The problem of principal component analysis of a symmetric matrix (finding a p-dimensional eigenspace associated with the largest p eigenvalues) can be viewed as a smooth optimization problem on a homogeneous space. A solution in terms of the limiting value of a continuous-time dynamical system is presented. A discretization of the dynamical system is proposed that exploits the geometry of the homogeneous space. The relationship between the proposed algorithm and classical methods are investigated.

We investigate oscillatory behaviour in the famous Belousov-Zhabotinskii chemical reaction, as described by the simple two-variable Oregonator model. It is shown that oscillations are possible only in certain parameter regions. Numerical results are presented, and the presence of fold bifurcations discussed.

A reaction-diffusion equation with non-constant diffusivity,

ut = (D(x, t)ux)x + F(u),

is studied for D(x, t) a continuous function. The conditions under which the equation can be reduced to an equivalent constant diffusion equation are derived. Some exact forms for D(x, t) are given. For D(x, t) a stochastic function, an explicit finite difference method is used to numerically determine the effect of randomness in D(x, t) upon the speed of the reaction wave solution to Fisher's equation. The extension to two spatial dimensions is considered.

In this article we study the dilation equation f(x) = ∑h ch f (2x − h) in ℒ2(R) using a wavelet approach. We see that the structure of Multiresolution Analysis adapts very well to the study of scaling functions. The equation is reduced to an equation in a subspace of ℒ2(R) of much lower resolution. This simpler equation is then “wavelet transformed” to obtain a discrete dilation equation. In particular we study the case of compactly supported solutions and we see that conditions for the existence of solutions are given by convergence of infinite products of matrices. These matrices are of the type obtained by Daubechies, and, when the analyzing wavelet is the Haar wavelet, they are exactly the same.

Simple proofs are given of improved results of Brown and Shepp which are useful in calculations with fractal sets. A new inequality for convex functions is also obtained.

In this paper we consider an optimal control problem governed by a system of nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations with deviating argument, Darboux-type boundary conditions and terminal state inequality constraints. The control variables are assumed to be measurable and the state variables are assumed to belong to a Sobolev space. We derive an integral representation of the increments of the functionals involved, and using separation theorems of functional analysis, obtain necessary conditions for optimality in the form of a Pontryagin maximum principle. The approach presented here applies equally well to other nonlinear constrained distributed parameters with deviating argument.

This paper is concerned with a reinvestigation of the problem of water wave scattering by a wall with multiple gaps by using the solution of a singular integral equation with a combination of logarithmic and power (Cauchy-type) kernels in disjoint multiple intervals. Use of Havelock's expansion of water wave potential reduces the problem to such an integral equation in the horizontal velocity across the gaps. The solution of the integral equation is obtained by utilizing the solutions of Cauchy-type integral equations in (0,∞) and also in multiple disjoint intervals. An explicit expression for the reflection coefficient is obtained for a wall with n gaps and supplemented by numerical results for up to three gaps.

This paper deals with a class of network optimization problems in which the flow is a function of time rather than static as in the classical network flow problem, and storage is permitted at the nodes. A solution method involving discretization will be presented as an application of the ASG algorithm. We furnish a proof that the discretized solution converges to the exact continuous solution. We also apply the method to a water distribution network where we minimize the cost of pumping water to meet supply and demand, subject to both linear and nonlinear constraints.

In this paper we propose a P1 finite element preconditioning using the so-called ‘hat-function’, to a collocation scheme constructed by quadratic splines for a 2nd-order separable elliptic operator and we show that the resulting preconditioning system of equations is well conditioned with the condition number independent of the number of unknowns.