Optimal stopping problems by two or more decision makers: a survey

A review of the optimal stopping problem with more than a single decision maker (DM) is presented in this paper. We classify the existing literature according to the arrival of the offers, the utility of the DMs, the length of the sequence of offers, the nature of the game and the number of offers to be selected. We enumerate various definitions for this problem and describe some dynamic approaches. Fouad Ben Abdelaziz is on leave from the Institut Superieur de Gestion, University of Tunis, Tunisia e-mail: foued.benabdelaz@isg.run.tn.     

聚能射流的断裂时间

从描述聚能射流失稳的一维近似方程出发，导出了聚能射流断裂时间的近似公式。这个近似公式定量显示了屈服应力、本构关系、粘度和径向收缩效应等对射流断裂时间的影响，在４个不同的特殊近似下，可以自然演化为近１０年来所发表的几个半经验解析公式，并且在合理的参数范围内，公式给出的断裂时间曲线覆盖了射流断裂时间的全部实验点。     

Memory effects in gas chromatographic detection with a microwave-induced plasma

Capillary gas chromatography coupled to microwave-inducedplasma detection furnishes sensitivity adequate for trace analysis when the signal is monitored at a carbon emission line. Work performed with one of these systems at high electronic gain for the carbon signal has revealed solvent band widths in excess of four minutes; these impeded quantification of peaks eluting after the solvent. This report discusses two phenomena which could be related to the unexpected intensity of this solvent response: photomultiplier tube saturation and carbon deposits in the quartz plasma discharge tube.     

Optimal production control of a dynamic two-product manufacturing system with setup costs and setup times

This paper deals with the optimal control of a one-machine two-product manufacturing system with setup changes, operating in a continuous time dynamic environment. The system is deterministic. When production is switched from one product to the other, a known constant setup time and a setup cost are incurred. Each product has specified constant processing time and constant demand rate, as well as an infinite supply of raw material. The problem is formulated as a feedback control problem. The objective is to minimize the total backlog, inventory and setup costs incurred over a finite horizon. The optimal solution provides the optimal production rate and setup switching epochs as a function of the state of the system (backlog and inventory levels). For the steady state, the optimal cyclic schedule is determined. To solve the transient case, the system's state space is partitioned into mutually exclusive regions such that with each region, the optimal control policy is determined analytically.     

Anisotropic elastodynamics in a half space: An analytic method for polynomial data

An initial boundary value problem for the dynamic system of anisotropic elasticity in a half space is studied in the paper. A novel method of finding an exact solution of this problem for a special polynomial form of initial data and inhomogeneous term of the system is described. On the base of this method the simulation of elastic waves in different homogeneous anisotropic half spaces is implemented.     

A floating-point genetic algorithm for solving the unit commitment problem

This paper proposes a floating-point genetic algorithm (FPGA) to solve the unit commitment problem (UCP). Based on the characteristics of typical load demand, a floating-point chromosome representation and an encoding–decoding scheme are designed to reduce the complexities in handling the minimum up/down time limits. Strategic parameters of the FPGA are characterized in detail, i.e., the evaluation function and its constraints, population size, operation styles of selection, crossover operation and probability, mutation operation and probability. A dynamic combination scheme of genetic operators is formulated to explore and exploit the FPGA in the non-convex solution space and multimodal objective function. Experiment results show that the FPGA is a more effective technique among the various styles of genetic algorithms, which can be applied to the practical scheduling tasks in utility power systems.     

Instability of Solitary Waves in Nonlinear Composite Media

In this paper,we investigate a class of Hamiltonian systems arising in nonlinear composite media.By detailed analysis and computation we obtain a decaying estimates on the semigroup and prove the orbitalinstability of two families of explicit solitary wave solutions (slow family in anisotropic case and solitary wavesin isotropic case),which theoretically verify the related guess and numerical results.     

Portfolio optimization in stochastic markets

We consider a multiperiod mean-variance model where the model parameters change according to a stochastic market. The mean vector and covariance matrix of the random returns of risky assets all depend on the state of the market during any period where the market process is assumed to follow a Markov chain. Dynamic programming is used to solve an auxiliary problem which, in turn, gives the efficient frontier of the mean-variance formulation. An explicit expression is obtained for the efficient frontier and an illustrative example is given to demonstrate the application of the procedure.     

相互作用对玻色气体热力学性质及稳定性的影响

根据由赝势法得到的非理想玻色气体的自由能和状态方程，研究了相互作用对凝聚温度的影响.从热力学角度揭示了存在引力作用时定压热容量、等温压缩系数、定压膨胀系数的反常热力学特性.研究了引力作用下玻色气体系统的不稳定性，给出了不稳定性的温度判据和粒子数密度判据. 关键词： 相互作用 玻色气体 热力学性质 不稳定性判据     

Large-eddy-simulation of 3-dimensional Rayleigh-Taylor instability in incompressible fluids

The 3-dimensional incompressible Rayleigh-Taylor instability is numerically studied through the large-eddy-simulation ( LES) approach based on the passive scalar transport model. Both the instantaneous velocity and the passive scalar fields excited by sinusoidal perturbation and random perturbation are simulated. A full treatment of the whole evolution process of the instability is addressed. To verify the reliability of the LES code, the averaged turbulent energy as well as the flux of passive scalar are calculated at both the resolved scale and the subgrid scale. Our results show good agreement with the experimental and other numerical work. The LES method has proved to be an effective approach to the Rayleigh-Taylor instability.