Related papers: The set of forces that ideal trusses, or wire webs…
In many applications of Structural Engineering the following question arises: given a set of forces $\mathbf{f}_1,\mathbf{f}_2,\dots,\mathbf{f}_N$ applied at prescribed points $\mathbf{x}_1,\mathbf{x}_2,\dots,\mathbf{x}_N$, under what…
Truss structures composed of members that work exclusively in tension or in compression appear in several problems of science and engineering, e.g., in the study of the resisting mechanisms of masonry structures, as well as in the design of…
We consider the problem of finding a net that supports prescribed forces applied at prescribed points, yet avoids certain obstacles, with all the elements of the net under compression (strut net) or under tension (cable web). In the case of…
The vertex model is a popular framework for modelling tightly packed biological cells, such as confluent epithelia. Cells are described by convex polygons tiling the plane and their equilibrium is found by minimizing a global mechanical…
We use support theory, in particular the fretsaw extensions of Shklarski and Toledo, to design preconditioners for the stiffness matrices of 2-dimensional truss structures that are stiffly connected. Provided that all the lengths of the…
In this paper we study the optimal reinforcement of an elastic membrane, fixed at its boundary, by means of a network (connected onedimensional structure), that has to be found in a suitable admissible class. We show the existence of an…
We consider the polyhedral properties of two spanning tree problems with additional constraints. In the first problem, it is required to find a tree with a minimum sum of edge weights among all spanning trees with the number of leaves less…
We study geometrical clues of a rigidity transition due to the emergence of a system-spanning state of self stress in under-constrained systems of individual polygons and spring networks constructed from such polygons. When a polygon with…
Recently, it has been proven that a tensegrity framework that arises from coning the one-skeleton of a convex polytope is rigid. Since such frameworks are not always infinitesimally rigid, this leaves open the question as to whether they…
The convex restriction of the power flow feasible sets identifies the convex subset of power injections where the solution for power flow is guaranteed to exist and satisfy the operational constraints. In contrast to convex relaxations, the…
Trusses are load-carrying light-weight structures consisting of bars connected at joints ubiquitously applied in a variety of engineering scenarios. Designing optimal trusses that satisfy functional specifications with a minimal amount of…
A cylindrical flexible cable made up of pure fluid water can be experimentally spanned across a spatial gap with cable endpoints fixed to the top edges of two glass beakers. The cable has been called a water bridge in close analogy to iron…
Entangled networks are ubiquitous in tissues, polymers, and fabrics. However, their mechanics remain insufficiently understood due to the complexity of the topological constraints at the network level. Here, we develop a mathematical…
Tightness is a generalisation of the notion of convexity: a space is tight if and only if it is "as convex as possible", given its topological constraints. For a simplicial complex, deciding tightness has a straightforward exponential time…
The robust truss topology optimization against the uncertain static external load can be formulated as mixed-integer semidefinite programming. Although a global optimal solution can be computed with a branch-and-bound method, it is very…
We state the formula for the critical number of vertices of a convex lattice polygon that guarantees that the polygon contains at least one point of a given sublattice and give a partial proof of the formula. We show that the proof can be…
Accurate contraction of tensor networks beyond one dimension is essential in various fields including quantum many-body physics. Existing approaches typically rely on approximate contraction schemes and do not provide certified error bars.…
Torques on interfaces can be described by a divergence-free tensor which is fully encoded in the geometry. This tensor consists of two terms, one originating in the couple of the stress, the other capturing an intrinsic contribution due to…
Each element in tensioned structural networks -- such as tensegrity, architectural fabrics, or medical braces/meshes -- requires a specific tension level to achieve and maintain the desired shape, stability, and compliance. These structures…
Every university introductory physics course considers the problem of Atwood's machine taking into account the mass of the pulley. In the usual treatment the tensions at the two ends of the string are offhandedly taken to act on the pulley…