In this thesis we study three stochastic partial differential equations (SPDE) that arise as stochastic gradient flows via the fluctuation-dissipation principle. For the first equation we establish a finer regularity statement based on a generalized Taylor expansion which is inspired by the theory of rough paths. The second equation is the thin-film equation with thermal noise which is a singular SPDE. In order to circumvent the issue of dealing with possible renormalization, we discretize the gradient flow structure of the deterministic thin-film equation. Choosing a specific discretization of the metric tensor, we resdiscover a well-known discretization of the thin-film equation introduced by Grün and Rumpf that satisfies a discrete entropy estimate. By proving a stochastic entropy estimate in this discrete setting, we obtain positivity of the scheme in the case of no-slip boundary conditions. Moreover, we analyze the associated rate functional and perform numerical experiments which suggest that the scheme converges. The third equation is the massive $\varphi^4_2$-model on the torus which is also a singular SPDE. In the spirit of Bakry and Émery, we obtain a gradient bound on the Markov semigroup. The proof relies on an $L^2$-estimate for the linearization of the equation. Due to the required renormalization, we use a stopping time argument in order to ensure stochastic integrability of the random constant in the estimate. A postprocessing of this estimate yields an even sharper gradient bound. As a corollary, for large enough mass, we establish a local spectral gap inequality which by ergodicity yields a spectral gap inequality for the $\varphi^4_2$- measure.

Thesis (MScEng (Process Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / Thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering (Extractive Metallurgy) In the Department of Process Engineering at the University of Stellenbosch / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Multivariate statistical process control (MSPC) approaches are now widely used for performance monitoring, fault detection and diagnosis in chemical processes. Conventional MSPC approaches are based on latent variable projection methods such as principal component analysis and partial least squares. These methods are suitable for handling linearly correlated data sets, with minimal autocorrelation in the variables. Industrial plant data invariably violate these conditions, and several extensions to conventional MSPC methodologies have been proposed to account for these limitations. In practical situations process data usually contain contributions at multiple scales because of different events occurring at different localizations in time and frequency. To account for such multiscale nature, monitoring techniques that decompose observed data at different scales are necessary. Hence the use of standard MSPC methodologies may lead to unreliable results due to false alarms and significant loss of information. In this thesis a multiscale methodology based on the use of singular spectrum analysis is proposed. Singular spectrum analysis (SSA) is a linear method that extracts information from the short and noisy time series by decomposing the data into deterministic and stochastic components without prior knowledge of the dynamics affecting the time series. These components can be classified as independent additive time series of slowly varying trend, periodic series and aperiodic noise. SSA does this decomposition by projecting the original time series onto a data-adaptive vector basis obtained from the series itself based on principal component analysis (PCA). The proposed method in this study treats each process variable as time series and the autocorrelation between the variables are explicitly accounted for. The data-adaptive nature of SSA makes the proposed method more flexible than other spectral techniques using fixed basis functions. Application of the proposed technique is demonstrated using simulated, industrial data and the Tennessee Eastman Challenge process. Also, a comparative analysis is given using the simulated and Tennessee Eastman process. It is found that in most cases the proposed method is superior in detecting process changes and faults of different magnitude accurately compared to classical statistical process control (SPC) based on latent variable methods as well as the wavelet-based multiscale SPC. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Meerveranderlike statistiese prosesbeheerbenaderings (MSPB) word tans wydverspreid benut vir werkverrigtingkontrolering, foutopsporing en .diagnose in chemiese prosesse. Gebruiklike MSPB word op latente veranderlike projeksiemetodes soos hoofkomponentontleding en parsiele kleinste-kwadrate gebaseer. Hierdie metodes is geskik om lineer gekorreleerde datastelle, met minimale outokorrelasie, te hanteer. Nywerheidsaanlegdata oortree altyd hierdie voorwaardes, en verskeie MSPB is voorgestel om verantwoording te doen vir hierdie beperkings. Prosesdata afkomstig van praktiese toestande bevat gewoonlik bydraes by veelvuldige skale, as gevolg van verskillende gebeurtenisse wat by verskillende lokaliserings in tyd en frekwensie voorkom. Kontroleringsmetodes wat waargenome data ontbind by verskillende skale is nodig om verantwoording te doen vir sodanige multiskaalgedrag. Derhalwe kan die gebruik van standaard-MSPB weens vals alarms en beduidende verlies van inligting tot onbetroubare resultate lei. In hierdie tesis word . multiskaalmetodologie gebaseer op die gebruik van singuliere spektrumontleding (SSO) voorgestel. SSO is . lineere metode wat inligting uit die kort en ruiserige tydreeks ontrek deur die data in deterministiese en stochastiese komponente te ontbind, sonder enige voorkennis van die dinamika wat die tydreeks affekteer. Hierdie komponente kan as onafhanklike, additiewe tydreekse geklassifiseer word: stadigveranderende tendense, periodiese reekse en aperiodiese geruis. SSO vermag hierdie ontbinding deur die oorspronklike tydreeks na . data-aanpassende vektorbasis te projekteer, waar hierdie vektorbasis verkry is vanaf die tydreeks self, gebaseer op hoofkomponentontleding. Die voorgestelde metode in hierdie studie hanteer elke prosesveranderlike as . tydreeks, en die outokorrelasie tussen veranderlikes word eksplisiet in berekening gebring. Aangesien die SSO metode aanpas tot data, is die voorgestelde metode meer buigsaam as ander spektraalmetodes wat gebruik maak van vaste basisfunksies. Toepassing van die voorgestelde tegniek word getoon met gesimuleerde prosesdata en die Tennessee Eastman-proses. . Vergelykende ontleding word ook gedoen met die gesimuleerde prosesdata en die Tennessee Eastman-proses. In die meeste gevalle is dit gevind dat die voorgestelde metode beter vaar om prosesveranderings en .foute met verskillende groottes op te spoor, in vergeleke met klassieke statistiese prosesbeheer (SP) gebaseer op latente veranderlikes, asook golfie-gebaseerde multiskaal SP.

Together with an basic assumption of the main thesis of the theory of singular direct reference, this paper formulates two original theses grounded in the Kripkean notion of proper names. Regarding the assumption of the main thesis, efforts have been made to explicitly explain its essence as a reactionary theory against the description theory of proper names, a theory mainly due to Bertrand Russells (1905) influential article "On Denoting". Grounded in Russell, outlining the fundamental idea of proper names as abbreviated or disguised definite descriptions, this paper moves forward through the critiques of Strawsons (1950) "On Referring", Donnellans (1966) "Reference and Definite Descriptions" and Kripkes (1977) "Speaker's Reference and Semantic Reference". With the historical background in place, in accordance with Salmons (1982) "Reference & Essence" the arguments against the theory of descriptions for proper names are put forward, which leads to the assumption of the mentioned main thesis. Regarding the papers more original theses, the first of these distinguishes between different kinds of proper names depending on whether or not they refer to an object capable of cognitive functioning. The main thrust of this paper is however made through the formulation of the second thesis, as it is being aimed at challenging Kripke's Millian notion of all proper names as being non-connoting. However, in contrast to this view in accordance with the view being put forward in this paper, cognition-referring proper names are connoting. Additionally, a finishing discussion is supplemented concluding descriptions of such connotations as being questions for pragmatism.

Asymptotic stability is a key notion of system stability for controlled dynamical systems as it guarantees that the system trajectories are bounded in a neighborhood of a given isolated equilibrium point and converge to this equilibrium over the infinite horizon. In some applications, however, asymptotic stability is not the appropriate notion of stability. For example, for systems with a continuum of equilibria, every neighborhood of an equilibrium contains another equilibrium and a nonisolated equilibrium cannot be asymptotically stable. Alternatively, in stabilization of spacecraft dynamics via gimballed gyroscopes, it is desirable to find state- and output-feedback control laws that guarantee partial-state stability of the closed-loop system, that is, stability with respect to part of the system state. Furthermore, we may additionally require finite-time stability of the closed-loop system, that is, convergence of the system's trajectories to a Lyapunov stable equilibrium in finite time. The Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman optimal control framework provides necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of state-feedback controllers that minimize a given performance measure and guarantee asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system. In this research, we provide extensions of the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman optimal control theory to develop state-feedback control laws that minimize nonlinear-nonquadratic performance criteria and guarantee semistability, partial-state stability, finite-time stability, and finite-time partial state stability of the closed-loop system.

Thoughts on magic, spectacle, arena, material, materiality, marrow, invincibility, repetition, performance, sculpture, time, decay, temporality, tools, marks, gestures, writing, coaxing, site, stage, architecture, and movement.

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L'objet de cette thèse porte sur le problème de Cauchy singulier dans le domaine complexe. Il s'agit d'étudier les singularités de la solution du problème pour trois classes d'équations aux dérivées partielles. Cette thèse s'inscrit dans la continuité des travaux initiés par Jean Leray et son école. Pour décrire les singularités de la solution, on cherche la solution sous la forme d'un développement asymptotique de fonctions hypergéométriques de Gauss. Comme les singularités sont portées par les fonctions hypergéométriques, l'étude de la ramification de la solution se ramène à celle de ces fonctions. / This thesis deals with the singular Cauchy problem in the complex domain. We study the singularities of the solution of the problem for three classes of partial differential equations. This thesis is a continuation of the work initiated by Jean Leray and his school. To describe the singularities of the solution, we seek the solution in the form of asymptotic an expansion of Gauss hypergeometric functions. As the singularities are carried by the hypergeometric functions, the study of the ramification of the solution reduces to that of these functions.

Oceanic waves registered by satellite observations often have curvilinear fronts and propagate over various currents. In this thesis, we study long linear and weakly-nonlinear ring waves in a stratified fluid in the presence of a depth-dependent horizontal shear flow. It is shown that despite the clashing geometries of the waves and the shear flow, there exists a linear modal decomposition, which can be used to describe distortion of the wavefronts of surface and internal waves, and systematically derive a 2+1-dimensional cylindrical Korteweg-de Vries (cKdV)-type equation for the amplitudes of the waves. The general theory is applied to the case of the waves in a two-layer fluid with a piecewise-constant shear flow, with an emphasis on the effect of the shear flow on the geometry of the wavefronts. The distortion of the wavefronts is described by the singular solution (envelope of the general solution) of the nonlinear first order differential equation, constituting generalisation of the dispersion relation in this curvilinear geometry. There exists a striking difference in the shape of the wavefronts: the wavefront of the surface wave is elongated in the shear flow direction while the wavefront of the interfacial wave is squeezed in this direction. We solve the derived 2+1-dimensional cKdV-type equation numerically using a finite-difference scheme. The effects of nonlinearity and dispersion are studied by considering numerical results for surface and interfacial ring waves generated from a localised source with and without shear flow and the 2D dam break problem. In these examples, the linear and nonlinear surface waves are faster than interfacial waves, the wave height decreases faster at the surface, the shear flow leads to the wave height decreasing slower downstream and faster upstream, and the effect becomes more prominent as the shear flow strengthens.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia de monitoramento a partir da alocação de medidores voltada para a estimação de estado harmônico trifásica em sistemas de distribuição de energia elétrica desequilibrados. O algoritmo de estimação de estado harmônico desenvolvido tem como entrada os fasores de tensão e de corrente em pontos pré-definidos de medição sobre os alimentadores em análise. Para a alocação dos medidores, verificou-se a necessidade de a mesma ser realizada e direcionada para este problema, e um algoritmo de otimização em específico foi desenvolvido utilizando algoritmos genéticos. Para a estimação de estado harmônico, a técnica de Decomposição em Valores Singulares foi utilizada, por ser adequada a sistemas não completamente observáveis. Em relação às simulações, cargas não lineares (ou perturbadoras) foram conectadas ao longo dos alimentadores testes do IEEE de 13, 34 e 37 barras, considerando configuração trifásica assimétrica para as linhas e cargas desbalanceadas. Todas as simulações computacionais foram realizadas dispondo do programa DIgSILENT PowerFactory. Os resultados satisfatórios encontrados denotam que o desempenho do estimador desenvolvido é dependente dos pontos de medição pré-definidos a partir da alocação dos medidores realizada. Pela metodologia implementada e aplicada, o algoritmo de estimação de estado harmônico veio a corretamente calcular todas as variáveis de estado e, consequentemente, os sistemas testes em análise tornaram-se completamente observáveis para todas as fases e ordens harmônicas caracterizadas. / This research aims for the development of a monitoring methodology through the allo-cation of meters in order to perform a three-phase harmonic state estimation in unbalanced distribution systems. The harmonic state estimation algorithm developed has voltage and current phasors as inputs at predefined measurement points on the feeders about analysis. For an allocation of the meters, there was a need for it to be performed and directed to this problem, and a specific optimization algorithm was developed using Genetic Algorithms. For a harmonic state estimation, the Singular Value Decomposition technique was made, because it is suitable for systems that are not completely observable. Regarding the simulations, the non-linear (or disturbing) loads were connected along the test feeders of the IEEE of 13, 34 and 37 bus, considering the three-phase asymmetric configuration for lines and loads. All computational simulations were performed in the DIgSILENT PowerFactory software. The satisfactory results found note that the performance of the developed estimator depends on the pre-defined measurement points from the allocation of the realized meters. By the applied methodology, the harmonic state estimation algorithm came to correctly calculate all the state variables and, consequently, the test systems about analysis became fully observable for all phases and harmonic orders characterized.

Esta dissertação desenvolve filtro de informação, algoritmos array para estimador do erro médio mínimo quadrático para sistemas lineares sujeitos a saltos Markovianos e algoritmos array rápidos para filtragem de sistemas singulares convencionais. Exemplos numéricos serão apresentados para mostrarem as vantagens dos algoritmos array deduzidos. Parte dos resultados obtidos nesta pesquisa serão publicados no seguinte artigo: Terra et al. (2007). Terra, M. H., Ishihara, J. Y. and Jesus, G. Q. (2007). Information filtering and array algorithms for discrete-time Markovian jump linear systems. Proceedings of the American Control Conference ACC07. / This dissertation develops information filter and array algorithms for linear minimum mean square error estimator (LMMSE) of discrete-time Markovian jump linear systems (MJLSs) and fast array algorithms for filtering of standard singular systems. Numerical examples to show the advantage of the array algorithms are presented. Some results obtained in this research are published in the following paper: Terra et al. (2007). Terra, M. H., Ishihara, J. Y. and Jesus, G. Q. (2007). Information filtering and array algorithms for discrete-time Markovian jump linear systems. Proceedings of the American Control Conference ACC07.