We present a new derivation of the polynomial identities satisfied by certain matrices A with entries Aij (i, j = 1,…, n) from the universal enveloping algebra of a semi-simple Lie algebra. These polynomial identities are exhibited in a representation-independent way as p(A) = 0 where p(x) (herein called the characteristic polynomial of A) is a polynomial with coefficients from the centre Z of the universal enveloping algebra. The minimum polynomial identity m(A) = 0 of the matrix A over Z is also obtained and it is shown that p(x) and m(x) possess properties analogous to the characteristic and minimum polynomials respectively of a matrix with numerical entries. Acting on a representation (finite or infinite dimensional) admitting an infinitesimal character these polynomial identities may be expressed in a useful factored form. Our results include the characteristic identities of Bracken and Green [1] as a special case and show that these latter identities hold also in infinite dimensional representations.

We study two aspects of discrete-time birth-death processes, the common feature of which is the central role played by the decay parameter of the process. First, conditions for geometric ergodicity and bounds for the decay parameter are obtained. Then the existence and structure of quasi-stationary distributions are discussed. The analyses are based on the spectral representation for the n-step transition probabilities of a birth-death process developed by Karlin and McGregor.

A class of problems modelling the contact between nonlinearly elastic materials and rigid foundations is analysed for static processes under the small deformation hypothesis. In the present paper, the contact between the body and the foundation can be frictional bilateral or frictionless unilateral. For every mechanical problem in the class considered, we derive a weak formulation consisting of a nonlinear variational equation and a variational inequality involving dual Lagrange multipliers. The weak solvability of the models is established by using saddle-point theory and a fixed-point technique. This approach is useful for the development of efficient algorithms for approximating weak solutions.

In this paper we prove several growth theorems for second-order difference equations.

The oscillatory squeeze film problem is solved for the simple fluid in the sense of Noll. It is shown that dynamic properties of polymeric liquids can be measured on the plastometer in the oscillatory mode. This should be useful to food and other technologists who have to deal with awkward, highly viscous materials.

In this paper, we consider the problem of the steady-state fully developed magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow of a conducting fluid through a channel with arbitrary wall conductivity in the presence of a transverse external magnetic field with various inclined angles. The coupled governing equations for both axial velocity and induced magnetic field are firstly transformed into decoupled Poisson-type equations with coupled boundary conditions. Then the dual reciprocity boundary element method (DRBEM) [20] is used to solve the Poisson-type equations. As testing examples, flows in channels of three different crosssections, rectangular, circular and triangular, are calculated. It is shown that solutions obtained by the DRBEM with constant elements are accurate for Hartmann number up to 8 and for large conductivity parameters comparing to exact solutions and solutions by the finite element method (FEM).

Inf-sup conditions are proven for three finite-difference approximations of the Stokes equa-tions. The finite-difference approximations use a staggered-mesh scheme and the schemes resulting from the backward and the forward differencings.

We consider the phase-locked solutions of the differential equation governing planar motion of a weakly damped pendulum forced by a prescribed, vertical acceleration εg sin ωt of its pivot, where ω and t are dimensionless, and the unit of time is the reciprocal of the natural frequency. Resonance curves and stability boundaries are presented for downward and inverted oscillations of periods T, 2T, 4T, …, where T (≡ 2π/ω) is the forcing period. Stable, downward oscillations are found to occur in distinct regions of the (ω, ε) plane, reminiscent of the regions of stability of the Mathieu equation (which describes the equivalent undamped, parametrically excited pendulum motion). The regions are dominated by oscillations of frequencies , each region being bounded on one side by a vertical state at rest in stable equilibrium and on the other side by a symmetry-breaking, period-doubling sequence to chaotic motion. Stable, inverted oscillations are found to occur also in distinct regions of the (ω, ε) plane, the principal oscillation in each region being symmetric with period 2T.

A detailed analytical and numerical study is made of the deformation of highly elastic circular cylinders and tubes produced by steady rotation about the axis of symmetry. Explicit results are obtained through the use of Ogden's strain–energy function for incompressible isotropic elastic materials which, as well as being analytically convenient, is capable of reproducing accurately the observed isothermal behaviour of vulcanized rubber over a wide range of deformations. The three problems of steady rotation considered here concern (i) a tube shrink-fitted to a rigid spindle, (ii)an unconstrained tube, and (iii) a solid cylinder. In each case a set of restictions on the material constans appearing in the strain–energy function is stated which ensures that a tubular of cylindrical shape-preserving deformation exists for all angular spees and that, for problems (i) and (iii), there is no other solution. In connection with problems (ii) and (iii) values of the material constans are also given which correspond to the bifuraction or non-existence of soultions. Enegry consideration are used to determine the local stability of the various solutions obtained.

Computation of eigenvalues of regular Sturm-Liouville problems with periodic or semiperiodic boundary conditions is considered. A simple asymptotic correction technique of Paine, de Hoog and Anderssen is shown to reduce the error in the centred finite difference estimate of the kth eigenvalue obtained with uniform step length h from O(k4h2) to O(kh2). Possible extensions of the results are suggested and the relative advantages of the method are discussed.

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.

Given a set of points in the plane, the problem of existence and finding the least absolute deviations line is considered. The most important properties are stated and proved and two efficient methods for finding the best least absolute deviations line are proposed. Compared to other known methods, our proposed methods proved to be considerably more efficient.

The derivation of gene-transport equations is re-examined. Fisher's assumptions for a sexually reproducing species lead to a Huxley reaction-diffusion equation, with cubic logistic source term for the gene frequency of a mutant advantageous recessive gene. Fisher's equation more accurately represents the spread of an advantaged mutant strain within an asexual species. When the total population density is not uniform, these reaction-diffusion equations take on an additional non-uniform convection term. Cubic source terms of the Huxley or Fitzhugh-Nagumo type allow special nonclassical symmetries. A new exact solution, not of the travelling wave type, and with zero gradient boundary condition, is constructed.

In this paper an expansion method, based on Legendre or any orthogonal polynomials, is developed to find numerical solutions of two-dimensional linear Fredholm integral equations. We estimate the error of the method, and present some numerical examples to demonstrate the accuracy of the method.

We are concerned with the existence of solutions of

where Δp is the p-Laplacian, p ∈ (1, ∞), and Ω is a bounded smooth domain in ℝn.

For h(x) ≡ 0 and f(x, u) satisfying proper asymptotic spectral conditions, existence of a unique positive solution is obtained by invoking the sub-supersolution technique and the spectral method. For h(x) ≢ 0, with assumptions on asymptotic behavior of f(x, u) as u → ±∞, an existence result is also proved.

The movement of the interface between two immiscible fluids flowing through a porous medium is discussed. It is assumed that one of the fluids, which is a liquid, is much more viscous than the other. The problem is transformed by replacing the pressure with an integral of pressure with respect to time. Singularities of pressure and the transformed variable are seen to be related.

Some two-dimensional problems may be solved by comparing the singularities of certain analytic functions, one of which is derived from the new variable. The implications of the approach of a singularity to the moving boundary are examined.

Recently, several papers [2–4, 6] have been published concerning a pursuit problem which was apparently first posed explicitly by Leonardo da Vinci and which may have been present in earlier thinking about kinematics and geometry. Falconry appears to go back, in Europe, to the days of Pliny, Aristotle and Martial, and, in Asia, to 2000 BC [5].

There is presently considerable interest in the utilisation of microwave heating in areas such as cooking, sterilising, melting, smelting, sintering and drying. In general, such problems involve Maxwell's equations coupled with the heat equation, for which all thermal, electrical and magnetic properties of the material are nonlinear. The heat source arising from microwaves is proportional to the square of the modulus of the electric field intensity, and is known to increase with increasing temperature. In an attempt to find a simple model of microwave heating, we examine here simple transient temperature profiles corresponding to a heat source with spatial exponential decay but increasing with temperature, for which we assume either a power-law dependence or an exponential dependence. The spatial exponential decay is known to apply exactly when the electrical and magnetic properties of the material are assumed constant. A number of transient temperature profiles for this model are examined which arise from the invariance of the governing heat equation under simple one-parameter transformation groups. Some closed analytical expressions are obtained, but in general the resulting ordinary differential equations need to be solved numerically, and extensive numerical results are presented. For both models, these results indicate the appearance of moving fronts.

Duffing's differential equation in its simplest form can be approximated by a variety of difference equations. It is shown how to choose a ‘best’ difference equation in the sense that the solutions of this difference equation are successive discrete exact values of the solution of the differential equation.

For the fourth-order linear difference equation Δ4un−2 = bn un, with bn > 0 for all n, generalized zeros are defined, following Hartman [5], and two theorems are proved concerning separation of zeros of linearly independent solutions. Some preliminary results deal with non-oscillation and asymptotic behavior of solutions of this equation for various types of initial conditions. Finally, recessive solutions are defined, and results are obtained analogous to known results for recessive solutions of second-order difference equations.