Certain exact tests were developed by Williams (1952) to deal with the goodness of fit of a single hypothetical discriminant function. Bartlett (1951) generalized these results by the use of the geometric method to any number of dependent and independent variables. Bartlett's paper is divided into two parts. The first deals with an approximate factorization of the residual likelihood criterion into an effect due to the difference between the hypothetical and sample functions, and an effect due to non-collinearity. A method is given for constructing confidence intervals from the first factor. The second part of the paper gives two possible exact factorizations of the likelihood criterion, expressing the results in terms of the sample canonical variables. Kshirsagar (1964a) has expressed these results in terms of the original variables and given an analytic proof of the distribution of the factors. Williams (1955, 1961) has outlined a generalization of these results to several discriminant functions and given the result for one of the possible factorizations.

In this paper a method is proposed for solving certain half-plane elliptic boundary-value problems involving mixed boundary conditions. The equation considered is a generalization of the Tricomi equation which contains the space form of the damped wave equation as a special case. Existing methods depend on the use of Fourier integrals and lead to the solution of integral equations. The methods employed here are direct and yield explicit solution formulas without the necessity of solving integral equations and as such avoid the arguments inherent in the use of the Wiener-Hopf technique.

In the usual notation for generalized hypergeometric functions we let

where

and (a) denotes the sequence of parameters

Throughout the present paper we shall suppose that there are A of the a parameters, Bof the b parameters, and so on. Thus ((a))m is to be interpreted as

and similar interpretations hold for ((b))m, etc.

Recently in these proceedings (see (5), p. 175) by applying Goldstein's form of Parseval's relation ((4), p. 105) to the operational pairs ((3), p. 284)

where R[(b ± c)2] > 0 and ((3), p. 293)

where R(½ − λ + μ) > 0, it was proved that if

then

provided R(½ − λ + μ + ν) > 0 and R[(b ± c)2] > R(a), 0.

Two different calculations are made of lower bounds for the electronic energy of . In the first the method of truncated Hamiltonians due to Bazley and Fox is adapted in such a way that the nuclear charge rather than the energy becomes the eigenvalue. Lower bounds are calculated for the energies of the six lowest σg and six lowest σu states, as well as of the three lowest of both πg and πu symmetries. This approach gives better convergence than when the energy is used as eigenvalue. In the second calculation the method of Temple and Kato is shown to give a satisfactory value for the energy of the ground state, provided that some necessary knowledge of the energy of the first-excited state is available.

Formulae for the mean radius and mean square radius of a relativistic Coulomb wave function are obtained. Screening constants for the energy, mean radius and mean square radius are defined relative to non-relativistic wave functions and the results of numerical calculations given. It is shown that if the screening constants so determined are added to the screening constants due to the presence of other electrons as found by the s.c.f. method, good agreement is obtained in a case where both effects have been considered together. The value of solving the relativistic wave equation in a Thomas-Fermi field is also shown.

The magnetic field observable outside a body of conducting fluid in which field is imbedded may be considerably altered by convection currents in the fluid. One possible explanation of the geomagnetic secular variation foci is that localized convection cells in the earth's core disturb the main field present. An analytic solution for such a process is readily obtained by assuming the form and dimensions for such a cell, and shows that the magnitude of the secular variation cannot easily be explained on these lines without the presence of a subsurface toroidal magnetic field of some hundreds of gauss which is ‘convected through’ the surface of the core.

A time harmonic Rayleigh wave, propagating in an elastic half-space y ≥ 0, is incident on a certain impedance boundary condition on y = 0, x > 0. The resulting field consists of a reflected surface wave, scattered body waves, and a transmitted surface wave appropriate to the new boundary conditions. The elastic potentials are found exactly by Fourier transform and the Wiener-Hopf technique in the case of a slightly dissipative medium. The ψ potential is found to have a logarithmic singularity at (0,0), but the φ potential though singular is bounded there. Analytic forms are given for the amplitudes of the reflected and transmitted surface waves, and for the scattered field. The reflexion coefficient is found to have a simple form for small impedances. A uniqueness theorem, based on energy considerations, is proved.

The effect of a vertical barrier, fixed in an infinitely deep sea, on normally incident surface waves of small amplitude was first considered by Ursell (1) and generalizations which retain the two-dimensional aspects of the problem have subsequently been considered by John (2) and Lewin (3). The fluid motion due to the flexural vibrations of a barrier of finite depth has been considered by Alblas (4), the motion in this case being three-dimensional.