Formula 1 – A Mathematical Microworld with CAS: Analysis of Learning Opportunities and Experiences with Students

In this article we describe a mathematical microworld for investigating car motion on a racing course and its use with a group of grade 12 students. The microworld is concerned with the mathematical construction of courses and functions which describe car motion. It is implemented in the computer algebra system, Maple^®, which provides the means to represent courses and functions symbolically and graphically. We describe the learning opportunities offered by the microworld in relation to the research literature on functions. Various facets and layers of the function concept are addressed in the microworld, and we suggest how work in the microworld might help in overcoming some well-known misconceptions.This revised version was published online in September 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Rational Functions with Prescribed Global and Local Minimizers

A family of multivariate rational functions is constructed. It has strong local minimizers with prescribed function values at prescribed positions. While there might be additional local minima, such minima cannot be global. A second family of multivariate rational functions is given, having prescribed global minimizers and prescribed interpolating data.     

Sequent calculi for propositional star-free likelihood logic

We consider classical, multisuccedent intuitionistic, and intuitionistic sequent calculi for propositional likelihood logic. We prove the admissibility of structural rules and cut rule, invertibility of rules, correctness of the calculi, and completeness of the classical calculus with respect to given semantics.__________Published in Lietuvos Matematikos Rinkinys, Vol. 45, No. 1, pp. 3–21, January–March, 2005.     

混合效应模型中的D-最优设计

本研究的是混合效应-Ⅱ模型，首先，给出二阶模型存在D-最优回归设计点的必要条件。其次，组合D-最优回归设计和D-最优区组设计BIBD构造D-最优设计并给出寻找新的D-最优设计点的方法。以两种有代表性的组合误差分布为例，阐明新的D-最优设计点的获得过程，并给出了数值结果。     

Synthesis and crystal structure of the octahedral cluster complex [Th(DMSO)8Cl][Re6Se7Cl7]

A cluster complex of the composition [Th(DMSO)₈Cl][Re₆Se₇Cl₇] has been obtained by interaction of ThCl₄ solution in DMSO with a water solution of K₃[Re₆Se₇Cl₇] and KCl. The compound crystallizes in the rhombic space group Pbcm with unit cell parameters a = 12.262(2) Å, b = 19.653(6) Å, c = 23.603(6) Å, V = 5688(2) ų, Z = 4, d _calc = 3.282 g/cm³. The structure is built from centrosymmetric cluster anions [Re₆Se₇Cl₇]^3? and complex cations [Th(DMSO)₈Cl]³⁺ possessing mirror-plane symmetry, half of the DMSO ligands being doubly disordered.     

Structural optimization design for large mirror

The system design must be started from the concept with low cost and high performance. In this point, the topological shape of the structure is very important in the view of the structural rigidities and light-weight design.In this paper, the optimization methodology is presented in the design stage of the large optical mirror. We obtain the optimal layout through the topology optimization and then design the details through the size or shape optimization for structural rigidity.     

Internal standardization for the determination of cadmium,cobalt, chromium and manganese in saline produced water from petroleum industry by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry after cloud point extraction

In the present paper a procedure is proposed for the determination of traces of Cd, Co, Mn and Cr in petroleum industry produced water by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The procedure is based on cloud point extraction of these metals, as their dithizonate complexes, into the surfactant-rich phase of octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol surfactant (Triton X-114). Extractions were carried out in solutions with salinities between 10‰ and 70‰. Since residual salinity in the surfactant-rich phase caused differences in its transport to the plasma, yttrium was used as an internal standard to correct for this effect. The simultaneous metal extraction procedure was optimized by response surface methodology using a Doehlert design and desirability function. Enhancement factors of 21, 21, 9 and 19, along with limits of quantification of 0.093, 0.20, 0.73 and 1.2 μg L^− 1, and precision expressed as relative standard deviation (n = 8, 20.0 μg L^− 1) of 5.8, 1.2, 1.7 and 5.7% were obtained for Cd, Co, Mn and Cr, respectively. The accuracy was evaluated by spike recovery tests on the high salinity water samples with salinity of 40 and 63‰.     

An experimental analysis of a population based approach for global optimization

In this paper we perform a computational analysis of a population based approach for global optimization, Population Basin Hopping (PBH), which was proven to be very efficient on very challenging global optimization problems by the authors (see ). The experimental analysis aims at understanding more deeply how the approach works and why it is successful on challenging problems.     

Discrete global descent method for discrete global optimization and nonlinear integer programming

A novel method, entitled the discrete global descent method, is developed in this paper to solve discrete global optimization problems and nonlinear integer programming problems. This method moves from one discrete minimizer of the objective function f to another better one at each iteration with the help of an auxiliary function, entitled the discrete global descent function. The discrete global descent function guarantees that its discrete minimizers coincide with the better discrete minimizers of f under some standard assumptions. This property also ensures that a better discrete minimizer of f can be found by some classical local search methods. Numerical experiments on several test problems with up to 100 integer variables and up to 1.38 × 10¹⁰⁴ feasible points have demonstrated the applicability and efficiency of the proposed method.     

具有生产性与福利性公共支出的随机内生增长模型

文章建立一个随机内生增长模型来阐明主要政策参数对经济增长与社会福利的影响.若对生产函数、效用函数、偏好及随机干扰作一些特殊的假设,我们证明了主要政策参数的均衡值能被模型参数唯一决定.进一步我们还得到了期望增长率与储蓄的清晰解.文章的最后,我们证明了政府支出直接影响个体决策者的决策:即提高经济增长率将减少福利;反之,增加福利将减少增长率.