Existence criteria are presented for non-linear boundary value problems on the half line. In particular, the theory includes a problem in the theory of colloids and a problem arising in the unsteady flow of a gas through a semi-infinite porous medium.

All those multiplications on the two-dimensional Euclidean group are determined such that the resulting non-associative topological nearring has (1, 0) for a left identity and has the additional property that every element of the near-ring is a right divisor of zero. This result, together with several previous results, is then used to show that any one of several common algebraic properties is sufficient to characterize one particular two-dimensional Euclidean ring within the class of all two dimensional Euclidean near-rings. Specifically, it is proved that, if N is a topological near-ring with a left identity whose additive group is the two-dimensional Euclidean group, then the following assertions are equivalent: (1) the left identity is not a right identity, (2) N contains a non-zero left annihilator, (3) every element of N is a right divisor of zero, (4) Nw≠N for all w∈N, (5) N is isomorphic to the topological ring whose additive group is the two dimensional Euclidean group and whose multiplication is given by (v1, V2)(w1W2) = (v1w1, v1w2).

We study the time-asymptotic behaviour of solutions to the Navier-Stokes equations for a one-dimensional viscous polytropic ideal gas in the half-line. Using a local representation for the specific volume, which is obtained by using a special cut-off function to localize the problem, and the weighted energy estimates, we prove that the specific volume is pointwise bounded from below and above for all x, t and that for all t the temperature is bounded from below and above locally in x. Moreover, global solutions are convergent as time goes to infinity. The large-time behaviour of solutions to the Cauchy problem is also examined.

Let K be a compact convex body in ℝn not contained in a hyperplane, and denote the norm whose unit ball is ½(K − K) by ║·║k. Given a translative packing of K, we are interested in how long a segment (with respect to ║·║K) can lie in the complement of the interiors of the translates. The main result of this note is to show the existence of a translative packing such that the length of the longest segments avoiding it is only exponential in the dimension n (see below). We start here with a lower bound, showing that this bound is close to optimal for balls.

A positive definite integral quadratic form over rational integers is said to be universal, if it represents all positive integers. The universal quaternary quadratic form is determined with the maximal discriminant, which is 1073/4.

In this paper, further insight is obtained into the earlier approach of studying residually transcendental extensions of a valuation v of a field K to a simple transcendental extension K(x) of K by means of minimal pairs, thereby introducing new invariants corresponding to any element of an algebraic closure of K. It is also shown that these invariants are of independent interest as well. A characterization of those elements a belonging to is given such that there exists a minimal pair (a, δ) for some δ in the divisible closure of the value group of v.

In this paper we study the homogenization of an eigenvalue problem for a cooperative system of weakly coupled elliptic partial differential equations, called the neutronic multigroup diffusion model, in a periodic heterogeneous domain. Such a model is used for studying the criticality of nuclear reactor cores. In a recent work in collaboration with Grégoire Allaire, it is proved that, under a symmetry assumption, the first eigenvector of the multigroup system in the periodicity cell controls the oscillatory behaviour of the solutions, whereas the global trend is asymptotically given by a homogenized diffusion eigenvalue problem. It is shown here that when this symmetry condition is not fulfilled, the asymptotic behaviour of the neutron flux, corresponding to the first eigenvector of the multigroup system, is dramatically different. This result enables to consider new types of geometrical configurations in practical nuclear reactor core computations.

Let Λ be an ordered abelian group. It is shown that groups in a certain class can have no non-trivial action of end type on a Λ-tree. A similar result is obtained for irreducible actions.

Erdős (see [4]) asked if there are infinitely many integers k which are not a difference or a sum of two powers, i.e., if there are infinitely many positive integers k with k≠|um ± vn| for u, v, m, n ε ℤ. This is certainly a very difficult problem. For example, it is known that the Catalan equation, i.e., the equation um − vn = 1 with uv≠0 and min (m, n)≥2 has only finitely many solutions (u, v, m, n), but there is no other positive integer k≥1 for which it is known that the equation

has only finitely many solution (u, v, m, n) with min (m, n)≥2.

We deal here with a mixed (hyperbolic-elliptic) system of two conservation laws modelling phase-transition dynamics in solids undergoing phase transformations. These equations include nonlinear viscosity and capillarity terms. We establish general results concerning the existence, uniqueness and asymptotic properties of the corresponding travelling wave solutions. In particular, we determine their behaviour in the limits of dominant diffusion, dominant dispersion or asymptotically small or large shock strength. As the viscosity and capillarity parameters tend to zero, the travelling waves converge to propagating discontinuities, which are either classical shock waves or supersonic phase boundaries satisfying the Lax and Liu entropy criteria, or else are undercompressive subsonic phase boundaries. The latter are uniquely characterized by the so-called kinetic function, whose properties are investigated in detail here.

In this paper we employ some new ideas and more delicate estimates, as well as some ideas from previous works, to establish the existence of universal attractors for a nonlinear one-dimensional heat-conductive viscous real gas in the bounded domain Ω = (0,1).