Diffusion-controlled reaction. V. Effect of concentration-dependent diffusion coefficient on reaction rate in graft polymerization

The effect of diffusion on radiation-initiated graft polymerization has been studied with emphasis on the single- and two-penetrant cases. When the physical properties of the penetrants are similar, the two-penetrant problem can be reduced to the single-penetrant problem by redefining the characteristic parameters of the system. The diffusion-free graft polymerization rate is assumed to be proportional to the v power of the monomer concentration C, in which the proportionality constant a = k_pR/k, where k_p and k_t are the propagation and termination rate constants, respectively, and R_i is the initiation rate. The values of v, w, and z depend on the particular reaction system. The results of our earlier work were generalized by allowing a non-Fickian diffusion rate, obtained from an extension of the Fujita free-volume theory, which predicts an essentially exponential dependence on the monomer concentration of the diffusion coefficient, D = D₀ [exp(δC/M)], where M is the saturation concentration. It was shown that a reaction system is characterized by the three dimensionless parameters v, δ, and A = (L/2)[aM^(v?1)/D₀]^1/2, where L is the polymer film thickness. Graft polymerization tends to become diffusion controlled as A increases. Larger values of δ and v cause a reaction system to behave closer to the diffusion-free regime. The transition from diffusion-free to diffusion-controlled reaction involves changes in the dependence of the reaction rate on film thickness, initiation rate, and monomer concentration. Although the diffusion-free rate is w order in initiation rate, v order in monomer, and independent of film thickness, the diffusion-controlled rate is w/2 order in initiator rate and inverse first-order in film thickness. The dependence of the diffusion-controlled rate on monomer is dependent in a complex manner on the diffusional characteristics of the reaction system.     

Spectral asymptotics and basis properties of fourth order differential operators with regular boundary conditions

In this paper, we consider the problem where λ is a spectral parameter; q(x) ∈ L₁(0,1) is complex‐valued function; α_s, s = 1,2,3, are arbitrary complex constants that satisfy α₂ = α₁ + α₃ and σ = 0,1. The boundary conditions of this problem are regular, but not strongly regular. Asymptotic formulae for eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the considered boundary value problem are established. It is proved that all the eigenvalues, except for finite number, are simple and the system of root functions of this spectral problem forms a basis in the space L_p(0,1), 1 < p < ∞ , when ; moreover, this basis is unconditional for p = 2. We note that the considered problem was previously investigated in the condition of α₂ ≠ α₁ + α₃. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An augmented penalty function method with penalty parameter updates for nonconvex optimization

Given an augmented Lagrangian scheme for a general optimization problem, we use an epsilon subgradient step for improving the dual function. This can be seen as an update for an augmented penalty method, which is more stable because it does not force the penalty parameter to tend to infinity. We establish for this update primal-dual convergence for our augmented penalty method. As illustration, we apply our method to the test-bed kissing number problem.     

An adaptive large neighborhood search heuristic for the Pollution-Routing Problem

The Pollution-Routing Problem (PRP) is a recently introduced extension of the classical Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows which consists of routing a number of vehicles to serve a set of customers, and determining their speed on each route segment so as to minimize a function comprising fuel, emission and driver costs. This paper presents an adaptive large neighborhood search for the PRP. Results of extensive computational experimentation confirm the efficiency of the algorithm.     

Inventory control and pricing for perishable products under age and price dependent stochastic demand

Multistage stochastic programming (SP) with both endogenous and exogenous uncertainties is a novel problem in which some uncertain parameters are decision-dependent and others are independent of decisions. The main difficulty of this problem is that nonanticipativity constraints (NACs) make up a significantly large constraint set, growing very fast with the number of scenarios and leading to an intractable model. Usually, a lot of these constraints are redundant and hence, identification and elimination of redundant NACs can cause a significant reduction in the problem size. Recently, a polynomial time algorithm has been proposed in the literature which is able to identify all redundant NACs in an SP problem with only endogenous uncertainty. In this paper, however, we extend the algorithm proposed in the literature and present a new method which is able to make the upper most possible reduction in the number of NACs in any SP with both exogenous and endogenous uncertain parameters. Proving the validity of this method is another innovation of this study. Computational results confirm that the proposed approach can significantly reduce the problem size within a reasonable computation time.     

MHD mixed convection of a viscous dissipating fluid about a permeable vertical flat plate

The problem of steady laminar magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) mixed convection heat transfer about a vertical plate is studied numerically, taking into account the effects of Ohmic heating and viscous dissipation. A uniform magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the plate. The resulting governing equations are transformed into the non-similar boundary layer equations and solved using the Keller box method. Both the aiding-buoyancy mode and the opposing-buoyancy mode of the mixed convection are examined. The velocity and temperature profiles as well as the local skin friction and local heat transfer parameters are determined for different values of the governing parameters, mainly the magnetic parameter, the Richardson number, the Eckert number and the suction/injection parameter, f_w. For some specific values of the governing parameters, the results agree very well with those available in the literature. Generally, it is determined that the local skin friction coefficient and the local heat transfer coefficient increase owing to suction of fluid, increasing the Richardson number, Ri (i.e. the mixed convection parameter) or decreasing the Eckert number. This trend reverses for blowing of fluid and decreasing the Richardson number or decreasing the Eckert number. It is disclosed that the value of Ri determines the effect of the magnetic parameter on the momentum and heat transfer.     

On a Modified Subgradient Algorithm for Dual Problems via Sharp Augmented Lagrangian*

We study convergence properties of a modified subgradient algorithm, applied to the dual problem defined by the sharp augmented Lagrangian. The primal problem we consider is nonconvex and nondifferentiable, with equality constraints. We obtain primal and dual convergence results, as well as a condition for existence of a dual solution. Using a practical selection of the step-size parameters, we demonstrate the algorithm and its advantages on test problems, including an integer programming and an optimal control problem. *Partially Supported by 2003 UniSA ITEE Small Research Grant Ero2. Supported by CAPES, Brazil, Grant No. 0664-02/2, during her visit to the School of Mathematics and Statistics, UniSA.     

Symplectic tori in rational elliptic surfaces

Let E(1)_p denote the rational elliptic surface with a single multiple fiber f_p of multiplicity p. We construct an infinite family of homologous non-isotopic symplectic tori representing the primitive 2-dimensional homology class [f_p] in E(1)_p when p>1. As a consequence, we get infinitely many non-isotopic symplectic tori in the fiber class of the rational elliptic surface . We also show how these tori can be non-isotopically embedded as homologous symplectic submanifolds in other symplectic 4-manifolds.     

Optimization Over the Efficient Set of Multi-objective Convex Optimal Control Problems

We consider multi-objective convex optimal control problems. First we state a relationship between the (weakly or properly) efficient set of the multi-objective problem and the solution of the problem scalarized via a convex combination of objectives through a vector of parameters (or weights). Then we establish that (i) the solution of the scalarized (parametric) problem for any given parameter vector is unique and (weakly or properly) efficient and (ii) for each solution in the (weakly or properly) efficient set, there exists at least one corresponding parameter vector for the scalarized problem yielding the same solution. Therefore the set of all parametric solutions (obtained by solving the scalarized problem) is equal to the efficient set. Next we consider an additional objective over the efficient set. Based on the main result, the new objective can instead be considered over the (parametric) solution set of the scalarized problem. For the purpose of constructing numerical methods, we point to existing solution differentiability results for parametric optimal control problems. We propose numerical methods and give an example application to illustrate our approach.