Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Contraction Analysis Of Functional Competitive Lotka-Volterra Systems: Understanding Competition Between Modified Bacteria And Plasmodium Within Mosquitoes., Nickolas Goncharenko

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

We propose and analyze an extension to the classic Competitive Lotka-Volterra (CLV) model. The goal is to model competition between species, with a response from the environment. This response is a function of the population of all species and can represent numerous physical phenomena including resource limitation and immune response of a host due to infection. We name this new system a Functional Competitive Lotka-Volterra (FCLV) model. We mainly use the construction of contraction metrics, to determine global properties of the model. We use this result to analyze the competition between Plasmodium sp. and genetically engineered bacteria within the midgut …

Abelian Integral Method And Its Application, Xianbo Sun

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Oscillation is a common natural phenomenon in real world problems. The most efficient mathematical models to describe these cyclic phenomena are based on dynamical systems. Exploring the periodic solutions is an important task in theoretical and practical studies of dynamical systems.

Abelian integral is an integral of a polynomial differential 1-form over the real ovals of a polynomial Hamiltonian, which is a basic tool in complex algebraic geometry. In dynamical system theory, it is generalized to be a continuous function as a tool to study the periodic solutions in planar dynamical systems. The zeros of Abelian integral and their distributions …

Phage-Bacteria Interaction And Prophage Sequences In Bacterial Genomes, Amjad Khan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this investigation, we examined the interaction of phages and bacteria in bacterial biofilm colonies, the evolution of prophages (viral genetic material inserted into the bacterial genome) and their genetic repertoire. To study the synergistic effects of lytic phages and antibiotics on bacterial biofilm colonies, we have developed a mathematical model of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). We have also presented a mathematical model consisting of a partial differential equation (PDEs), to study evolutionary forces acting on prophages. We fitted the PDE model to three publicly available databases and were able to show that induction is the prominent fate of intact …

Algorithms For Mappings And Symmetries Of Differential Equations, Zahra Mohammadi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Differential Equations are used to mathematically express the laws of physics and models in biology, finance, and many other fields. Examining the solutions of related differential equation systems helps to gain insights into the phenomena described by the differential equations. However, finding exact solutions of differential equations can be extremely difficult and is often impossible. A common approach to addressing this problem is to analyze solutions of differential equations by using their symmetries. In this thesis, we develop algorithms based on analyzing infinitesimal symmetry features of differential equations to determine the existence of invertible mappings of less tractable systems of …

High Strain Dynamic Test On Helical Piles: Analytical And Numerical Investigations, Mohammed Fahad Alwalan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Helical piles are currently considered a preferred foundation option in a wide range of engineering projects to provide high compressive and uplift resistance to static and dynamic loads. In view of the large capacity of large diameter helical piles, there is a need to determine their capacity using accurate and economically feasible testing techniques. The capacity of piles is usually determined by conducting a Static Load Test (SLT). However, the SLT can be costly and time consuming, especially for large capacity piles. The High Strain Dynamic Load Test (HSDT) evaluates the pile capacity using dynamic measurements generated through subjecting the …

On The Sparre-Andersen Risk Models, Ruixi Zhang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis develops several strategies for calculating ruin-related quantities for a variety of extended risk models. We focus on the Sparre-Andersen risk model, also known as the renewal risk model. The idea of arbitrary distribution for the waiting time between claim payments arose in the 1950’s from the collective risk theory, and received many extensions and modifications in recent years. Our goal is to tackle model assumptions that are either too relaxed for traditional methods to apply, or so complicated that elaborate algebraic tools are needed to obtain explicit solutions.

In Chapter 2, we consider a Lévy risk process and …

Algebraic Companions And Linearizations, Eunice Y. S. Chan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this thesis, we look at a novel way of finding roots of a scalar polynomial using eigenvalue techniques. We extended this novel method to the polynomial eigenvalue problem (PEP). PEP have been used in many science and engineering applications such vibrations of structures, computer-aided geometric design, robotics, and machine learning. This thesis explains this idea in the order of which we discovered it.

In Chapter 2, a new kind of companion matrix is introduced for scalar polynomials of the form $c(\lambda) = \lambda a(\lambda)b(\lambda)+c_0$, where upper Hessenberg companions are known for the polynomials $a(\lambda)$ and $b(\lambda)$. This construction can …

Some Recent Developments On Pareto-Optimal Reinsurance, Wenjun Jiang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis focuses on developing Pareto-optimal reinsurance policy which considers the interests of both the insurer and the reinsurer. The optimal insurance/reinsurance design has been extensively studied in actuarial science literature, while in early years most studies were concentrated on optimizing the insurer’s interests. However, as early as 1960s, Borch argued that “an agreement which is quite attractive to one party may not be acceptable to its counterparty” and he pioneered the study on “fair” risk sharing between the insurer and the reinsurer. Quite recently, the question of how to strike a balance in risk sharing between an insurer and …

A Survey Of Numerical Quadrature Methods For Highly Oscillatory Integrals, Jeet Trivedi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this thesis, we examine the main types of numerical quadrature methods for a special subclass of one-dimensional highly oscillatory integrals. Along with a presentation of the methods themselves and the error bounds, the thesis contains implementations of the methods in Maple and Python. The implementations take advantage of the symbolic computational abilities of Maple and allow for a larger class of problems to be solved with greater ease to the user. We also present a new variation on Levin integration which uses differentiation matrices in various interpolation bases.

Algorithms For Bohemian Matrices, Steven E. Thornton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis develops several algorithms for working with matrices whose entries are multivariate polynomials in a set of parameters. Such parametric linear systems often appear in biology and engineering applications where the parameters represent physical properties of the system. Some computations on parametric matrices, such as the rank and Jordan canonical form, are discontinuous in the parameter values. Understanding where these discontinuities occur provides a greater understanding of the underlying system.

Algorithms for computing a complete case discussion of the rank, Zigzag form, and the Jordan canonical form of parametric matrices are presented. These algorithms use the theory of regular …

Validating And Highlighting The Advantages Of The Optimal Estimation Method For Rayleigh Lidar Middle Atmospheric Temperature Retrievals, Ali Jalali

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

An improved understanding of temperature variations in Earth’s middle atmosphere is important for the improvement of our understanding of climate and weather on the surface. The optimal estimation method (OEM) is an inversion modeling approach, which uses regularized nonlinear regression to retrieve, in this case, the temperature of Earth’s middle atmosphere using Rayleigh-scatter lidar measurements. The OEM regularization term is the a priori knowledge of the atmospheric temperature profile. In this thesis I use lidar temperatures in the altitude range 30–110km to construct a temperature climatology using over 500 nights of measurements obtained by the Purple Crow Lidar in London, …

Bifurcation Analysis Of Two Biological Systems: A Tritrophic Food Chain Model And An Oscillating Networks Model, Xiangyu Wang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this thesis, we apply bifurcation theory to study two biological systems. Main attention is focused on complex dynamical behaviors such as stability and bifurcation of limit cycles. Hopf bifurcation is particularly considered to show bistable or even tristable phenomenon which may occur in biological systems. Recurrence is also investigated to show that such complex behavior is common in biological systems.

First we consider a tritrophic food chain model with Holling functional response types III and IV for the predator and superpredator, respectively. Main attention is focused on the sta- bility and bifurcation of equilibria when the prey has a …

Ecology And Evolution Of Dispersal In Metapopulations, Jingjing Xu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Dispersal plays a key role in the persistence of metapopulations, as the balance between local extinction and colonization is affected by dispersal. Herein, I present three pieces of work related to dispersal. The first two are devoted to the ecological aspect of delayed dispersal in metapopulations. The first one focuses on how dispersal may disrupt the social structure on patches from which dispersers depart. Examinations of bifurcation diagrams of the dynamical system show a metapopulation will, in general, be either in the state of global extinction or persistence, and dispersal only has a limited effect on metapopulation persistence. The second …

Selected Topics In Quantization And Renormalization Of Gauge Fields, Chenguang Zhao

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

My thesis covers several topics in the quantization and renormalization of gauge fields, ranging from the application of Dirac constraint procedure on the light front, to the manipulation of Faddeev-Popov method to enable use of the transverse-traceless gauge in first order gravity. Last, I study renormalization group ambiguities and carry out a new characterization method for models with one, two and five couplings.

In chapter 2 we apply the Dirac constraint procedure to the quantization of gauge theories on the light front. The light cone gauge is used in conjunction with the first class constraints that arise and the resulting …

Investigation Of Chaos In Biological Systems, Navaneeth Mohan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Chaos is the seemingly irregular behavior arising from a deterministic system. Chaos is observed in many real-world systems. Edward Lorenz’s seminal discovery of chaotic behavior in a weather model has prompted researchers to develop tools that distinguish chaos from non-chaotic behavior. In the first chapter of this thesis, I survey the tools for detecting chaos namely, Poincaré maps, Lyapunov exponents, surrogate data analysis, recurrence plots and correlation integral plots. In chapter two, I investigate blood pressure fluctuations for chaotic signatures. Though my analysis reveals interesting evidence in support of chaos, the utility such an analysis lies in a different direction …

Optimization Studies And Applications: In Retail Gasoline Market, Daero Kim

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The study of the retail gasoline market is of great interest in financial economics, since it allows many theories about price formation, oligopolistic markets, and consumer search to be tested. In addition, the risk management of gasoline prices is an important instance of the management of any consumable commodity cost. For the retailer, the tool of dynamic pricing may be found to be useful.

This thesis contributes to the study of retail gasoline markets in three main ways, each in its own paper. The first paper tests various economic models to confirm earlier results about pricing behavior in retail gasoline …

Three Essays On Structural Models, Xinghua Zhou

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

My thesis includes three papers on contingent claims valuation of corporate securities using structural models of credit risk. Our study focuses on structural models and their applications in estimating damages in security class actions, option pricing and warrant pricing. Securities class actions typically involve some misrepresentation by a firm that overstates its true value. In securities class actions econometric models are used to assess damages to shareholders. However, studies on measuring damages for debt-holders are limited. My first paper uses a modified Merton framework to measure the impact of misrepresentation on the value of other components (e.g., debt, warrants) of …

Properties And Computation Of The Inverse Of The Gamma Function, Folitse Komla Amenyou

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

We explore the approximation formulas for the inverse function of Γ. The inverse function of Γ is a multivalued function and must be computed branch by branch. We compare three approximations for the principal branch Γ̌ 0 . Plots and numerical values show that the choice of the approximation depends on the domain of the arguments, specially for small arguments. We also investigate some iterative schemes and find that the Inverse Quadratic Interpolation scheme is better than Newton’s scheme for improving the initial approximation. We introduce the contours technique for extending a real-valued function into the complex plane using two …

Numerical Studies Of Electrohydrodynamic Flow Induced By Corona And Dielectric Barrier Discharges, Chaoao Shi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Electrohyrodynamic (EHD) flow produced by gas discharges allows the control of airflow through electrostatic forces. Various promising applications of EHD can be considered, but this requires a deeper understanding of the physical mechanisms involved.

This thesis investigates the EHD flow generated by three forms of gas discharge. First, a multiple pin-plate EHD dryer associated with the positive corona discharge is studied using a stationary model. Second, the dynamics of a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuator is simulated with a time-dependent solver. Third, different configurations of the extended DBD are explored to enhance the EHD flow.

The results of the …

Feasible Computation In Symbolic And Numeric Integration, Robert H.C. Moir

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Two central concerns in scientific computing are the reliability and efficiency of algorithms. We introduce the term feasible computation to describe algorithms that are reliable and efficient given the contextual constraints imposed in practice. The main focus of this dissertation then, is to bring greater clarity to the forms of error introduced in computation and modeling, and in the limited context of symbolic and numeric integration, to contribute to integration algorithms that better account for error while providing results efficiently.

Chapter 2 considers the problem of spurious discontinuities in the symbolic integration problem, proposing a new method to restore continuity …

Modelling Walleye Population And Its Cannibalism Effect, Quan Zhou

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Walleye is a very common recreational fish in Canada with a strong cannibalism tendency, such that walleyes with larger sizes will consume their smaller counterparts when food sources are limited or a surplus of adults is present. Cannibalism may be a factor promoting population oscillation. As fish reach a certain age or biological stage (i.e. biological maturity), the number of fish achieving that stage is known as fish recruitment. The objective of this thesis is to model the walleye population with its recruitment and cannibalism effect. A matrix population model has been introduced to characterize the walleye population into three …

Simulation Of Driven Elastic Spheres In A Newtonian Fluid, Shikhar M. Dwivedi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Simulations help us test various restrictions/assumptions placed on physical systems that would otherwise be difficult to efficiently explore experimentally. For example, the Scallop Theorem, first stated in 1977, places limitations on the propulsion mechanisms available to microscopic objects in fluids. In particular, the theorem states that when the viscous forces in a fluid dominate the inertial forces associated with a physical body, such a physical body cannot generate propulsion by means of reciprocal motion. The focus of this thesis is to firstly, explore an adaptive Multiple-timestep(MTS) scheme for faster molecular dynamics(MD) simulations, and secondly, use hybrid MD-LBM(Lattice-Boltzman Method) to test …

On Honey Bee Colony Dynamics And Disease Transmission, Matthew I. Betti

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The work herein falls under the umbrella of mathematical modeling of disease transmission. The majority of this document focuses on the extent to which infection undermines the strength of a honey bee colony. These studies extend from simple mass-action ordinary differential equations models, to continuous age-structured partial differential equation models and finally a detailed agent-based model which accounts for vector transmission of infection between bees as well as a host of other influences and stressors on honey bee colony dynamics. These models offer a series of predictions relevant to the fate of honey bee colonies in the presence of disease …

Computation Of Real Radical Ideals By Semidefinite Programming And Iterative Methods, Fei Wang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Systems of polynomial equations with approximate real coefficients arise frequently as models in applications in science and engineering. In the case of a system with finitely many real solutions (the $0$ dimensional case), an equivalent system generates the so-called real radical ideal of the system. In this case the equivalent real radical system has only real (i.e., no non-real) roots and no multiple roots. Such systems have obvious advantages in applications, including not having to deal with a potentially large number of non-physical complex roots, or with the ill-conditioning associated with roots with multiplicity. There is a corresponding, but more …

Essays In Market Structure And Liquidity, Adrian J. Walton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Market structure concerns the mechanisms for negotiating trades and the composition of trading participants, and can affect liquidity and price efficiency. More gains from trade can be realized from an asset that is more liquid, and a better allocation of risk and capital can be achieved when an asset’s price is more efficient so it is important to understand market structure. This thesis uses theory and empirical methods to examine the effects of a few specific aspects of market structure.

In Chapter 1, we study a novel market structure on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the Retail Liqudity Program …

Studying Both Direct And Indirect Effects In Predator-Prey Interaction, Xiaoying Wang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Studying and modelling the interaction between predators and prey have been one of the central topics in ecology and evolutionary biology. In this thesis, we study two different aspects of predator-prey interaction: direct effect and indirect effect.

Firstly, we study the direct predation between predators and prey in a patchy landscape.

Secondly, we study indirect effects between predators and prey.

Thirdly, we extend our previous model by incorporating a stage-structure into prey.

Finally, we further extend our previous model by incorporating spatial structures into modelling.

Bacteria-Phage Models With A Focus On Prophage As A Genetic Reservoir, Alina Nadeem

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Temperate bacteriophages have the ability to incorporate their genetic material in the host's DNA, which may be utilized by later generations of phage to overcome the host's receptor-based defences. This effect of temperance can have major implications for the long-term survival of the phages as well as on bacteria-phage community evolution. To study the impact of prophage on microbial communities we have developed models simulating lytic and lysogenic infection and host and phage coevolution with a focus on prophage-phage recombination. Our results show that recombination can be crucial for the phage to survive host diversification, and a higher incidence of …

A Comparison Of Solution Methods For Mandelbrot-Like Polynomials, Eunice Y. S. Chan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

We compare two different root-finding methods, eigenvalue methods and homotopy methods, using three test problems: Mandelbrot polynomials, Fibonacci-Mandelbrot polynomials, and Narayana-Mandelbrot polynomials. For the eigenvalue methods, using both MATLAB and Maple, we computed the eigenvalues of a specialized recursively-constructed, supersparse, upper Hessenberg matrix, inspired by Piers Lawrence's original construction for the Mandelbrot polynomials, for all three families of polynomials. This led us to prove that this construction works in general. Therefore, this construction is genuinely a new kind of companion matrix. For the homotopy methods, we used a special-purpose homotopy, in which we used an equivalent differential equation to solve …

Modeling The Mass Function Of Stellar Clusters Using The Modified Lognormal Power-Law Probability Distribution Function, Deepakshi Madaan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

We use the Modified Lognormal Power-law (MLP) probability distribution function to model the behaviour of the mass function (MF) of young and populous stellar populations in different environments. We begin by modeling the MF of NGC1711, a simple stellar population (SSP) in the Large Magellanic Cloud as a pilot case. We then use model selection criterion to differentiate between candidate models. Using the MLP we find that the stellar catalogue of NGC1711 follows a pure power-law behaviour below the completeness limit with the slope α = 2.75 for dN/dlnm ∝ m^(−α+1) in the mass range 0.89 M⊙ to 7.75 M⊙. …

The Survival Probability Of Beneficial De Novo Mutations In Budding Viruses, With An Emphasis On Influenza A Viral Dynamics, Jennifer Ns Reid

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A deterministic model is developed of the within-host dynamics of a budding virus, and coupled with a detailed life-history model using a branching process approach to follow the fate of de novo beneficial mutations affecting five life-history traits: clearance, attachment, eclipse, budding, and cell death. Although the model can be generalized for any given budding virus, our work was done with a major emphasis on the early stages of infection with influenza A virus in human populations. The branching process was then interleaved with a stochastic process describing the disease transmission of this virus. These techniques allowed us to predict …