus in honor of his 65th birthday.     

The Henderson Approximation and the Mass Action Law of Guldberg and Waage

Using contemporary accounts, we describe the scope of the Henderson approximation, and its relationship to the mass action law of Guldberg & Waage. The Henderson approximation, apparently written in logarithmic form by Hasselbalch, has the same form as the mass action law, but has a completely different meaning and a much more restricted range of applicability. The Guldberg-Waage law is the fundamental mass action relationship valid for all chemical equilibria, whereas the Henderson approximation is useful only within a limited range of a sufficiently concentrated two-component buffer mixture.