The propagation of gradient flow structures from microscopic to macroscopic models is a topic of high current interest. In this paper, we discuss this propagation in a model for the diffusion of particles interacting via hard-core exclusion or short-range repulsive potentials. We formulate the microscopic model as a high-dimensional gradient flow in the Wasserstein metric for an appropriate free-energy functional. Then we use the JKO approach to identify the asymptotics of the metric and the free-energy functional beyond the lowest order for single particle densities in the limit of small particle volumes by matched asymptotic expansions. While we use a propagation of chaos assumption at far distances, we consider correlations at small distance in the expansion. In this way, we obtain a clear picture of the emergence of a macroscopic gradient structure incorporating corrections in the free-energy functional due to the volume exclusion.

Crime reduction and prevention strategies are vital for policymakers and law enforcement to face inevitable increases in urban crime rates as a side effect of the projected growth of urban population by the year 2030. Studies conclude that crime does not occur uniformly across urban landscapes but concentrates in certain areas. This phenomenon has drawn attention to spatial crime analysis, primarily focusing on crime hotspots, areas with disproportionally higher crime density. In this paper, we present CrimeTracer1, a personalized random walk-based approach to spatial crime analysis and crime location prediction outside of hotspots. We propose a probabilistic model of spatial behaviour of known offenders within their activity spaces. Crime Pattern Theory concludes that offenders, rather than venture into unknown territory, frequently select targets in or near places they are most familiar with as part of their activity space. Our experiments on a large real-world crime dataset show that CrimeTracer outperforms all other methods used for location recommendation we evaluate here.

When a dry sphere sinks into a fluid, a funnel-shaped free surface develops behind the sphere if the sinking occurs faster than the surface wetting. If the fluid is viscoelastic, the interface can become unstable to a loss of axisymmetry. The stress near this surface concentrates into boundary layers, as also seen in other free surface extensional flows of viscoelastic fluids. At high Deborah number and low Reynolds number, the qualitative behaviour can be recovered by considering the static equilibrium of a stretched elastic membrane in an hydrostatic pressure field. We treat this problem in the framework of finite elasticity using a neo-Hookean constitutive model, and show how the conditions of instability can be recovered. A numerical study of this model is presented.

In this article the linear theory of thermoviscoelastic mixtures is considered. The fundamental solution of the system of linear-coupled partial differential equations of steady oscillations (steady vibrations) of the theory of thermoviscoelastic mixtures is constructed in terms of elementary functions and basic properties are established.

In the singular perturbation limit ε → 0, we analyse the linear stability of multi-spot patterns on a bounded 2-D domain, with Neumann boundary conditions, as well as periodic patterns of spots centred at the lattice points of a Bravais lattice in $\mathbb{R}^2$, for the Brusselator reaction–diffusion model

$$ \begin{equation*} v_t = \epsilon^2 \Delta v + \epsilon^2 - v + fu v^2 \,, \qquad \tau u_t = D \Delta u + \frac{1}{\epsilon^2}\left(v - u v^2\right) \,, \end{equation*} $$

${\mathcal O}$

$\mathbb{R}^2$

The Hopf bifurcation from spike solutions for the classical Gierer–Meinhardt system in a onedimensional interval is considered. The existence of time-periodic solution near the Hopf bifurcation parameter for a boundary spike is rigorously proved by the classical Crandall–Rabinowitz theory. The criteria for the stability of the limit cycle are determined, and it is shown that the limit cycle is unstable.

Free surface flows generated by a moving distribution of pressure are considered. The fluid consists of two superposed layers in a two-dimensional channel. The upper layer is inviscid and the lower layer, which is introduced as a damping mechanism, is modelled by the mathematically convenient lubrication equations. Numerical and analytical solutions are presented. Special attention is given to solutions for which there is a train of waves on each side of the distribution of pressure. It is shown that, depending on the values of the parameters, the short waves can appear on either side of the distribution of pressure.

In multiple-roll coaters thin liquid films are transferred from roll to roll by means of liquid ‘beads’ which occupy the small gaps between adjacent rolls. Double-Film-Fed (DFF) beads are those which feature two ingoing films instead of the usual one, and arise in the intermediate stages of certain types of roll coater. One of the ingoing films, h1, is supplied from the previous inter-roll gap while the other, h2, ‘returns’ from the subsequent gap. Such a flow is investigated here under the conditions of low flow rate, small capillary number and negligible gravity and inertia, using lubrication theory and finite element analysis. The thickness of film h1 is fixed independently, while that of h2 is specified as a fraction, ζ, of the film output on the same roll. This simple approach allows a degree of feedback between the output and input of the bead, and enables one to simulate different conditions in the subsequent gap. Predictions of outgoing film thicknesses made using the two models agree extremely well and show that, for each value of ζ < 1, one outgoing film thickness decreases monotonically with speed ratio, S, while the other features a maximum. Good agreement is also seen in the pressure profiles, which are entirely sub-ambient in keeping with the small capillary number conditions. The finite element solutions reveal that in the ‘zero-flux’ case (when ζ = 1) the flow structures are very similar to those seen in an idealized cavity problem. In the more general (ζ < 1) situation, as in single-film-fed meniscus roll coating, several liquid transfer-jets occur by which liquid is conveyed through the bead from one roll to the other. The lubrication model is used to calculate several critical flow rates at which the flow is transformed, and it is shown that when the total dimensionless flow rate through the bead exceeds 1/3, the downstream flow structure is independent of the relative sizes of the ingoing films.

Consider the classical Hele–Shaw situation with two parallel planes separated by a narrow gap, and suppose the plan-view of the region occupied by fluid to be confined to an infinite strip by barriers in the form of two infinite parallel lines. With the fluid initially occupying a bounded, simply-connected region that touches both barriers along a single line segment, we seek to predict the evolution of the plan-view as the blob of fluid is driven along the strip by a pressure difference between its two free boundaries. Supposing the relevant free boundary condition to be one of constant pressure (but a different constant pressure on each free boundary), we show that the motion is characterized by (a) the existence of two functions, analytic in disjoint half-planes, that are invariants of the motion and (b) the centre of area of the plan-view of the blob has a component of velocity down the infinite strip that is simply related to the imposed pressure difference. These features allow explicit analytic solutions to be found; generically, the mathematical solution breaks down when cusps appear in the retreating free boundary. A rectangular blob, of course, moves down the strip unchanged, with no breakdown, but if it encounters stationary blobs of fluid placed within the strip then, modulo multiply-connected complications, these are first absorbed into the advancing front of the rectangular blob and then disgorged from its retreating rear, leaving behind stationary blobs of exactly the same form in exactly the same place as those originally present, but consisting of different fluid particles. This soliton-like interaction involves no phase change: with a given pressure difference driving the motion, the rectangular blob is in the same position at a given time after the interaction as it would have been had no intervening blobs been present.

Steady two-dimensional fluid flow over an obstacle is solved using complex variable methods. We consider the cases of rectangular obstacles, such as large boulders, submerged in a potential flow. These may arise in geophysics, marine and civil engineering. Our models are applicable to initiation of motion that may result in subsequent transport. The local flow depends on the obstacle shape, slowing down in confining corners and speeding up in expanding corners. The flow generates hydrodynamic forces, drag and lift, and their associated moments, which differ around each face. Our model replaces the need for ill-defined drag and lift coefficients with geometry-dependent functions. We predict smaller flow velocities to initiate motion. We show how a joint-bound boulder can be transported against gravity, and analyse the influence of a wake region behind an isolated boulder.

A two component system driven by both interface area and interface curvature is studied with a new phase field model. We show that if the curvature impact in the system is strong enough, there exist bubble profiles. A bubble profile describes a pattern of an inner core of one component surround by an outer membrane of the other component. It is a radial solution to a fourth-order nonlinear partial differential equation. We show the existence of such profiles in all dimensions, although the profile is unstable if the dimension is greater than 2.

The free boundary model of diffusion-induced grain boundary motion derived in Cahn et al. [3], Fife et al. [6] and Cahn & Penrose [4] is extended, in the case of thin metallic films, to account for bidirectional motion, together with the appearance of S-shapes and double seam configurations. These are often observed in the laboratory. Computer simulations based on the extended model are given to illustrate these and other features of bidirectional motion. More generally, the extension accounts for the motion of grain boundaries whose traces on the film's surface are curved. The new free boundary model is one of forced motion by curvature, the forcing term possibly changing sign due to the bidirectionality. The thin film model is derived systematically under explicit assumptions, and an adjustment for grooving is included.

Existence of non-negative weak solutions is shown for a full curvature thin-film model of a liquid thin film flowing down a vertical fibre. The proof is based on the application of a priori estimates derived for energy-entropy functionals. Long-time behaviour of these weak solutions is analysed and, under some additional constraints for the model parameters and initial values, convergence towards a travelling wave solution is obtained. Numerical studies of energy minimisers and travelling waves are presented to illustrate analytical results.

The paper is devoted to the existence and rigorous homogenisation of the generalised Poisson–Nernst–Planck problem describing the transport of charged species in a two-phase domain. By this, inhomogeneous conditions are supposed at the interface between the pore and solid phases. The solution of the doubly non-linear cross-diffusion model is discontinuous and allows a jump across the phase interface. To prove an averaged problem, the two-scale convergence method over periodic cells is applied and formulated simultaneously in the two phases and at the interface. In the limit, we obtain a non-linear system of equations with averaged matrices of the coefficients, which are based on cell problems due to diffusivity, permittivity and interface electric flux. The first-order corrector due to the inhomogeneous interface condition is derived as the solution to a non-local problem.

Inviscid irrotational flow around a pair of coaxial disks is considered in the limit in which the distance 2h between the disks is small compared to their radius a. The disks have zero thickness and accelerate away from one another along their common axis. The added mass M of each accelerating disk is increased by the presence of the other disk. Analytic predictions are obtained when h/a ≪ 1, with M ~ πa/(8h)-ln(h/a)/2+0.77875+. . . The term O(a/h) can be obtained by means of an inviscid analysis of approximately unidirectional flow within the gap between the disks, but the correction terms have not been reported previously. The irrotational flow problem satisfies Neumann boundary conditions on the surface of the disks, but is otherwise analogous to the Dirichlet problem of the capacitance of a pair of charged disks, which has been the subject of much study and controversy.

This work looks at the asymptotic behaviour of the solution to the Helmholtz equation in a penetrable domain of $\mathbb{R}$3 with a thin layer of thickness δ which tends to 0. We use the method of multi-scale expansion to derive and justify an asymptotic expansion of the solution with respect to the thickness δ up to any order. We then provide approximate transmission conditions of order two defined on an interface located inside the thin layer, with accuracy up to O(δ2), which allow one to take into account the influence of the thin layer.

In this paper, we consider diffusion, reaction and dissolution of mobile and immobile chemical species present in a porous medium. Inflow–outflow boundary conditions are considered at the outer boundary and the reactions amongst the species are assumed to be reversible which yield highly nonlinear reaction rate terms. The dissolution of immobile species takes place on the surfaces of the solid parts. Modelling of these processes leads to a system of coupled semilinear partial differential equations together with a system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) with multi-valued right-hand sides. We prove the global existence of a unique positive weak solution of this model using a regularization technique, Schaefer's fixed point theorem and Lyapunov type arguments.

An approximate analytical solution is derived for a certain class of stochastic differential equations with constant diffusion, but nonlinear drift coefficients. Specifically, a closed form expression is derived for the response process transition probability density function (PDF) based on the concept of the Wiener path integral and on a Cauchy–Schwarz inequality treatment. This is done in conjunction with formulating and solving an error minimisation problem by relying on the associated Fokker–Planck equation operator. The developed technique, which requires minimal computational cost for the determination of the response process PDF, exhibits satisfactory accuracy and is capable of capturing the salient features of the PDF as demonstrated by comparisons with pertinent Monte Carlo simulation data. In addition to the mathematical merit of the approximate analytical solution, the derived PDF can be used also as a benchmark for assessing the accuracy of alternative, more computationally demanding, numerical solution techniques. Several examples are provided for assessing the reliability of the proposed approximation.

This paper proposes a neural network architecture for solving systems of non-linear equations. A back propagation algorithm is applied to solve the problem, using an adaptive learning rate procedure, based on the minimization of the mean squared error function defined by the system, as well as the network activation function, which can be linear or non-linear. The results obtained are compared with some of the standard global optimization techniques that are used for solving non-linear equations systems. The method was tested with some well-known and difficult applications (such as Gauss–Legendre 2-point formula for numerical integration, chemical equilibrium application, kinematic application, neuropsychology application, combustion application and interval arithmetic benchmark) in order to evaluate the performance of the new approach. Empirical results reveal that the proposed method is characterized by fast convergence and is able to deal with high-dimensional equations systems.

It is shown that the set of conservation laws for the nonlinear system of equations describing plane steady potential barotropic flow of gas is given by the set of conservation laws for the linear Chaplygin system. All the conservation laws of zero order for the Chaplygin system are found. These include both known and new nonlinear conservation laws. It is found that the number of conservation laws of the first order is not more than three, assuming that the laws do not depend on the velocity potential and are not non-obvious ones. The components of these conservation laws are quadratic with respect to the stream function and its derivatives. All the Chaplygin functions are found, for which the Chaplygin system has three non-obvious conservation laws of the first order that are independent of velocity potential. All such non-obvious first-order conservation laws are found.