Thesis (PHD)--University of Montana, 2009. / "Major Subject: Mathematical Sciences" Title from author supplied metadata. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Middle East Technical University, 2004. / Keywords: Air Defense, Naval Task Group, Formation, Weapon Target Allocation Problem, Military Operations Research, Quadratic Assignment, Location.

Thesis (M.A.) in Mathematics--University of Maine, 2001. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 66-67).

Proefschrift--Amsterdam. / "Stellingen."

<p>This thesis consists of four papers about the Minkowski measure of asymmetry and the Minkowski (or Banach-Mazur) distance for convex bodies.We relate these two quantities by giving estimates for the Minkowski distance in terms of the Minkowski measure. We also investigate some properties of the Minkowski measure, in particular a stability estimate is given. More specifically, let <i>C</i> and <i>D</i> be n-dimensional convex bodies. Denote by As(<i>C</i>) and As(<i>D</i>) the Minkowski measures of asymmetry of <i>C</i> and <i>D </i>resp. and by <i>d</i>(<i>C,D</i>) the Minkowski distance between <i>C</i> and <i>D</i>.</p><p>In Paper I, by using a linearisation method for affine spaces and affine maps and using a generalisation of a lemma of D.R. Lewis, we proved that <i>d</i>(<i>C</i>,<i>D</i>) < <i>n</i>(As(<i>C</i>) + As(<i>D</i>))/2 for all convex bodies <i>C,D</i>.</p><p>In Paper II, by first proving some general existence theorems for a class of volume-increasing affine maps, we obtain the estimate that under the same conditions as in paper I, <i>d</i>(<i>C,D</i>) < (<i>n</i>-1) min(As(<i>C</i>),As(<i>D</i>)) + <i>n</i>.</p><p>In Paper III we consider the Minkowski measure itself. We determine the Minkowski measures for convex hulls of sets of the form <i>conv</i>(<i>C,p</i>) where <i>C</i> is a convex set with known measure of asymmetry and <i>p</i> is a point outside <i>C</i>.</p><p>In Paper IV, we focus on estimating the deviation of a convex body C from the simplex S if the Minkowski measure of C is close to the maximum value n (known to be attained only for the simplex). We prove that if As(C) > n - ε for 0 < ε < 1/δ where δ = 8(n+1), then d(C,S) < 1 + 8(n+1) ε .</p>

<p>This thesis consists of three papers on topics related to optimization and estimation of solutions of Riccati equations. We are concerned with the initial value problem</p><p><i>f</i>'+<i>f</i>² =<i>r</i>², <i>f</i>(0)=0, (*)</p><p>and we want to optimise</p><p><i>F</i>(<i>T</i>)= ∫₀^T <i>f</i>(<i>t</i>) <i>dt</i></p><p>when <i>r</i> is allowed to vary over the set <i>R</i>(φ ) of all <i>equimeasurable</i> rearrangements of a decreasing function φ and its convex hull <i>CR</i>(φ). </p><p>In the second paper we give a new proof of a lemma of Essén giving lower and upper bounds for the solution to the above equation, when <i>r</i> is increasing. We also generalize the lemma to a more general equation.</p><p>It was proved by Essén that the infimum of <i>F</i>(<i>T</i>) over <i>R</i>(φ) and <i>RC</i>(φ) is attained by the solution <i>f</i> of (*) associated to the increasing rearrangement of an element in <i>R</i>(φ). The supremum of <i>F</i>(<i>T</i>) over <i>RC</i>(φ) is obtained for the solution associated to a decreasing function <i>p</i>, though not necessarily the decreasing rearrangement φ, of an element in <i>R</i>(φ). By changing the perspective we determine the function <i>p </i>that solves the supremum problem.</p>

This thesis consists of four papers about the Minkowski measure of asymmetry and the Minkowski (or Banach-Mazur) distance for convex bodies.We relate these two quantities by giving estimates for the Minkowski distance in terms of the Minkowski measure. We also investigate some properties of the Minkowski measure, in particular a stability estimate is given. More specifically, let C and D be n-dimensional convex bodies. Denote by As(C) and As(D) the Minkowski measures of asymmetry of C and D resp. and by d(C,D) the Minkowski distance between C and D. In Paper I, by using a linearisation method for affine spaces and affine maps and using a generalisation of a lemma of D.R. Lewis, we proved that d(C,D) &lt; n(As(C) + As(D))/2 for all convex bodies C,D. In Paper II, by first proving some general existence theorems for a class of volume-increasing affine maps, we obtain the estimate that under the same conditions as in paper I, d(C,D) &lt; (n-1) min(As(C),As(D)) + n. In Paper III we consider the Minkowski measure itself. We determine the Minkowski measures for convex hulls of sets of the form conv(C,p) where C is a convex set with known measure of asymmetry and p is a point outside C. In Paper IV, we focus on estimating the deviation of a convex body C from the simplex S if the Minkowski measure of C is close to the maximum value n (known to be attained only for the simplex). We prove that if As(C) &gt; n - ε for 0 &lt; ε &lt; 1/δ where δ = 8(n+1), then d(C,S) &lt; 1 + 8(n+1) ε .

This thesis consists of three papers on topics related to optimization and estimation of solutions of Riccati equations. We are concerned with the initial value problem f'+f² =r², f(0)=0, (*) and we want to optimise F(T)= ∫0T f(t) dt when r is allowed to vary over the set R(φ ) of all equimeasurable rearrangements of a decreasing function φ and its convex hull CR(φ). In the second paper we give a new proof of a lemma of Essén giving lower and upper bounds for the solution to the above equation, when r is increasing. We also generalize the lemma to a more general equation. It was proved by Essén that the infimum of F(T) over R(φ) and RC(φ) is attained by the solution f of (*) associated to the increasing rearrangement of an element in R(φ). The supremum of F(T) over RC(φ) is obtained for the solution associated to a decreasing function p, though not necessarily the decreasing rearrangement φ, of an element in R(φ). By changing the perspective we determine the function p that solves the supremum problem.

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