Notiziario Scientifico

Settimana dal 9 al 15 dicembre 2013


Lunedì 9 dicembre 2013
Ore 14:30, Aula di Consiglio
Seminario di Analisi Matematica
Luca Rossi (Università di Padova)
Generalized principal eigenvalues for elliptic operators in non-compact scenarios
What is the analogue of the principal eigenvalue for elliptic operators with non-compact resolvents? Focusing on the case where the lack of compactness is due to the unboundedness of the domain, we show that the answer depends on the property one is looking for: existence of a positive eigenfunction, simplicity, lower bound of the spectrum, characterization of the maximum principle. Indeed, there is not a unique notion fulfilling all such properties in general. In the last part of the talk we present some recent results concerning degenerate elliptic operators.


Martedì 10 dicembre 2013
Ore 10:00, Aula di Consiglio
Seminario di Modellistica differenziale numerica
Marianne Akian (INRIA Saclay-Ile-de-France)
Policy iteration for stochastic games
Zero-sum stochastic games with finite state and action spaces, perfect information, and mean payoff criteria arise in particular from the monotone discretization of mean-payoff pursuit-evasion deterministic differential games. When the Markov chains associated to strategies are irreducible, the value of the game can be computed by using Hoffman and Karp policy iteration algorithm (1966), which is similar to the one introduced by Denardo (1967) for solving discounted games. A feature of policy iteration is that the number of iterations is small in practice, whereas in general it can only be bounded by the number of strategies. Recently, Ye and Hansen, Miltersen and Zwick showed that policy iteration for one or two player zero-sum stochastic games, restricted to instances with a fixed discount rate, is strongly polynomial. We shall show that the Hoffman and Karp algorithm is also strongly polynomial for mean-payoff games with bounded first mean return time to a given state. The proof is based on methods of nonlinear Perron-Frobenius theory and on a reduction of the mean-payoff problem to a discounted problem with state dependent discount rate. When no irreducibility assumption is satisfied (multichain games), the policy iteration algorithm needs to be adapted to avoid cycling in degenerate iterations. Such an adaptation was proposed by Cochet-Terrasson and Gaubert (2006), and developped in particular in the software PIGAMES of Detournay (2012). We shall present numerical results of this algorithm on pursuit-evasion games.


Martedì 10 dicembre 2013
Ore 14:15, Aula Dal Passo, Università di Roma II
Seminario di Equazioni Differenziali
Francesco di Plinio (Università di Roma II)
Euler equations and endpoint elliptic regularity in nonsmooth domains
The planar Euler equations describe the motion of a 2-D inviscid incompressible fluid, and also arise as a model problem for the study of the barotropic mode (to put it simply, the vertical average) of the Primitive equations of the ocean. It is a result by Yudovich that, in the space-periodic case, there exist a unique weak solution to the Euler system whenever the initial data has bounded vorticity. Relying on a refinement of the sharp A_p weighted bounds for singular integrals by Buckley, we prove an L^infinity version of Grisvard's shift theorem on domains with corners, and extend the Yudovich theory of weak solutions for the Euler equations to this class of domains. We also discuss analogous results for the barotropic mode of the Primitive equations. This is partly joint work with Roger Temam and Claude Bardos.


Martedì 10 dicembre 2013
Ore 15:00, Aula di Consiglio
Seminario di Modellistica differenziale numerica
William M. McEneaney (University of California, San Diego)
Computation of fundamental solutions for two-point boundary value problems in conservative systems and the N-body problem
Two-point boundary value problems (TPBVPs) for conservative systems are studied in the context of the stationary action principle. For sufficiently short time horizons, this converts dynamical systems into optimal control problems, and for longer time horizons, into a generalization of such control problems. One obtains a fundamental solution, whereby two-point boundary value problems are solved via max-plus convolution of the fundamental solution with a cost function related to the terminal data. The classical mass-spring system and one-dimensional wave equation are briefly discussed as examples. The n-body problem under gravitation is then discussed. There, the stationary action principle formulation is converted to a differential game, where an opposing player maximizes over a parametrized set of quadratics associated to a type of semiconvex dual of the additive inverse of the gravitational potential. The fundamental solution for the n-body problem takes the form of a set in a space whose dimension is related to the number of bodies. Once one computes this set for a specific set of masses and time-duration, solutions of a large class of TPBVPs Êare immediately obtainable via max-plus convolution.


Mercoledì 11 dicembre 2013
Ore 16:00, Aula F, Università di Roma III
I tè di matematica
Roberto Raimondi (Università di Roma III)
Spin e carica: un dialogo promettente
La spintronica persegue l'utilizzazione dello spin dell'elettrone al fine di sviluppare nuove funzionalità per i dispositivi elettronici. In quest'impresa si imbatte in problemi affascinanti di natura fondamentale, che sono interessanti di per se stessi al di là delle ricadute tecnologiche. In questo seminario presenterò alcuni temi generali della ricerca in spintronica sia dal punto di vista teorico che da quello sperimentale. In particolare, mi soffermerò sull'effetto GMR (giant magnetoresistance), sull'effetto Hall di spin e sugli isolanti topologici.


Mercoledì 11 dicembre 2013
Ore 16:00, Aula C
Seminario di Finanza Matematica
Agis Athanassoulis (Università di Leicester)
Computing the semiclassical selection principle for multivalued linear flows
Phase-space methods have been long used to establish the approximation of quantum dynamics in the semiclassical regime by classical kinetic equations. This is well understood for smooth potential fields. Following the Di Perna-Lions-Bouchut-Ambrosio results for the well-posedness of classical flows under potentials with conical singularities, several recent results have appeared, extending semiclassical asymptotics for such flows. However, very little is known in the case of full interaction with multivalued trajectories. In this talk we will present the state of the art on semiclassical limits for potentials with conical singularities, and some recent results dealing with multivalued classical flows, and the semiclassical selection principle that can be constructed. (Joint work with T. Paul, Th. Katsaounis, I. Kyza and G. Makrakis). Links with nonlinear problems will also be discussed.


Giovedì 12 dicembre 2013
Ore 14:00, Aula di Consiglio
Seminario P(n): Problemi differenziali non lineari
Andrzej Szulkin (Università di Stoccolma)
A supercritical elliptic problem in a cylindrical shell


Giovedì 12 dicembre 2013
Ore 16:00, Aula 311, Università di Roma III
Seminario di Fisica Matematica
Paolo Buttà (Università di Roma I)
Boundary effects in the van der Waals' theory of phase transition
We consider the two dimensional van der Waals' free energy functional, with scaling parameter epsilon, in the positive quadrant with inhomogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions. We impose the two stable phases on the horizontal boundaries and free boundary conditions on the vertical right boundary. Finally, the datum on the left vertical side is chosen in such a way that the interface between the pure phases is pinned at some point (0,y). We prove the existence of a critical scaling of the pin location y where the competing effects of repulsion from the boundary and penalization of gradients both play a role in determining the optimal shape of the interface. This result develops the study of the boundary layer in the variational theory of phase separation, which goes back to the 1987 paper by L. Modica. This is a joint work with L. Bertini and A. Garroni.


Venerdì 13 dicembre 2013
Ore 12:00, Aula di Consiglio
Seminari MoMa
Giulia Viggiani
Grain crushing in polydisperse granular media:from experimental evidence to modeling
The mechanical behaviour of granular materials depends on their grading. Crushing of particles under compression or shear modifies the grain size distribution, with a tendency for the percentage of fine material to increase. It follows that the frictional properties of the material and the critical states are modified as a consequence of the changes in grain size distribution and the available range of packing densities. The seminar will illustrate some problems connected with the selection of appropriate descriptors of particle shape (such as e.g., roundness, angularity, and roughness) and the results of an extended experimental investigation of the evolution of the grading of an artificial granular material, consisting of crushed expanded clay pellets under different loading conditions. The changes of grading of the material after isotropic, one-dimensional and constant mean effective stress triaxial compression are described using a single parameter based on the ratio of the areas under the current and an ultimate cumulative particle size distribution, which are both assumed to be consistent with self-similar grading with varying fractal dimension. Relative breakage is related to the total work input for unit of volume.


Venerdì 13 dicembre 2013
Ore 14:30, Aula dei seminari di Fisica, Dipartimento SBAI
Nicola Fusco (Università di Napoli)
Un problema di evoluzione per pellicole sottili


Tutte le informazioni relative a questo notiziario devono pervenire all'indirizzo di posta elettronica seminari@mat.uniroma1.it, o nella casella della posta di Luigi Orsina, entro le ore 9 del venerdì precedente la settimana di pubblicazione.

Tutti coloro che desiderano ricevere questo notiziario via e-mail sono invitati a comunicare il proprio indirizzo di posta elettronica a seminari@mat.uniroma1.it.

                Il Direttore

Il calendario dei seminari è anche disponibile su internet.

© Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza" - Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma