Canceling branch points and cusps on projections of knotted surfaces in -space

For a knotted surface in -space, its generic projection into -space has branch points as its singularities, and its successive projection into -space has fold points and cusps as its singularities. In this paper, we show that for non-orientable knotted surfaces, the numbers of branch points and cusps can be minimized by isotopy.

     

On the genericity of spacetime singularities

We consider here the genericity aspects of spacetime singularities that occur in cosmology and in gravitational collapse. The singularity theorems (that predict the occurrence of singularities in general relativity) allow the singularities of gravitational collapse to be either visible to external observers or covered by an event horizon of gravity. It is shown that the visible singularities that develop as final states of spherical collapse are generic. Some consequences of this fact are discussed.      

Resolvents of cone pseudodifferential operators,asymptotic expansions and applications

We study the structure and asymptotic behavior of the resolvent of elliptic cone pseudodifferential operators acting on weighted Sobolev spaces over a compact manifold with boundary. We obtain an asymptotic expansion of the resolvent as the spectral parameter tends to infinity, and use it to derive corresponding heat trace and zeta function expansions as well as an analytic index formula.      

Scaling spectra and return times of dynamical systems

The grand canonical version of the spectrum of singularities formalism is presented, relying naturally upon certain Markov transition graphs. The structure of a graph is simply determined by the close return times of the dynamical system described. Thus, an intimate connection exists between the shape of the singularity curve and a small but interesting set of dynamical properties.     

Bifurcation problems in nonlinear parametric programming

The nonlinear parametric programming problem is reformulated as a closed system of nonlinear equations so that numerical continuation and bifurcation techniques can be used to investigate the dependence of the optimal solution on the system parameters. This system, which is motivated by the Fritz John first-order necessary conditions, contains all Fritz John and all Karush-Kuhn-Tucker points as well as local minima and maxima, saddle points, feasible and nonfeasible critical points. Necessary and sufficient conditions for a singularity to occur in this system are characterized in terms of the loss of a complementarity condition, the linear dependence of the gradients of the active constraints, and the singularity of the Hessian of the Lagrangian on a tangent space. Any singularity can be placed in one of seven distinct classes depending upon which subset of these three conditions hold true at a solution. For problems with one parameter, we analyze simple and multiple bifurcation of critical points from a singularity arising from the loss of the complementarity condition, and then develop a set of conditions which guarantees the unique persistence of a minimum through this singularity. The research of this author was supported by National Science Foundation through NSF Grant DMS-85-10201 and by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research through instrument number AFOSR-ISSA-85-00079.     

Laurent-Padé approximants to four kinds of Chebyshev polynomial expansions. Part II: Clenshaw-Lord type approximants

Laurent-Padé (Chebyshev) rational approximantsP _m (w, w ⁻¹)/Q _n (w, w ⁻¹) of Clenshaw-Lord type [2,1] are defined, such that the Laurent series ofP _m /Q _n matches that of a given functionf(w, w ⁻¹) up to terms of orderw ^±(m+n) , based only on knowledge of the Laurent series coefficients off up to terms inw ^±(m+n) . This contrasts with the Maehly-type approximants [4,5] defined and computed in part I of this paper [6], where the Laurent series ofP _m matches that ofQ _n f up to terms of orderw ^±(m+n ), but based on knowledge of the series coefficients off up to terms inw ^±(m+2n). The Clenshaw-Lord method is here extended to be applicable to Chebyshev polynomials of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th kinds and corresponding rational approximants and Laurent series, and efficient systems of linear equations for the determination of the Padé-Chebyshev coefficients are obtained in each case. Using the Laurent approach of Gragg and Johnson [4], approximations are obtainable for allm≥0,n≥0. Numerical results are obtained for all four kinds of Chebyshev polynomials and Padé-Chebyshev approximants. Remarkably similar results of formidable accuracy are obtained by both Maehly-type and Clenshaw-Lord type methods, thus validating the use of either.     

Asymptotic regularity of solutions to Hartree–Fock equations with Coulomb potential

We study the asymptotic regularity of solutions to Hartree–Fock (HF) equations for Coulomb systems. To deal with singular Coulomb potentials, Fock operators are discussed within the calculus of pseudo‐differential operators on conical manifolds. First, the non‐self‐consistent‐field case is considered, which means that the functions that enter into the nonlinear terms are not the eigenfunctions of the Fock operator itself. We introduce asymptotic regularity conditions on the functions that build up the Fock operator, which guarantee ellipticity for the local part of the Fock operator on the open stretched cone ?₊ × S². This proves the existence of a parametrix with a corresponding smoothing remainder from which it follows, via a bootstrap argument, that the eigenfunctions of the Fock operator again satisfy asymptotic regularity conditions. Using a fixed‐point approach based on Cancès and Le Bris analysis of the level‐shifting algorithm, we show via another bootstrap argument that the corresponding self‐consistent‐field solutions to the HF equation have the same type of asymptotic regularity. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Polarization singularities in Young's two-slit experiment

Young's interference experiment is regarded as a two-slit diffraction phenomenon, the polarization singularities in Young's two-slit configuration illuminated with two linearly, orthogonally polarized Gaussian vortex beams are studied. It is shown that generally, there exist L-lines (linearly polarization) and polarization singularities including C-points (circular polarization), S₂₃ and S₃₁ singularities even though the parameters of two beams are the same. The pair creation-annihilation and motion of polarization singularities take place upon propagation, or by varying a control parameter, such as the amplitude ratio of two beams or obscure ratio of slits etc. For a special case of the illumination with two linearly, orthogonally polarized Gaussian vortex-free beams, polarization singularities, in particular, C-points may occur if a parameter of two beams is not equal.