Thesis--University of Wisconsin--Madison. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-146).

Thesis (M.S. in Operations Research)--Naval Postgraduate School, March 1990. / Thesis Advisor(s): Wood, R. Kevin. Second Reader: Brown, Gerald Gerard. "March 1990." Description based on signature page as viewed on October 21, 2009. Author(s) subject terms: Set partitioning problem, constraint branch and bound method, enumeration tree. Includes bibliographical references (p. 34-36). Also available online.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2008. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 54-56). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Iterative methods are considered for the numerical solution of large, sparse, nonsingular, and nonsymmetric systems of linear equations Ax=b, where it is also required that A is p-cyclic (p≥2). Firstly, it is shown that the SOR method applied to the system with A as p-cyclic, if p > 2, has a slower rate of convergence than the SOR method applied to the same system with A considered as 2-cyclic under some conditions. Therefore, the p-cyclic matrix A should be partitioned into 2-cyclic form when the SOR method is applied.

The thesis commences with a description and classification of partial differential equations and the related matrix and eigenvalue theory. In most all cases the study of parabolic equations leads to initial boundary value problems and it is to this problem that the thesis is mainly concerned with. The basic (finite difference) methods to solve a (parabolic) partial differential equation are presented in the second chapter which is then followed by particular types of parabolic equations such as diffusion-convection, fourth order and non-linear problems in the third chapter. An introduction to the finite element technique is also included as an alternative to the finite difference method of solution. The advantages and disadvantages of some different strategies in terms of stability and truncation error are also considered. In Chapter Four the general derivation of a two time-level finite difference approximation to the simple heat conduction equation is derived. A new class of methods called the Group Explicit (GE) method is established which improves the stability of the previous explicit method. Comparison between the two methods in this class and the previous methods is also given. The method is also used 1n solving the two-space dimensional parabolic equation. The derivation of a general two-time level finite difference approximation and the general idea of the Group Explicit method are extended to the diffusion-convection equation in Chapter Five. Some other explicit algorithms for solving this problem ar~ also considered. In the sixth chapter the Group Explicit procedure is applied to solve a fourth-order parabolic equation on two interlocking nets. The concept of the GE method is also extendable to a non-linear partial differential equation. Consideration of this extension to a particular problem can be found in Chapter Seven. In Chapter Eight, some work on the finite element method for solving the heat-conduction and diffusion-convection equation is presented. Comparison of the results from this method with the finite-difference methods is given. The formulation and solution of this problem as a boundary value problem by the boundary value technique is also considered. A special method for solving diffusion-convection equation is presented in Chapter Nine as well as an extension of the Group Explicit method to a hyperbolic partial differential equation is given. The thesis concludes with recommendations for further work.

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The purpose of this interdisciplinary study was to answer the question, "What is the meaning of the transformative dream for people who do not experience resolution of their problem immediately upon awakening?". Existential-phenomenology from the perspective of a story was used to describe the meaning of the experience for ten individuals, nine women and one man, whose ages ranged from 23 to 48. From transcripts of the interviews, ten individual accounts of the experience were constructed. These accounts included a construction of the structure of each dream story and its relationship to the person’s description of the experience. Significant statements of the experience were also extracted from the transcripts and formulated into twenty common themes which were then woven into a common story. Each person checked and validated the transcript, individual account, common themes, and common story for any omissions or distortions. The study also included responses to a questionnaire given to psychology students, asking them if they had ever had a dream which revealed a solution to a problem. Out of 305 students, 103 (34%) had experienced one of these dreams. Forty-three (42%) knew the answer immediately, 58 (56%) found the answer later, and two were not sure. These results suggest that the prevalence of dreams which reveal solutions to problems could be much higher than expected. The findings support the general contention that these dreams are preceded by a desire for resolution and a search for answers. The dreams were vivid and emotional with the dreamer alert and actively participating in the drama. People experienced a felt sense of change without understanding the meaning of the dream. The dreams were complete stories with a beginning, middle, and end. The findings demonstrate that viewing these dreams within the context of people's lives is essential in order to understand the meaning of the experience. The description is a beginning and can become the basis for future research on dreams which resolve problems. / Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies / Graduate

The present study investigated two aspects of suicide which, to date, had received little attention. These are problem-solving behavior and perception. In terms of problem-solving behavior, this study established (l) that suicidal patients show a lesser sense of concern about self-improvement and religion than non-suicidal patients; (2) that suicidal patients are significantly more passive and less competitive in their mode of response to problems than non-suicidal patients; and (3) that suicidal individuals tend to become rigid more quickly in stressful problem-solving situations than non-suicidal individuals. In the area of perception, it was established that suicidal patients are significantly more field-dependent than non-suicidal patients. In addition, the results of investigating these two aspects of suicidal behavior contributed to a better understanding of the personality make-up of suicidal individuals. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate