An axisymmetric problem of an embedded mixed-mode crack in a functionally graded magnetoelectroelastic infinite medium

This paper investigates the problem of an axisymmetric penny shaped crack embedded in an infinite functionally graded magneto electro elastic medium. The loading consists of magnetoelectromechanical loads applied on the crack surfaces assumed to be magneto electrically impermeable. The material’s gradient is parallel to the axisymmetric direction and is perpendicular to the crack plane. An anisotropic constitutive law is adopted to model the material behavior. The governing equations are converted analytically using Hankel transform into coupled singular integral equations, which are solved numerically to yield the crack tip stress, electric displacement and magnetic induction intensity factors. A similar problem but with a different crack morphology, that is a plane crack embedded in an infinite functionally graded magneto electro elastic medium, was considered by the authors in a previous work (Rekik et al., 2012) [25]. While the overall solution schemes look similar, the axisymmetric problem resulted in more mathematical complexities and let to different conclusions with respect to the influence of coupling between elastic, electric and magnetic effects. The main focus of this paper is to study the effect of material non-homogeneity on the fields’ intensity factors to understand further the behavior of graded magnetoelectroelastic materials containing penny shaped cracks and to inspect the effect of varying the crack geometry.     

Contingent claim pricing using probability distortion operators: methods from insurance risk pricing and their relationship to financial theory

This paper considers the pricing of contingent claims using an approach developed and used in insurance pricing. The approach is of interest and significance because of the increased integration of insurance and financial markets and also because insurance-related risks are trading in financial markets as a result of securitization and new contracts on futures exchanges. This approach uses probability distortion functions as the dual of the utility functions used in financial theory. The pricing formula is the same as the Black-Scholes formula for contingent claims when the underlying asset price is log-normal. The paper compares the probability distortion function approach with that based on financial theory. The theory underlying the approaches is set out and limitations on the use of the insurance-based approach are illustrated. The probability distortion approach is extended to the pricing of contingent claims for more general assumptions than those used for Black-Scholes option pricing.     

The class of tenable zero-balanced Pólya urns with an initially dominant subset of colors

In Kholfi and Mahmoud (2011) the class of tenable irreducible nondegenerate zero-balanced Pólya urn schemes is introduced and its asymptotic behavior in various phases is studied. In the absence of an initially dominant subset of colors, the counts of balls of all the colors satisfy multivariate central limit theorems. It is reported there that the case of an initially dominant subset of colors poses challenges requiring finer asymptotic analysis. In the present investigation we follow up on this. Indeed, we characterize noncritical cases with an initially dominant subset of colors in which not all ball counts satisfy one multivariate central limit theorem, but rather a subset of the ball counts satisfies a singular multivariate central limit theorem. The rest of the cases are critical, in which all the ball counts satisfy a multivariate central limit theorem, but under a different scaling. However, for these critical cases the Gaussian phases are delayed considerably.     

TOPSIS for bi-level MODM problems

TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution) is a multiple criteria method to identify solutions from a finite set of alternatives based upon simultaneous minimization of distance from an ideal point and maximization of distance from a nadir point. This paper proposes a fuzzy TOPSIS algorithm to solve bi-level multi-objective decision-making (BL-MODM) problems, and in which the objective function at each level are non-linear functions which are to be maximized. The proposed model for getting the satisfactory solution of the BL-MODM problems includes the membership functions for the upper level decision variables vector with possible tolerances, the membership function of the distance function from the positive ideal solution (PIS) and the membership function of the distance function from the negative ideal solution (NIS). A numerical illustrative example is given to clarify the proposed TOPSIS approach of this paper.     

Exact solution of thermal radiation on MHD flow over a stretching porous sheet

The effect of radiation on MHD steady asymmetric flow of an electrically conducting fluid past a stretching porous sheet in the presence of radiation has been analyzed. Exact solutions for the velocity and temperature fields have been derived and the effects of radiation, magnetic, Prandtl number, wall temperature and suction (or injection) parameters have been studied with the help of graphs.     

On the homotopy type of (<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-1)-connected (3<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>+1)-dimensional free chain Lie algebra

Let R be a subring ring of Q. We reserve the symbol p for the least prime which is not a unit in R; if R ?Q, then p=∞. Denote by DGL _n ^np , n≥1, the category of (n-1)-connected np-dimensional differential graded free Lie algebras over R. In [1] D. Anick has shown that there is a reasonable concept of homotopy in the category DGL _n ^np . In this work we intend to answer the following two questions: Given an object (L(V), ?) in DGL _n ³ⁿ⁺² and denote by S(L(V), ?) the class of objects homotopy equivalent to (L(V), ?). How we can characterize a free dgl to belong to S(L(V), ?)? Fix an object (L(V), ?) in DGL _n ³ⁿ⁺² . How many homotopy equivalence classes of objects (L(W), δ) in DGL _n ³ⁿ⁺² such that H _* (W, d′)?H _* (V, d) are there? Note that DGL _n ³ⁿ⁺² is a subcategory of DGL _n ^np when p>3. Our tool to address this problem is the exact sequence of Whitehead associated with a free dgl.     

Ion-acoustic waves in plasma of warm ions and isothermal electrons using time-fractional KdV equation

The ion-acoustic solitary wave in collisionless unmagnetized plasma consisting of warm ions-fluid and isothermal electrons is studied using the time fractional KdV equation. The reductive perturbation method has been employed to derive the Korteweg-de Vries equation for small but finite amplitude ion-acoustic wave in warm plasma. The Lagrangian of the time fractional KdV equation is used in a similar form to the Lagrangian of the regular KdV equation with fractional derivative for the time differentiation. The variation of the functional of this Lagrangian leads to the Euler-Lagrange equation that gives the time fractional KdV equation. The variational-iteration method is used to solve the derived time fractional KdV equation. The calculations of the solution are carried out for different values of the time fractional order. These calculations show that the time fractional can be used to modulate the electrostatic potential wave instead of adding a higher order dissipation term to the KdV equation. The results of the present investigation may be applicable to some plasma environments,such as the ionosphere plasma.     

A new element for analyzing large deformation of thin Naghdi shell model. Part II: Plastic

In this paper a new element is developed that is based on Cosserat theory. In the finite element implementation of Cosserat theory shear locking can occur, especially for very thin shells. In the present investigation the director vector is constrained to remain perpendicular to the mid surface during deformation. It will be shown that this constraint yields accurate results in very large deformation of thin shells also the rate of convergency is very good. For plastic formulation, the model introduced by Simo is used and it has been reduced for constrained director vector and the consistent elasto-plastic tangent moduli is extracted for finite element solution. This model includes both kinematic and isotropic hardening. For numerical investigations an isoparametric nine node element is employed then by linearization of the principle of virtual work, material and geometric stiffness matrices are extracted. The validity and the accuracy of the proposed element is illustrated by the numerical examples and the results are compared with those available in the literature.     

One and multidimensional sampling theorems associated with Dirichlet problems

We use the eigenfunction expansion of Green's function of Dirichlet problems to obtain sampling theorems. The analytic properties of the sampled integral transforms as well as the uniform convergence of the sampling series are proved without any restrictions on the integral transforms. We obtain a one- and multi-dimensional versions of sampling theorems. In both cases the sampling series are written in terms of Lagrange-type interpolation expansions. Some examples and the truncation error as well as the stability of the obtained sampling expansions are discussed at the end of the paper. © 1998 B. G. Teubner Stuttgart–John Wiley & Sons Ltd.