In this thesis we present a numerical algorithm to solve the singular Inverse Sturm-Liouville problems with symmetric potential functions. The singularity, which comes from the unbounded domain of the problem, is treated by considering the limiting case of the associated problem on the symmetric finite interval. In contrast to regular problems which are considered on a finite interval the singular inverse problem has an ill-conditioned structure despite of the limiting treatment. We use the regularization techniques to overcome the ill-posedness difficulty. Moreover, since the problem is nonlinear the iterative solution procedures are needed. Direct computation of the eigenvalues in iterative solution is handled via psoudespectral methods. The numerical examples of the considered problem are given to illustrate the accuracy and convergence behaviour.

In this thesis, we present the O(n(log n)^2) superfast linear least squares Schur algorithm (ssschur). The algorithm we will describe illustrates a fast way of solving linear equations or linear least squares problems with low displacement rank. This program is based on the O(n^2) Schur algorithm speeded up via FFT. The algorithm solves a ill-conditioned Toeplitz-like system using Tikhonov regularization. The regularized system is Toeplitz-like of displacement rank 4. We also show the effect of choice of the regularization parameter on the quality of the image reconstructed.

A concept of a well-posed problem was initially introduced by J. Hadamard in 1923, who expressed the idea that every mathematical model should have a unique solution, stable with respect to noise in the input data. If at least one of those properties is violated, the problem is ill-posed (and unstable). There are numerous examples of ill- posed problems in computational mathematics and applications. Classical numerical algorithms, when used for an ill-posed model, turn out to be divergent. Hence one has to develop special regularization techniques, which take advantage of an a priori information (normally available), in order to solve an ill-posed problem in a stable fashion. In this thesis, theoretical and numerical investigation of Tikhonov's (variational) regularization is presented. The regularization parameter is computed by the discrepancy principle of Morozov, and a first-kind integral equation is used for numerical simulations.

The ability to recognise an individual's affective state from their facial expression is crucial to human social interaction. However, understanding of facial expression recognition processes is limited because mounting evidence has revealed important differences between posed and genuine facial expressions of emotion. Most previous studies of facial expression recognition have used only posed or simulated facial expressions as stimuli, but posed expressions do not reflect underlying affective state unlike genuine expressions. The current study compared behavioural responses and Evoked Response Potentials (ERPs) to neutral expressions, posed smiles and genuine smiles, during three different tasks. In the first task, no behavioural judgment was required, whereas participants were required to judge whether the person was showing happiness in the second task or feeling happiness in the third task. Behavioural results indicated that participants exhibited a high degree of sensitivity in detecting the emotional state of expressions. Genuine smiles were usually labelled as both showing and feeling happiness, but posed smiles were far less likely to be labelled as feeling happiness than as showing happiness. Analysis of P1 and N170 components, and later orbitofrontal activity, revealed differential activity levels in response to neutral expressions as compared to posed and genuine smiles. This differential activity occurred as early as 135ms at occipital locations and from 450ms at orbitofrontal locations. There were significant interactions between participant behavioural sensitivity to emotional state and P1 and N170 amplitudes. However, no significant difference in ERP activity between posed smiles and genuine smiles was observed until 850ms at orbitofrontal locations. An additional finding was greater right temporal and left orbitofrontal activation suggesting hemispheric asymmetry of facial expression processing systems.

In social interactions it is important for perceivers to be able to differentiate between facial expressions of emotion associated with a congruent emotional experience (genuine expressions) and those that are not (posed expressions). This research investigated the sensitivity of participants with a range of depressive symptom severity and varying levels of rumination to the differences between genuine and posed facial expressions The suggested mechanisms underlying impairments in emotion recognition were also investigated; the effect of cognitive load (as a distraction from deliberate processing of stimuli) and attention, and the relationships between mechanisms and sensitivity across a range of depressive symptoms and level of rumination. Participants completed an emotion categorisation task in which they were asked if targets were showing either happiness or sadness, and then if targets were feeling those emotions. Participants also completed the same task under cognitive load. In addition, a recognition task was used to measure attention. Results showed that when making judgements about whether targets were feeling sad lower sensitivity was related to higher levels of depressive symptoms, but contrary to predictions, only when under cognitive load. Depressive symptoms and rumination were not related to higher levels of bias towards sad expressions. Recognition did not show a relationship with sensitivity, rumination or depression scores. Cognitive load did not show the expected effects or improving sensitivity but instead showed lower sensitivity scores in some conditions compared to conditions without load. Implications of results are discussed, as well as directions for future research.

The regularization of linear ill-posed problems is based on their conditional well-posedness when restricting the problem to certain classes of solutions. Given such class one may consider several related real-valued functions, which measure the wellposedness of the problem on such class. Among those functions the modulus of continuity is best studied. For solution classes which enjoy the additional feature of being star-shaped at zero, the authors develop a series of results with focus on continuity properties of the modulus of continuity. In particular it is highlighted that the problem is conditionally well-posed if and only if the modulus of continuity is right-continuous at zero. Those results are then applied to smoothness classes in Hilbert space. This study concludes with a new perspective on a concavity problem for the modulus of continuity, recently addressed by two of the authors in "Some note on the modulus of continuity for ill-posed problems in Hilbert space", 2011.

This work is devoted to the convergence analysis of a modified Runge-Kutta-type iterative regularization method for solving nonlinear ill-posed problems under a priori and a posteriori stopping rules. The convergence rate results of the proposed method can be obtained under Hölder-type source-wise condition if the Fréchet derivative is properly scaled and locally Lipschitz continuous. Numerical results are achieved by using the Levenberg-Marquardt and Radau methods.

Neste trabalho apresenta-se uma discussão geral sobre problemas inversos, problemas mal-postos c técnicas de regularização, visando sua aplicabilidade em problemas térmicos. Métodos numéricos especiais são discutidos para a solução de problemas que apresentam instabilidade em relação aos dados. Tais métodos baseiam-se na utilização de restrições ou informações adicionais sobre a solução procurada. O problema de determinação da condição inicial da equação do calor é resolvido numericamente através destas técnicas, particularmente a regularização de Tikhonov e o príncipio da máxima entropia conectados ao príncipio da discrepância de Morozov são utilizados. / In this work we present a general discussion on invcrse problems, ill-posed problems and regularization techniqucs, applying these techniques to thermal problcms. Special numerical methods are discusscd in order to solve problerns for which the solution is unstable under data perturbations. Such methods are based on the utilization of restrictions or additional information on thc solution. The problern of determining the initial condition of thc heat equation is numerically solved beyond thesc techniques, particularly thc T ikhonov regularization and thc maximum entropy principie connected to thc Morozov's discrepancy principie are used.

Neste trabalho apresenta-se uma discussão geral sobre problemas inversos, problemas mal-postos c técnicas de regularização, visando sua aplicabilidade em problemas térmicos. Métodos numéricos especiais são discutidos para a solução de problemas que apresentam instabilidade em relação aos dados. Tais métodos baseiam-se na utilização de restrições ou informações adicionais sobre a solução procurada. O problema de determinação da condição inicial da equação do calor é resolvido numericamente através destas técnicas, particularmente a regularização de Tikhonov e o príncipio da máxima entropia conectados ao príncipio da discrepância de Morozov são utilizados. / In this work we present a general discussion on invcrse problems, ill-posed problems and regularization techniqucs, applying these techniques to thermal problcms. Special numerical methods are discusscd in order to solve problerns for which the solution is unstable under data perturbations. Such methods are based on the utilization of restrictions or additional information on thc solution. The problern of determining the initial condition of thc heat equation is numerically solved beyond thesc techniques, particularly thc T ikhonov regularization and thc maximum entropy principie connected to thc Morozov's discrepancy principie are used.

Neste trabalho apresenta-se uma discussão geral sobre problemas inversos, problemas mal-postos c técnicas de regularização, visando sua aplicabilidade em problemas térmicos. Métodos numéricos especiais são discutidos para a solução de problemas que apresentam instabilidade em relação aos dados. Tais métodos baseiam-se na utilização de restrições ou informações adicionais sobre a solução procurada. O problema de determinação da condição inicial da equação do calor é resolvido numericamente através destas técnicas, particularmente a regularização de Tikhonov e o príncipio da máxima entropia conectados ao príncipio da discrepância de Morozov são utilizados. / In this work we present a general discussion on invcrse problems, ill-posed problems and regularization techniqucs, applying these techniques to thermal problcms. Special numerical methods are discusscd in order to solve problerns for which the solution is unstable under data perturbations. Such methods are based on the utilization of restrictions or additional information on thc solution. The problern of determining the initial condition of thc heat equation is numerically solved beyond thesc techniques, particularly thc T ikhonov regularization and thc maximum entropy principie connected to thc Morozov's discrepancy principie are used.