A θ-stable approximations of abstract Cauchy problems

Summary We study the approximation of linear parabolic Cauchy problems by means of Galerkin methods in space andA -stable multistep schemes of arbitrary order in time. The error is evaluated in the norm ofL _t ² (H _x ¹ ) L _t (L _x ² ).     

Properties of Integers and Finiteness Conditions for Semigroups

Let h and k be integers greater than 1; we prove that the following statements are equivalent: 1) the direct product of h copies of the additive semigroup of non-negative integers is not k-repetitive; 2) if the direct product of h finitely generated semigroups is k-repetitive, then one of them is finite. Using this and some results of Dekking and Pleasants on infinite words, we prove that certain repetitivity properties are finiteness conditions for finitely generated semigroups.     

Small values of signed harmonic sums

For every $\tau \in \mathbb{R}$ and every integer N, let ${\mathfrak{m}}_N(\tau )$ be the minimum of the distance of τ from the sums ${\sum }_{n=1}^N{s}_n/n$, where $s_1,\dots ,s_n\in \{?1,+1\}$. We prove that ${\mathfrak{m}}_N(\tau )<\exp ?(?C{(\log ?N)}^2)$, for all sufficiently large positive integers N (depending on C and τ), where C is any positive constant less than $1/\log ?4$.     

A conjectural extension of Hecke’s converse theorem

By using specific subsequences of two different types of generalized Stern polynomials, we obtain several related classes of finite and infinite continued fractions involving a single term \(z^{t^j}\) in their partial numerators, where z is a complex variable and t is a positive integer. This approach is extended to other, sparser, subsequences of Stern polynomials, based on certain Lucas functions; this then leads to further infinite classes of continued fractions.     

A combined analytical approach applied to Medieval wall paintings from Puglia (Italy): The study of painting techniques and its conservation state

A combined analytical approach has been applied to the wall paintings, dated from 10th to 14th centuries, of the Santi Stefani crypt at Vaste (Lecce, Southern Italy). These paintings are a precious testimony of Medieval art in Southern Italy. However, the church shows problems of damp as well as clear evidences of flora, fungi and mold presence, and there is little knowledge of the pictorial methodologies used. Raman spectroscopy allowed to determine the palette and to reconstruct the worksite and the chronological sequence of the various paint layers. Kaolinite, calcite, carbon black, hematite, massicot, goethite, indigo and azurite were identified as pigments along with synthetic pigments, like phthalocyanine blue and chrome yellow. Attenuated total reflectance‐Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggested the presence of egg as a binder in some pictorial layers. The conservation state of the crypt is poor, and detachments of pigmented layers are frequent because of the presence of subflorescence and efflorescence: nitrate, sulfate and chloride salts have been identified spectroscopically and quantified by ion chromatography. The extensive use of kaolinite in Santi Stefani, actually not uncommon in Medieval art, is observed for the first time in a crypt of Puglia: its use to stabilize some pigments and to improve their adhesion on substrate is proposed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Virtual element methods for parabolic problems on polygonal meshes

The virtual element method (VEM) is a recent technology that can make use of very general polygonal/polyhedral meshes without the need to integrate complex nonpolynomial functions on the elements and preserving an optimal order of convergence. In this article, we develop for the first time, the VEM for parabolic problems on polygonal meshes, considering time‐dependent diffusion as our model problem. After presenting the scheme, we develop a theoretical analysis and show the practical behavior of the proposed method through a large array of numerical tests. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 31: 2110–2134, 2015     

Superheating of silicon nanocrystals observed by Raman spectroscopy

In the Raman spectra of silicon nanocrystals a new anomalous component was detected. Close to the usual first order Raman peak situated for a bulk crystal at 521 cm⁻¹ at room temperature, two peaks arise shifting towards lower energy and demonstrating a huge temperature increase, as measured by the ratio of the Stokes/anti-Stokes peak intensities. This behavior is dependent on the laser power and on the morphology of the nanocrystals. We can exclude, however, confinement effects, although surface enhanced phonon modes could be responsible of such superheating. Alternative explanations are also suggested and discussed.     

Bose–Einstein condensation in satisfiability problems

This paper is concerned with the complex behavior arising in satisfiability problems. We present a new statistical physics-based characterization of the satisfiability problem. Specifically, we design an algorithm that is able to produce graphs starting from a k-SAT instance, in order to analyze them and show whether a Bose–Einstein condensation occurs. We observe that, analogously to complex networks, the networks of k-SAT instances follow Bose statistics and can undergo Bose–Einstein condensation. In particular, k-SAT instances move from a fit-get-rich network to a winner-takes-all network as the ratio of clauses to variables decreases, and the phase transition of k-SAT approximates the critical temperature for the Bose–Einstein condensation. Finally, we employ the fitness-based classification to enhance SAT solvers (e.g., ChainSAT) and obtain the consistently highest performing SAT solver for CNF formulas, and therefore a new class of efficient hardware and software verification tools.