On a canonical nine-body problem. Integrable Ermakov decomposition via reciprocal transformations

Here, a recently introduced nine-body problem is shown to be decomposable via a novel class of reciprocal transformations into a set of integrable Ermakov systems. This Ermakov decomposition is exploited to construct more general integrable nine-body systems in which the canonical nine-body system is embedded.     

An electron spectroscopic investigation of the interaction of methanol with polycrystalline aluminum

X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopic results are reported for the interaction of CH₃OH with clean polycrystalline Al in the temperature range 110–500 K. Methanol is moleculary chemisorbed at low exposure and low temperature (110 K) followed by condensation at higher exposure. Bonding mechanisms and geometries in the condensed and chemisorbed layers are discussed. The multilayers desorb beginning near 170 K and the chemisorbed layer is converted into a surface methoxide. Room temperature adsorption also leads to formation of the methoxide species which is stable to ～500 K, at which point it decomposes evolving CH₄ and leaves the surface oxidized.     

Probability theory and polymer physics

This study applies the theory of stochastic processes to the equilibrium statistical physics of polymers in solution. The topics treated include random copolymers and randomly branching polymers, with self-consistent mean field effects. A new and more natural way of dealing with Boltzmann weighting is discussed, which makes it possible from the beginning of a calculation to consider only the physical polymer conformations. We also show that in general the random copolymer problem can be reduced to the ordinary polymer problem, and treat the self-consistent field problem for a general branching polymer.     

高能核碰撞中带电多重数快度与能量和中心度的关系

用强子–弦级联模型JPCIAE及相应的Monte Carlo事例产生器研究相对论性核–核碰撞中带电粒子多重数的赝快度密度对能量和中心度的依赖关系.无需另调任何模型参数的条件下,此模型可以同时较好地描述相对论性pp实验数据及PHOBOS和PHENIX实验组的Au+Au实验数据.本文指出:因〈N_part〉并非严格定义的物理量,致使实验上和理论上确定〈N_part〉有一定任意性,从而使得每参加者核子对的带电粒子赝快度密度随着〈N_part〉的增加可能逐渐增大,也可能逐渐减小,因此用它来区分粒子产生机制是欠妥的.     

THE BIOGENETIC LAW AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THEORIES OF LEARNING MATHEMATICS

Reference to the history of mathematics has been widely used in discussions of the development of curricula, the problems students have in learning mathematics, and the development of concepts in the individual. This paper examines the background to the "Biogenetic Law" [1] which has influenced so much thinking in educational theory, and the use of the "principle of parallelism" where individual development is claimed to mirror the historical development of the subject matter. Interpretations of the history of mathematics which are used to justify these claims are examined, and the universality of the supposed concepts is challenged. Questions are raised about some of the fundamental tenets of Piagetian epistemology.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis><Subscript>∞</Subscript>-Algebras from Multisymplectic Geometry

A manifold is multisymplectic, or more specifically n-plectic, if it is equipped with a closed nondegenerate differential form of degree n + 1. In previous work with Baez and Hoffnung, we described how the ‘higher analogs’ of the algebraic and geometric structures found in symplectic geometry should naturally arise in 2-plectic geometry. In particular, just as a symplectic manifold gives a Poisson algebra of functions, any 2-plectic manifold gives a Lie 2-algebra of 1-forms and functions. Lie n-algebras are examples of L _∞-algebras: graded vector spaces equipped with a collection of skew-symmetric multi-brackets that satisfy a generalized Jacobi identity. Here, we generalize our previous result. Given an n-plectic manifold, we explicitly construct a corresponding Lie n-algebra on a complex consisting of differential forms whose multi-brackets are specified by the n-plectic structure. We also show that any n-plectic manifold gives rise to another kind of algebraic structure known as a differential graded Leibniz algebra. We conclude by describing the similarities between these two structures within the context of an open problem in the theory of strongly homotopy algebras. We also mention a possible connection with the work of Barnich, Fulp, Lada, and Stasheff on the Gelfand–Dickey–Dorfman formalism.     

Optimal and robust contracts for a risk-constrained principal

The theory of risk measurement has been extensively developed over the past ten years or so, but there has been comparatively little effort devoted to using this theory to inform portfolio choice. One theme of this paper is to study how an investor in a conventional log-Brownian market would invest to optimize expected utility of terminal wealth, when subjected to a bound on his risk, as measured by a coherent law-invariant risk measure. Results of Kusuoka lead to remarkably complete expressions for the solution to this problem. The second theme of the paper is to discuss how one would actually manage (not just measure) risk. We study a principal/agent problem, where the principal is required to satisfy some risk constraint. The principal proposes a compensation package to the agent, who then optimises selfishly ignoring the risk constraint. The principal can pick a compensation package that induces the agent to select the principal’s optimal choice.     

4H‐1‐Benzopyrans by a tandem SN2‐SNAr reaction

Treatment of 2‐fluoro‐5‐nitrobenzyl bromide with active methylene compounds in the presence of excess potassium carbonate in acetone leads to the formation of highly functionalized 4H‐1‐benzopyrans by a tandem S_N2‐S_NAr reaction sequence. The reaction works well with β‐keto esters, β‐keto sulfones, β‐keto phosphine oxides, β‐keto phosphonates and β‐keto nitriles. The reaction is simple to perform and affords products in 50‐92% yields.