This paper presents an overview of the recent progress of potential theory method in the analysis of mixed boundary value problems mainly stemming from three-dimensional crack or contact problems of multi-field coupled media. This method was used to derive a series of exact three dimensional solutions which should be of great theoretical significance because most of them usually cannot be derived by other methods such as the transform method and the trial-and-error method. Further, many solutions are obtained in terms of elementary functions that enable us to treat more complicated problems easily. It is pointed out here that the method is usually only applicable to media characterizing transverse isotropy, from which, however, the results for the isotropic case can be readily obtained.

In this research, the residential environment index system and evaluation model were established by means of subjective and objective methods. The methodology for establishing the evaluation system for residential environment was first analyzed; then the subjective evaluation data-base was established by questionnaire survey; and at the same time, the objective evaluation data-base was constructed by Geographic Information System (GIS); and then the related equation system between subjective and objective system was developed by multiple regression analysis. This research could benefit evaluation of the residential environment quality for various purposes, and also provide important rudimentary data-base for the development and improvement of residential environment for officials. Furthermore, the index system and evaluation model established in this research could construct a strong relation between subjective evaluation and objective data; and thus could provide a comprehensive, efficient and effective methodology for the evaluation of residential environment.

System identification is a method for using measured data to create or improve a mathematical model of the object being tested. From the measured data however, noise is noticed at the beginning of the response. One solution to avoid this noise problem is to skip the noisy data and then use the initial conditions as active parameters, to be found by using the system identification process. This paper describes the development of the equations for setting up the initial conditions as active parameters. The simulated data and response data from actual shear buildings were used to prove the accuracy of both the algorithm and the computer program, which include the initial conditions as active parameters. The numerical and experimental model analysis showed that the value of mass, stiffness and frequency were very reasonable and that the computed acceleration and measured acceleration matched very well.

The configuration of the novel three-stage L-band erbium-doped fiber amplifier with very large and flat gain and very low noise figure presented in this paper uses the forward ASE (amplified spontaneous emission) from the first section of the EDF (erbium-doped fiber) and the backward ASE from the third section of the EDF (both serve as the secondary pump sources of energy) to pump the second EDF. To improve the pump efficiency, the power of the pump is split into two parts (with a ratio of e.g. 2:7). The characteristics of this L-band EDFA are studied on the basis of the Giles Model with ASE.

This paper presents an efficient parallel algorithm for the shortest-path problem in interval graph for computing shortest-paths in a weighted interval graph that runs in O(n) time with n intervals in a graph. A linear processor CRCW algorithm for determining the shortest-paths in an interval graphs is given.

A class of quasilinear singularly perturbed problems with boundary perturbation is considered. Under suitable conditions, using theory of differential inequalities we studied the asymptotic behavior of the solution for the boundary value problem.

This study was aimed at investigating the sampling strategies for 2 types of figures: 3-D cubes and human faces. The research was focused on: (a) from where the sampling process started; (b) in what order the figures’ features were sampled. The study consisted of 2 experiments: (a) sampling strategies for 3-D cubes; (b) sampling strategies for human faces. The results showed that: (a), for 3-D cubes, the first sampling was mostly located at the outline parts, rarely at the center part; while for human faces, the first sampling was mostly located at the hair and outline parts, rarely at the mouth or cheek parts, in most cases, the first sampling-position had no significant effects on cognitive performance and that (b), the sampling order, both for 3-D cubes and for human faces, was determined by the degree of difference among the sampled-features.