We consider the two-dimensional quasi-steady Stokes flow of an incompressible Newtonian fluid occupying a time-dependent simply-connected region bounded by a free surface. The motion is driven by a constant surface tension acting at the free boundary so that, with the effects of gravity ignored, one expects the boundary to approach a circular form as time evolves. It is shown that, if at some initial instant the region occupied by the fluid is given by a rational conformal map of the unit disc, then it must retain this property as long as the region remains simply-connected. Moreover, its evolution may be described analytically; in simple cases this description is explicit, but in more complicated problems the numerical integration of a system of first order differential equations may be required.

We discuss the one-phase Hele–Shaw problem in two space dimensions. We review exact solutions in the zero-surface-tension case, giving a unified account of the Schwarz function and conformal mapping approaches. We discuss the extension of the former method to the cases in which surface tension or ‘kinetic undercooling’ terms apply on the moving boundary, and we give some conjectures on the resulting singularity structure. Finally, we give a new interpretation of the linear stability analysis of the zero-surface-tension problem, and we suggest a possible regularization of ill-posed problems by the imposition of a unilateral constraint on the moving boundary.

This paper solves a class of one-dimensional, dynamic elastoplasticity problems for equations which describe the longitudinal motion of a rod. The initial conditions U(x, 0) are continuous and piecewise linear, the derivative ∂U/∂x(x, 0) having just one jump at x = 0. Both the equations and the initial data are invariant under the scaling Ũ(x, t) = α−1U(αx, αt), where α > 0; hence the term scale-invariant. Both in underlying motivation and in solution, this problem is highly analogous to the Riemann problem from gas dynamics. These ideas are applied to the Sandler–Rubin example of non-unique solutions in dynamic plasticity with a nonassociative flow rule. We introduce an entropy condition that re-establishes uniqueness, but we also exhibit problems regarding existence.

We describe a specific measurement process that works well in practice for locating steel reinforcement bars in concrete. For the case that the total volume of these bars is small, we derive an approximate linear, but sufficiently accurate, mathematical model for which we can prove a uniqueness result.

We consider the equation of turbulent burst propagation

with m > 1 and k ≥ 0, or, in an equivalent formulation

We consider initial data u(x, 0) which are radially symmetric and have compact support; x = l(t) = r(T) describes the interface of the solution.

In this paper we introduce a class of nonlinear complex ordinary differential equations that arises in the removal of channel distortion in digital telecommunication signals. Techniques from dynamical systems theory show that Hopf bifurcations are possible in the simplest of these systems. Numerical integrations, however, show that such bifurcations are degenerate. When attempts are made to follow the periodic orbits, both the period of oscillation and the principal bifurcation parameter remain fixed at their values at bifurcation. The periodic orbits exist as a family at discrete parameter values, i.e. we have a nonlinear centre. A stability régime diagram is presented

The system of conservation laws governing heat and mass transfer processes in a continuous medium is obtained in a symmetric form on the basis of the successive application of fundamental thermodynamic principles. This approach involves reformulating the problem in intensive thermodynamic variables such as the temperature and chemical potential. The equations of capillary fluid mechanics and phase transitions with moving free boundaries are analysed in detail. The unsteady motion of a drop driven by buoyancy forces in an unbounded ambient fluid with dilute surfactants is investigated where the LeChatelier principle is established for an arbitrary surfactant. The general procedure for construction of self-similar solutions for the thermodiffusive Stefan problem with piecewise constant matrices of coefficients is described

A simplified version of Reissner's theory of thin shells of revolution suffering small strains but arbitrarily large deflections and rotations reduces, when specialized to axi-symmetric deformations of annular membranes under a vertical surface load, to a nonlinear ordinary differential equation which is free of Poisson'ratio. Within this framework the questions of existence and non-existence of non-negative solutions of the associated stress and displacement boundary value problem are brought to a final answer. Progress in this direction was made in an earlier study (Grabmüller & Pirner 1987). In this paper a continuous monotone curve is constructed which effects a subdivision of the respective ranges of boundary data into complementary domains of existence and non-existence of strictly positive solutions