Pseudoaffinity, de Boor algorithm, and blossoms

In order to ensure existence of a de Boor algorithm (hence of a B-spline basis) in a given spline space with (n+1)-dimensional sections, it is important to be able to generate each spline by restriction to the diagonal of a symmetric function of n variables supposed to be pseudoaffine w.r. to each variable. We proved that a way to obtain these three properties (symmetry, n-pseudoaffinity, diagonal property) is to suppose the existence of blossoms on the set of admissible n-tuples, given that blossoms are defined in a geometric way by means of intersections of osculating flats. In the present paper, we examine the converse: do symmetry, n-pseudoaffinity, and diagonal property imply existence of blossoms?     

Quasi Extended Chebyshev spaces and weight functions

We recently showed that the class of Quasi Extended Chebyshev spaces is the largest class of sufficiently differentiable functions permitting design. In previous articles we mentioned a simple procedure to build such spaces by means of both generalised derivatives associated with non-vanishing weight functions and two-dimensional Chebyshev spaces. In the present one we prove that, conversely, on a closed bounded interval, any Quasi Extended Chebyshev space can be obtained via the latter procedure. We then draw a few interesting consequences from the latter result.     

How to build all Chebyshevian spline spaces good for geometric design?

In the present work we determine all Chebyshevian spline spaces good for geometric design. By Chebyshevian spline space we mean a space of splines with sections in different Extended Chebyshev spaces and with connection matrices at the knots. We say that such a spline space is good for design when it possesses blossoms. To justify the terminology, let us recall that, in this general framework, existence of blossoms (defined on a restricted set of tuples) makes it possible to develop all the classical geometric design algorithms for splines. Furthermore, existence of blossoms is equivalent to existence of a B-spline bases both in the spline space itself and in all other spline spaces derived from it by insertion of knots. We show that Chebyshevian spline spaces good for design can be described by linear piecewise differential operators associated with systems of piecewise weight functions, with respect to which the connection matrices are identity matrices. Many interesting consequences can be drawn from the latter characterisation: as an example, all Chebsyhevian spline spaces good for design can be built by means of integral recurrence relations.     

A model for phosphorus segregation at the silicon-silicon dioxide interface

A new model for phosphorus segregation at the Si-SiO₂ interface is derived and verified by experimental data. The model considers for the first time, a third phase, the interface layer itself, in addition to the Si and SiO₂ phases, and the dynamics of the three-phase system is described in terms of rate equations. In particular, the phosphorus compound formation in the interface layer (phosphorus pile-up), which renders the dopant electrically inactive to a large extent, is described as a competition of the dopant in silicon and in silicon dioxide in filling and depleting a constant density of interface traps. Our model allows an unambiguous correlation of the dopant concentration on both sides of the interface with the integral dose of the interface phosphorus pile-up. Experimental data for different phosphorus concentrations, different temperatures, and different oxidation ambients, including inert anneals, are fitted by a single curve.     

The Fundamental Blossoming Inequality in Chebyshev Spaces—I: Applications to Schur Functions

A classical theorem by Chebyshev says how to obtain the minimum and maximum values of a symmetric multiaffine function of n variables with a prescribed sum. We show that, given two functions in an Extended Chebyshev space good for design, a similar result can be stated for the minimum and maximum values of the blossom of the first function with a prescribed value for the blossom of the second one. We give a simple geometric condition on the control polygon of the planar parametric curve defined by the pair of functions ensuring the uniqueness of the solution to the corresponding optimization problem. This provides us with a fundamental blossoming inequality associated with each Extended Chebyshev space good for design. This inequality proves to be a very powerful tool to derive many classical or new interesting inequalities. For instance, applied to Müntz spaces and to rational Müntz spaces, it provides us with new inequalities involving Schur functions which generalize the classical MacLaurin’s and Newton’s inequalities. This work definitely demonstrates that, via blossoms, CAGD techniques can have important implications in other mathematical domains, e.g., combinatorics.     

On dimension elevation in Quasi Extended Chebyshev spaces

Via blossoms we analyse the dimension elevation process from to , where is spanned over [0, 1] by 1, x,..., x ^n-2, x ^p , (1 − x) ^q , p, q being any convenient real numbers. Such spaces are not Extended Chebyshev spaces but Quasi Extended Chebyshev spaces. They were recently introduced in CAGD for shape preservation purposes (Costantini in Math Comp 46:203–214; 1986, Costantini in Advanced Course on FAIRSHAPE, pp. 87–114 in 1996; Costantini in Curves and Surfaces with Applications in CAGD, pp. 85–94, 1997). Our results give a new insight into the special case p = q for which dimension elevation had already been considered, first when p = q was supposed to be an integer (Goodman and Mazure in J Approx Theory 109:48–81, 2001), then without the latter requirement (Costantini et al. in Numer Math 101:333–354, 2005). The question of dimension elevation in more general Quasi Extended Chebyshev spaces is also addressed.     

Validation of a new method using the reactivity of electrogenerated superoxide radical in the antioxidant capacity determination of flavonoids

This article lays out a new method to measure the antioxidant capacity of some flavonoids. The methodology developed is based on the kinetics of the reaction of the antioxidant substrate with the superoxide radical (O(2)(*-)). A cyclic voltammetric technique was used to generate O(2)(*-) by reduction of molecular oxygen in aprotic media. In the same experiment the consumption of the radical was directly measured by the anodic current decay of the superoxide radical oxidation in the presence of increasing concentrations of antioxidant substrate. The method was statistically validated on flavonoid monomers and on the standard antioxidants: trolox, ascorbic acid and phloroglucinol. The linear correlations between the anodic current of O(2)(*-) and the substrate concentration allowed the determination of antioxidant index values expressed by the substrate concentration needed to consume 30% (AI(30)) and 50% (AI(50)) of O(2)(*-) in given conditions of oxygen concentration and scanning rate. The fidelity of the method was examined intraday and interlaboratories.     

Bernstein bases in Müntz spaces

Extended Chebyshev spaces possess Bernstein type bases. In this paper, we determine the expressions of such bases in spaces spanned by the constants and power functions with consecutive integer exponents. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.