This note gives a necessary and sufficient condition that a compressible, isotropic elastic material should admit non-trivial states of finite anti-plane shear.

An exact algebraic representation for the 2D elastodynamic Green's tensor is derived. A new displacement potential decomposition is employed which yields, in conjunction with the Pekeris–Cagniard–de Hoop method, the exact representation. The first motions of the major arrivals are evaluated in terms of their polarizations, radiation patterns, geometrical spreading and wave-front singularities. The tensorial components of the Rayleigh wave on the free surface are found and solutions for dipolar line source discussed. We also investigate diffracted phases first noticed by Lapwood in his 1949 paper [13].

In this paper we use the theory of generalized geometric programming to develop a dual for a discrete time convex optimal control problem. This has interesting interpretational implications. Further it is shown that the variables in the dual problem are intimately related to the costate vector in the usual Maximum Principle approach.

For isotropic incompressible hyperelastic materials the single function characterizing generalized shear deformations or as they are sometimes called anti-plane strain deformations must satisfy two distinct partial differential equations. Knowles [5] has recently given a necessary and sufficient condition for the strain–energy function of the material which if satisfied ensures that the two equations have consistent solutions. It is shown here for the general material not satisfying Knowles' criterion that the only possible consistent solution of the two partial differential equations are those which are already known to exist for all strain–energy functions. More general types of generalized shear deformations for such meterials are shown to exist only for special or restricted form ot the strain-energy function. In derving these results we also obtain an alternative derivation of Knowles' criterion.

A method is proposed for the numerical solution of Itô stochastic differential equations by means of a second-order Runge–Kutta iterative scheme rather than the less efficient Euler iterative scheme. It requires the Runge–Kutta iterative scheme to be applied to a different stochastic differential equation obtained by subtraction of a correction term from the given one.

Polynomial identities satisfied by the generators of the Lie groups O(n) and U(n) are rederived. Using these identities the reduced matrix elements of the Lie groups U(n) and O(n) are evaluated as rational functions of the IR labels occurring in the canonical chains

This method does not require an explicit realization of the Lie algebras and their representations using bosons. Finally, trace formulae encountered previously by several authors for finite dimensional irreducible representations are shown to hold on arbitrary representations admitting an infinitesimal character.

Pontryagin's maximum principle is derived by elementary mathematical techniques. The conditions on the functions which enter are generally somewhat more stringent than in Pontryagin's derivation, but one (practically very awkward) condition of Pontryagin can be relaxed: continuity in the time variable can be replaced by a much weaker condition.

The dispersion of a passive solute in three-dimensional flow is examined for short times after the injection of solute. If the diffusivity is constant, the solute at first diffuses isotropically about the fluid particle originally coincident with the injection point whilst, at longer times, the effect of diffusion across a velocity shear becomes more important. An asymptotic expansion is derived for the concentration of solute at small times after its injection into the fluid flow and the use of the theory is illustrated for three representative flows. Some critical remarks on the applicability and limitations of the results conclude the note.

Consideration of functions whose second difference along the trajectories of a difference equation is positive gives a stability theorem for autonomous discrete-time systems. Such functions can be used to estimate domains of nonglobal stability.

Necessary and sufficient conditions for optimality in the control of linear differential systems ẋ = Ax + Bu with Stieltjes boundary conditions , where ν is an r × n matrix valued measure of bounded variation, are obtained, Feedback-like control is given in the case of quadratic performance.

Continental shelf waves are examined for side band instability. It is shown that a modulated shelf wave is described by a nonlinear Schrödinger equation, from which the stability criterion is derived. Long shelf waves are stable to side band modulations, but as the wavenumber is increased there are regions of instability (in wavenumber space). A change of stability occurs at each long wave resonance, defined by the condition that the group velocity of the shelf wave equals a long wave speed. Equations describing the long wave resonance are derived.

In this note we present a variable order continuation method for the solution of nonlinear equations when only a poor estimate of a solution is known. The method changes continuously from one which improves the global convergence characteristics to one which attains rapid convergence to a solution and proves to be more efficient than methods previously presented in [2].

A monoenergetic point-source solution of the steady-state cosmic-ray equation of transport for cosmic-rays in the interplanetary region in which monoenergetic particles are released isotropically and continuously from a fixed heliocentric position is derived by Lie Theory. A spherically-symmetric model of the propagation region is assumed incorporating anisotropic diffusion with a diffusion tensor symmetric about the radial direction, and the solar wind velocity is radial and of constant speed V. Because of the point release the solution is non-spherically-symmetric.

Existence of piecewise optimal control is proved when the cost function includes one or both of (a) a cost of sudden switching (discontinuity) of control variables, and (b) a cost associated with the maximum rate of variation of the control over segments of the path for which the control is continuous.

The algebraic structure of relativistic wave equations of the form

is considered. This leads to the problem of finding all Lie algebras L which contain the Lorentz Lie algebra so(3, 1) and also contain a “four-vector” αμ a such an L gives rise to a family of wave equations. The simplest possibility is the Bhabha equations where L≅so(5). Some authors have claimed that this is the only one, but it is shown that there are many other possibilities still in accord with physical requirements. Known facts about representations, along with Dynkin's theory of the embeddings of Lie algebras, are used to obtain a partial classification of wave equations. The discrete transformations C, P, T are also discussed, along with reality properties. Finally, a simple example of a family of wave equations based on L = sp(12) is considered in detail. The so(3, 1) content and mass spectra are given for the low order members of the family, and the problem of causality is briefly discussed.

Maximum and minimum principles for capillary surface problems with prescribed contact angle are derived in a unified manner from canonical variational theory. The results are illustrated by calculations for a liquid in a cylindrical container with circular cross-section.

Tensor identities for finite dimensional representations of arbitrary semi-simple Lie algebras are derived and are applied to the construction of left-projection operators which project out the shift components of tensor operators from the left. The corresponding adjoint identities are also derived and are used for the construction of right-projection operators. It is also shown that, on a finite dimensional irreducible representation, these identities may be considerably reduced. Commutation relations between the shift tensors of a tensor operator are also computed in terms of the roots appearing in the tensor identities.

Geometric programming is now a well-established branch of optimization theory which has its origin in the analysis of posynomial programs. Geometric programming transforms a mathematical program with nonlinear objective function and nonlinear inequality constraints into a dual problem with nonlinear objective function and linear constraints. Although the dual problem is potentially simpler to solve, there are certain computational difficulties to be overcome. The gradient of the dual objective function is not defined for components whose values are zero. Moreover, certain dual variables may be constrained to be zero (geometric programming degeneracy).

To resolve these problems, a means to find a solution in the relative interior of a set of linear equalities and inequalities is developed. It is then applied to the analysis of dual geometric programs.

If a thin elastic circular plate B: ∣z∣ < 1 is clamped (simply supported, respectively) along its edge ∣z∣ = 1, its deflection at z ∈ B under a point load at ζ ∈ B, measured positively in the direction of the gravitational pull, is the biharmonic Green's function β(z, ζ) of the clamped plate (γ(z, ζ) of the simply supported plate, respectively). We ask: how do β(z, ζ) and γ(z, ζ) compare with the corresponding deflections β0(z, ζ) and γ0(z, ζ) of the punctured circular plate B0: 0 < ∣ z ∣ < 1 that is “clamped” or “simply supported”, respectively, also at the origin? We shall show that γ(z, ζ) is not affected by the puncturing, that is, γ(·, ζ) = γ0(·, ζ), whereas β(·, ζ) is:

on B0 × B0. Moreover, while β((·, ζ) is of constant sign, β0(·, ζ) is not. This gives a simple counterexmple to the conjecture of Hadamard [6] that the deflection of a clampled thin elastic plate be always of constant sign:

The biharmonic Gree's function of a clampled concentric circular annulus is not of constant sign if the radius of the inner boundary circle is sufficiently small.

Earlier counterexamples to Hadamard's conjecture were given by Duffin [2], Garabedian [4], Loewner [7], and Szegö [9]. Interest in the problem was recently revived by the invited address of Duffin [3] before the Annual Meeting of the American Mathematical Society in 1974. The drawback of the counterexample we will present is that, whereas the classical examples are all simply connected, ours is not. In the simplicity of the proof, however, there is no comparison.

A local description of space and time in which translations are included in the group of gauge transformations is studied using the formalism of fibre bundles. It is shown that the flat Minkowski space–time may be obtained from a non-flat connection in a de Sitter structured fibre bundle by choosing at least two different cross-sections. The interaction terms in the covariant derivative of a Dirac wave function that correspond to translations may be interpreted as the mass term of the Dirac equation, and then the two cross-sections (gauges) correspond to the description of a fermion and antifermion respectively.