Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

The capillary surface $u(x,y)$ near a cusp region satisfies the boundary value problem: \begin{eqnarray} \nabla \cdot \frac{\nabla u}{\sqrt{1+\left|\nabla u \right|^2}}&=&\kappa u \qquad \textrm{in }\left\{(x,y): 0<x,f_2(x)<y<f_1(x)\right\}\,, \label{0.1}\\ \nu \cdot \frac{\nabla u}{\sqrt{1+\left|\nabla u \right|^2}}&=& \cos \gamma_1 \qquad \textrm{on } y=f_1(x)\,,\\ \nu \cdot \frac{\nabla u}{\sqrt{1+\left|\nabla u \right|^2}}&=& \cos \gamma_2 \qquad \textrm{on } y=f_2(x)\,, \label{0.3} \end{eqnarray} where $\lim_{x\rightarrow 0}f_1(x),f_2(x)=0$, $\lim_{x\rightarrow 0}f'_1(x),f'_2(x)=0$. It is shown that the capillary surface is unbounded at the cusp and satisfies $u(x,y)=O\left(\frac{1}{f_1(x)-f_2(x)}\right)$, even for types of cusp not investigated previously (e.g. exponential cusps). By using a tangent cylinder coordinate system, we show that the exact solution $v(x,y)$ of the boundary value problem: \begin{eqnarray} \nabla \cdot \frac{\nabla v}{\left|\nabla v \right|}&=&\kappa v \qquad \textrm{in }\left\{(x,y): 0<x,f_2(x)<y<f_1(x)\right\}\,,\\ \nu \cdot \frac{\nabla v}{\left|\nabla v \right|}&=& \cos \gamma_1 \qquad \textrm{on } y=f_1(x)\,,\\ \nu \cdot \frac{\nabla v}{\left|\nabla v \right|}&=& \cos \gamma_2 \qquad \textrm{on } y=f_2(x)\,, \end{eqnarray} exhibits sixth order asymptotic accuracy to the capillary equations~\eqref{0.1}$-$\eqref{0.3} near a circular cusp. Finally, we show that the solution is bounded and can be defined to be continuous at a symmetric cusp ($f_1(x)=-f_2(x)$) with the supplementary contact angles ($\gamma_2=\pi-\gamma_1$). Also it is shown that the solution surface is of the order $O\left(f_1(x)\right)$, and moreover, the formal asymptotic series for a symmetric circular cusp region is derived.

The capillary surface $u(x,y)$ near a cusp region satisfies the boundary value problem: \begin{eqnarray} \nabla \cdot \frac{\nabla u}{\sqrt{1+\left|\nabla u \right|^2}}&=&\kappa u \qquad \textrm{in }\left\{(x,y): 0<x,f_2(x)<y<f_1(x)\right\}\,, \label{0.1}\\ \nu \cdot \frac{\nabla u}{\sqrt{1+\left|\nabla u \right|^2}}&=& \cos \gamma_1 \qquad \textrm{on } y=f_1(x)\,,\\ \nu \cdot \frac{\nabla u}{\sqrt{1+\left|\nabla u \right|^2}}&=& \cos \gamma_2 \qquad \textrm{on } y=f_2(x)\,, \label{0.3} \end{eqnarray} where $\lim_{x\rightarrow 0}f_1(x),f_2(x)=0$, $\lim_{x\rightarrow 0}f'_1(x),f'_2(x)=0$. It is shown that the capillary surface is unbounded at the cusp and satisfies $u(x,y)=O\left(\frac{1}{f_1(x)-f_2(x)}\right)$, even for types of cusp not investigated previously (e.g. exponential cusps). By using a tangent cylinder coordinate system, we show that the exact solution $v(x,y)$ of the boundary value problem: \begin{eqnarray} \nabla \cdot \frac{\nabla v}{\left|\nabla v \right|}&=&\kappa v \qquad \textrm{in }\left\{(x,y): 0<x,f_2(x)<y<f_1(x)\right\}\,,\\ \nu \cdot \frac{\nabla v}{\left|\nabla v \right|}&=& \cos \gamma_1 \qquad \textrm{on } y=f_1(x)\,,\\ \nu \cdot \frac{\nabla v}{\left|\nabla v \right|}&=& \cos \gamma_2 \qquad \textrm{on } y=f_2(x)\,, \end{eqnarray} exhibits sixth order asymptotic accuracy to the capillary equations~\eqref{0.1}$-$\eqref{0.3} near a circular cusp. Finally, we show that the solution is bounded and can be defined to be continuous at a symmetric cusp ($f_1(x)=-f_2(x)$) with the supplementary contact angles ($\gamma_2=\pi-\gamma_1$). Also it is shown that the solution surface is of the order $O\left(f_1(x)\right)$, and moreover, the formal asymptotic series for a symmetric circular cusp region is derived.

A three-link, single-degree-of-freedom mechanism, named the Spirograph linkage, is investigated in this thesis. What is special about this open-chain mechanism is that, by the use of a chain and two sprockets and therefore maintaining a constant angular velocity ratio between the two rotating links, the path traced by this mechanism can be shown to be either an epitrochoid or a hypotrochoid. Through the understanding of the formulations of the trochoids, the relations between the design parameters of the Spirograph linkage and the corresponding path patterns are derived. With certain design parameter combinations, the Spirograph linkage is able to feature paths with cusps, which means dwells and are useful in applications. A design chart for such cusp-generating Spirograph linkages is then included in the thesis for the sake of convenience. In addition, by matching the link-length ratio with the angular velocity ratio, ways for finding closed single-loop paths of the Spirograph linkage are also studied. As for the path generation problems concerning only a fraction of the entire path, we compare results given by the classical precision point scheme with assorted combinations of initial conditions. In the latter part of the thesis, non-circular sprockets are also introduced to provide the Spirograph linkage additional freedom to cope with the demand of more flexible, i.e., non-symmetrical shapes of the path. However, many constraints are to be imposed on the design process of such linkages, and these design limitations are elaborated in the thesis. At last, the use of Newton¡¦s method, the selection of the proper type of trochoids, the application of the envelop method for obtaining the profile of the non-circular sprocket, the analyses of angular velocity ratios, etc. are all exemplified in the several numerical examples of the thesis.

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Lehmer's conjecture asserts that $\tau(p) \neq 0$, where $\tau$ is the Ramanujan $\tau$-function. This is equivalent to the assertion that $\tau(n) \neq 0$ for any $n$. A related problem is to find the distribution of primes $p$ for which $\tau(p) \equiv 0 \text{ } (\text{mod } p)$. These are open problems. However, the variant of estimating the number of integers $n$ for which $n$ and $\tau(n)$ do not have a non-trivial common factor is more amenable to study. More generally, let $f$ be a normalized eigenform for the Hecke operators of weight $k \geq 2$ and having rational integer Fourier coefficients $\{a(n)\}$. It is interesting to study the quantity $(n,a(n))$. It was proved by S. Gun and V. K. Murty (2009) that for Hecke eigenforms $f$ of weight $2$ with CM and integer coefficients $a(n)$ \begin{equation} \{ n \leq x \text { } | \text{ } (n,a(n))=1\} = \displaystyle\frac{(1+o(1)) U_f x}{\sqrt{\log x \log \log \log x}} \end{equation} for some constant $U_f$. We extend this result to higher weight forms. \\ We also show that \begin{equation} \{ n \leq x \ | (n,a(n)) \text{ \emph{is a prime}}\} \ll \displaystyle\frac{ x \log \log \log \log x}{\sqrt{\log x \log \log \log x}}. \end{equation}

Lehmer's conjecture asserts that $\tau(p) \neq 0$, where $\tau$ is the Ramanujan $\tau$-function. This is equivalent to the assertion that $\tau(n) \neq 0$ for any $n$. A related problem is to find the distribution of primes $p$ for which $\tau(p) \equiv 0 \text{ } (\text{mod } p)$. These are open problems. However, the variant of estimating the number of integers $n$ for which $n$ and $\tau(n)$ do not have a non-trivial common factor is more amenable to study. More generally, let $f$ be a normalized eigenform for the Hecke operators of weight $k \geq 2$ and having rational integer Fourier coefficients $\{a(n)\}$. It is interesting to study the quantity $(n,a(n))$. It was proved by S. Gun and V. K. Murty (2009) that for Hecke eigenforms $f$ of weight $2$ with CM and integer coefficients $a(n)$ \begin{equation} \{ n \leq x \text { } | \text{ } (n,a(n))=1\} = \displaystyle\frac{(1+o(1)) U_f x}{\sqrt{\log x \log \log \log x}} \end{equation} for some constant $U_f$. We extend this result to higher weight forms. \\ We also show that \begin{equation} \{ n \leq x \ | (n,a(n)) \text{ \emph{is a prime}}\} \ll \displaystyle\frac{ x \log \log \log \log x}{\sqrt{\log x \log \log \log x}}. \end{equation}

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