arXiv subjects

Eric J. Olson

Publications and source records attributed to Eric J. Olson.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2020

On the Assouad dimension of differences of self-similar fractals

If $X$ is a set with finite Assouad dimension, it is known that the Assouad dimension of $X-X$ does not necessarily obey any non-trivial bound in terms of the Assouad dimension of $X$. In this paper, we consider self-similar sets on the real line and we show that if a particular weak separation condition is satisfied, then the Assouad dimension of the set of differences is bounded above by twice the Assouad dimension of the set itself. We then apply this result to a particular class of asymmetric Cantor sets.

math.DS↗

arXiv2018

Continuous data assimilation with blurred-in-time measurements of the surface quasi-geostrophic equation

An intrinsic property of almost any physical measuring device is that it makes observations which are slightly blurred in time. We consider a nudging-based approach for data assimilation that constructs an approximate solution based on a feedback control mechanism that is designed to account for observations that have been blurred by a moving time average. Analysis of this nudging model in the context of the subcritical surface quasi-geostrophic equation shows, provided the time-averaging window is sufficiently small and the resolution of the observations sufficiently fine, that the approximating solution converges exponentially fast to the observed solution over time. In particular, we demonstrate that observational data with a small blur in time possess no significant obstructions to data assimilation provided that the nudging properly takes the time averaging into account. Two key ingredients in our analysis are additional boundedness properties for the relevant interpolant observation operators and a non-local Gronwall inequality.

math.AP↗

arXiv2017

Some results in support of the Kakeya Conjecture

A Besicovitch set is a subset of $\R^d$ that contains a unit line segment in every direction and the famous Kakeya conjecture states that Besicovitch sets should have full dimension. We provide a number of results in support of this conjecture in a variety of contexts. Our proofs are simple and aim to give an intuitive feel for the problem. For example, we give a very simple proof that the packing and lower box-counting dimension of any Besicovitch set is at least $(d+1)/2$ (better estimates are available in the literature). We also study the `generic validity' of the Kakeya conjecture in the setting of Baire Category and prove that typical Besicovitch sets have full upper box-counting dimension. We also study a weaker version of the Kakeya problem where unit line segments are replaced by half-infinite lines. We prove that such `half-extended Besicovitch sets' have full Assouad dimension. This can be viewed as full resolution of a (much weakened) version of the Kakeya problem.

math.CA↗

arXiv2017

Continuity of pullback and uniform attractors

We study the continuity of pullback and uniform attractors for non-autonomous dynamical systems with respect to perturbations of a parameter. Consider a family of dynamical systems parameterised by a complete metric space $Λ$ such that for each $λ\inΛ$ there exists a unique pullback attractor $\mathcal A_λ(t)$. Using the theory of Baire category we show under natural conditions that there exists a residual set $Λ_*\subseteqΛ$ such that for every $t\in\mathbb R$ the function $λ\mapsto\mathcal A_λ(t)$ is continuous at each $λ\inΛ_*$ with respect to the Hausdorff metric. Similarly, given a family of uniform attractors $\mathbb A_λ$, there is a residual set at which the map $λ\mapsto\mathbb A_λ$ is continuous. We also introduce notions of equi-attraction suitable for pullback and uniform attractors and then show when $Λ$ is compact that the continuity of pullback attractors and uniform attractors with respect to $λ$ is equivalent to pullback equi-attraction and, respectively, uniform equi-attraction. These abstract results are then illustrated in the context of the Lorenz equations and the two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations.

math.DS↗

arXiv2016

Equi-homogeneity, Assouad Dimension and Non-autonomous Dynamics

We show that self-similar sets arising from iterated function systems that satisfy the Moran open-set condition, a canonical class of fractal sets, are `equi-homogeneous'. This is a regularity property that, roughly speaking, means that at each fixed length-scale any two neighbourhoods of the set have covers of approximately equal cardinality. Self-similar sets are notable in that they are Ahlfors-David regular, which implies that their Assouad and box-counting dimensions coincide. More generally, attractors of non-autonomous iterated functions systems (where maps are allowed to vary between iterations) can have distinct Assouad and box-counting dimensions. Consequently the familiar notion of Ahlfors-David regularity is too strong to be useful in the analysis of this important class of sets, which include generalised Cantor sets and possess different dimensional behaviour at different length-scales. We further develop the theory of equi-homogeneity showing that it is a weaker property than Ahlfors-David regularity and distinct from any previously defined notion of dimensional equivalence. However, we show that if the upper and lower box-counting dimensions of an equi-homogeneous set are equal and `attained' in a sense we make precise then the lower Assouad, Hausdorff, packing, lower box-counting, upper box-counting and Assouad dimensions coincide. Our main results provide conditions under which the attractor of a non-autonomous iterated function system is equi-homogeneous and we use this to compute the Assouad dimension of a certain class of these highly non-trivial sets.

math.CA↗

arXiv2015

Capacitive Sensing of Intercalated H2O Molecules Using Graphene

Understanding the interactions of ambient molecules with graphene and adjacent dielectrics is of fundamental importance for a range of graphene-based devices, particularly sensors, where such interactions could influence the operation of the device. It is well-known that water can be trapped underneath graphene and its host substrate, however, the electrical effect of water beneath graphene and the dynamics of how it changes with different ambient conditions has not been quantified. Here, using a metal-oxide-graphene variable-capacitor (varactor) structure, we show that graphene can be used to capacitively sense the intercalation of water between graphene and HfO2 and that this process is reversible on a fast time scale. Atomic force microscopy is used to confirm the intercalation and quantify the displacement of graphene as a function of humidity. Density functional theory simulations are used to quantify the displacement of graphene induced by intercalated water and also explain the observed Dirac point shifts as being due to the combined effect of water and oxygen on the carrier concentration in the graphene. Finally, molecular dynamics simulations indicate that a likely mechanism for the intercalation involves adsorption and lateral diffusion of water molecules beneath the graphene.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Lower bounds on blowing-up solutions of the 3D Navier--Stokes equations in $\dot H^{3/2}$, $\dot H^{5/2}$, and $\dot B^{5/2}_{2,1}$

If $u$ is a smooth solution of the Navier--Stokes equations on ${\mathbb R}^3$ with first blowup time $T$, we prove lower bounds for $u$ in the Sobolev spaces $\dot H^{3/2}$, $\dot H^{5/2}$, and the Besov space $\dot B^{5/2}_{2,1}$, with optimal rates of blowup: we prove the strong lower bounds $\|u(t)\|_{\dot H^{3/2}}\ge c(T-t)^{-1/2}$ and $\|u(t)\|_{\dot B^{5/2}_{2,1}}\ge c(T-t)^{-1}$, but in $\dot H^{5/2}$ we only obtain the weaker result $\limsup_{t\to T^-}(T-t)\|u(t)\|_{\dot H^{5/2}}\ge c$. The proofs involve new inequalities for the nonlinear term in Sobolev and Besov spaces, both of which are obtained using a dyadic decomposition of $u$.

math.AP↗

arXiv2015

On the Assouad dimension of self-similar sets with overlaps

It is known that, unlike the Hausdorff dimension, the Assouad dimension of a self-similar set can exceed the similarity dimension if there are overlaps in the construction. Our main result is the following precise dichotomy for self-similar sets in the line: either the \emph{weak separation property} is satisfied, in which case the Hausdorff and Assouad dimensions coincide; or the \emph{weak separation property} is not satisfied, in which case the Assouad dimension is maximal (equal to one). In the first case we prove that the self-similar set is Ahlfors regular, and in the second case we use the fact that if the \emph{weak separation property} is not satisfied, one can approximate the identity arbitrarily well in the group generated by the similarity mappings, and this allows us to build a \emph{weak tangent} that contains an interval. We also obtain results in higher dimensions and provide illustrative examples showing that the `equality/maximal' dichotomy does not extend to this setting.

math.CA↗

arXiv2014

Generalised Cantor sets and the dimension of products

In this paper we consider the relationship between the Assouad and box-counting dimension and how both behave under the operation of taking products. We introduce the notion of `equi-homogeneity' of a set, which requires a uniformity in the size of local covers at all lengths and at all points. We prove that the Assouad and box-counting dimensions coincide for sets that have equal upper and lower box-counting dimensions provided that the set `attains' these dimensions (analogous to `s-sets' when considering the Hausdorff dimension), and the set is equi-homogeneous. Using this fact we show that for any $α\in(0,1)$ and any $β,γ\in(0,1)$ such that $β+ γ\geq 1$ we can construct two generalised Cantor sets $C$ and $D$ such that $\text{dim}_{B}C=αβ$, $\text{dim}_{B}D=αγ$, and $\text{dim}_{A}C=\text{dim}_{A}D=\text{dim}_{A}(C\times D)=\text{dim}_{B}(C\times D)=α$.

math.CA↗

arXiv2014

On the continuity of global attractors

Let $Λ$ be a complete metric space, and let $\{S_λ(\cdot):\ λ\inΛ\}$ be a parametrised family of semigroups with global attractors ${\mathscr A}_λ$. We assume that there exists a fixed bounded set $D$ such that ${\mathscr A}_λ\subset D$ for every $λ\inΛ$. By viewing the attractors as the limit as $t\to\infty$ of the sets $S_λ(t)D$, we give simple proofs of the equivalence of `equi-attraction' to continuity (when this convergence is uniform in $λ$) and show that the attractors ${\mathscr A}_λ$ are continuous in $λ$ at a residual set of parameters in the sense of Baire Category (when the convergence is only pointwise).

math.AP↗

arXiv2013

Graphene-based quantum capacitance wireless vapor sensors

A wireless vapor sensor based upon the quantum capacitance effect in graphene is demonstrated. The sensor consists of a metal-oxide-graphene variable capacitor (varactor) coupled to an inductor, creating a resonant oscillator circuit. The resonant frequency is found to shift in proportion to water vapor concentration for relative humidity (RH) values ranging from 1% to 97% with a linear frequency shift of 5.7 +- 0.3 kHz / RH%. The capacitance values extracted from the wireless measurements agree with those determined from capacitance-voltage measurements, providing strong evidence that the sensing arises from the variable quantum capacitance in graphene. These results represent a new sensor transduction mechanism and pave the way for graphene quantum capacitance sensors to be studied for a wide range of chemical and biological sensing applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2007

Almost bi-Lipschitz embeddings and almost homogeneous sets

This paper is concerned with embeddings of homogeneous spaces into Euclidean spaces. We show that any homogeneous metric space can be embedded into a Hilbert space using an almost bi-Lipschitz mapping (bi-Lipschitz to within logarithmic corrections). The image of this set is no longer homogeneous, but `almost homogeneous'. We therefore study the problem of embedding an almost homogeneous subset $X$ of a Hilbert space $H$ into a finite-dimensional Euclidean space. In fact we show that if $X$ is a compact subset of a Banach space and $X-X$ is almost homogeneous then, for $N$ sufficiently large, a prevalent set of linear maps from $X$ into $\Re^N$ are almost bi-Lipschitz between $X$ and its image. We are then able to use the Kuratowski embedding of $(X,d)$ into $L^\infty(X)$ to prove a similar result for compact metric spaces.

math.MG↗