Invariant subspaces and invertibility properties for singular systems: The general case

Control Systems;operations research

Exact solutions and their interpretation

This is the account of the workshop Exact solutions and their interpretation at the 16-th International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation held in Durban, July 15-21, 2001. Work reported in 32 oral contributions spanned a wide variety of topics, ranging from exact radiative spacetimes to cosmological solutions. Two invited review talks, on the role of exact solutions in string theory and in cosmology, are also described.Comment: 18 pages. To be published in: Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation, Durban, 15 - 21 July, 2001, eds. N.T. Bishop and S.D. Maharaj, World Scientifi

Collision of plane gravitational and electromagnetic waves in a Minkowski background: solution of the characteristic initial value problem

We consider the collisions of plane gravitational and electromagnetic waves with distinct wavefronts and of arbitrary polarizations in a Minkowski background. We first present a new, completely geometric formulation of the characteristic initial value problem for solutions in the wave interaction region for which initial data are those associated with the approaching waves. We present also a general approach to the solution of this problem which enables us in principle to construct solutions in terms of the specified initial data. This is achieved by re-formulating the nonlinear dynamical equations for waves in terms of an associated linear problem on the spectral plane. A system of linear integral ``evolution'' equations which solve this spectral problem for specified initial data is constructed. It is then demonstrated explicitly how various colliding plane wave space-times can be constructed from given characteristic initial data.Comment: 33 pages, 3 figures, LaTeX. Accepted for publication in Classical and Quantum Gravit

Disturbance Decoupling in Nonlinear Impulsive Systems

International audienceThis work deals with the problem of structural disturbance decoupling by state feedback for nonlinear impulsive systems. The dynamical systems addressed exhibit a hybrid behavior characterized by a nonlinear continuous-time state evolution interrupted by abrupt discontinuities at isolated time instants. The problem considered consists in finding a state feedback such that the system output is rendered totally insensitive to the disturbance. Both the case of static state feedback and that of dynamic state feedback are considered. A necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a static state feedback that solves the problem in the multivariable case is proven by defining suitable tools in the context of the differential geometric approach. The situation concerning solvability by a dynamic state feedback is examined in the framework of the differntial algeraic approach. A necessary and sufficient solvaility condition is conjectured and discussed

The wave equation on singular space-times

We prove local unique solvability of the wave equation for a large class of weakly singular, locally bounded space-time metrics in a suitable space of generalised functions.Comment: Latex, 19 pages, 1 figure. Discussion of class of metrics covered by our results and some examples added. Conclusion more detailed. Version to appear in Communications in Mathematical Physic

Einstein equations in the null quasi-spherical gauge III: numerical algorithms

We describe numerical techniques used in the construction of our 4th order evolution for the full Einstein equations, and assess the accuracy of representative solutions. The code is based on a null gauge with a quasi-spherical radial coordinate, and simulates the interaction of a single black hole with gravitational radiation. Techniques used include spherical harmonic representations, convolution spline interpolation and filtering, and an RK4 "method of lines" evolution. For sample initial data of "intermediate" size (gravitational field with 19% of the black hole mass), the code is accurate to 1 part in 10^5, until null time z=55 when the coordinate condition breaks down.Comment: Latex, 38 pages, 29 figures (360Kb compressed