Exact solutions are developed for instantaneous point sources subject to nonlinear diffusion and loss or gain proportional to nth power of concentration, with n > 1. The solutions for the loss give, at large times, power-law decrease to zero of slug central concentration and logarithmic increase of slug semi-width. Those for gain give concentration decreasing initially, going through a minimum, and then increasing, with blow-up to infinite concentration in finite time. Slug semi-width increases with time to a finite maximum in finite time at a blow-up. Taken in conjunction with previous studies, these new results provide an overall schema for instantaneous nonlinear diffusion point sources with nonlinear loss or gain for the total range n ≥ 0. Six distinct regimes of behaviour of slug semi-width and concentration are identified, depending on the range of n, 0 ≤ n < 1, n = 1, or n > 1. Three of them are for loss, and three for gain. The classical Barenblatt-Pattle nonlinear instantaneous point-source solutions with material concentration occupy a central place in the total schema.

We shall study continuous-time Markov chains on the nonnegative integers which are both irreducible and transient, and which exhibit discernible stationarity before drift to infinity “sets in”. We will show how this ‘quasi’ stationary behaviour can be modelled using a limiting conditional distribution: specifically, the limiting state probabilities conditional on not having left 0 for the last time. By way of a dual chain, obtained by killing the original process on last exit from 0, we invoke the theory of quasistationarity for absorbing Markov chains. We prove that the conditioned state probabilities of the original chain are equal to the state probabilities of its dual conditioned on non-absorption, thus allowing to establish the simultaneous existence and then equivalence, of their limiting conditional distributions. Although a limiting conditional distribution for the dual chain is always quasistationary distribution in the usual sense, a similar statement is not possible for the original chain.

The generalized conditional symmetry method is applied to study the reduction to finite-dimensional dynamical systems and construction of exact solutions for certain types of nonlinear partial differential equations which have many physically significant applications in physics and related sciences. The exact solutions of the resulting equations are derived via the compatibility of the generalized conditional symmetries and the considered equations, which reduces to solving some systems of ordinary differential equations. For some unsolvable systems of ordinary differential equations, the dynamical behavior and qualitative properties are also considered. To illustrate that the approach has wide application, the exact solutions of a number of nonlinear partial differential equations are also given. The method used in this paper also provides a symmetry group interpretation to some known results in the literature which cannot be obtained by the nonclassical symmetry method due to Bluman and Cole.

In the loop representation theory of non-perturbative quantum gravity, gravitational states are described by functionals on the loop space of a 3-manifold. In the order to gain a deeper insight into the physical interpretation of loop states, a natural question arises: to wit, how are gravitations related to loops? Some light will be shed on this question by establishing a definite relationship between loops and 3-geometries of the 3-manifold.

A local existence and uniqueness result is proved for the three-dimensional Euler-Poisson system without a pressure term which arises in plasma physics.

In this paper a bridging method is introduced for numerical solutions of one-dimensional global optimization problems where a continuously differentiable function is to be minimized over a finite interval which can be given either explicitly or by constraints involving continuously differentiable functions. The concept of a bridged function is introduced. Some properties of the bridged function are given. On this basis, several bridging algorithm are developed for the computation of global optimal solutions. The algorithms are demonstrated by solving several numerical examples.

For the cubic Schrödinger equation iut = uxx + k|u|2u, 0 ≤ x, t < ∞, initial data u(x, 0) = u0(x) ∈ H2[0, ∞), and Robin boundary data ux(0, t) + αu(0, t) = R(t) ∈ C2[0, ∞) (where α is real), we show that the solution u depends continuously on u0 and R.

Following upon a previous paper [1] on the existence of chiral transformations in a foliated version of the Cremmer, Julia and Scherk model, we deduce a couple of interesting properties of the model. These are:

(i) TM4 is isomorphic to a quotient Lie pseudoalgebra on the algebra of basic functions in M11;

(ii) There is a locally trivial fibration which exhibits M11 as M7 × U, U ⊂ W and W is the basic manifold of the foliation [5]

(iii) The chiral group of the model is identified as Clx (L, gL) × Clx (Q, gQ), the factors are respectively the multiplication groups of units in the Clifford algebras Clx (L, gL) and Clx (Q, gQ) and matching of this group with phenomenology is briefly discussed.

In this article we consider modified search directions in the endgame of interior point methods for linear programming. In this stage, the normal equations determining the search directions become ill-conditioned. The modified search directions are computed by solving perturbed systems in which the systems may be solved efficiently by the preconditioned conjugate gradient solver. A variation of Cholesky factorization is presented for computing a better preconditioner when the normal equations are ill-conditioned. These ideas have been implemented successfully and the numerical results show that the algorithms enhance the performance of the preconditioned conjugate gradients-based interior point methods.

In this paper, the design of output feedback controllers for linear systems under sampled measurements is investigated. The performance we use is the worst-case gain from disturbances to the controlled output, which comprises both a continuous-time and a discretetime signal to be controlled. Control problems in both the finite and infinite horizonare addressed. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a suitable sampled-data output feedback controller are given in terms of two Riccati differential equations with finite discrete jumps. A numerical example is given to show the potential of the proposed technique.

This paper studies a system proposed by K. Gopalsamy and P. X. Weng to model a population growth with feedback control and time delays. Sufficient conditions are established under which the positive equilibrium of the system is globally attracting. The conjecture proposed by Gopalsamy and Weng is here confirmed and improved.

We improve some results of [17], which relate to key tools given in [7] for establishing canonical inequalities used in the analysis of sum sets and fractals.

A steady two-dimensional free-surface flow in a channel of finite depth is considered. The channel ends abruptly with a barrier in the form of a vertical wall of finite height. Hence the stream, which is uniform far upstream, is forced to go upward and then falls under the effect of gravity. A configuration is examined where the rising stream splits into two jets, one falling backward and the other forward over the wall, in a fountain-like manner. The backward-going jet is assumed to be removed without disturbing the incident stream. This problem is solved numerically by an integral-equation method. Solutions are obtained for various values of a parameter measuring the fraction of the total incoming flux that goes into the forward jet. The limit where this fraction is one is also examined, the water then all passing over the wall, with a 120° corner stagnation point on the upper free surface.

The Hill equation is a fundamental expression in chemical i kinetics relating velocity of response to concentration. It is known that the Hill equation is parameter identifiable in the sense that perfect data yield a unique set of defining parameters. However not all sigmoidal curves can be well fit by Hill curves. In particular the lower part of the curve can't be too shallow and the upper part can't be too steep. In this paper an exact mathematical criterion is derived to describe the degree of shallowness allowed.

A detailed discussion of Newtonian and general relativistic spherically symmetric dust solutions leads to the following suggested criteria for a singularity to be classified as a shell-cross: (1) All Jacobi fields have finite limits (in an orthonormal parallel propagated frame) as they approach the singularity. (2) The boundary region forms an essential C2 singularity which is C1 regular, that is it can be transformed away by a C1 coordinate transformation.

By erecting a co-ordinate system tailored to the geometry of a cosmic string and examining the properties of the near gravitational field, it is possible to distinguish two types of gravitational waves supported by a general string metric. The first type, travelling waves, are completely decoupled from the curvature of the world sheet, whereas the second type, which I choose to call curvature waves, are generated in response to any non-trivial geometric structure on the string.

This paper examines the predictions of shallow water theory for steady and unsteady withdrawal flows through an extended sink from fluid of finite depth. Two-dimensional plane flows and three-dimensional axi-symmetric flow through a circular drain are examined. Shallow water theory indicates the presence of limiting configurations, where the surface of the fluid collapses directly into the sink. In addition, this theory suggests that some previously computed steady solutions may be unstable.

By applying Laplace transform theory to solve first-order homogeneous differential-difference equations it is conjectured that a resulting infinite sum of a series may be expressed in closed form. The technique used in obtaining a series in closed form is then applied to other examples in teletraffic theory and renewal processes.

In this paper we establish the existence of solutions of a more general class of stochastic integral equation of Volterra type. The main tools used here are the measure of noncompactness and the fixed point theorem of Darbo. The results generalize the results of Tsokos and Padgett [9] and Szynal and Wedrychowicz [7]. An application to a stochastic model arising in chemotherapy is discussed.