A thin, partially insulating circular rug is placed on a uniform half space up through which a steady heat flow passes. The corresponding dual integral equations are solved using Tranter's method, finite Legendre transforms and Mellin-Bames contour integrals. An untabulated Bessel (or Stieltjes) transform similar to the discontinuous WeberSchafheitlin integral is evaluated, and a simple expression derived for the rug's surface temperature.

The discrete random walk problem for the unrestricted particle formulated in the double diffusion model given in Hill [2] is solved explicitly. In this model it is assumed that a particle moves along two distinct horizontal paths, say the upper path I and lower path 2. For i = 1, 2, when the particle is in path i, it can move at each jump in one of four possible ways, one step to the right with probability pi, one step to the left with probability qi, remains in the same position with probability ri, or exchanges paths but remains in the same horizontal position with probability si (pi + qi + ri + si = 1). Using generating functions, the probability distribution of the position of an unrestricted particle is derived. Finally some special cases are discussed to illustrate the general result.

The acoustic response of a two-dimensional nearly-closed cavity to an excitation through a small opening is examined, using the method of matched asymptotic expansions. The Helmholtz mode of vibration is discussed using a low-frequency expansion of the velocity potential in the cavity interior. The variation in frequency and magnitude of the resonator response is explored, both for the Helmholtz and the natural-frequency modes.

The Mach-number series expansion of the potential function for the two-dimensional flow of an inviscid, compressible, perfect, diatomic gas past a circular cylinder is obtained to 29 terms. Analysis of this expansion allows the critical Mach number, at which flow first becomes locally sonic, to be estimated as M* = 0.39823780 ± 0.00000001. Analysis also permits the following estimate of the radius of convergence of the series for the maximum velocity to be made: Mc = 0.402667605 ± 0.00000005, though we have been unable to determine the nature of the singularity of M = Mc. Since Mc exceeds M* by some 1.1%, it follows that this particular “airfoil” can possess a continuous range of shock-free potential flows above the critical Mach number. This result hopefully resolves a 70-year old controversy.

For a set function G on an atomless finite measure space (X, , m), we define the subgradient, conjugate set of and conjugate functional of G. It is proved that a minimization problem of set function G has an optimal solution if and only if the Lagrangian on × L1(X, , m)has a saddle point (Ω0, f0) such that

where f0 is an element of the conjugate set (for the definition, see the later context).

Four different kinds of positive asymptotic series are identified by the limiting ratio of successive terms. When the limiting ratio is 1 the series is unsummable. When the ratio tends rapidly to a constant, whether greater or less than 1, the series is easily summed. When the ratio tends slowly to a constant not equal to 1 the series is compared with a binomial model which is then used to speed the convergence. When the ratio increases linearly, a limiting binomial and an exponential integral model are both used to speed convergence. The two resulting model sums are consistent and in this case are complex numbers. Truncation at the smallest term is found to be unreliable in the second case, invalid in the third case, and the exponential integral is used to produce a significantly improved truncation in the third case. A divergent series from quantum mechanics is also examined.

Pointwise bounds are obtained for the solution of a Dirichlet problem involving the nonlinear Liouville equation in the plane, Illustrative calculations are performed for a square domain.

The likelihood ratio approach to the detection of small signals in the presence of noise is investigated in the case where the available data have been clipped. The statistic obtained is the ratio of orthant probabilities and appears intractable; accordingly an approximation to this statistic is developed by truncating an appropriate Taylor expansion. Approximations are obtained for the mean and variance of this modified statistic and compared with those obtained from computer simulations.

This paper shows how to compute the trace of G(T) – G(T0), where G is an infinitely differentiable function with compact support, and where T and T0 are one-dimensional Schrödinger operators on (−∞, ∞) with potentials q and q0. It is assumed that q0 is a simple step potential and that q decays exponentially to q0. The trace is expressed in terms of the reflection and transmission coefficients for the scattering of plane waves by the potential q.

When material is undergoing an exothermic chemical reaction which is sustained by the diffusion of a reactant, the steady-state regime is governed by a coupled pair of nonlinear elliptic partial differential equations with linear boundary conditions. In this paper we consider questions of existence of solutions to these equations. It is shown that, with the exception of the special case in which the mass-transfer is uninhibited on the boundary, a solution always exists, whereas in this special case a solution exists only for sufficiently low values of the exothermicity. Bounds are established for the solutions and the occurrence of minimal and maximal solutions is shown for some cases. Finally the behaviour of the solution set with respect to one of the parameters is studied.

The problem of thermal ignition in a reactive slab with unsymmetric temperatures equal to 0 and T is considered. Steady state upper and lower solutions are constructed. It is found that T plays a critical role. Results similar to the case with symmetric boundary temperatures are expected when T is small. When T is sufficiently large, there is only one steady state upper or lower solution. The time dependent problem is then considered. Phenomena suggested by studying the upper and lower steady state solutions are confirmed.

An iteration scheme previously obtained by the author is used to study the dependence of criticality on initial data and the parameters in a combustion problem. Numerical results are presented for a slab, a cylinder and a sphere. These are compared with the results of previous workers.

It is shown that, for any round-robin tournament, one can find a pairing of the teams and allocate home and away matches so that only one member of each pair plays at home in each round.

The expressions for elliptic integrals, elliptic functions and theta functions given in standard reference books are slowly convergent as the parameter m approaches unity, and in the limit do not converge. In this paper we use Jacobi's imaginary transformation to obtain alternative expressions which converge most rapidly in the limit as m → 1. With the freedom to use the traditional formulae for m ≤ ½ and those obtained here for m ≥ ½, extraordinarily rapidly-convergent methods may be used for all values of m; no more than three terms of any series need be used to ensure eight-figure accuracy.

Sufficient conditions are obtained for the existence of a unique asymptotically stable periodic solution for the Lotka-Volterra two species competition system of equations when the intrinsic growth rates are periodic functions of time.

In an earlier paper (Part I) the existence and some related properties of the solution to a coupled pair of nonlinear elliptic partial differential equations was considered. These equations arise when material is undergoing an exothermic chemical reaction which is sustained by the diffusion of a reactant. In this paper we consider the range of parameters for which the uniqueness of solution is assured and we also investigate the converse question of multiple solutions. The special case of the one dimensional shape of the infinite slab is investigated in full as this case admits to solution by integration.

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.

The non-linear differential difference equation of the form

is investigated. This equation, with constant coefficients, is used to model the population level, N, of a single species, and incorporates two constant time lags T2 > T1 > 0; for example, regeneration and reproductive lags. The linear equation is investigated analytically, and some linear stability regions are described. The special case in which the two delay terms are equally important in self damping, B = C, is investigated in detail. Numerical solutions for this case show stable limit cycles, with multiple loops appearing when T2/T1 is large. These may correspond to splitting of major peaks in population density observations.

Here we discuss the development of the laminar flow of a viscous incompressible fluid from the entry to the fully developed situation in a straigbt circular pipe. Uniform entry conditions are considered and the analysis is based on the method of matched asymptotic expansions.

This note examines maximum principles for systems of parabolic partial differential equations describing diffusion in the presence of three diffusion paths. The particular system under consideration arises from a random walk model. For a more general system constraints on the various constants are given which guarantee maximum principles. Remarkably, the physical system arising from the random walk model automatically satisfies these constraints.