13,149 research outputs found
Optimization algorithms for the solution of the frictionless normal contact between rough surfaces
This paper revisits the fundamental equations for the solution of the
frictionless unilateral normal contact problem between a rough rigid surface
and a linear elastic half-plane using the boundary element method (BEM). After
recasting the resulting Linear Complementarity Problem (LCP) as a convex
quadratic program (QP) with nonnegative constraints, different optimization
algorithms are compared for its solution: (i) a Greedy method, based on
different solvers for the unconstrained linear system (Conjugate Gradient CG,
Gauss-Seidel, Cholesky factorization), (ii) a constrained CG algorithm, (iii)
the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM), and () the
Non-Negative Least Squares (NNLS) algorithm, possibly warm-started by
accelerated gradient projection steps or taking advantage of a loading history.
The latter method is two orders of magnitude faster than the Greedy CG method
and one order of magnitude faster than the constrained CG algorithm. Finally,
we propose another type of warm start based on a refined criterion for the
identification of the initial trial contact domain that can be used in
conjunction with all the previous optimization algorithms. This method, called
Cascade Multi-Resolution (CMR), takes advantage of physical considerations
regarding the scaling of the contact predictions by changing the surface
resolution. The method is very efficient and accurate when applied to real or
numerically generated rough surfaces, provided that their power spectral
density function is of power-law type, as in case of self-similar fractal
surfaces.Comment: 38 pages, 11 figure
An adaptive hierarchical domain decomposition method for parallel contact dynamics simulations of granular materials
A fully parallel version of the contact dynamics (CD) method is presented in
this paper. For large enough systems, 100% efficiency has been demonstrated for
up to 256 processors using a hierarchical domain decomposition with dynamic
load balancing. The iterative scheme to calculate the contact forces is left
domain-wise sequential, with data exchange after each iteration step, which
ensures its stability. The number of additional iterations required for
convergence by the partially parallel updates at the domain boundaries becomes
negligible with increasing number of particles, which allows for an effective
parallelization. Compared to the sequential implementation, we found no
influence of the parallelization on simulation results.Comment: 19 pages, 15 figures, published in Journal of Computational Physics
(2011
Packing 16, 17 of 18 circles in an equilateral triangle
We present new, efficient packings for 16, 17 and 18 congruent circles in an equilateral triangle. The results have been found by the use of simulated annealing and a quasi-Newton optimization technique, supplemented with some human intelligence
Merger Simulation with Brand-Level Margin: Extending PCAIDS with Nests
We present a method to calibrate empirically the demand parameters in a merger simulation model by using brand-level profit margin data. While the approach can be generalized, we develop these ideas within a particular framework the PCAIDS (proportionality- calibrated AIDS) model. We show that the brand-level margins effectively define product "nests" (products that are especially close substitutes) and substantially increase the flexibility of PCAIDS for modeling critical own- and cross-price elasticities. The model is particularly valuable for transactions at the wholesale level (where scanner data do not exist) and for geographic markets that span national borders (where comparable data may not be available), since other methods to derive elasticities, particularly those based on econometric estimation, may not be possible or may not be reliable.
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