bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A UNIFIED APPROACH FOR GENERATING OPTIMUM GRADIENT FIR ADAPTIVE ALGORITHMS WITH TIME-VARYING CONVERGENCE FACTORS
Authors: MIKHAEL WASFY B. , WU FRANK H.
Published: November 2004

In this paper, a unified approach for generating fast block- and sequential-gradient LMS FIR tapped delay line (TDL) adaptive algorithms is presented. These algorithms employ time-varying convergence factors which are tailored for the adaptive filter coefficients and updated at each block or single data iteration. The convergence factors are chosen to minimize the mean squared error (MSE) and are easily computed from readily available signals. The general formulation leads to three classes of adaptive algorithms. These algorithms. ordered in a descending order of their computational complexity and performance. are: the optimum block adaptive algorithm with individual adaptation of parameters (OBAI), the optimum block adaptive (OBA) and OBA shifting (ODAS) algorithms, and the homogeneous adaptive (HA) algorithm. In this paper, it is shown how each class of algorithms is obtained from the previous one, by a simple trade-off between adaptation performance and computational complexity. Implementation aspects of the generated algorithms are examined and their performance is evaluated and compared with several recently proposed algorithms by means of computer simulations under a wide range of adaptation conditions. The evaluation results show that the generated algorithms have attractive features in the comparisons due to the considerable reduction in the number of iterations required for a given adaptation accuracy. The improvement, however. is achieved at the expense of a relatively modest increase in the number of computations per data sample.
EMBEDDING OF CYCLES AND GRIDS IN STAR GRAPHS
Authors: JWO JUNG-SING , LAKSHMIVARAHAN S. , DHALL S. K.
Published: November 2004

The use of the star graph as a viable interconnection scheme for parallel computers has been examined by a number of authors in recent times. An attractive feature of this class of graphs is that it has sublogarithmic diameter and has a great deal of symmetry akin to the binary hypercube. In this paper we describe a new class of algorithms for embedding (a) Hamiltonian cycle (b) the set of all even cycles and (c) a variety of two- and multi-dimensional grids in a star graph. In addition, we also derive an algorithm for the ranking and the unranking problem with respect to the Hamiltonian cycle.
A DESIGN METHODOLOGY FOR TWO-DIMENSIONAL ANALOG FILTERS WITH LINEAR PHASE
Authors: GU G. , MISRA P. , SHENOI B. A.
Published: November 2004

A new methodology is proposed for the synthesis of two-dimensional analog filters with linear phase. The Fourier series theory is employed to design a noncausal Laguerre type filter and Hankel approximation machinery is then used to synthesize the causal, stable two-dimensional analog filter with linear phase. The proposed design technique is illustrated by design of a lowpass filter.
ROBUST STABILITY OF MULTI-DIMENSIONAL (m-D) DISCRETE INTERVAL SYSTEMS AND APPLICATIONS
Authors: BAUER P.
Published: November 2004

Robust stability of m-D discrete systems, represented by a m-D difference equation is analyzed. A sufficient condition for stability is derived, which requires the stability of one linear shift-invariant system. For special classes of systems, the stability of one corner of the interval system is a necessary and sufficient condition. The results are applicable to shift-variant and shift-invariant interval m-D systems. Applications and illustrative examples are also provided.
A SYSTEMATIC PARTITIONING METHOD FOR DESIGNING FIXED-SIZE PROCESSOR ARRAYS
Authors: BITZAROS E.D. KYRIAKIS , GOUTIS C.E.
Published: November 2004

A systematic partitioning method for mapping iterative algorithms, characterized by constant dependencies, into fixed-size regular processor arrays is proposed. The allocation of the operations to the processors and their execution sequence is determined by means of quasilinear functions of the loop indices, avoiding thus the drawbacks of the modulus function. The derivation of these functions is formulated as a simple linear programming problem.
A LARGE-SWING HIGH-DRIVE CMOS BUFFER AMPLIFIER FOR A WIDE LOAD RANGE
Authors: YAZDI NAVID , AHMADI M. , JULLIEN G.A. , SHRIDHAR M.
Published: November 2004

A high-swing, high-drive CMOS buffer amplifier, with good stability over a wide range of capacitive and resistive loads, is presented in this paper. A new area efficient output stage with a relatively small compensation capacitor has been used so that the circuit occupies only 120 mils2 in a 3 μm CMOS technology. The buffer has a drive capability of 110 kHz into a 5000 pF load with a rail-to-rail output swing for load resistances greater than 10 kΩ and acceptable total harmonic distortion with loads down to 270 Ω.
MULTIDIMENSIONAL NONLINEAR SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURE THEOREMS
Authors: SANDBERG IRWIN W.
Published: November 2004

In this letter we consider nonlinear maps G(·) that are shift invariant and have “approximately-finite memory” in a certain very reasonable sense. These maps, which are assumed to satisfy a mild continuity condition, take a subset S of R into R, where R is the set of real-valued maps defined on Ƶn (as usual, Ƶ is the set of integers and n is an arbitrary positive integer). We describe results which show that all such maps can be approximated arbitrarily well, in the sense of uniform approximation, by the maps of certain special nonlinear structures. This is of interest in connection with nonlinear filtering, system identification, and the general understanding of nonlinear systems.
A NOVEL, COMPENSATED, TUNABLE CURRENT CONVEYOR
Authors: KARYBAKAS C.A. , SISKOS S. , LAOPOULOS TH. L.
Published: November 2004

A novel circuit configuration realizing an electronically tunable CCII which is based on OTAs, is presented. Simulation results confirm certain remarkable features of this circuit; linear operation for various input voltage values, linear tuning of current gain over a three decades range, and very good temperature compensation.
TUTORIAL ON CONTINUATION
Authors: SEYDEL R.
Published: November 2004

A computational study of most nonlinear phenomena is based on equations that involve a parameter. Solutions to the equations vary with the parameter. An essential tool for generating such solutions is continuation. This paper presents a tutorial on continuation, and explains the principles of predictor–corrector methods.
ACOUSTIC CHAOS
Authors: LAUTERBORN WERNER , HOLZFUSS JOACHIM
Published: November 2004

The history of chaos pertaining to acoustics is briefly reviewed from the first period-doubling experiments reported by Faraday (vibrated liquid layer) and Melde (string oscillations) to today's investigations on chaos in thermoacoustics, musical instruments, the hearing process, and ultrasonics. A closer analysis is given of the sound produced in a liquid by standing acoustic waves of high intensity.
THE GEOMETRICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF NEURAL ACTIVITY DISPLAYS A SENSITIVITY TO CONVULSANTS
Authors: ZIMMERMAN I. D. , RAPP P. E. , MEES A. I.
Published: November 2004

Direct application of a drop of penicillin to the brain's surface can elicit brain electrical activity similar to that seen in some forms of epilepsy. The procedure has therefore become one of the standard techniques in the experimental investigation of epilepsy. The time intervals between action potentials, called the interspike intervals, were measured from single nerve cells in the cerebral cortex of the rat before and after local administration of penicillin. The resulting interspike interval data were examined by elementary statistical procedures and by embedding the data in two- and three-dimensional spaces. The mean interspike interval did not change significantly in response to penicillin. In contrast, the geometrical characterization displayed a dramatic sensitivity to the drug.
BIFURCATION STRUCTURE OF A DRIVEN, MULTI-LIMIT-CYCLE VAN DER POL OSCILLATOR (I): THE SUPERHARMONIC RESONANCE STRUCTURE
Authors: KAISER F. , EICHWALD C.
Published: November 2004

Bifurcations in the superharmonic region of a generalized version of the van der Pol oscillator which exhibits three limit cycles are investigated. An external force causes the subsequent breakdown of the self-sustained oscillations. Beyond these series of bifurcations chaotic solutions also exist. In this first part we concentrate on a discussion of the bifurcation structure of the system.
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS AND CONTROL OF BIFURCATION PROBLEMS (II): BIFURCATION IN INFINITE DIMENSIONS
Authors: DOEDEL EUSEBIUS , KELLER HERBERT B. , KERNEVEZ JEAN PIERRE
Published: November 2004

A number of basic algorithms for the numerical analysis and control of bifurcation phenomena are described. The emphasis is on algorithms based on pseudoarclength continuation for ordinary differential equations. Several illustrative examples computed with the AUTO software package are included. This is Part II of the paper that appeared in the preceding issue [Doedel et al., 1991] and that mainly dealt with algebraic problems.
THE BIFURCATION STRUCTURE OF A FAMILY OF DEGREE ONE CIRCLE ENDOMORPHISMS
Authors: FOURNIER-PRUNARET DANIÈLE
Published: November 2004

The considered endomorphism is [Formula: see text] This paper studies the bifurcations structure in the parameter plane (a, b). A mixing is made to appear between two types of structures: the "boxes in files" structure, which exists for the diffeomorphism of the circle onto itself, and the "box within a box" structure, which appears for the quadratic one-dimensional endomorphism.
BIFURCATION ANALYSIS OF LINE OF SIGHT VEHICLE GUIDANCE USING SLIDING MODES
Authors: PAPOULIAS FOTIS A.
Published: November 2004

The problem of dynamic loss of stability during line-of-sight pursuit navigation of a vehicle under automatic control of a heading sliding mode autopilot is considered. The linear and nonlinear controller gains and the lookahead distance of the guidance law are the main bifurcation parameters. Hopf bifurcation theory techniques are used in order to establish stability of the resulting periodic solutions after the initial loss of stability of straightline motion. The analytical results are confirmed by numerical integrations. It is shown that both linear and nonlinear methods are required in order to evaluate the dynamic response of the system.
THE IMPACT OF UNDERGRADUATE SOFTWARE ENGINEERING EDUCATION ON ADVANCING CASE TOOLS
Authors: URBAN JOSEPH E. , BOBBIE PATRICK O.
Published: November 2004

The fundamental rationale for the increase in the use of CASE tools by both large and medium enterprises is the belief that CASE tools facilitate and enhance improved productivity and system quality. The development of CASE environments has evolved over several years. Users are demanding high-level, domain-specific interfaces to applications, easy-to-use systems, systems that offer increases in productivity/cost ratios, flexibility in multiparadigm tools usage, and systems which are modular, portable, and robust. To meet such far ranging needs, software engineering research has become a large-scale endeavor. Thus, CASE development has become the concerted effort of academia, government, and industry. In this paper, the academic research effort on CASE development is discussed. Specifically, the perspective of the paper is on the effect that Undergraduate Software Engineering (USE) education has had and can have on the ability to develop timely and quality software tools. The focus of the paper is dichotomized as follows: (1) the impact of USE education on current techniques for developing CASE tools and a measurement of current CASE technology transfer and (2) the qualitative component(s) of USE education which will help in advancing tools development in the next decade.
IMPLEMENTING A DOMAIN MODEL FOR DATA STRUCTURES
Authors: BATORY DON , SINGHAL VIVEK , SIRKIN MARTY
Published: November 2004

We present a model of the data structure domain that is expressed in terms of the GenVoca domain modeling concepts [7]. We show how familiar data structures can be encapsulated as realms of plug-compatible, symmetric, and reusable components, and we show how complex data structures can be formed from their composition. The target application of our research is a precompiler for specifying and generating customized data structures.
ASSESSING REPOSITORY TECHNOLOGY: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
Authors: EICHMANN DAVID
Published: November 2004

Three sample information retrieval systems, archie, autoLib, and WAIS, are compared as to their expressiveness and usefulness — first, in the general context of information retrieval, and then as prospective software reuse repositories. While the representational capabilities of these systems are limited, they provide a useful foundation for future repository efforts, particularly from the perspective of repository distribution and coherent user interface design.
AN EFFICIENT TEST FOR THE VALIDITY OF UNBIASED HYBRID KNOWLEDGE FRAGMENTATION IN DISTRIBUTED DATABASES
Authors: ZHANG YANCHUN , ORLOWSKA MARIA E. , COLOMB ROBERT
Published: November 2004

Knowledge bases contain specific and general knowledge. In relational database systems, specific knowledge is often represented as a set of relations. The conventional methodologies for centralized database design can be applied to develop a normalized, redundancy-free global schema. Distributed database design involves redundancy removal as well as the distribution design which allows replicated data segments. Thus, distribution design can be viewed as a process on a normalized global schema which produces a collection of fragments of relations from a global database. Clearly, not every fragment of data can be permitted as a relation. In this paper, we clarify and formally discuss three kinds of fragmentations of relational databases, and characterize their features as valid designs, and we introduce a hybrid knowledge fragmentation as the general case. For completeness of presentation, we first show an algorithm for the validity test of vertical fragmentations of normalized relations, and then extend it to the more general case of unbiased fragmentations.
ON BENDS AND LENGTHS OF RECTILINEAR PATHS: A GRAPH-THEORETIC APPROACH
Authors: YANG C.D. , LEE D.T. , WONG C.K.
Published: November 2004

We consider the problem of finding a rectilinear path between two designated points in the presence of rectilinear obstacles subject to various optimization functions in terms of the number of bends and the total length of the path. Specifically we are interested in finding a minimum bend shortest path, a shortest minimum bend path or a least-cost path where the cost is defined as a function of both the length and the number of bends of the path. We provide a unified approach by constructing a path-preserving graph. guaranteed to preserve all these three kinds of paths and give an O(K+e log e) algorithm to find them, where e is the total number of obstacle edges, and K is the number of intersections between tracks from extreme point and other tracks (defined in the text). K is bounded by O(et), where t is the number of extreme edges. In particular, if the obstacles are rectilinearly convex, then K is O(ne), where n is the number of obstacles. Extensions are made to find a shortest path with a bounded number of bends and a minimum-bend path with a bounded length. When a source point and obstacles are pre-given, queries for the assorted paths from the source to given points can be handled in O( log e+k) time after O(K+e log e) preprocessing, where k is the size of the goal path. The trans-dichotomous algorithm of Fredman and Willard8 and the running time for these problems are also discussed.
THE PARALLEL 3D CONVEX HULL PROBLEM REVISITED
Authors: AMATO NANCY M. , PREPARATA FRANCO P.
Published: November 2004

In this paper we prove the correctness of a “local” criterion for computing the convex hull of the union ( “merging”) of two disjoint convex polyhedra. This criterion is structural. Therefore it can be algorithmically tested in several ways, not necessarily involving the determination of support (tangent) planes; indeed, it can be implemented by just testing for the intersection of certain planes and lines with convex polytopes. This criterion is amenable to parallel implementation and leads to a provably correct algorithm that computes the convex hull of any n points in three-dimensional space in O( log 2 n) time using O(n) processors on a CREW PRAM.
SHORTEST PATH QUERIES IN RECTILINEAR WORLDS
Authors: DE BERG MARK , VAN KREVELD MARC , NILSSON BENGT J. , OVERMARS MARK
Published: November 2004

In this paper, a data structure is given for two and higher dimensional shortest path queries. For a set of n axis-parallel rectangles in the plane, or boxes in d-space, and a fixed target, it is possible with this structure to find a shortest rectilinear path avoiding all rectangles or boxes from any point to this target. Alternatively, it is possible to find the length of the path. The metric considered is a generalization of the L1-metric and the link metric, where the length of a path is its L1-length plus some (fixed) constant times the number of turns on the path. The data structure has size O((n log n)d−1), and a query takes O( log d−1 n) time (plus the output size if the path must be reported). As a byproduct, a relatively simple solution to the single shot problem is obtained; the shortest path between two given points can be computed in time O(nd log n) for d≥3, and in time O(n2) in the plane.
DYNAMIZATION OF THE TRAPEZOID METHOD FOR PLANAR POINT LOCATION IN MONOTONE SUBDIVISIONS
Authors: CHIANG YI-JEN , TAMASSIA ROBERTO
Published: November 2004

We present a fully dynamic data structure for point location in a monotone subdivision, based on the trapezoid method. The operations supported are insertion and deletion of vertices and edges, and horizontal translation of vertices. Let n be the current number of vertices of the subdivision. Point location queries take O( log n) time, while updates take O ( log 2 n) time (amortized for vertex insertion/deletion and worst-case for the other updates). The space requirement is O(n log n). This is the first fully dynamic point location data structure for monotone subdivisions that achieves optimal query time.
AN ALGORITHM FOR CONSTRUCTING BLOCKING SETS FOR PROJECTIVE PLANES
Authors: SILVERMAN RUTH , STEIN ALAN H.
Published: November 2004

A family of sets is said to have property B(s) if there is a set, referred to as a blocking set, whose intersection with each member of the family is a proper subset of that blocking set and contains fewer than s elements. A finite projective plane is a construction satisfying the two conditions that any two lines meet in a unique point and any two points are on a unique line. In this paper, the authors develop an algorithm of complexity O(n3) for constructing a blocking set for a projective plane of order n.
COMPUTATIONAL GEOMETRY COLUMN 17
Authors: O’ROURKE JOSEPH
Published: November 2004

The papers presented at the Fourth Canadian Conference on Computational Geometry (August 1992) are summarized.
INEVITABLE GRAPHS: A PROOF OF THE TYPE II CONJECTURE AND SOME RELATED DECISION PROCEDURES
Authors: ASH C. J.
Published: November 2004

We verify the "Type II Conjecture" concerning the question of which elements of a finite monoid M are related to the identity in every relational morphism with a finite group. We confirm that these elements form the smallest submonoid, K, of M (containing 1 and) closed under "weak conjugation", that is, if x ∈ K, y ∈ M, z ∈ M and yzy = y then yxz ∈ K and zxy ∈ K.

More generally, we establish a similar characterization of those directed graphs having edges are labelled with elements of M which have the property that for every such relational morphism there is a choice of related group elements making the corresponding labelled graph "commute". We call these "inevitdbleM-graph". We establish, using this characterization, an effective procedure for deciding from the multiplication table for M whether an "M-graph" is inevitable.

A significant stepping–stone towards this was Tilson's 1986 construction which established the Type II Conjecture for regular monoid elements, and this construction is used here in a slightly modified form. But substantial credit should also be given to Henckell, Margolis, Meakin and Rhodes, whose recent independent work follows lines very similar to our own.
STRICT LOCAL TESTABILITY OF THE FINITE CONTROL OF TWO-WAY AUTOMATA AND OF REGULAR PICTURE DESCRIPTION LANGUAGES
Authors: BIRGET JEAN-CAMILLE
Published: November 2004

We prove that every regular language is recognized by a deterministic two-way finite automaton whose control unit is strictly locally testing. Similarly, every picture language which can be described by a regular language can actually be described by a strictly locally testable language; this strengthens a result of Friedhelra Hinz.
JOINS OF INVERSE SEMIGROUP VARIETIES AND BAND VARIETIES
Authors: JONES PETER R. , TROTTER PETER G.
Published: November 2004

The joins in the title are considered within two contexts: (I) the lattice of varieties of regular unary semigroups, and (II) the lattice of e-varieties (or bivarieties) of orthodox semigroups. It is shown that in each case the set of all such joins forms a proper sublattice of the respective join of the variety I of all inverse semigroups and the variety B of all bands; each member V of this sublattice is determined by V ∩ I and V ∩ B. All subvarieties of the join of I with the variety RB of regular bands are so determined. However, there exist uncountably many subvarieties (or sub-bivarieties) of the join I ∨ B, all of which contain I and all of whose bands are regular.
THE FUNDAMENTAL GROUP OF THE HAWAIIAN EARRING IS NOT FREE
Authors: DE SMIT BART
Published: November 2004

The Hawaiian earring is a topological space which is a countably infinite union of circles, that are all tangent to a single line at the same point, and whose radii tend to zero. In this note a short proof is given of a result of J.W. Morgan and I. Morrison that describes the fundamental group of this space. It is also shown that this fundamental group is not a free group, unlike the fundamental group of a wedge of an arbitrary number of circles.
DIFFERENTIATION OF K-RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS
Authors: KROB DANIEL
Published: November 2004

We develop a formal differential calculus on the K-*-algebra of rational expressions with multiplicities in a commutative semiring K. We also characterize the systems [Formula: see text] of K-rational identities such that the derivative of any [Formula: see text]-consequence remains [Formula: see text]-deducible.
TURBO-STRAIGHTENING FOR DECOMPOSITION INTO STANDARD BASES
Authors: CARRE CHRISTOPHE , LASCOUX ALAIN , LECLERC BERNARD
Published: November 2004

Specht and Hodge have shown that the space generated by products of minors of a matrix admits a linear basis in bijection with Young tableaux. The decomposition of any element into this basis is called straightening and corresponds to the iterative use of Plücker relations. Thanks to a well-known isomorphism between the space of harmonic polynomials and the space of polynomials modulo the ideal generated by symmetric polynomials, we can now use as a main technical tool the canonical scalar product on this later space. This leads to a different, and possibly better, algorithm for straightening.
THE EXISTENCE OF E-FREE OBJECTS IN E-VARIETIES OF REGULAR SEMIGROUPS
Authors: YEH Y.T.
Published: November 2004

An existence variety (or e-variety) of regular semigroups is a class of regular semigroups which is closed under [Formula: see text], and ℍ. This concept was introduced by T.E. Hall and independently for orthodox semigroups by J. Kadourek and M.B. Szendrei who called them bivarieties. In this paper we prove the existence of e-free objects in each e-variety of E-solid regular semigroups and in each e-variety of locally inverse regular semigroups. By contrast, we show that there is no e-free object in other e-varieties.
LASER-INDUCED OPTICAL SWITCHING OF A FERROELECTRIC LIQUID CRYSTAL
Authors: MACDONALD R. , SCHWARTZ J. , EICHLER H.J.
Published: November 2004

Optically induced rotation of the optical axis in a chiral smectic-C* liquid crystal has been investigated in a two-wavelength pump-probe arrangement. It is shown that optical axis reorientation is a result of opto-thermal tilt-angle changes in the SmC*-phase, which are excited by an argon-ion laser and probed by a weak He-Ne laser. The maximum induced reorientation angle has been 23 deg in these experiments. The switching times are governed by thermal-relaxation processes, and are in the range of milliseconds or less in the present arrangement. The experimental results are described by a Landau-theory of the SmC*-SmA phase transition in addition to a relaxation-time approximation of the heat-flow equation.
NONLINEAR EFFECTS IN ELECTRON AND PHOTON EMISSION FROM ATOMS IN INTENSE LASER FIELDS
Authors: SCHAFER K.J. , KRAUSE J.L. , KULANDER K.C.
Published: November 2004

Atoms subject to intense laser fields are capable of absorbing many more photons than the minimum number needed to ionize. This leads to two striking nonlinear phenomena, above-threshold ionization, and high-order harmonic generation. We have used time-dependent methods to calculate both these processes nonperturbatively for realistic, three-dimensional atoms. This allows us to clarify the relationships between photon and electron emission rates in the strong field regime.
GENERALIZED DESCRIPTION OF THE EFFECTS OF A THIN NONLINEAR MEDIUM UPON THE PROPAGATION OF AN OPTICAL BEAM
Authors: McDUFF R. , SMITH A.E. , HECKENBERG N.R. , HERMANN J.A.
Published: November 2004

A theoretical description of the propagation of an initially Gaussian beam through a “generalized” thin nonlinear medium is developed, where the linear part of the optical system can be characterized by an ABCD matrix. The optical field is determined on the output interface of the medium and is decomposed into Gaussian-Laguerre modes. These modes are then propagated through the optical system using the ABCD law, so that the field distribution at any point can be determined. We obtain an expression for the on-axis relative transmissivity of the combined system, which is valid for nonlinear absorption regimes to all orders of nonlinearity. The positions of the turning points of the normalized axial transmissivity as a function of the position of the medium are derived analytically to the first-order of nonlinearity. It is shown that, from measurements of these positions, the nonlinear refractive and absorptive strengths as well as the type of nonlinearity can be extracted.
DISSIPATIVE DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS IN A BEHAVIORAL CONTEXT
Authors: WEILAND SIEP , WILLEMS JAN C.
Published: November 2004

Various conceptual definitions of dissipativeness of time invariant dynamical systems are introduced. A formal distinction is made between external and internal dissipativeness and it is shown that, under certain conditions, these notions are equivalent. A characterization of the class of internal storage functions associated with a dissipative system is given. The results are applied to the class of finite-dimensional linear time invariant systems. Necessary and sufficient conditions for dissipativeness of systems in this class are derived and the relation to LQ-theory is discussed.
STATIONARY STATES IN PLASMA PHYSICS: MAXWELLIAN SOLUTIONS OF THE VLASOV-POISSON SYSTEM
Authors: DOLBEAULT J.
Published: November 2004

We study the Maxwellian solutions of the stationary Vlasov-Poisson system, which describes stationary states for plasma. We prove existence, uniqueness and regularity results for these solutions.
THE CLASSICAL INCOMPRESSIBLE NAVIER-STOKES LIMIT OF THE BOLTZMANN EQUATION
Authors: BARDOS CLAUDE , UKAI SEIJI
Published: November 2004

The convergence hypothesis of Bardos, Golse, and Levermore,1 which leads to the incompressible Navier-Stokes equation as the limit of the scaled Boltzmann equation, is substantiated for the Cauchy problem with initial data small but independent of the Knudsen number ε. The uniform (in ε) existence of global strong solutions and their strong convergence as ε→0 are proved. A necessary and sufficient condition for the uniform convergence up to t=0, which implies the absence of the initial layer, is also established. The proof relies on sharp estimates of the linearized operators, which are obtained by the spectral analysis and the stationary phase method.
UNSTEADY DIFFUSION OF FLUIDS THROUGH SOLIDS UNDERGOING LARGE DEFORMATIONS
Authors: TAO L. , RAJAGOPAL K.R. , WINEMAN A.S.
Published: November 2004

In this work, we develop a theory for studying the unsteady diffusion problems which involve the motion of singular surfaces within the context of the theory of interacting continua. The theory allows for the possibility of mixtures with different properties on either side of the surface. Constitutive equations have to be postulated for the mixtures and the singular surface. The jump conditions across the singular surface are obtained by extending techniques developed in the case of a single continuum. To evaluate the validity of the theory we solve a typical boundary-initial value problem employing the theory.
W1,p REGULARITY IN TRANSPORT THEORY
Authors: MOKHTAR-KHARROUBI MUSTAPHA
Published: November 2004

Let T be the streaming operator arising in neutron transport theory, T=−ν(∂/∂x)−σ(ν), with non-incoming boundary conditions in convex domains. The purpose of this paper is to give a general class [Formula: see text] of pair (C1, C2) of collision operators such that C1(λ−T)−1C2 maps continuously Lp into W1,p(1<p<+∞). The result is based on a singular integral analysis of Calderon-Zygmund type. In the case p=2 we obtain, by Fourier analysis, the same result under weaker assumptions. We also derive W1,p regularity results for operators of type C1(λ−T)−1.
STOCHASTIC THEORY OF THE INELASTIC BEHAVIOR OF MULTI-COMPONENT HIGH-TEMPERATURE MATERIALS
Authors: AXELRAD D.R. , FRYDRYCHOWICZ W.
Published: November 2004

The present study is concerned with the stochastic mechanics of the transient response of a multi-component high-temperature material. It is shown that the theory of Markov processes provides a very good approximation to the “observed” strain-time relations for this class of materials. It is further shown that the transient response can also be considered in terms of “finite point processes.” The latter involves, however, the notion of “unordered sets” in a microdomain of the macroscopic material body and the use of appropriate “random measures.”
MODELLING THE CELL CYCLE WITH QUIESCENT COMPARTMENTS
Authors: BRUNI C. , KOCH G.
Published: November 2004

We propose and analyze a stochastic model for the main dynamical aspects of the cell cycle. A specific feature is the existence of quiescent compartments for each of the three cycle phases. In Sec. 2 the model is discussed in detail, with specific reference to possible simplifications with respect to the number of state variables and the nonlinear character of the transition rates. The stability problem is illustrated in Sec. 3, both in a stochastic and in a deterministic framework.

A mathematical description of the popular flow cytometric measurement technique adds an output equation to the dynamical model. We then have a sufficiently well established formal structure to state and face subsequent estimation and identification problems, which can be formulated with reference to specific experimental setups.
ON THE CONVERGENCE OF SPECTRAL METHODS FOR THE WIGNER-POISSON PROBLEM
Authors: RINGHOFER CHRISTIAN
Published: November 2004

We analyze the convergence properties of a spectral collocation method for the Wigner-Poisson equation, a nonlinear pseudodifferential equation describing quantum mechanical transport phenomena. Spectral accuracy and nonlinear stability of the momentum discretization are proven. The convergence results are verified numerically on a test sample.
THE FOKKER-PLANCK ASYMPTOTICS OF THE BOLTZMANN COLLISION OPERATOR IN THE COULOMB CASE
Authors: DEGOND P. , LUCQUIN-DESREUX B.
Published: November 2004

The Fokker-Planck collision operator is usually considered as an approximation of the Boltzmann collision operator when the collisions become grazing. A mathematical framework to this approach has recently been given in Ref. 2, by assuming that the scattering cross-section is smooth and depends upon a small parameter ε which tends to zero.

However, the connection between ε and the physical quantities is unclear. In the present paper, our main concern is the Boltzmann operator for Coulomb collisions and its Fokker-Planck approximation. In the case of Coulomb collisions, the scattering cross-section has a non-integrable singularity when the relative velocity of the colliding particles tends to zero and a careful analysis is required.

Furthermore, by a scaling of the collision operator, the small parameter which is involved in the Fokker-Planck asymptotics is clearly identified to the plasma parameter, and an expansion which is consistent with the physical observations is derived.
VARIATIONAL PROBLEMS ON UNBOUNDED TWO-DIMENSIONAL DOMAINS
Authors: LEIZAROWITZ ARIE
Published: November 2004

We consider the functional IΩ(u) = ∫Ω [ψ (u(x,y)) + ½K (∇ u)]dxdy defined for real valued functions u on ℝ2 and study its minimization over a certain class of functions u(·, ·). We look for a minimizer u⋆ which is universal in the sense that IΩ(u⋆)≤IΩ(u) for every bounded domain (in a certain class) and for every u(·, ·) which satisfies u|∂Ω=u⋆|∂Ω. This optimality notion is an extension to a multivariable situation of the overtaking optimality criterion used in control theory, and the minimal-energy-configuration concept employed in the study of certain chemical systems.

The existence of such universal minimizers is established for a large class of variational problems. In the special case were K(∇ u) = ½ |∇ u|2 these minimizers are characterized as the functions u⋆(x, y)=ϕ(ax+by+c) for some explicitly computable ϕ:ℝ1→ℝ1 and constants a, b and c.
A GENERIC MODEL FOR INTELLIGENT NEGOTIATING AGENTS
Authors: LÂASRI BRIGITTE , LÂASRI HASSAN , LANDER SUSAN , LESSER VICTOR
Published: November 2004

Research in Cooperative Distributed Problem Solving (CDPS) considers how problem-solving tasks should be allocated among a group of agents and how the agents should coordinate their actions to achieve effective problem solving. For some CDPS systems, negotiation plays an important role in how agents cooperate. We define negotiation as the process of information exchange by which the agents act to resolve inconsistent views and to reach agreement on how they should work together in order to cooperate effectively. We describe a generic model, the Recursive Negotiation Model (RNM), that can serve as a basis for classifying and specifying where conflict resolution among multiple experts, viewpoints, or types of reasoning is needed in building a sophisticated CDPS system. This model defines where and how negotiation can be applied during problem solving based on structuring problem solving into four stages: problem formulation, focus-of-attention, allocation of goals or tasks to agents, and achievement of goals or tasks. We further discuss how the degree of agent participation in control decisions, including decisions about assigning responsibility to agents, influences the nature of negotiation within a particular system. Through this model, we emphasize that negotiation may be a recursive, complex, and pervasive process that is used to resolve conflicts in both domain-level and control-level problem solving. Finally, we survey existing negotiation frameworks and how they relate to our generic model.
INVARIANTS OF COLORED LINKS
Authors: AKUTSU YASUHIRO , DEGUCHI TESTUO , OHTSUKI TOMOTADA
Published: November 2004

We define a new hierarchy of isotopy invariants of colored oriented links through oriented tangle diagrams. We prove the colored braid relation and the Markov trace property explicitly.
DEFINING THE SCOPE OF ENTREPRENEURIAL MARKETING: A QUALITATIVE APPROACH
Authors: HILL JIMMY , WRIGHT LEN TIU
Published: November 2004

Since the mid 1980s a steady stream of research studies have examined the marketing/entrepreneurship interface in SMEs. Whilst much of this work has concentrated on specific research issues surrounding the implementation of marketing in entrepreneurial SMEs, a focus of much of this work has been to establish the balance between the marketing and entrepreneurial orientations in such firms. Using a syncretised qualitative methodology the research reported in this paper draws on a sample of entrepreneurial SMEs in the agri-food sector. The research concludes that the entrepreneurial orientation is the dominant one and is particularly manifest in the strong sales focus of the companies studied. This suggests that, in entrepreneurial SMEs, it is perhaps, as so many studies have attempted to do, inappropriate to focus on determining the predominance of either orientation. Future research should instead focus on the interrelationship between the two in what is emerging as a distinctive brand of marketing, that is, entrepreneurial marketing.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF CHINESE FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS: MOTIVATION AND PERSONALITY
Authors: CHU PRISCILLA
Published: November 2004

This paper describes the characteristics of Chinese female entrepreneurs in Hong Kong. Personal interviews have been used to study the female entrepreneurs' motivations in terms of reasons for start up, and their personality qualities in terms of personality profile and personality type. In order to elucidate the distinct characteristics of the female entrepreneurs in this study, a sample of males is included and the findings of previous studies on female entrepreneurs are also employed for comparisons and contrasts.

Ths findings tend to point out that, although times have changed and the environment may be more accepting of women in the workplace, there are issues, including strong orientation to family and subordination to male family members at work, that continue to be gender specific to Chinese female entrepreneurs. Although gender seems pertinent to understanding the reasons for start up, personality type is not significant. There is no one specific personality type that can be described as a female or male entrepreneurs' personality. But the empirical-based typology of personality types derived from this study is useful in understanding the major types of entrepreneurs.
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN CHINA: A CONCEPTUAL MODEL
Authors: KAO RAYMOND W. Y. , LEONG CHOON CHIANG
Published: November 2004

A dedicated conceptual model was planned and designed for women entrepreneurs training and development in rural China. The model programme involved three phases in its implementation: Phase 1, the training of Chinese national experts by international experts; Phase 2, the trained national experts training township and village enterprise women entrepreneur/managers in a pilot test; and Phase 3, Chinese national experts training the national trainers. The expectation is for the programme to be disseminated into the provinces and subsequently into all rural China. The programme was initiated by the United National Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in collaboration with the All China Women's Federation and its training institutions. The purpose of this Training-of-Trainers Programme was for promoting women's participation in the modernization of China.
EXPLORATORY STUDY TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMS ON FRENCH STUDENT ENTREPRENEURIAL BEHAVIORS
Authors: FAYOLLE ALAIN
Published: November 2004

The question of whether entrepreneurs are made or born is one that has been the subject of many studies in the entrepreneurial field.

Education initiatives in entrepreneurship show a belief in the possibility of developing entrepreneurial skills through appropriate programs.

Now, do various programs have different impact on students' propensity to start a business?

The research presented here aims at identifying the variables which provide an understanding of the influence exerced by entrepreneurship courses.

We collected data from 25 "Grandes Ecoles" (French Business School) and qualified their objectives when setting up such programs, as well as the means dedicated to them.

Simultaneously, we submitted to our respondents (entrepreneurship programs managers) a Likert scale evaluating their perception of the direct and indirect impact of the courses.

We conclude with a proposition to better anticipate the effects that can be expected from such course offerings, including dimensions which are often underestimated such as the strategic positioning of the schools.
THE PROTEAN ENTREPRENEUR: THE ENTREPRENEURIAL PROCESS AS FITTING SELF AND CIRCUMSTANCE
Authors: ANDERSON ALISTAIR R.
Published: November 2004

This paper is an ethnographic study of rural entrepreneurship. It explores the relationship between small business and the rural environment and is intended to contribute to the development of entrepreneurial theory. The major findings are that the entrepreneurial process is the creation and extraction of value from the environment, but that the background of the entrepreneur configures the idiosyncratic entrepreneurial process. The key to understanding this is argued to be the entrepreneur's perception of value, so that entrepreneurship is argued to be protean in that it takes its shape from the dynamics of the individual fitting themselves into their perception of the socio-economic context. Thus the entrepreneurs' approach to business can be understood in terms of their values and in this study, the entrepreneurial business is shaped and formed from these same values.
SMALL FIRMS' OWNER-MANAGERS CONSTRUCTION OF COMPETITION
Authors: GIMENEZ FERNANDO A. P. , PELISSON CLEUFE , KRÜGER EUGÊNIO G. S. , HAYASHI PAULO
Published: November 2004

This study explores how small firms' owner-managers view competition in their business environment and how this view may be associated with specific strategic choices leading to a competitive position in their markets. Its main research question deals with why different small firms' owner-managers choose different competitive strategies in a given industry setting. One of its main contentions is that in examining this phenomenon it was necessary first to explore the mental categorisations that guide the entrepreneurs' understanding of their competitive environment. Competition is a core concept in strategic management, and analysis of competitors' strategies is thought to be essential for a better understanding of competition and strategy formulation (Porter, 1980). Top managers' understanding of their competitive systems influences their decisions and acts, and in turn shapes their environment (Weick, 1979). As Zahra and Pearce (1990) have indicated, there is considerable theoretical and practical importance in further exploration of the processes that influence decision choices of dominant individuals within an organisation. One situation in which the views of an individual (as opposed to those of a political grouping) are likely to be dominant is that of the small business owner-manager, suggesting that studying samples of entrepreneurs could be a starting point for developing more psychological models of strategic choice. Data were collected with a sample of small firms' owners and managers running their businesses in the city of Londrina, Pr. The data collection procedures involved detailed and systematic interviews. A cognitive perspective was followed using Repertory Grid Technique that is derived from George Kelly's Personal Constructs Psychology. This technique allowed for the elicitation of constructs adopted by the respondents in the process of making sense of their competitive environment. Further data analysis indicated the most common features associated with the entrepreneurs' view of competitors' strategies. This allowed for the construction of taxonomy of strategic positions based on respondents' perception of their competitive environment.
DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES OF ENTREPRENEURIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN A DIVERSE SOCIAL SETTING-EVIDENCE FROM AUSTRALIAN AND SINGAPOREAN MANAGERS
Authors: PEARSON CECIL A. L. , CHATTERJEE SAMIR R.
Published: November 2004

Despite the growing acceptance that entrepreneurship facilitates national economic growth there has been a lack of research in diverse international contexts. This paper assesses relationships between contextual work setting properties and three personality characteristics that have been identified in the Western literature as being associated with entrepreneurial motivation. Responses from 410 Australian and Singaporean entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs demonstrate on the one hand there was systematic entrepreneurial variation between the two countries, but on the other hand, the influence of personal attributes on entrepreneurship were not hampered by geographic boundaries. The findings are discussed in terms of challenges for international entrepreneurship.
A LOOK AT THE PROCESSES LEADINGTO ENTREPRENEURIAL POTENTIAL
Authors: REITAN BJØRNAR
Published: November 2004

Examinations of new venture creation in a prospective fashion are rather new. In this paper, the processes leading to entrepreneurial potential are investigated. The key argument is that behavioral potential, at the cognitive level is determined by the individual's perceptions or cognitive structure. Four key antecedents are important in this process: perceived feasibility, perceived desirability, subjective norms, and perceived net gain. Personal, sociological and environmental variables are linked to decision making through these perceptions.This paper tested to what extent direct and indirect experiences, role modeling and educational experiences influence these perceptions. The results indicate that different kinds of learning influence the key antecedents differently, and that it is easier to learn that entrepreneurship is feasible than to learn that it is desirable or worthwhile.
ENTREPRENEURIAL CATASTROPHE - A BEHAVIOURAL MODEL
Authors: WEAVER RICHARD Y.
Published: November 2004

This paper presents a generic model of entrepreneurial behaviour utilising the Catastrophe Theory. The properties of the Cusp Catastrophe are adopted to illustrate the discontinuous nature of entrepreneurial behaviour. The model integrates an entrepreneurial characteristic or value set with an individual's environment on a three-dimensional behavioural surface. This paper establishes an initial hypothesis that human beings acquire and develop entrepreneurial characteristics through their life experiences and consequentially have the potential to behave entrepreneurially.

To test this hypothesis, a survey was conducted in the West of Scotland (n = 10,000) using a set identified by Timmons as committment and determination, opportunity obsession, tolerance of risk and uncertainty, self-motivation, creativity and innovation, self-leadership. The results from this survey support the initial hypothesis.

The environmental factor was derived from a theoretical construct of four dimensions: family, social, spiritual, work. These in combination will influence an individual's disposition to behave in a particular way through the formation of neural networks otherwise known as human values. This paper discusses value formation and its influence on behaviour.

The Cusp catastrophe, depicting the three-dimensional entrepreneurial behavioural surface, adopts the set of entrepreneurial characteristics as the splitting factor and the environmental dimension as the normal factor. The model can then be constructed for any individual and, hence, their propensity to behave entrepreneurially can be determined.