Fractional-Linear Transformations of Operator Balls; Applications to Dynamical Systems

The operator sets, which are the subject of this paper, have been studied in many papers where, under different restrictions on the generating operators, convexity, compactness in the weak operator topology, and nonemptiness were proved for sets of different classes under study. Then the results obtained were used in these papers to solve several applied problems. Namely, they played the key role in establishing the dichotomy of nonautonomous dynamical systems, with either continuous or discrete time. In the present paper, we generalize and sharpen the already known criteria and obtain several new criteria for convexity, compactness, and nonemptiness of several special operator sets. Then, using the assertions obtained, we construct examples of sets of the form under study which are nonconvex, noncompact in the weak operator topology, as well as empty, and are generated by ＂smooth＂ operators of a special class. The existence problem for such sets remained open until the authors of this paper announced some of its results.     

First-passage times in a critical stochastic model

Average first-passage times for a single-variable stochastic model with a critical fixed point at the origin are computed by exact enumeration. The numerical measurements show excellent agreement with analytical results. The scaling function approaches the predicted asymptotic dependence.     

Chain length effect on dynamical structure of poly (vinyl pyrrolidone)-polar solvent mixtures in dilute solution of dioxane studied by microwave dielectric relaxation measurement

Dielectric relaxation study of the binary mixtures of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) (Mw=24000, 40000 and 360000 g mol⁻¹) with ethyl alcohol (EA) and poly(ethylene glycol)s (PEGs) (Mw=200 and 400 g mol⁻¹) in dilute solutions of dioxane were carried out at 10.1 GHz and 35°C. The relaxation time of PVP-EA mixtures was interpreted by the consideration of a wait-and-switch model in the local structure of self-associated ethyl alcohol molecules and also the PVP chain length as a geometric constraint for the reorientational motion of ethyl alcohol molecules. The formation of complexes and effect of PVP chain length on the molecular dynamics, chain flexibility and stretching of PEG molecules in PVP-PEG mixtures were explored from the comparative values of dielectric relaxation time. Further, relaxation time values in dioxane and benzene solvent confirm the viscosity independent molecular dynamics in PVP-EA mixtures but the values vary significantly with the non-polar solvent environment.     

An experiment with arithmetic precision in linear algebra computations

Several techniques for experimental determination of floating point precision in practical computations are examined, and applied to linear algebra algorithms. These techniques are simple enough to be directly applicable to existing production codes, requiring a very limited amount of software on many machines, and yet they yield interesting information on the numerical precision of a computation. Our choice of linear algebra algorithms includes a direct solver (namely the MA32 program from the Harwell Library) and several variants of preconditioned conjugate gradients (the methods DIAG, INV, MINV and POL of Reference 1). The results may be of interest as method selection criteria, and thus complement Mflop performance data available from several sources.     

箱覆盖问题的半定松驰算法

箱覆盖问题是NP困难问题中的经典问题，得到了广泛地研究，九十年代以来，半定松驰策略被用来求解组合优化问题，取得了很好的结果[13]，本文首次给箱覆盖问题的半定松驰算法，算法的理论分析结果表明它适合于求解大规模的箱覆盖问题。     

Solved and unsolved problems in surface structure determination

The range of surface structural problems of interest in understanding the physics and chemistry of solid surfaces is reviewed with reference to the available methods and their strengths and limitations. Key challenges being addressed currently concern the achievable precision of measurements and their physical and chemical significance, and the complexity of the problems which may be solved. Past progress and future problems are illustrated with a series of examples ranging from the relaxation of simple clean metal surfaces through complex semiconductor reconstructions to large molecular adsorption and coadsorption systems and complex adsorbate-induced reconstructions. The strengths and limitations of scanning tunnelling microscopy as a complement to true quantitative structural methods are discussed, as is the role of chemical state specificity and elemental specificity in solving complex molecular adsorbate systems.     

Physical aging of a polyetherimide: Creep and DSC measurements

Creep and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements have been used to study the physical aging behavior of a polyetherimide. Isothermal aging temperatures ranged from 160°C to T_g with aging times ranging from 10 min to 8 days. The only measurable effect of physical aging on the short-time creep curves is a shift of the creep compliance to longer times. Andrade plots of the compliance versus the cube root of time are linear at short times with the slope β decreasing with increasing aging time to a constant value once equilibrium is reached. Log β³ is related directly to the degree to which the creep curves shift to longer times with physical aging, and is used in this work as a measure of physical aging. A reduced curve of log β³ versus log aging time is obtained for the aging temperatures investigated by appropriate vertical and horizontal shifts. The enthalpy change during aging increases linearly with the logarithm of the aging time, t_a, leveling off at equilibrium at values which increase with decreasing aging temperature. Hence, both nonequilibrium and equilibrium temperature shift factors can be calculated from the DSC data. Good agreement is observed between the equilibrium temperature shift factors obtained from the creep and DSC data. The temperature dependence of the nonequilibrium temperature shift factors is found to be an order of magnitude smaller than that of the equilibrium shift factors. The time scales to reach equilibrium for enthalpy and for mechanical measurements are found to be the same within experimental error. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

有序分组资料的线性趋势检验的确切概率计算

有序分组资料的线性趋势检验主要用于检验几个二项总体反应率的线性趋势；在医学与生物学中最典型的用途是研究剂量和反应的关系． 如果用Ｚ检验来代替通常在本检验中所用的卡方检验，就可容易地导出本检验的确切概率计算方法，和其他２×Ｃ有序列联表有着相同的形式．本文给出了该检验的确切概率计算方法．     

Elliptic integral solutions of spatial elastica of a thin straight rod bent under concentrated terminal forces

In this article, we solve in closed form a system of nonlinear differential equations modelling the elastica in space of a thin, flexible, straight rod, loaded by a constant thrust at its free end. Common linearizations of strength of materials are of course not applicable any way, because we analyze great deformations, even if not so large to go off the linear elasticity range. By passing to cylindrical coordinates ρ, θ, z, we earn a more tractable differential system evaluating ρ as elliptic function of polar anomaly θ and also providing z through elliptic integrals of I and III kind. Deformed rod’s centerline is then completely described under both tensile or compressive load. Finally, the planar case comes out as a degeneracy, where the Bernoulli lemniscatic integral appears.