143 research outputs found
On Complexity of 1-Center in Various Metrics
We consider the classic 1-center problem: Given a set P of n points in a
metric space find the point in P that minimizes the maximum distance to the
other points of P. We study the complexity of this problem in d-dimensional
-metrics and in edit and Ulam metrics over strings of length d. Our
results for the 1-center problem may be classified based on d as follows.
Small d: We provide the first linear-time algorithm for 1-center
problem in fixed-dimensional metrics. On the other hand, assuming the
hitting set conjecture (HSC), we show that when , no
subquadratic algorithm can solve 1-center problem in any of the
-metrics, or in edit or Ulam metrics.
Large d. When , we extend our conditional lower bound
to rule out sub quartic algorithms for 1-center problem in edit metric
(assuming Quantified SETH). On the other hand, we give a
-approximation for 1-center in Ulam metric with running time
.
We also strengthen some of the above lower bounds by allowing approximations
or by reducing the dimension d, but only against a weaker class of algorithms
which list all requisite solutions. Moreover, we extend one of our hardness
results to rule out subquartic algorithms for the well-studied 1-median problem
in the edit metric, where given a set of n strings each of length n, the goal
is to find a string in the set that minimizes the sum of the edit distances to
the rest of the strings in the set
Tensorial Constitutive Models for Disordered Foams, Dense Emulsions, and other Soft Nonergodic Materials
In recent years, the paradigm of `soft glassy matter' has been used to
describe diverse nonergodic materials exhibiting strong local disorder and slow
mesoscopic rearrangement. As so far formulated, however, the resulting `soft
glassy rheology' (SGR) model treats the shear stress in isolation, effectively
`scalarizing' the stress and strain rate tensors. Here we offer generalizations
of the SGR model that combine its nontrivial aging and yield properties with a
tensorial structure that can be specifically adapted, for example, to the
description of fluid film assemblies or disordered foams.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figure
Slow viscoelastic relaxation and aging in aqueous foam
Like emulsions, pastes and many other forms of soft condensed matter, aqueous
foams present slow mechanical relaxations when subjected to a stress too small
to induce any plastic flow. To identify the physical origin of this
viscoelastic behaviour, we have simulated how dry disordered coarsening 2D
foams respond to a small applied stress. We show that the mechanism of long
time relaxation is driven by coarsening induced rearrangements of small bubble
clusters. These findings are in full agreement with a scaling law previously
derived from experimental creep data for 3D foams. Moreover, we find that the
temporal statistics of coarsening induced bubble rearrangements are described
by a Poisson process.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure
A high rate flow-focusing foam generator
We use a rigid axisymetric microfluidic flow focusing device to produce
monodisperse bubbles, dispersed in a surfactant solution. The gas volume
fraction of the dispersion collected out of this device can be as large as 90%,
demonstrating that foam with solid-like viscoelastic properties can be produced
in this way. The polydispersity of the bubbles is so low that we observe
crystallization of our foam. We measure the diameter of the bubbles and compare
these data to recent theoretical predictions. The good control over bubble size
and foam gas volume fraction shows that our device is a flexible and promising
tool to produce calibrated foam at a high flow rate
An elasto-visco-plastic model for immortal foams or emulsions
A variety of complex fluids consist in soft, round objects (foams, emulsions,
assemblies of copolymer micelles or of multilamellar vesicles -- also known as
onions). Their dense packing induces a slight deviation from their prefered
circular or spherical shape. As a frustrated assembly of interacting bodies,
such a material evolves from one conformation to another through a succession
of discrete, topological events driven by finite external forces. As a result,
the material exhibits a finite yield threshold. The individual objects usually
evolve spontaneously (colloidal diffusion, object coalescence, molecular
diffusion), and the material properties under low or vanishing stress may alter
with time, a phenomenon known as aging. We neglect such effects to address the
simpler behaviour of (uncommon) immortal fluids: we construct a minimal, fully
tensorial, rheological model, equivalent to the (scalar) Bingham model.
Importantly, the model consistently describes the ability of such soft
materials to deform substantially in the elastic regime (be it compressible or
not) before they undergo (incompressible) plastic creep -- or viscous flow
under even higher stresses.Comment: 69 pages, 29 figure
Non-Equilibrium in Adsorbed Polymer Layers
High molecular weight polymer solutions have a powerful tendency to deposit
adsorbed layers when exposed to even mildly attractive surfaces. The
equilibrium properties of these dense interfacial layers have been extensively
studied theoretically. A large body of experimental evidence, however,
indicates that non-equilibrium effects are dominant whenever monomer-surface
sticking energies are somewhat larger than kT, a common case. Polymer
relaxation kinetics within the layer are then severely retarded, leading to
non-equilibrium layers whose structure and dynamics depend on adsorption
kinetics and layer ageing. Here we review experimental and theoretical work
exploring these non-equilibrium effects, with emphasis on recent developments.
The discussion addresses the structure and dynamics in non-equilibrium polymer
layers adsorbed from dilute polymer solutions and from polymer melts and more
concentrated solutions. Two distinct classes of behaviour arise, depending on
whether physisorption or chemisorption is involved. A given adsorbed chain
belonging to the layer has a certain fraction of its monomers bound to the
surface, f, and the remainder belonging to loops making bulk excursions. A
natural classification scheme for layers adsorbed from solution is the
distribution of single chain f values, P(f), which may hold the key to
quantifying the degree of irreversibility in adsorbed polymer layers. Here we
calculate P(f) for equilibrium layers; we find its form is very different to
the theoretical P(f) for non-equilibrium layers which are predicted to have
infinitely many statistical classes of chain. Experimental measurements of P(f)
are compared to these theoretical predictions.Comment: 29 pages, Submitted to J. Phys.: Condens. Matte
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