Partial Differential Equations Commons^™

A Differential Equation–Based Epidemiological Model Of Post-Operative Chronic Pain In Scoliosis Patients With Data-Driven Analysis, Paige Zhu, Padmanabhan Seshaiyer

CODEE Journal

Chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) is a common and often overlooked complication following surgical correction of idiopathic scoliosis, impacting long-term patient wellbeing despite improvements in surgical outcomes. This project introduces a novel epidemiological framework to model the progression of CPSP using a compartmental structure. By applying a coupled system of nonlinear differential equations, we simulate pain trajectories over time and assess the effectiveness of surgical interventions. The model is implemented for a single-cohort population and extended to a two-cohort design to compare outcomes between Posterior Spinal Fusion (PSIF) and Vertebral Body Tethering (VBT) procedures. Further stratification by patient age enables us …

Weathering And Beyond: Leveraging Mathematical Modeling To Simulate Erosion In Digital Media, Fiona Irving-Beck

Scripps Senior Theses

How might we bring an idea to life from both a mathematical and an artistic perspective? Within Weathering, I use imagery of environmental erosion to explore the differences between physical and digital forms of representation. I created a physical painting of an abandoned copper mine, digitized the work, and then used a mathematical model to digitally “erode” it, which I re-translated into paintings. While the explicit texture present in physical work speaks best to my practice/intent, the mathematical framework that is the basis for my digital work affords a powerful mode of temporal flexibility. Used in conjunction, these two …

Using A Sand Tank Groundwater Model To Investigate A Groundwater Flow Model, Christopher Evrard, Callie Johnson, Michael A. Karls, Nicole Regnier

CODEE Journal

A Sand Tank Groundwater Model is a tabletop physical model constructed of plexiglass and filled with sand that is typically used to illustrate how groundwater water flows through an aquifer, how water wells work, and the effects of contaminants introduced into an aquifer. Mathematically groundwater flow through an aquifer can be modeled with the heat equation. We will show how a Sand Tank Groundwater Model can be used to simulate groundwater flow through an aquifer with a no flow boundary condition.

Exploring Sigmoidal Bounded Confidence Models With Mean Field Methods, Tian Dong

HMC Senior Theses

Mathematicians use models of opinion dynamics to describe how opinions in a group of people change over time, which can yield insight into mechanisms behind phenomena like polarization and consensus. In these models, mathematicians represent the community as a graph, where nodes represent agents and edges represent possible interactions. Opinion updates are modeled with a system of differential equations (ODEs). Our work focuses on the sigmoidal bounded confidence model (SBCM), where agents update their opinion toward a weighted average of their neighbors' opinions by weighting similar opinions more heavily. Using tools developed in physics (mean-field theory), we derive a continuity …

Modeling Self-Diffusiophoretic Janus Particles In Fluid, Kausik Das

HMC Senior Theses

We explore spherical Janus particles in which a chemical reaction occurs on one face, depleting a substrate in the suspending fluid, while no reaction occurs on the other face. The steady state concentration field is governed by Laplace’s equation with mixed boundary conditions. We use the collocation method to obtain numerical solutions to the equation in spherical coordinates. The asymmetry of the reaction gives rise to a slip velocity that causes the particle to move spontaneously in the fluid through a process known as self-diffusiophoresis. Using the Lorentz reciprocal theorem, we obtain the swimming velocity of the particle. We extend …

Beginner's Analysis Of Financial Stochastic Process Models, David Garcia

HMC Senior Theses

This thesis explores the use of geometric Brownian motion (GBM) as a financial model for predicting stock prices. The model is first introduced and its assumptions and limitations are discussed. Then, it is shown how to simulate GBM in order to predict stock price values. The performance of the GBM model is then evaluated in two different periods of time to determine whether it's accuracy has changed before and after March 23, 2020.

Boundary Homogenization And Capture Time Distributions Of Semipermeable Membranes With Periodic Patterns Of Reactive Sites, Andrew J. Bernoff, Daniel Schmidt, Alan E. Lindsay

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We consider the capture dynamics of a particle undergoing a random walk in a half- space bounded by a plane with a periodic pattern of absorbing pores. In particular, we numerically measure and asymptotically characterize the distribution of capture times. Numerically we develop a kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) method that exploits exact solutions to create an efficient particle- based simulation of the capture time that deals with the infinite half-space exactly and has a run time that is independent of how far from the pores one begins. Past researchers have proposed homogenizing the surface boundary conditions, replacing the reflecting (Neumann) …

Numerical Approximation Of Diffusive Capture Rates By Planar And Spherical Surfaces With Absorbing Pores, Andrew J. Bernoff, Alan E. Lindsay

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

In 1977 Berg and Purcell published a landmark paper entitled Physics of Chemore- ception, which examined how a bacterium can sense a chemical attractant in the fluid surrounding it [H. C. Berg and E. M. Purcell, Biophys J, 20 (1977), pp. 193–219]. At small scales the attrac- tant molecules move by Brownian motion and diffusive processes dominate. This example is the archetype of diffusive signaling problems where an agent moves via a random walk until it either strikes or eludes a target. Berg and Purcell modeled the target as a sphere with a set of small circular targets (pores) that …

Computing Eigenmodes Of Elliptic Operators On Manifolds Using Radial Basis Functions, Vladimir Delengov

CGU Theses & Dissertations

In this work, a numerical approach based on meshless methods is proposed to obtain eigenmodes of Laplace-Beltrami operator on manifolds, and its performance is compared against existing alternative methods. Radial Basis Function (RBF)-based methods allow one to obtain interpolation and differentiation matrices easily by using scattered data points. We derive expressions for such matrices for the Laplace-Beltrami operator via so-called Reilly’s formulas and use them to solve the respective eigenvalue problem. Numerical studies of proposed methods are performed in order to demonstrate convergence on simple examples of one-dimensional curves and two-dimensional surfaces.

Kinetic Monte Carlo Methods For Computing First Capture Time Distributions In Models Of Diffusive Absorption, Daniel Schmidt

HMC Senior Theses

In this paper, we consider the capture dynamics of a particle undergoing a random walk above a sheet of absorbing traps. In particular, we seek to characterize the distribution in time from when the particle is released to when it is absorbed. This problem is motivated by the study of lymphocytes in the human blood stream; for a particle near the surface of a lymphocyte, how long will it take for the particle to be captured? We model this problem as a diffusive process with a mixture of reflecting and absorbing boundary conditions. The model is analyzed from two approaches. …

The Global Stability Of The Solution To The Morse Potential In A Catastrophic Regime, Weerapat Pittayakanchit

HMC Senior Theses

Swarms of animals exhibit aggregations whose behavior is a challenge for mathematicians to understand. We analyze this behavior numerically and analytically by using the pairwise interaction model known as the Morse potential. Our goal is to prove the global stability of the candidate local minimizer in 1D found in A Primer of Swarm Equilibria. Using the calculus of variations and eigenvalues analysis, we conclude that the candidate local minimizer is a global minimum with respect to all solution smaller than its support. In addition, we manage to extend the global stability condition to any solutions whose support has a single …

Steady State Solutions For A System Of Partial Differential Equations Arising From Crime Modeling, Bo Li

HMC Senior Theses

I consider a model for the control of criminality in cities. The model was developed during my REU at UCLA. The model is a system of partial differential equations that simulates the behavior of criminals and where they may accumulate, hot spots. I have proved a prior bounds for the partial differential equations in both one-dimensional and higher dimensional case, which proves the attractiveness and density of criminals in the given area will not be unlimitedly high. In addition, I have found some local bifurcation points in the model.

Infinitely Many Rotationally Symmetric Solutions To A Class Of Semilinear Laplace-Beltrami Equations On The Unit Sphere, Emily M. Fischer

HMC Senior Theses

I show that a class of semilinear Laplace-Beltrami equations has infinitely many solutions on the unit sphere which are symmetric with respect to rotations around some axis. This equation corresponds to a singular ordinary differential equation, which we solve using energy analysis. We obtain a Pohozaev-type identity to prove that the energy is continuously increasing with the initial condition and then use phase plane analysis to prove the existence of infinitely many solutions.

Existence And Qualitative Properties Of Solutions For Nonlinear Dirichlet Problems, Alfonso Castro, Jorge Cossio, Carlos Vélez

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Sign-changing solutions to semilinear elliptic problems in connection with their Morse indices. To this end, we first establish a priori bounds for one-sign solutions. Secondly, using abstract saddle point principles we find large augmented Morse index solutions. In this part, extensive use is made of critical groups, Morse index arguments, Lyapunov-Schmidt reduction, and Leray-Schauder degree. Finally, we provide conditions under which these solutions necessarily change sign and we comment about further qualitative properties.

Analytic And Numerical Studies Of A Simple Model Of Attractive-Repulsive Swarms, Andrew S. Ronan

HMC Senior Theses

We study the equilibrium solutions of an integrodifferential equation used to model one-dimensional biological swarms. We assume that the motion of the swarm is governed by pairwise interactions, or a convolution in the continuous setting, and derive a continuous model from conservation laws. The steady-state solution found for the model is compactly supported and is shown to be an attractive equilibrium solution via linear perturbation theory. Numerical simulations support that the steady-state solution is attractive for all initial swarm distributions. Some initial results for the model in higher dimensions are also presented.

Existence Of Solutions For A Semilinear Wave Equation With Non-Monotone Nonlinearity, Alfonso Castro, Benjamin Preskill '09

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

For double-periodic and Dirichlet-periodic boundary conditions, we prove the existence of solutions to a forced semilinear wave equation with asymptotically linear nonlinearity, no resonance, and non-monotone nonlinearity when the forcing term is not flat on characteristics. The solutions are in L^∞ when the forcing term is in L^∞ and continous when the forcing term is continuous. This is in contrast with the results in [4], where the non-enxistence of continuous solutions is established even when forcing term is of class C^∞ but is flat on a characteristic.

A Semilinear Wave Equation With Smooth Data And No Resonance Having No Continuous Solution, Jose F. Caicedo, Alfonso Castro

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We prove that a boundary value problem for a semilinear wave equation with smooth nonlinearity, smooth forcing, and no resonance cannot have continuous solutions. Our proof shows that this is due to the non-monotonicity of the nonlinearity.

Turing Patterns On Growing Spheres: The Exponential Case, Julijana Gjorgjieva, Jon T. Jacobsen

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We consider Turing patterns for reaction-diffusion systems on the surface of a growing sphere. In particular, we are interested in the effect of dynamic growth on the pattern formation. We consider exponential isotropic growth of the sphere and perform a linear stability analysis and compare the results with numerical simulations.

Strings, Chains, And Ropes, Darryl H. Yong

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Following Antman [Amer. Math. Mon., 87 (1980), pp. 359–370], we advocate a more physically realistic and systematic derivation of the wave equation suitable for a typical undergraduate course in partial differential equations. To demonstrate the utility of this derivation, three applications that follow naturally are described: strings, hanging chains, and jump ropes.

The Motion Of A Thin Liquid Film Driven By Surfactant And Gravity, Michael Shearer, Rachel Levy

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We investigate wave solutions of a lubrication model for surfactant-driven flow of a thin liquid film down an inclined plane. We model the flow in one space dimension with a system of nonlinear PDEs of mixed hyperbolic-parabolic type in which the effects of capillarity and surface diffusion are neglected. Numerical solutions reveal distinct patterns of waves that are described analytically by combinations of traveling waves, some with jumps in height and surfactant concentration gradient. The various waves and combinations are strikingly different from what is observed in the case of flow on a horizontal plane. Jump conditions admit new shock …

Examples Of Cayley 4-Manifolds, Weiqing Gu, Christopher Pries '03

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We determine several families of so-called Cayley 4-dimensional manifolds in the real Euclidean 8-space. Such manifolds are of interest because Cayley 4-manifolds are supersymmetric cycles that are candidates for representations of fundamental particles in String Theory. Moreover, some of the examples of Cayley manifolds discovered in this paper may be modified to construct explicit examples in our current search for new holomorphic invariants for Calabi-Yau 4-folds and for the further development of mirror symmetry.

We apply the classic results of Harvey and Lawson to find Cayley manifolds which are graphs of functions from the set of quaternions to itself. We …

Semilinear Equations With Discrete Spectrum, Alfonso Castro

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

This is an overview of the solvability of semilinear equations where the linear part has discrete spectrum. Semilinear elliptic and hyperbolic equations, as well as Hammerstein integral equations, are used as motivating examples. The presentation is intended to be accessible to non experts.

An Existence Result For A Class Of Sublinear Semipositone Systems, Alfonso Castro, C. Maya, Ratnasingham Shivaji

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We consider the existence of positive solutions for the system

-Δu_i = λ[f_i(u₁,u₂,...,u_m) - h_i]; Ω

u_i = 0; ∂Ω

where λ > 0 is a parameter, Δ is the Laplacian operator, Ω is a bounded domain in Rⁿ; n ≥ 1 with a smooth boundary ∂Ω, f_i are C¹ functions satisfying f₁(0,0,...,0) = 0, lim z→∞ f_i(z,z,...,z) = ∞ and lim z→∞ f_i(z,z,...,z)/z = 0, and h_i are nonnegative continuous functions in Ω for i = 1,2,...,m. …

Solitary Waves In Layered Nonlinear Media, Randall J. Leveque, Darryl H. Yong

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We study longitudinal elastic strain waves in a one-dimensional periodically layered medium, alternating between two materials with different densities and stress-strain relations. If the impedances are different, dispersive effects are seen due to reflection at the interfaces. When the stress-strain relations are nonlinear, the combination of dispersion and nonlinearity leads to the appearance of solitary waves that interact like solitons. We study the scaling properties of these solitary waves and derive a homogenized system of equations that includes dispersive terms. We show that pseudospectral solutions to these equations agree well with direct solutions of the hyperbolic conservation laws in the …

The Effect Of The Domain Topology On The Number Of Minimal Nodal Solutions Of An Elliptic Equation At Critical Growth In A Symmetric Domain, Alfonso Castro, Mónica Clapp

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We consider the Dirichlet problem Δu + λu + |u|^2*−2u = 0 in Ω, u = 0 on ∂Ω where Ω is a bounded smooth domain in R^N, N≥4, and 2* = 2N/(N−2) is the critical Sobolev exponent. We show that if Ω is invariant under an orthogonal involution then, for λ>0 sufficiently small, there is an effect of the equivariant topology of Ω on the number of solutions which change sign exactly once.

Nonlinear Dynamics Of Mode-Locking Optical Fiber Ring Lasers, Kristin M. Spaulding, Darryl H. Yong, Arnold D. Kim, J Nathan Kutz

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We consider a model of a mode-locked fiber ring laser for which the evolution of a propagating pulse in a birefringent optical fiber is periodically perturbed by rotation of the polarization state owing to the presence of a passive polarizer. The stable modes of operation of this laser that correspond to pulse trains with uniform amplitudes are fully classified. Four parameters, i.e., polarization, phase, amplitude, and chirp, are essential for an understanding of the resultant pulse-train uniformity. A reduced set of four coupled nonlinear differential equations that describe the leading-order pulse dynamics is found by use of the variational nature …

Positive Solutions For A Concave Semipositone Dirichlet Problem, Alfonso Castro, Ratnasingham Shivaji

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

No abstract provided for this article

On Multiple Solutions Of A Nonlinear Dirichlet Problem, Alfonso Castro, Jorge Cossio, John M. Neuberger

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We prove that a semilinear elliptic boundary value problem has five solutions when the range of the derivative of the nonlinearity includes at least the first two eigenvalues. We also prove that if the region is a ball the semilinear elliptic problem has two solutions that change sign and are nonradial.

Positive Solution Curves Of Semipositone Problems With Concave Nonlinearities, Alfonso Castro, Sudhasree Gadam, Ratnasingham Shivaji

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We consider the positive solutions to the semilinear equation:

-Δu(x) = λf(u(x)) for x ∈ Ω

u(x) = 0 for x ∈ ∂Ω

where Ω denotes a smooth bounded region in R^N (N > 1) and λ > 0. Here f :[0, ∞)→R is assumed to be monotonically increasing, concave and such that f(0) < 0 (semipositone). Assuming that f'(∞) ≡ lim t→∞ f'(t) > 0, we establish the stability and uniqueness of large positive solutions in terms of (f(t)/t)'. When Ω is a ball, we determine the exact number of positive solutions for each λ > 0. We also obtain the geometry of the branches of positive solutions completely and establish how …

Positive Solutions For A Semilinear Elliptic Problem With Critical Exponent, Ismail Ali, Alfonso Castro

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

No abstract provided in article.