Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2008. / Principal faculty advisor: John A. Pelesko, Dept. of Mathematical Sciences. Includes bibliographical references.

The n-point Steiner problem in the Euclidean plane is to find a least length path network connecting n points. In this thesis we will demonstrate how to find a least length path network T connecting n points on a closed 2-dimensional Riemannian surface of constant curvature by determining a region in the covering space that is guaranteed to contain T. We will then provide an algorithm for solving the n-point Steiner problem on such a surface.

Abstract not available

Orientador: Alberto Vazquez Saa / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Matemática, Estatística e Computação Científica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-20T03:54:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Leal_Isabel_M.pdf: 984828 bytes, checksum: b0a33558ae8b5683163892248364a85b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: Nesta dissertação, fazemos uma revisão da literatura existente sobre vórtices em superfícies de curvatura constante, dando especial atenção às questões de integrabilidade e não integrabilidade. Além disso, apresentamos alguns resultados originais sobre o movimento de vórtices no plano hiperbólico que indicam um possível caminho para demonstrar a não integrabilidade de um sistema de quatro vórtices nessa superfície / Abstract: In this thesis, we review the existing literature on vortices on surfaces of constant curvature, giving special attention to the issues of integrability and non-integrability. In addition, we present some original results on the motion of vortices on the hyperbolic plane that indicate a possible way to demonstrate the non-integrability of a system of four vortices on that surface / Mestrado / Matematica / Mestre em Matemática

A second-order Lagrangian system is a generalization of a classical mechanical system for which the Lagrangian action depends on the second derivative of the state variable. Recent work has shown that the dynamics of such systems c:an be substantially richer than for classical Lagrangian systems. In particular, topological properties of the planar curves obtained by projection onto the lower-order derivatives play a key role in forcing certain types of dynamics. However, the application of these techniques requires an analytic restriction on the Lagrangian that it satisfy a twist property. In this dissertation we approach this problem from the point of view of curve shortening in an effort to remove the twist condition. In classical curve shortening a family of curves evolves with a velocity which is normal to the curve and proportional to its curvature. The evolution of curves with decreasing action is more general, and in the first part of this dissertation we develop some results for curve shortening flows which shorten lengths with respect to a Finsler metric rather than a Riemannian metric. The second part of this dissertation focuses on analytic methods to accommodate the fact that the Finsler metric for second-order Lagrangian system has singularities. We prove the existence of simple periodic solutions for a general class of systems without requiring the twist condition. Further; our results provide a frame work in which to try to further extend the topological forcing theorems to systems without the twist condition. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection