Fine’s Theorem on First-Order Complete Modal Logics

Fine’s influential Canonicity Theorem states that if a modal logic is determined by a first-order definable class of Kripke frames, then it is valid in its canonical frames. This article reviews the background and context of this result, and the history of its impact on further research. It then develops a new characterization of when a logic is canonically valid, providing a precise point of distinction with the property of first-order completeness. The ultimate point is that the construction of the canonical frame of a modal algebra does not commute with the ultrapower construction.

Differentiable mapping generated by elliptic parabo­loid complexes

In three-dimensional equiaffine space, we consider a differentiable map generated by complexes with three-parameter families of elliptic paraboloids according to the method proposed by the author in the mate­rials of the international scientific conference on geometry and applica­tions in Bulgaria in 1986, as well as in works published earlier in the sci­entific collection of Differ. Geom. Mnogoobr. Figur. The study is carried out in the canonical frame, the vertex of which coincides with the top of the generating element of the manifold, the first two coordinate vectors are conjugate and lie in the tangent plane of the elliptic paraboloid at its vertex, the third coordinate vector is directed along the main diameter of the generating element so that the ends are, respectively, the sums of the first and third, and also the sums of the second and third coordinate vec­tors lay on a paraboloid, while the indicatrixes of all three coordinate vec­tors describe lines with tangents, parallel to the first coordinate vector. The existence theorem of the mapping under study is proved, according to which it exists and is determined with the arbitrariness of one function of one argument. The systems of equations of the indicatrix and the main directions of the mapping under consideration are obtained. The indicatrix and the cone of the main directions of the indicated mapping are geomet­rically characterized.

The canonical frame of purified gravity

In the recently introduced gauge theory of translations, dubbed Coincident General Relativity (CGR), gravity is described with neither torsion nor curvature in the spacetime affine geometry. The action of the theory enjoys an enhanced symmetry and avoids the second derivatives that appear in the conventional Einstein–Hilbert action. While it implies the equivalent classical dynamics, the improved action principle can make a difference in considerations of energetics, thermodynamics and quantum theory. This paper reports on possible progress in those three aspects of gravity theory. In the so-called purified gravity, (1) energy–momentum is described locally by a conserved, symmetric tensor, (2) the Euclidean path integral is convergent without the addition of boundary or regulating terms and (3) it is possible to identify a canonical frame for quantization.

Surface theory in discrete projective differential geometry. I. A canonical frame and an integrable discrete Demoulin system

We present the first steps of a procedure which discretizes surface theory in classical projective differential geometry in such a manner that underlying integrable structure is preserved. We propose a canonical frame in terms of which the associated projective Gauss-Weingarten and Gauss-Mainardi-Codazzi equations adopt compact forms. Based on a scaling symmetry which injects a parameter into the linear Gauss-Weingarten equations, we set down an algebraic classification scheme of discrete projective minimal surfaces which turns out to admit a geometric counterpart formulated in terms of discrete notions of Lie quadrics and their envelopes. In the case of discrete Demoulin surfaces, we derive a Bäcklund transformation for the underlying discrete Demoulin system and show how the latter may be formulated as a two-component generalization of the integrable discrete Tzitzéica equation which has originally been derived in a different context. At the geometric level, this connection leads to the retrieval of the standard discretization of affine spheres in affine differential geometry.

hp-Version discontinuous Galerkin methods on polygonal and polyhedral meshes

An hp-version interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin method (DGFEM) for the numerical solution of second-order elliptic partial differential equations on general computational meshes consisting of polygonal/polyhedral elements is presented and analyzed. Utilizing a bounding box concept, the method employs elemental polynomial bases of total degree p (𝒫p-basis) defined on the physical space, without the need to map from a given reference or canonical frame. This, together with a new specific choice of the interior penalty parameter which allows for face-degeneration, ensures that optimal a priori bounds may be established, for general meshes including polygonal elements with degenerating edges in two dimensions and polyhedral elements with degenerating faces and/or edges in three dimensions. Numerical experiments highlighting the performance of the proposed method are presented. Moreover, the competitiveness of the p-version DGFEM employing a 𝒫p-basis in comparison to the conforming p-version finite element method on tensor-product elements is studied numerically for a simple test problem.

Trajectory Tracking via Independent Solutions to the Geometric and Temporal Tracking Subproblems

Trajectory tracking is accomplished by obtaining separate solutions to the geometric path-tracking problem and the temporal tracking problem. A methodology enabling the geometric tracking of a desired planar or spatial path to any order with a nonredundant manipulator is developed. In contrast to previous work, the equations are developed using one of the manipulator’s joint variables as the independent parameter in a fixed global frame rather than a configuration-dependent canonical frame. Both these features provide significant practical advantages. Furthermore, a strategy for determining joint velocities and accelerations at singular configurations is provided, which allows the manipulator to approach and/or move out of a singular configuration with finite joint velocities without sacrificing the geometric fidelity of tracking. An example shows a spatial six-revolute robot tracking a trajectory using the developed method in conjunction with resolved-acceleration feedback control.

Geometric, Spatial Path Tracking Using Non-Redundant Manipulators via Speed-Ratio Control

Path tracking can be accomplished by separating the control of the desired trajectory geometry and the control of the path variable. Existing methods accomplish tracking of up to third-order geometric properties of planar paths and up to second-order properties of spatial paths using non-redundant manipulators, but only in special cases. This paper presents a novel methodology that enables the geometric tracking of a desired planar or spatial path to any order with any non-redundant regional manipulator. The governing first-order coordination equation for a spatial path-tracking problem is developed, the repeated differentiation of which generates the coordination equation of the desired order. In contrast to previous work, the equations are developed in a fixed global frame rather than a configuration-dependent canonical frame, providing a significant practical advantage. The equations are shown to be linear, and therefore, computationally efficient. As an example, the results are applied to a spatial 3-revolute mechanism that tracks a spatial path. Spatial, rigid-body guidance is achieved by applying the technique to three points on the end-effector of a six degree-of-freedom robot. A spatial 6-revolute robot is used as an illustration.

First-Order Coordination of the Articulated Arm Subassembly Using Curvature Theory

This paper presents an approach to obtain the first-order speed ratios for three-degree-of-freedom spatial mechanisms that allow three degrees of translational freedom. The approach eliminates the need to locate the canonical frame and find the instantaneous invariants of motion and provides a direct method of obtaining the first-order speed ratios. The expressions for the speed ratios of the articulated arm subassembly are analyzed, and the regions of the workspace wherein the joints have dwells in their trajectories are identified. The first-order Taylor series is used for joint coordination, allowing the system to track a predefined spatial path. An example illustrating the application of curvature theory to spatial path tracking with a specific articulated arm subassembly is presented.