New Branch-and-Cut Algorithm for Bilevel Linear Programming

Linear mixed 0–1 integer programming problems may be reformulated as equivalent continuous bilevel linear programming (BLP) problems. We exploit these equivalences to transpose the concept of mixed 0–1 Gomory cuts to BLP. The first phase of our new algorithm generates Gomory-like cuts. The second phase consists of a branch-and-bound procedure to ensure finite termination with a global optimal solution. Different features of the algorithm, in particular, the cut selection and branching criteria are studied in details. We propose also a set of algorithmic tests and procedures to improve the method. Finally, we illustrate the performance through numerical experiments. Our algorithm outperforms pure branch-and-bound when tested on a series of randomly generated problems. Work of the authors was partially supported by FCAR, MITACS and NSERC grants.     

Physicochemical studies on hydrophobic PEO‐PPO‐PEO triblock copolymer micelles in SDS micellar environment

The shape, size, aggregation, hydration, and correlation times of water insoluble PEO‐PPO‐PEO triblock copolymer micelles with sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) micelles were investigated using transport studies and dynamic light scattering technique. From the conductance of micellar solutions of the polymer in 25 mM SDS and 5 mM NaCl, the hydration of polymer micelles were determined using the principle of obstruction of electrolyte migration by the polymer. The asymmetry of the micellar particles of polymer and polymer‐SDS mixed micellar systems in 5 mM NaCl and their average axial ratios were calculated using intrinsic viscosity and hydration data obeying Simha–Einstein equation. Hydration number and micellar sizes were variable with temperature. The shape of the polymer micelles has been ellipsoidal rather than spherical. The micellar volume, hydrodynamic radius, radius of gyration, diffusional coefficients as well as translational, rotational and effective correlation times have been calculated from the absolute values of the axes. The partial molal volume of polymer micelles has also been determined and its comparison with the molar volume of pure polymer suggested a volume contraction due to immobilization of the water phase by the hydrophilic head groups of the polymer. The thermodynamic activation parameters for viscous flow favor a more ordered water structure around polymer micelles at higher temperatures. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 2410–2420, 2007     

Theory of Valuations on Manifolds: A Survey

This is a non-technical survey of a recent theory of valuations on manifolds constructed in [A10], [A11], [AF] and [A12], and actually a guide to this series of articles. We also review some recent related results obtained by a number of people. Received: February 2006, Revision: June 2006, Accepted: June 2006     

A Nonlinear Drift - Diffusion System with Electric Convection Arising in Electrophoretic and Semiconductor Modeling

A multi-dimensional transient drift-diffusion model for (at most) three charged particles, consisting of the continuity equations for the concentrations of the species and the Poisson equation for the electric potential, is considered. The diffusion terms depend on the concentrations. Such a system arises in electrophoretic modeling of three species (neutrally, positively and negatively charged) and in semiconductor theory for two species (positively charged holes and negatively charged electrons). Diffusion terms of degenerate type are also possible in semiconductor modeling. For the initial boundary value problem with mixed Dirichlet - Neumann boundary conditions and general reaction rates, a global existence result is proved. Uniqueness of solutions follows in the Dirichlet boundary case if the diffusion terms are uniformly parabolic or if the initial and boundary densities are strictly positive. Finally, we prove that solutions exist which are positive uniformly in time and globally bounded if the reaction rates satisfy appropriate growth conditions.     

Influence of preparation methods on structure and properties of PA6/PA66 blends: A comparison of melt‐mixing and in situ blending

The blends composed of polyamide 6 (PA6) and polyamide 66 (PA66) were obtained using two different preparation methods, one of which was the melt‐mixing through a twin‐screw extruder and the subsequent injection molding; and the other, the in situ blending through anionic polymerization of ε‐caprolactam in the presence of PA66. For the former, there existed a remarkable improvement in toughness but a drastic drop in strength and modulus; however, for the latter, a reverse but less significant trend of mechanical properties change appeared. Various characterizations were conducted, including the analyses of crystalline morphology, crystallographic form, and crystallization and melting behaviors using polarized optical microscopy (POM), wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively; observation of morphology of fractured surface with scanning electron microscope (SEM); measurement of glass transition through dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA); and the intermolecular interaction as well as the interchange reaction between the two components by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT‐IR) and ¹³C solution NMR. The presence and absence of interchange reaction was verified for the in situ and melt‐mixed blends, respectively. It is believed that the transreaction resulted in a drop in glass transition temperature (T_g) for the in situ blends, contrary to an increase of T_g with increasing PA66 content for the melt‐mixed ones. And the two kinds of fabrication methods led to significant differences in the crystallographic form, spherulite size and crystalline content and perfection as well. Accordingly, it is attempted to explain the reasons for the opposite trends of changes in the mechanical properties for these two blends. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1176–1186, 2007     

Banach-Saks property in Marcinkiewicz spaces

We catalogue all Marcinkiewicz function and sequence spaces with the Banach-Saks property and present necessary and sufficient conditions for a wide subclass of spaces to possess the p-Banach-Saks property, 1<p<∞. We apply our results to several open problems.     

平衡规划问题的熵函数方法及其在混合交通流中的应用

将参变极值问题的极大熵函数方法应用到求解平衡规划问题中,通过先验分布信息和Kullback熵概念,给出了平衡规划问题基于Kullback熵表示的熵函数求解方法,并将平衡规划的极大熵函数方法应用于求解混合交通平衡分配问题．     

On K1 and K2 of Algebraic Surfaces

In this paper we study higher Chow groups of smooth, projective surfaces over a field k of characteristic zero, using some new Hodge theoretic methods which we develop for this purpose. In particular we investigate the subgroup of CH ^r+1 (X,r) with r = 1,2 consisting of cycles that are supported over a normal crossing divisor Z on X. In this case, the Hodge theory of the complement forms an interesting variation of mixed Hodge structures in any geometric deformation of the situation. Our main result is a structure theorem in the case where X is a very general hypersurface of degree d in projective 3-space for d sufficiently large and Z is a union of very general hypersurface sections of X. In this case we show that the subgroup of CH ^r+1 (X,r) we consider is generated by obvious cycles only arising from rational functions on X with poles along Z. This can be seen as a generalization of the Noether–Lefschetz theorem for r = 0. In the case r = 1 there is a similar generalization by Müller-Stach, but our result is more precise than it, since it is geometric and not only cohomological. The case r = 2 is entirely new and original in this paper. For small d, we construct some explicit examples for r = 1 and 2 where the corresponding higher Chow groups are indecomposable, i.e. not the image of certain products of lower order groups. In an appendix Alberto Collino constructs even more indecomposable examples in CH ³ (X,2) which move in a one-dimensional family on the surface X.Contribution to appendix.     

L p -dual Quermassintegral sums

In this paper, we first introduce a concept of L _p -dual Quermassintegral sum function of convex bodies and establish the polar projection Minkowski inequality and the polar projection Aleksandrov-Fenchel inequality for L _p -dual Quermassintegral sums. Moreover, by using Lutwak’s width-integral of index i, we establish the L _p -Brunn-Minkowski inequality for the polar mixed projection bodies. As applications, we prove some interrelated results. This work was partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10271071), Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. Y605065) and Foundation of the Education Department of Zhejiang Province of China (Grant No. 20050392)     

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization of oxidated Si particles formed by pulsed ion-beam ablation

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is used to probe oxidation states of Si species in particles deposited using a pulsed ion-beam evaporation method. The effects of He ambient gas, ion beam intensity and post-treatments on the oxides composition and oxygen content have been studied. It is found that presence of He ambient gas led to a profound oxidation of Si species as compared to that prepared in vacuum at the same ion-beam ablation energy, i.e. both increase of SiO₂ component and oxygen concentration in the oxides coverage. The deposition in He also resulted in an increase of oxygen concentration even under lower ablation intensity, but a higher Si suboxides concentration. It is revealed that the reaction between Si and O was controlled by the ion beam intensity (temperature of Si plasma) and the gas ambient (collision probability of Si and O species). The difference in structure of oxide layers for samples obtained under various conditions is discussed based on the results of XPS analyses.