EPSRC logo

Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/S036202/1
Title: Random fragmentation-coalescence processes out of equilibrium
Principal Investigator: Kyprianou, Professor A
Other Investigators:
Rogers, Professor T
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Mathematical Sciences
Organisation: University of Bath
Scheme: Standard Research
Starts: 30 March 2020 Ends: 31 December 2022 Value (£): 444,670
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Non-linear Systems Mathematics Numerical Analysis
Statistics & Appl. Probability
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Panel DatePanel NameOutcome
27 Feb 2019 EPSRC Mathematical Sciences Prioritisation Panel February 2019 Deferred
21 May 2019 EPSRC Mathematical Sciences Prioritisation Panel May 2019 Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
Stochastic coalescence models describe how blocks of mass randomly join together over time according certain rules of random evolution. Conversely, stochastic fragmentation models describe how blocks of mass break apart over time, again according to certain rules of random evolution. Processes with one or antoher of theses actions, have been widely investigated. Coalescence has been an active field since the seminal work of Smoluchowski 100 years ago. Fragmentation is a more recently investigated phenomenon, with the the main foundational development starting from the work of Bertoin in the early 2000s.

Little has been done, howver, in the rigorous mathematical literature regarding the combination of both actions of fragmentation and coalescence. Despite this fact, there is a strong motivation for the treatement of such models in the scientific literature thanks to applications in physical chemistry and genealogy, and more recently in group dynamics in the social sciences and biology.The purpose of this project is to thus investigate new probabilistic techniques to characterise the dynamics of tractable families of stochastic fragmentation-coalescence processes.

One of the mathematical difficulties with such models is that they do not possess so-called reversibility properties. This means that when considering such processes time reversed, they do not exibit the mathematical convenience that would allow known analytical techniques to be used. For this reason, their analysis is generally difficult.

In this proposal we will look at some special classes of fragmentation-coalescence models that were only very recently introduced into the literature (by the PI and CI as well as others) and for which some degree of tractability has already been demonstrated. We will use a mixture of techniques to analyse their stationary and quasi-stationary behaviour, exposing currently unknown behaviours and laying out a deeper understanding of how such models can be treated in general.

Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Summary
Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:  
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.bath.ac.uk