Applied Mathematics Commons^™

Extra Structures On Three-Dimensional Cobordisms, Xuanye Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A Topological Quantum Field Theory (TQFT) is a functor from a cobordism category to the category of vector spaces, satisfying certain properties. An important property is that the vector spaces should be finite dimensional. For the WRT TQFT, the relevant 2 + 1-cobordism category is built from manifolds which are equipped with an extra structure such as a p1-structure, or an extended manifold structure. In chapter 1, we perform the universal construction of [3] on a cobordism category without this extra structure and show that the resulting quantization functor assigns an infinite dimensional vector space to the torus. In chapter …

Mixed Categories, Formality For The Nilpotent Cone, And A Derived Springer Correspondence, Laura Joy Rider

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Recall that the Springer correspondence relates representations of the Weyl group to perverse sheaves on the nilpotent cone. We explain how to extend this to an equivalence between the triangulated category generated by the Springer perverse sheaf and the derived category of di_x000B_erential graded modules over a dg-ring related to the Weyl group

A Characterization Of Almost All Minimal Not Nearly Planar Graphs, Kwang Ju Choi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, we study nearly planar graphs, that is, graphs that are edgeless or have an edge whose deletion results in a planar graph. We show that all but finitely many graphs that are not nearly planar and do not contain one particular graph have a well-understood structure based on large Möbius ladders.

Higher Algebraic K-Theory And Tangent Spaces To Chow Groups, Sen Yang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this work, using higher algebraic K-theory, we provide an answer to the following question asked by Green-Griffiths in [13]: Can one define the Bloch-Gersten-Quillen sequence G_j on infinitesimal neighborhoods X_j so that Ker(G₁ &rarr G₀)= TG₀, Here TG₀ should be the Cousin resolution of TK_m(O_X) and X is any n-dimensional smooth projective variety over a field k, chark=0. Our main results are as follows. The existence of G_j is discussed in chapter 3, following [8] and [18]. The main theorems are theorem5.2.5, theorem 5.2.6 and theorem …

Uncertainty Quantification Of Film Cooling Effectiveness In Gas Turbines, Hessam Babaee

LSU Master's Theses

In this study the effect of uncertainty of velocity ratio on jet in crossflow and particual- rly film cooling performance is studied. Direct numerical simulations have been combined with a stochastic collocation approach where the parametric space is discretized using Multi-Element general Polynomial Chaos (ME-gPC) method. Velocity ratio serves as a bifurcation parameter in a jet in a crossflow and the dynamical system is shown to have several bifurcations. As a result of the bifurcations, the target functional is observed to have low-regularity with respect to the paramteric space. In that sense, ME-gPC is particularly effective in discretizing the parametric …

Statistical Classification Problems In Assessment Of Teachers, Xuan Wang

LSU Master's Theses

Classification and regression trees form an important and indispensable tool in data analysis and classification problems. Class trees are described in detail with examples. The method is applied to a data set pertaining to evaluation of teachers. In addition, two other classification methods, bagging and AdaBoost are explained. These methods improve existing classifiers to nearly optimal classifiers.

Skein Theory And Topological Quantum Field Theory, Xuanting Cai

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Skein modules arise naturally when mathematicians try to generalize the Jones polynomial of knots. In the first part of this work, we study properties of skein modules. The Temperley-Lieb algebra and some of its generalizations are skein modules. We construct a bases for these skein modules. With this basis, we are able to compute some gram determinants of bilinear forms on these skein modules. Also we use this basis to prove that the Mahler measures of colored Jones polynomial of a sequence of knots converges to the Mahler measure of some two variable polynomial. The topological quantum field theory constructed …

Large Deviations For Stochastic Navier-Stokes Equations With Nonlinear Viscosities, Ming Tao

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this work, a Wentzell-Freidlin type large deviation principle is established for the two-dimensional stochastic Navier-Stokes equations (SNSE's) with nonlinear viscosities. We fi_x000C_rst prove the existence and uniqueness of solutions to the two-dimensionalstochastic Navier-Stokes equations with nonlinear viscosities using the martingale problem argument and the method of monotonicity. By the results of Varadhan and Bryc, the large deviation principle (LDP) is equivalent to the Laplace-Varadhan principle (LVP) if the underlying space is Polish. Then using the stochastic control and weak convergence approach developed by Budhiraja and Dupuis, the Laplace-Varadhan principle for solutions of stochastic Navier-Stokesequations is obtained in appropriate function …

Application Of Helmholtz/Hodge Decomposition To Finite Element Methods For Two-Dimensional Maxwell's Equations, Zhe Nan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this work we apply the two-dimensional Helmholtz/Hodge decomposition to develop new finite element schemes for two-dimensional Maxwell's equations. We begin with the introduction of Maxwell's equations and a brief survey of finite element methods for Maxwell's equations. Then we review the related fundamentals in Chapter 2. In Chapter 3, we discuss the related vector function spaces and the Helmholtz/Hodge decomposition which are used in Chapter 4 and 5. The new results in this dissertation are presented in Chapter 4 and Chapter 5. In Chapter 4, we propose a new numerical approach for two-dimensional Maxwell's equations that is based on …

Refining The Characterization Of Projective Graphs, Perry K. Iverson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Archdeacon showed that the class of graphs embeddable in the projective plane is characterized by a set of 35 excluded minors. Robertson, Seymour and Thomas in an unpublished result found the excluded minors for the class of k-connected graphs embeddable on the projective plane for k = 1,2,3. We give a short proof of that result and then determine the excluded minors for the class of internally 4-connected projective graphs. Hall showed that a 3-connected graph diff_x000B_erent from K5 is planar if and only if it has K3,3 as a minor. We provide two analogous results for projective graphs. For …

A Semigroup/Laplace Transform Approach To Approximating Flows, Ladorian Nichele Latin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

It is well known that all flows in a state space O induce a semigroup of linear operators on an appropriately chosen vector space of functions (observables) from O into a vector space Z (observations). After choosing appropriate continuity assumptions on the flow, the associated semigroup will be strongly continuous and will have a linear, infinitesimal generator A. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore approximation methods for linear semigroups and/or Laplace transform inversion methods in order to reconstruct the flow starting with the linear generator A . In preparing for these investigations, we collect some of the essential …

Adaptive Stochastic Conjugate Gradient Optimization For Temporal Medical Image Registration, Huanhuan Xu

LSU Master's Theses

We propose an Adaptive Stochastic Conjugate Gradient (ASCG) optimization algorithm for temporal medical image registration. This method combines the advantages of Conjugate Gradient (CG) method and Adaptive Stochastic Gradient Descent (ASGD) method. The main idea is that the search direction of ASGD is replaced by stochastic approximations of the conjugate gradient of the cost function. In addition, the step size of ASCG is based on the approximation of the Lipschitz constant of the stochastic gradient function. Thus, this algorithm could maintain the good properties of the conjugate gradient method, meanwhile it uses less gradient computation time per iteration and adjusts …

Finite Element Methods For Fourth Order Variational Inequalities, Yi Zhang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this work we study finite element methods for fourth order variational inequalities. We begin with two model problems that lead to fourth order obstacle problems and a brief survey of finite element methods for these problems. Then we review the fundamental results including Sobolev spaces, existence and uniqueness results of variational inequalities, regularity results for biharmonic problems and fourth order obstacle problems, and finite element methods for the biharmonic problem. In Chapter 2 we also include three types of enriching operators which are useful in the convergence analysis. In Chapter 3 we study finite element methods for the displacement …

The Ring Theory And The Representation Theory Of Quantum Schubert Cells, Joel Benjamin Geiger

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In recent years the quantum Schubert cell algebras, introduced by Lusztig and De Concini--Kac, and Procesi, have garnered much interest as this versatile class of objects are furtive testing grounds for noncommutative algebraic geometry. We unify the two main approaches to analyzing the structure of the torus-invariant prime spectra of quantum Schubert cell algebras, a ring theoretic one via Cauchon's deleting derivations and a representation theoretic characterization of Yakimov via Demazure modules. As a result one can combine the strengths of the two approaches. In unifying the theories, we resolve two questions of Cauchon and Mériaux, one of which involves …

The New Stochastic Integral And Anticipating Stochastic Differential Equations, Benedykt Szozda

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this work, we develop further the theory of stochastic integration of adapted and instantly independent stochastic processes started by Wided Ayed and Hui-Hsiung Kuo in [1,2]. We provide a first counterpart to the Itô isometry that accounts for both adapted and instantly independent processes. We also present several Itô formulas for the new stochastic integral. Finally, we apply the new Itô formula to solve a linear stochastic differential equations with anticipating initial conditions.

Graham's Variety And Perverse Sheaves On The Nilpotent Cone, Amber Russell

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In recent work, Graham has defined a variety which maps to the nilpotent cone, and which shares many properties with the Springer resolution. However, Graham's map is not an isomorphism over the principal orbit, and for type A in particular, its fibers have a nice relationship with the fundamental groups of the nilpotent orbits. The goal of this dissertation is to determine which simple perverse sheaves appear when the Decomposition Theorem for perverse sheaves is applied in Graham's setting for type A, and to begin to answer this question in the other types as well. In Chapter 1, we give …

Mathematical Models For Interest Rate Dynamics, Xiaoxue Shan

LSU Master's Theses

We present a study of mathematical models of interest rate products. After an introduction to the mathematical framework, we study several basic one-factor models, and then explore multifactor models. We also discuss the Heath-Jarrow- Morton model and the LIBOR Market model. We conclude with a discussion of some modified models that involve stochastic volatility.

The Head And Tail Conjecture For Alternating Knots, Cody Armond

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The colored Jones polynomial is an invariant of knots and links, which produces a sequence of Laurent polynomials. In this work, we study new power series link invariants, derived from the colored Jones polynomial, called its head and tail. We begin with a brief survey of knot theory and the colored Jones polynomial in particular. In Chapter 3, we use skein theory to prove that for adequate links, the n-th leading coefficient of the N-th colored Jones polynomial stabilizes when viewed as a sequence in N. This property allows us to define the head and tail for adequate links. In …

On The Witt Groups Of Schemes, Jeremy Allen Jacobson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

We consider two questions about the Witt groups of schemes: the first is the question of finite generation of the shifted Witt groups of a smooth variety over a finite field; the second is the Gersten conjecture. Regarding the first, we prove that the shifted Witt groups of curves and surfaces are finite, and that finite generation of the motivic cohomology groups with mod 2 coefficients implies finite generation of the Witt groups. Regarding the second, we prove the Gersten conjecture for the Witt groups in the case of a local ring that is essentially smooth over a discrete valuation …

A Numerical Investigation Of Apéry-Like Recursions And Related Picard-Fuchs Equations, Maiia J. Bakhova

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this work we investigate a generalization of a recursion which was used by Apery in his proof of irrationality of the zeta function values at 2 and 3. It is a continuation of the work of Zagier , who considered generalization of the first equation and numerically investigated it. The study is made for two generalizations of the second equation, one used the mirror symmetry idea from the theory of Calabi-Yau varieties and another worked with recursion. There were discovered connections between them.

Some Tracking Problems For Aerospace Models With Input Constraints, Aleksandra Gruszka

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

We study tracking controller design problems for key models of planar vertical takeoff and landing (PVTOL) aircraft and unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). The novelty of our PVTOL work is the global boundedness of our controllers in the decoupled coordinates, the positive uniform lower bound on the thrust controller, the applicability of our work to cases where the velocity measurements may not be available, the uniform global asymptotic stability and uniform local exponential stability of our closed loop tracking dynamics, the generality of our class of trackable reference trajectories, and the input-to-state stability of the controller performance under actuator errors of …

Operational Methods For Evolution Equations, Lee Gregory Windsperger

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation refines and further develops numerical methods for the inversion of the classical Laplace transform and explores the effectiveness of these methods when applied (a) to an asymptotic generalization of the Laplace transform for generalized functions and (b) to the numerical approximation of solutions of ill-posed evolution equations (e.g. backwards in time problems).

Chapter 1 of the dissertation reviews some of the key features of asymptotic Laplace transform theory and its application to evolution equations. Although some of the statements and results contain slight modifications and improvements, the material presented in Chapter 1 is known …

C0 Interior Penalty Methods For Cahn-Hilliard Equations, Shiyuan Gu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this work we study C0 interior penalty methods for Cahn-Hilliard equations. In Chapter 1 we introduce Cahn-Hilliard equations and the time discretization that leads to linear fourth order boundary value problems. In Chapter 2 we review related fundamentals of finite element methods and multigrid methods. In Chapter 3 we formulate the discrete problems for linear fourth order boundary value problems with the boundary conditions of the Cahn-Hilliard type, which are called C0 interior penalty methods, and we carry out the convergence analysis. In Chapter 4 we consider multigrid methods for the C0 interior penalty methods. We present two smoothing …

Hypercube Diagrams For Knots, Links, And Knotted Tori, Ben Mccarty

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

For a knot K the cube number is a knot invariant defined to be the smallest n for which there is a cube diagram of size n for K. Examples of knots for which the cube number detects chirality are presented. There is also a Legendrian version of this invariant called the Legendrian cube number. We will show that the Legendrian cube number distinguishes the Legendrian left hand torus knots with maximal Thurston-Bennequin number and maximal rotation number from the Legendrian left hand torus knots with maximal Thurston-Bennequin number and minimal rotation number. Finally, there is a generalization of cube …

Resonance And Double Negative Behavior In Metamaterials, Yue Chen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this work, a generic class of metamaterials is introduced and is shown to exhibit frequency dependent double negative effective properties. We develop a rigorous method for calculating the frequency intervals where either double negative or double positive effective properties appear and show how these intervals imply the existence of propagating Bloch waves inside sub-wavelength structures. The branches of the dispersion relation associated with Bloch modes are shown to be explicitly determined by the Dirichlet spectrum of the high dielectric phase and the generalized electrostatic spectra of the complement. For numerical purposes, we consider a metamaterial constructed from a sub-wavelength …

Subgradient Formulas For Optimal Control Problems With Constant Dynamics, Lingyan Huang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this thesis our fi_x000C_rst concern is the study of the minimal time function corresponding to control problems with constant convex dynamics and closed target sets. Unlike previous work in this area, we do not make any nonempty interior or calmness assumptions and the minimal time functions is generally non-Lipschitzian. We show that the Proximal and Fréchet subgradients of the minimal time function are computed in terms of normal vectors to level sets. And we also computed the subgradients of the minimal time function in terms of the F-projection. Secondly, we consider the value function for Bolza Problem in optimal …

Paley-Wiener Theorem For Line Bundles Over Compact Symmetric Spaces, Vivian Mankau Ho

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

We generalize a Paley-Wiener theorem to homogeneous line bundles $L_\chi$ on a compact symmetric space U/K with $\chi$ a nontrivial character of K. The Fourier coefficients of a $\chi$-bi-coinvariant function f on U are defined by integration of f against the elementary spherical functions of type $\chi$ on U, depending on a spectral parameter $\mu$, which in turn parametrizes the $\chi$-spherical representations $\pi$ of U. The Paley-Wiener theorem characterizes f with sufficiently small support in terms of holomorphic extendability and exponential growth of their $\chi$-spherical Fourier transforms. We generalize Opdam's estimate for the hypergeometric functions in a bigger domain with …

Twisted Frobenius-Schur Indicators For Hopf Algebras, Maria Vega

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The classical Frobenius--Schur indicators for finite groups are character sums defined for any representation and any integer $m\ge 2$. In the familiar case $m=2$, the Frobenius--Schur indicator partitions the irreducible representations over the complex numbers into real, complex, and quaternionic representations. In recent years, several generalizations of these invariants have been introduced. Bump and Ginzburg in 2004, building on earlier work of Mackey from 1958, have defined versions of these indicators which are twisted by an automorphism of the group. In another direction, Linchenko and Montgomery in 2000 defined Frobenius--Schur indicators for finite dimensional semisimple Hopf algebras. In this dissertation, …

Excluded-Minor Characterization Of Apex-Outerplanar Graphs, Stanislaw Dziobiak

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

It is well known that the class of outerplanar graphs is minor-closed and can be characterized by two excluded minors: K_4 and K_{2,3}. The class of graphs that contain a vertex whose removal leaves an outerplanar graph is also minor-closed. We provide the complete list of 57 excluded minors for this class.

Improving Math Instruction In Schools That Serve The Poor, John, L. Jr. Sims

LSU Master's Theses

Public alarm concerning how well U.S. schools are performing in mathematics compared to other developed nations is increasing. Reports of inadequate teaching, poor curriculum design, and low performance on standardized test have been fueled by the media. These issues in American mathematics classrooms are far compounded in schools that serve the poorest in America. When comparing mathematical proficiency rates of U.S. schools with other countries, schools with less than 25% free and reduced lunch score competitively with counterparts in other countries. In contrast, schools with rates of free and reduced lunch higher than 50% score dismally in comparison. Conditions such …