Artificial time integration

Many recent algorithmic approaches involve the construction of a differential equation model for computational purposes, typically by introducing an artificial time variable. The actual computational model involves a discretization of the now time-dependent differential system, usually employing forward Euler. The resulting dynamics of such an algorithm is then a discrete dynamics, and it is expected to be “close enough” to the dynamics of the continuous system (which is typically easier to analyze) provided that small – hence many – time steps, or iterations, are taken. Indeed, recent papers in inverse problems and image processing routinely report results requiring thousands of iterations to converge. This makes one wonder if and how the computational modeling process can be improved to better reflect the actual properties sought. In this article we elaborate on several problem instances that illustrate the above observations. Algorithms may often lend themselves to a dual interpretation, in terms of a simply discretized differential equation with artificial time and in terms of a simple optimization algorithm; such a dual interpretation can be advantageous. We show how a broader computational modeling approach may possibly lead to algorithms with improved efficiency. AMS subject classification (2000)  65L05, 65M32, 65N21, 65N22, 65D18     

A note on the computational complexity of graph vertex partition

A stable set of a graph is a vertex set in which any two vertices are not adjacent. It was proven in [A. Brandstädt, V.B. Le, T. Szymczak, The complexity of some problems related to graph 3-colorability, Discrete Appl. Math. 89 (1998) 59-73] that the following problem is NP-complete: Given a bipartite graph G, check whether G has a stable set S such thatG-Sis a tree. In this paper we prove the following problem is polynomially solvable: Given a graph G with maximum degree 3 and containing no vertices of degree 2, check whether G has a stable set S such thatG-Sis a tree. Thus we partly answer a question posed by the authors in the above paper. Moreover, we give some structural characterizations for a graph G with maximum degree 3 that has a stable set S such that G-S is a tree.     

Isotone relations revisited

We propose a new approach towards proving that the fixed point property for ordered sets is preserved by products. This approach uses a characterization of fixed points in products via isotone relations. First explorations of classes of isotone relations are presented. These first explorations give us hope that this approach could lead to advances on the Product Problem.     

Mathematical topographical correction of XPS images using multivariate statistical methods

For rough heterogeneous samples, the contrast observed in XPS images may result from both changes in elemental or chemical composition and sample topography. Background image acquisition and subtraction are frequently utilized to minimize topographical effects so that images represent concentration variations in the sample. This procedure may significantly increase the data acquisition time. Multivariate statistical methods can assist in resolving topographical and chemical information from multispectral XPS images. Principal component analysis (PCA) is one method for identification of the highest correlation/variation between the images. Topography, which is common to all of the images, will be resolved in the first most significant component. The score of this component contains spatial information about the topography of the surface, whereas the loading is a quantitative representation of the topography contribution to each elemental/chemical image. The simple‐to‐use self‐modelling mixture analysis (Simplisma) method is a pure variable method that searches for the source of most differences in the data and therefore has the potential to distinguish between chemical and topographical phases in images. The mathematical background correction scheme is developed and validated by comparing results to the experimental background correction for samples with differing degrees of topography. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Second Order Nonlinear Evolution Inclusions Ⅰ： Existence and Relaxation Results

This is the first part of a work on second order nonlinear, nonmonotone evolution inclusions defined in the framework of an evolution triple of spaces and with a multivalued nonlinearity depending on both x（t） and x（t）. In this first part we prove existence and relaxation theorems. We consider the case of an usc, convex valued nonlinearity and we show that for this problem the solution set is nonempty and compact in C^1 （T, H）. Also we examine the Isc, nonconvex case and again we prove the existence of solutions. In addition we establish the existence of extremal solutions and by strengthening our hypotheses, we show that the extremal solutions are dense in C^1 （T, H） to the solutions of the original convex problem （strong relaxation）. An example of a nonlinear hyperbolic optimal control problem is also discussed.     

Positive set‐operators of low complexity

The powerset operator, ??, is compared with other operators of similar type and logical complexity. Namely we examine positive operators whose defining formula has a canonical form containing at most a string of universal quantifiers. We call them ?‐operators. The question we address in this paper is: How is the class of ?‐operators generated ? It is shown that every positive ?‐operator Γ such that Γ(??) ≠ ??, is finitely generated from ??, the identity operator Id, constant operators and certain trivial ones by composition, ∪ and ∩. This extends results of [3] concerning bounded positive operators.     

Conditional expectation of integrands and random sets

The conditional expectation of integrands and random sets is the main tool of stochastic optimization. This work wishes to make up for the lack of real synthesis about this subject. We improve the existing hypothesis and simplify the corresponding proofs. In the convex case we especially study the problem of the exchange of conditional expectation and subdifferential operators.     

Characteristics and structures of weak efficient surfaces of production possibility sets

This paper studies the characteristics and structure of the weak surface of the production possibility set. We apply techniques and methods of transferring a polyhedral cone from its intersection form to its sum form, identify an intersection representation of the production possibility set. We give the structure theorem of weak surface of the production possibility set, which includes three complementary slackness conditions. We define the input weak efficiency and output weak efficiency for different DEA models according to the representation of the intersection form. It investigates the characteristics of the weak surfaces, and proves the structure theorems of input weak DEA efficiency and output weak DEA efficiency. The structure theorems establish weighted combination of inputs and outputs that are weak DEA efficient. Numerical examples are provided for illustration.     

Idealization of a decomposition theorem

In 1986, Tong [13] proved that a function f : (X,τ)→(Y,φ) is continuous if and only if it is α-continuous and A-continuous. We extend this decomposition of continuity in terms of ideals. First, we introduce the notions of regular-I-closed sets, A _I-sets and A _I -continuous functions in ideal topological spaces and investigate their properties. Then, we show that a function f : (X,τ,I)→(Y, φ) is continuous if and only if it is α-I-continuous and A _I-continuous. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Rn上的非初等变换群及其极限集

该文对高维非初等Mò'bius变换群进行了研究,得到了一些重要性质,给出了几个关于离散准则和代数收敛性的定理.