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At least 19 records

On the global behavior of homeomorphisms of metric spaces

For the metric spaces, the homeomorphisms more general than conformal mappings are studied. It is proved that the families of ine indicated mappings are equicontinuous in their closure under definite conditions imposed on the boundaries of the corresponding domains.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Mechanical Actuation via Homeomorphic Transformations of Topological Solitons within Polymer Coatings

Abstract Topological solitons are currently under investigation for their exotic properties, especially in nonlinear physics, optics, and material sciences. However, challenges of robust generation and limited stability over time have hindered their practical uses. To address this issue, an approach is developed to form structured arrays of solitons in films of polymerizable liquid crystals. Their complex molecular architecture is preserved by in situ photopolymerization forming a stable liquid crystal network. Most excitingly, their properties are advanced to include responsiveness functions. When thermally actuated, these topological solitons mediate the reconfiguration of surface topographies. Complex shape changes occur depending on the intrinsic complex spatial distribution of the director, which may even lead to full shape inversion and topographical changes as high as ≈40% of the initial thickness. Conversely, the shape changes provide information on the initial director profile, which is consistent with the mathematical model. The soliton‐containing polymer coatings are applicable in multiple domains, ranging from tunable optics to haptics, and from shape‐coupled sensing systems to temperature‐coupled heat management.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Level-set topology optimization with PDE generated conformal meshes

This paper presents a level-set topology optimization approach that uses conformal meshes for the analysis of the displacement field. The structure’s boundary is represented by the iso-contour of a level-set field discretized on a fixed background design mesh. The conformal mesh is updated for each design iteration via a PDE based mesh morphing process that identifies the set of facets in the background mesh that are homeomorphic to the boundary and relaxes the homeomorphic mesh to conform to the structure’s boundary and ensure high element quality. The conformal mesh allows for a more accurate computation of the response versus density and some level-set based methods which interpolate material properties using the volume fraction. Numerical examples illustrate the proposed approach by optimizing linear-elastic two- and three-dimensional structures, wherein insight into the performance of the mesh morphing process is provided. The examples also highlight the scalability of the approach.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Positive Configuration Space

Abstract We define and study the totally nonnegative part of the Chow quotient of the Grassmannian, or more simply the nonnegative configuration space . This space has a natural stratification by positive Chow cells , and we show that nonnegative configuration space is homeomorphic to a polytope as a stratified space. We establish bijections between positive Chow cells and the following sets: (a) regular subdivisions of the hypersimplex into positroid polytopes, (b) the set of cones in the positive tropical Grassmannian, and (c) the set of cones in the positive Dressian. Our work is motivated by connections to super Yang–Mills scattering amplitudes, which will be discussed in a sequel.

Physics↗

Retrodictive determinism

With respect to irreversible, non-homeomorphic maps, contravariant and covariant tensor fields have distinctly natural covariance and transformational behavior. For thermodynamic processes which are non-adiabatic, the fact that the process cannot be represented by a homeomorphic map emphasizes the logical arrow of time, an idea which encompasses a principle of retrodictive determinism for covariant tensor fields.

Kiehn, R. M.↗

Topological Methods for Visualization

This slide presentation describes basic topological concepts, including topological spaces, homeomorphisms, homotopy, betti numbers. Scalar field topology explores finding topological features and scalar field visualization, and vector field topology explores finding topological features and vector field visualization.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

On quasiconformal maps and semilinear equations in the plane

Assume that Ω is a domain in the complex plane ℂ and A(z) is a symmetric 2×2 matrix function with measurable entries, detA = 1; and such that 1/K|ξ|{sup 2} ≤ 〈A(z)ξ, ξ〉 ≤ K|ξ|{sup 2}, ξ ∈ ℝ{sup 2}, 1 ≤ K < ∞ . In particular, for semilinear elliptic equations of the form div (A(z)∇u(z)) = f(u(z)) in Ω; we prove a factorization theorem that asserts that every weak solution u to the above equation can be expressed as the composition u = To𝜔; where 𝜔 : Ω → G stands for a K−quasiconformal homeomorphism generated by the matrix function A(z); and T(w) is a weak solution of the semilinear equation ∇T(w) = J(w)f(T(w)) in G: Here, the weight J(w) is the Jacobian of the inverse mapping 𝜔{sup −1}: Similar results hold for the corresponding nonlinear parabolic and hyperbolic equations. Some applications of these results to anisotropic media are given.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Extremal Problem for the Area of the Image of a Disk

We study metric properties of ring Q-homeomorphisms with respect to the p-modulus, p > 2, in the complex plane and establish lower bounds for the areas of disks. An extremal problem concerning minimization of the area functional is also solved.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Quantization of the Sobolev space of half-differentiable functions

A quantization of the Sobolev space V=H{sub 0}{sup 1/2}(S{sup 1},R) of half- differentiable functions on the circle, which is closely connected with string theory, is constructed. The group QS(S{sup 1}) of quasisymmetric circle homeomorphisms acts on V by reparametrizations, but this action is not smooth. Nevertheless, a quantum infinitesimal action of QS(S{sup 1}) on V can be defined, which enables one to construct a quantum algebra of observables which is associated with the system (V,QS(S{sup 1})). Bibliography: 7 titles. (paper)

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Some results on expansive mappings

Expansive mappings as generalizations of expansive homeomorphisms, proving nonexistence of expansive functions on open unit interval

Williams, R. K.↗

Topologies on directed graphs

Given a directed graph, a natural topology is defined and relationships between standard topological properties and graph theoretical concepts are studied. In particular, the properties of connectivity and separatedness are investigated. A metric is introduced which is shown to be related to separatedness. The topological notions of continuity and homeomorphism. A class of maps is studied which preserve both graph and topological properties. Applications involving strong maps and contractions are also presented.

Lieberman, R. N.↗

The Definition and Computation of a Metric on Plane Curves. The Meaning of a Face on a Geometric Model

Two topics in topology, the comparison of plane curves and faces on geometric models, are discussed. With regard to the first problem, a curve is defined to be a locus of points without any underlying parameterization. A metric on a class of plane curves is defined, a finite computation of this metric is given for the case of piecewise linear curves, and it is shown how to approximate curves that have bounded curvature by piecewise linear curves. In this way a bound on the distance between two curves can be computed. With regard to the second problem, the questions to be discussed are under what circumstances do geometrical faces make sense; how can they be explicity defined; and when are these geometrical faces homeomorphic to the realization of the abstract (topological) face.

Emery, J. D.↗

A university teaching simulation facility

An experimental telerobotics (TR) simulation is described suitable for studying human operator (HO) performance. Simple manipulator pick-and-place and tracking tasks allowed quantitative comparison of a number of calligraphic display viewing conditions. A number of control modes could be compared in this TR simulation, including displacement, rate, and acceleratory control using position and force joysticks. A homeomorphic controller turned out to be no better than joysticks; the adaptive properties of the HO can apparently permit quite good control over a variety of controller configurations and control modes. Training by optimal control example seemed helpful in preliminary experiments.

Stark, Lawrence↗

Telerobotics: A simulation facility for university research

An experimental telerobotics (TR) simulation suitable for studying human operator (H.O.) performance is described. Simple manipulator pick-and-place and tracking tasks allowed quantitative comparison of a number of calligraphic display viewing conditions. A number of control modes could be compared in this TR simulation, including displacement, rate and acceleratory control using position and force joysticks. A homeomorphic controller turned out to be no better than joysticks; the adaptive properties of the H.O. can apparently permit quite good control over a variety of controller configurations and control modes. Training by optimal control example seemed helpful in preliminary experiments. An introduced communication delay was found to produce decrease in performance. In considerable part, this difficulty could be compensated for by preview control information. That neurological control of normal human movement contains a data period of 0.2 second may relate to this robustness of H.O. control to delay. The Ames-Berkeley enhanced perspective display was utilized in conjunction with an experimental helmet mounted display system (HMD) that provided stereoscopic enhanced views.

Stark, L.↗

Mathematical Model Of Nerve/Muscle Interaction

Phasic Excitation/Activation (PEA) mathematical model simulates short-term nonlinear dynamics of activation and control of muscle by nerve. Includes electronic and mechanical elements. Is homeomorphic at level of its three major building blocks, which represent motoneuron, dynamics of activation of muscle, and mechanics of muscle.

Hannaford, Blake↗

A dynamical model for reflex activated head movements in the horizontal plane

We present a controls systems model of horizontal-plane head movements during perturbations of the trunk, which for the first time interfaces a model of the human head with neural feedback controllers representing the vestibulocollic (VCR) and the cervicocollic (CCR) reflexes. This model is homeomorphic such that model structure and parameters are drawn directly from anthropomorphic, biomechanical and physiological studies. Using control theory we analyzed the system model in the time and frequency domains, simulating neck movement responses to input perturbations of the trunk. Without reflex control, the head and neck system produced a second-order underdamped response with a 5.2 dB resonant peak at 2.1 Hz. Adding the CCR component to the system dampened the response by approximately 7%. Adding the VCR component dampened head oscillations by 75%. The VCR also improved low-frequency compensation by increasing the gain and phase lag, creating a phase minimum at 0.1 Hz and a phase peak at 1.1 Hz. Combining all three components (mechanics, VCR and CCR) linearly in the head and neck system reduced the amplitude of the resonant peak to 1.1 dB and increased the resonant frequency to 2.9 Hz. The closed loop results closely fit human data, and explain quantitatively the characteristic phase peak often observed.

NASA Discipline Neuroscience↗