Search results for "vector fields"
showing 7 items of 17 documents
Instruction-based clinical eye-tracking study on the visual interpretation of divergence : how do students look at vector field plots?
2018
Relating mathematical concepts to graphical representations is a challenging task for students. In this paper, we introduce two visual strategies to qualitatively interpret the divergence of graphical vector field representations. One strategy is based on the graphical interpretation of partial derivatives, while the other is based on the flux concept. We test the effectiveness of both strategies in an instruction-based eye-tracking study with N = 41 physics majors. We found that students’ performance improved when both strategies were introduced (74% correct) instead of only one strategy (64% correct), and students performed best when they were free to choose between the two strategies (88…
Poisson-Nijenhuis structures and the Vinogradov bracket
1994
We express the compatibility conditions that a Poisson bivector and a Nijenhuis tensor must fulfil in order to be a Poisson-Nijenhuis structure by means of a graded Lie bracket. This bracket is a generalization of Schouten and Frolicher-Nijenhuis graded Lie brackets defined on multivector fields and on vector valued differential forms respectively.
On the number of limit cycles which appear by perturbation of separatrix loop of planar vector fields
1986
Consider a fami ly of vector fCelds x~ on the plane. This fami ly depends on a parameter ~ ~ /R A, for some A ~ /~, and is supposed to be 0 ~ in (m,~) 6 /i~ 2X /~A. Suppose that for ~ = O, the vector f i e l d X o has a separatrix loop. This means that X o has an hyperbol ic saddle point s o and that one of the stable separatr ix of 8 o coincides with one of the unstable one. The union of th is curve and s o is the loop ?. A return map is defined on one side of r .
Multiple Canard Cycles in Generalized Liénard Equations
2001
AbstractThe paper treats multiple limit cycle bifurcations in singular perturbation problems of planar vector fields. The results deal with any number of parameters. Proofs are based on the techniques introduced in “Canard Cycles and Center Manifolds” (F. Dumortier and R. Roussarie, 1996, Mem. Amer. Math. Soc., 121). The presentation is limited to generalized Liénard equations εx+α(x, c)x+β(x, c)=0.
Lipschitz Carnot-Carathéodory Structures and their Limits
2022
AbstractIn this paper we discuss the convergence of distances associated to converging structures of Lipschitz vector fields and continuously varying norms on a smooth manifold. We prove that, under a mild controllability assumption on the limit vector-fields structure, the distances associated to equi-Lipschitz vector-fields structures that converge uniformly on compact subsets, and to norms that converge uniformly on compact subsets, converge locally uniformly to the limit Carnot-Carathéodory distance. In the case in which the limit distance is boundedly compact, we show that the convergence of the distances is uniform on compact sets. We show an example in which the limit distance is not…
Visual understanding of divergence and curl: Visual cues promote better learning
2019
Prior research has shown that students struggle to indicate whether vector field plots have zero or non-zero curl or divergence. In an instruction-based eye-tracking study, we investigated whether visual cues (VC) provided in the vector field plot can foster students’ understanding of these concepts. The VC were only present during instruction and highlighted conceptual information about vector decomposition and partial derivatives. Thirty-two physics majors were assigned to two groups, one was instructed with VC about the problemsolving strategy, and one without. The results show that students in VC-condition performed better, responded with higher confidence, experienced less mental effor…
Relationship between volume and energy of vector fields
2001
Abstract A unified study of energy and volume functionals is presented here by determining the critical points of a functional that extends simultaneously energy and volume and that is defined on the product of the manifold of smooth maps C∞(M,N) times the manifold M of riemannian metrics on M. The restriction of this functional to different submanifolds of the space of vector fields X (M)× M is also considered, and used to study several functionals generalizing volume and energy or total bending of vector fields