Calculus students’ understanding of the vertex of the quadratic function in relation to the concept of derivative

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into 30, first year calculus students’ understanding of the relationship between the concept of vertex of a quadratic function and the concept of the derivative. APOS (action-process-object-schema) theory was applied as a guiding framework of analysis on student written work, think-aloud and follow up group interviews. Students’ personal meanings of the vertex, including misconceptions, were explored, along with students’ understanding to solve problems pertaining to the derivative of a quadratic function. Results give evidence of students’ weak schema of the vertex, lack of connection between different problem types and the importance of linguistics in relation to levels of APOS theory. A preliminary genetic decomposition was developed based on the results. Future research is suggested as a continuation to improve student understanding of the relationship between the vertex of quadratic functions and the derivative.     

Global solution branches for a nonlocal Allen–Cahn equation

We consider the Neumann problem of a 1D stationary Allen–Cahn equation with nonlocal term. Our previous paper [4] obtained a local branch of asymmetric solutions which bifurcates from a point on the branch of odd-symmetric solutions. This paper derives the global behavior of the branch of asymmetric solutions, and moreover, determines the set of all solutions to the nonlocal Allen–Cahn equation. Our proof is based on a level set analysis for an integral map associated with the nonlocal term.     

Tangent cones and C1 regularity of definable sets

Let $X?{\mathbb{R}}^n$ be a connected locally closed set which is definable in an o-minimal structure. We prove that the following three statements are equivalent: (i) X is a $C^1$ manifold, (ii) the tangent cone and the paratangent cone of X coincide at every point in X, (iii) for every $x\in X$, the tangent cone of X at the point x is a k-dimensional linear subspace of ${\mathbb{R}}^n$ (k does not depend on x) varies continuously in x, and the density $\theta (X,x)<3/2$.     

A viability theorem for set-valued states in a Hilbert space

Applications in robust control problems and shape evolution motivate the mathematical interest in control problems whose states are compact (possibly non-convex) sets rather than vectors. This leads to evolutions in a basic set which can be supplied with a metric (like the well-established Pompeiu–Hausdorff distance), but it does not have an obvious linear structure. This article extends differential inclusions with state constraints to compact-valued states in a separable Hilbert space H. The focus is on sufficient conditions such that a given constraint set (of compact subsets) is viable a.k.a. weakly invariant. Our main result extends the tangential criterion in the well-known viability theorem (usually for differential inclusions in a vector space) to the metric space of non-empty compact subsets of H.     

Determinacy of refinements to the difference hierarchy of co-analytic sets

In this paper we develop a technique for proving determinacy of classes of the form ${\omega }^2\text{-}{\mathrm{\Pi }}_1^1+\mathrm{\Gamma }$ (a refinement of the difference hierarchy on ${\mathrm{\Pi }}_1^1$ lying between ${\omega }^2\text{-}{\mathrm{\Pi }}_1^1$ and $({\omega }^2+1)\text{-}{\mathrm{\Pi }}_1^1$) from weak principles, establishing upper bounds for the determinacy-strength of the classes ${\omega }^2\text{-}{\mathrm{\Pi }}_1^1+{\mathrm{\Sigma }}_{\alpha }^0$ for all computable α and of ${\omega }^2\text{-}{\mathrm{\Pi }}_1^1+{{\mathrm{\Delta }}^1}_1$. This bridges the gap between previously known hypotheses implying determinacy in this region.     

Exponential H∞ synchronization for discrete‐time chaotic neural networks with time delays and stochastic perturbations via output feedback control

This paper investigates the problem of exponential H_∞ synchronization of discrete‐time chaotic neural networks with time delays and stochastic perturbations. First, by using the Lyapunov‐Krasovskii (Lyapunov) functional and output feedback controller, we establish the H_∞ performance of exponential synchronization in the mean square of master‐slave systems, which is analyzed using a matrix inequality approach. Second, the parameters of a desired output feedback controller can be achieved by solving a linear matrix inequality. Finally, 2 simulated examples are presented to show the effectiveness of the theoretical results.     

On stability and stabilization of some discrete dynamical systems

The paper formulates effective and nonimprovable stability conditions for a linear difference system involving 2 integer delays. The used technique combines algorithm of the discrete D‐decomposition method with some procedures of the polynomial theory. Contrary to the related existing results, the derived conditions are fully explicit with respect to both delays, which enables their simple applicability in various scientific and engineering areas. As an illustration, we show their importance in delayed feedback controls of discrete dynamical systems, with a particular emphasis put on stabilization of unstable steady states of the discrete logistic map.     

Qualitative theory for Volterra difference equations

We investigate l^p boundedness, the topological structure of solutions set and the asymptotic periodicity of Volterra functional difference equations. The theoretical results are complemented with a set of applications.     

An alternative theorem for set-valued maps via set relations and its application to robustness of feasible sets

Abstract

This paper contains a generalized Gordan-type alternative theorem for set-valued maps which characterizes set relations without any convexity assumptions using certain evaluation functions. As a direct consequence and as a good example, we discuss robustness (or stability) of linear programming problems for modelling error. Moreover, this theorem can be utilized for that of general vector optimization problems in special cases due to reformation of the evaluation functions.