Rounding-based heuristics for nonconvex MINLPs

We propose two primal heuristics for nonconvex mixed-integer nonlinear programs. Both are based on the idea of rounding the solution of a continuous nonlinear program subject to linear constraints. Each rounding step is accomplished through the solution of a mixed-integer linear program. Our heuristics use the same algorithmic scheme, but they differ in the choice of the point to be rounded (which is feasible for nonlinear constraints but possibly fractional) and in the linear constraints. We propose a feasibility heuristic, that aims at finding an initial feasible solution, and an improvement heuristic, whose purpose is to search for an improved solution within the neighborhood of a given point. The neighborhood is defined through local branching cuts or box constraints. Computational results show the effectiveness in practice of these simple ideas, implemented within an open-source solver for nonconvex mixed-integer nonlinear programs.     

Variations on Weyl's theorem

In this note we study the property (w), a variant of Weyl's theorem introduced by Rako?evi?, by means of the localized single-valued extension property (SVEP). We establish for a bounded linear operator defined on a Banach space several sufficient and necessary conditions for which property (w) holds. We also relate this property with Weyl's theorem and with another variant of it, a-Weyl's theorem. We show that Weyl's theorem, a-Weyl's theorem and property (w) for T (respectively T^*) coincide whenever T^* (respectively T) satisfies SVEP. As a consequence of these results, we obtain that several classes of commonly considered operators have property (w).     

Total positivity properties of Jacobi–Stirling numbers

The Jacobi–Stirling numbers of the first and second kinds were first introduced in Everitt et al. (2007) [8] and they are a generalization of the Legendre–Stirling numbers. Quite remarkably, they share many similar properties with the classical Stirling numbers. In this paper we study total positivity properties of these numbers. In particular, we prove that the matrix whose entries are the Jacobi–Stirling numbers is totally positive and that each row and each column is a Pólya frequency sequence, except for the columns with (unsigned) numbers of the first kind.     

Some remarks on factoriality of certain hypersurfaces in \mathbb{P}^4

Let V be a reduced and irreducible hypersurface of degree k 3. In this paper we prove that if the singular locus of V consists of ₂ ordinary double points, ₃ ordinary triple points and if ₂ + 4₃ < (k – 1)², then any smooth surface contained in V is a complete intersection on V.Received: 7 January 2004     

A Lower Bound for the Height of a Rational Function at S-unit Points

Let a,b be given, multiplicatively independent positive integers and let >0. In a recent paper jointly with Y. Bugeaud we proved the upper bound exp(n) for g.c.d.(aⁿ–1, bⁿ–1); shortly afterwards we generalized this to the estimate g.c.d.(u–1,v–1)<>u,v) for multiplicatively independent S-units u,vZ. In a subsequent analysis of those results it turned out that a perhaps better formulation of them may be obtained in terms of the language of heights of algebraic numbers. In fact, the purposes of the present paper are: to generalize the upper bound for the g.c.d. to pairs of rational functions other than {u–1,v–1} and to extend the results to the realm of algebraic numbers, giving at the same time a new formulation of the bounds in terms of height functions and algebraic subgroups of G_m².     

On first order congruences of lines in ℙ4 with irreducible fundamental surface

In this article we study congruences of lines in ?ⁿ, and in particular of order one. After giving general results, we obtain a complete classification in the case of ?⁴ in which the fundamental surface F is in fact a variety, i.e. it is integral, and the congruence is the irreducible set of the trisecant lines of F. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Interaction between inner and outer layer in drag-reduced turbulent flows

Effects of wall-based skin-friction drag reduction strategies on the statistical properties of large-scale motions in moderate Reynolds number turbulent flows have been investigated by exploiting Direct Numerical Simulation of turbulent channels. To educe large scales, a new efficient parallel distributed memory algorithm has been implemented which delivers data-driven modes of increasing characteristic lengthscales: the Fast and Adaptive Bidimensional Empirical Mode Decomposition (FABEMD). The influence of wall-based skin friction reduction on large scales is studied by comparing single point statistics, such as r.m.s. fluctuations, and two-point statistics, as cross-correlation functions in controlled and uncontrolled channel flow fields at constant friction Reynolds number. The traditional way of observing large-scale footprinting at the wall, as cross-correlation of the streamwise velocity components at different wall distances, has been found to be unreliable when comparing drag-reduced flows, due to the arbitrary choice of a reference plane in the logarithmic layer. A more sound way of observing the footprinting via the correlation of the streamwise velocity with the friction velocity is addressed and shows an increase of the footprinting in drag-reduced flows. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Sub-Riemannian Curvature in Contact Geometry

We compare different notions of curvature on contact sub-Riemannian manifolds. In particular, we introduce canonical curvatures as the coefficients of the sub-Riemannian Jacobi equation. The main result is that all these coefficients are encoded in the asymptotic expansion of the horizontal derivatives of the sub-Riemannian distance. We explicitly compute their expressions in terms of the standard tensors of contact geometry. As an application of these results, we obtain a sub-Riemannian version of the Bonnet–Myers theorem that applies to any contact manifold.