Robust observer design for nonlinear uncertain switched systems under asynchronous switching

Switching between the system and the associated observer or controller is in fact asynchronous in switched control systems. However, many times we assume it synchronous, for simplicity. In this paper, the robust observer design problems for a class of nonlinear uncertain switched systems for synchronous and asynchronous switching are addressed. At first, a robust observer under synchronous switching is proposed based on average dwell time approach. After that, the results are extended to robust observer design in the asynchronous case. In this case, two working modes are adopted to facilitate the studies on the issue. Finally, an extension case covering more practical applications is investigated under asynchronous switching. The designed observer cannot maintain the asymptotical stability of error state, but the eventual boundness is guaranteed. At the end, a numerical design example is given to illustrate our results.     

The duality property of the Discrete Fourier Transform based on Simpson's rule

The classical Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) satisfies a duality property that transforms a discrete time signal to the frequency domain and back to the original domain. In doing so, the original signal is reversed to within a multiplicative factor, namely the dimension of the transformation matrix. In this paper, we prove that the DFT based on Simpson's method satisfies a similar property and illustrate its effect on a real discrete signal. The duality property is particularly useful in determining the components of the transformation matrix as well as components of its positive integral powers. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Degree bounded matroids and submodular flows

We consider two related problems, the Minimum Bounded Degree Matroid Basis problem and the Minimum Bounded Degree Submodular Flow problem. The first problem is a generalization of the Minimum Bounded Degree Spanning Tree problem: We are given a matroid and a hypergraph on its ground set with lower and upper bounds f(e)≤g(e) for each hyperedge e. The task is to find a minimum cost basis which contains at least f(e) and at most g(e) elements from each hyperedge e. In the second problem we have a submodular flow problem, a lower bound f(v) and an upper bound g(v) for each node v, and the task is to find a minimum cost 0–1 submodular flow with the additional constraint that the sum of the incoming and outgoing flow at each node v is between f(v) and g(v). Both of these problems are NP-hard (even the feasibility problems are NP-complete), but we show that they can be approximated in the following sense. Let opt be the value of the optimal solution. For the first problem we give an algorithm that finds a basis B of cost no more than opt such that f(e)?2Δ+1≤|B∩e|≤g(e)+2Δ?1 for every hyperedge e, where Δ is the maximum degree of the hypergraph. If there are only upper bounds (or only lower bounds), then the violation can be decreased to Δ?1. For the second problem we can find a 0–1 submodular flow of cost at most opt where the sum of the incoming and outgoing flow at each node v is between f(v)?1 and g(v)+1. These results can be applied to obtain approximation algorithms for several combinatorial optimization problems with degree constraints, including the Minimum Crossing Spanning Tree problem, the Minimum Bounded Degree Spanning Tree Union problem, the Minimum Bounded Degree Directed Cut Cover problem, and the Minimum Bounded Degree Graph Orientation problem.     

The Elementary Solution of Triple Integral Equations and The Solution of Triple Series Equations Involving Associated Legendre Polynomials and their Application

A method is developed for the formal solution of an important class of triple integral equations involving Bessel functions. The solution of the triple integral equations is reduced to two simultaneous Fredholm integral equations and the results obtained are simpler than those of other authors and also superior for the purposes of solution by iteration. In the same manner the formal solution of triple series equations involving associated Legendre polynomials is presented. The solution of the problem is reduced to that of solving a Fredholm integral equation of the first kind. Finally to illustrate the application of the results an electrostatic problem is discussed.     

Corrigendum to a Paper by Charak and Laine

This is a corrigendum to our paper, "On a class of prime entire functions", published in Acta Math. Sin., Engl. Ser., 25, 1647-1652 (2009).     

A note on mixed summation-integral-type operators

Very recently Deo, in the paper “Simultaneous approximation by Lupas operators with weighted function of Szasz operators” [J. Inequal. Pure Appl. Math., 5, No. 4 (2004)] claimed to introduce the integral modifications of Lupas operators. These operators were first introduced in 1993 by Gupta and Srivastava. They estimated the simultaneous approximation for these operators and called them Baskakov-Szasz operators. There are several misprints in the paper by Deo. This motivated us to perform subsequent investigations in this direction. We extend the study and estimate a saturation result in simultaneous approximation for the linear combinations of these summation-integral-type operators. Published in Ukrains’kyi Matematychnyi Zhurnal, Vol. 59, No. 8, pp. 1135–1139, August, 2007.     

LMI approach to the global robust stability of a larger class of neural networks with delay

Sufficient conditions in the form of linear matrix inequality for the uniqueness and global asymptotic stability of the equilibrium point of a large class of uncertain neural networks with delay are presented. The conditions are based on norm-bounded uncertainties. An example is given to show the effectiveness of the obtained results. A comparison is made between the present approach and an earlier approach due to Lu, Rong and Chen. An error is corrected in an earlier publication.     

Distress among disaster-affected populations: delay in relief provision

Central to humanitarian logistics is the minimization of distress among impacted populations in the aftermath of a disaster. In this paper, we characterize two levels of distress, termed criticality and destitution, with respect to the delay provision of relief items. Delay in provision of a relief item will lead to destitution for a tolerable number of days, beyond which it will lead to criticality. We develop a mixed-integer goal program that quantifies these two metrics with respect to the number of days without provision of each of a set of relief items. The model determines the allocation of resources and the distribution of available relief items in a manner that minimizes criticality and destitution in affected population segments. The use of the model is demonstrated for the aftermath of a catastrophic earthquake in Istanbul, expected to occur by 2030.     

Prescriptive analytics for FIFA World Cup lodging capacity planning

The FIFA World Cup, comprising sixty-four matches spanning an entire month, has, in recent years, been attended by about three million spectators of which over half a million are visitors requiring lodging. Planning lodging capacity for an event of this magnitude is necessary for host nations where pre-existing infrastructures are either inadequate or lacking. This paper develops an optimization analytics framework that sequentially employs two integer programming models for foreign spectator analysis and the consequent lodging requirements. The framework is applied to assess the preparedness of lodging infrastructure in Qatar for FIFA 2022.