Surfaces of Demoulin: differential geometry, Bäcklund transformation and integrability

The surfaces of Demoulin constitute an important subclass of surfaces in projective differential geometry which arise in many seemingly unrelated geometric constructions. Analytically, they are described by a two-component system which coincides with the D₃⁽¹⁾ Toda lattice. We review some of the most important geometric properties of the Demoulin surfaces and construct a Bäcklund transformation which may be specialized to the well-known Bäcklund transformation for the Tzitzeica equation governing affine spheres in affine geometry.     

Clusters in an assembly of globally coupled bistable oscillators

We study the dynamics of an assembly of globally coupled bistable elements. We show that bistability of elements results in some new features of clustering in the assembly when there is global coupling. We provide conditions for the existence of stable amplitude-phase clusters and splay-phase states. Received 12 June 1998 and Received in final form 30 November 1998     

Recurrence of Ancestral Lines and Offspring Trees in Time Stationary Branching Populations

For time stationary Galton- Watson-branching populations on a general type space, the structure of the “individually positive recurrent part” of the system is described: its building blocks consist of finitely many “clans” with positive recurrent trunks. Conditions are given when this nubsystem is void, and when it equals the full system. In addition, positive recurrence on the clan level is characterized. Whereas individual positive recurrence turns out to be a symmetric concept with respect to forward and backward time direction (i. e., with respect to anceatral lines and offspring trees), with individual null recurrence this symmetry can fail even in the absence of branching, i.e., for independently migrating particle systems (Example 13.1). For discrete type spaces a classification of types as to the various individual recurrence concepts (positive, null, forward and backward in time) is proposed and illustrated by a couple of results and examples. For finite type spaces conditiom on the branching dynamics and its mean matrix for the existence of nontrivial equilibria are given.     

Four-wave mixing in semiconductor laser amplifiers: Applications for optical communication systems

Four-wave mixing in semiconductor laser amplifiers enables various applications in photonic switching including wavelength conversion, space and time switching, optical phase conjugation, and demultiplexing. Switching times faster than 1 ps are possible.     

Statistical mechanics of money: how saving propensity affects its distribution

We consider a simple model of a closed economic system where the total money is conserved and the number of economic agents is fixed. Analogous to statistical systems in equilibrium, money and the average money per economic agent are equivalent to energy and temperature, respectively. We investigate the effect of the saving propensity of the agents on the stationary or equilibrium probability distribution of money. When the agents do not save, the equilibrium money distribution becomes the usual Gibb's distribution, characteristic of non-interacting agents. However with saving, even for individual self-interest, the dynamics becomes cooperative and the resulting asymmetric Gaussian-like stationary distribution acquires global ordering properties. Intriguing singularities are observed in the stationary money distribution in the market, as functions of the marginal saving propensity of the agents. Received 2 May 2000     

Dynamics of the swollen lamellar phase

We investigate the dynamical behavior of lamellar phases in ternary amphiphilic systems of water, oil and amphiphile. The interaction between the amphiphilic monolayers is described by the steric interaction due to thermal fluctuations for uncharged, and by electrostatic interactions for charged systems. The dynamics of the system is determined by the hydrodynamics of the fluid layers. The basic parameters of our model are the viscosities of the two solvents, the average thicknesses of the oil and water layers, and the bending rigidity. The model allows to consider different monolayer interactions across the oil and water layers. Relaxation rates are calculated for arbitrary wave vectors parallel and perpendicular to the average monolayer plane. We find that there is a quite complex crossover behavior from a law for small parallel wave vectors to a law for large . We discuss the relevance of our result for the interpretation of dynamic light-scattering and neutron-spin-echo experiments for these systems. Received 7 December 1999     

Reaction-diffusion system with self-organized critical behavior

We describe the construction of a conserved reaction-diffusion system that exhibits self-organized critical (avalanche-like) behavior under the action of a slow addition of particles. The model provides an illustration of the general mechanism to generate self-organized criticality in conserving systems. Extensive simulations in d = 2 and 3 reveal critical exponents compatible with the universality class of the stochastic Manna sandpile model. Received 16 November 2000     

Symbolic models for infinite networks of control systems: A compositional approach

This paper presents a compositional framework for the construction of symbolic models for a network composed of a countably infinite number of finite-dimensional discrete-time control subsystems. We refer to such a network as infinite network. The proposed approach is based on the notion of alternating simulation functions. This notion relates a concrete network to its symbolic model with guaranteed mismatch bounds between their output behaviors. We propose a compositional approach to construct a symbolic model for an infinite network, together with an alternating simulation function, by composing symbolic models and alternating simulation functions constructed for subsystems. Assuming that each subsystem is incrementally input-to-state stable and under some small-gain type conditions, we present an algorithm for orderly constructing local symbolic models with properly designed quantization parameters. In this way, the proposed compositional approach can provide us a guideline for constructing an overall symbolic model with any desired approximation accuracy. A compositional controller synthesis scheme is also provided to enforce safety properties on the infinite network in a decentralized fashion. The effectiveness of our result is illustrated through a road traffic network consisting of infinitely many road cells.     

The additive property of the inconsistency degree in intertemporal decision making through the generalization of psychophysical laws

Intertemporal decision making involves choices among options whose effects occur at different moments. These choices are influenced not only by the effect of reward value perception at different moments, but also by the time perception effect. One of the main difficulties that affect standard experiments involving intertemporal choices is the simultaneity of both effects on time discounting. In this paper, we unify the psychophysical laws and discount value functions using the one-parameter exponential and logarithmic functions from nonextensive statistical mechanics. Also, we propose to measure the degree of inconsistency. This quantity allow us to discriminate both effects of time and value perception on discounting process and, by integration, obtain other main quantities like impulsivity and discount functions.