Author: luc Date: Fri Mar 1 17:36:46 2013 New Revision: 1451658 URL: http://svn.apache.org/r1451658 Log: Improved javadoc to explain how switching functions should behave across events in ODE events detection.
JIRA: MATH-937 Modified: commons/proper/math/trunk/src/changes/changes.xml commons/proper/math/trunk/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/math3/ode/events/EventHandler.java Modified: commons/proper/math/trunk/src/changes/changes.xml URL: http://svn.apache.org/viewvc/commons/proper/math/trunk/src/changes/changes.xml?rev=1451658&r1=1451657&r2=1451658&view=diff ============================================================================== --- commons/proper/math/trunk/src/changes/changes.xml (original) +++ commons/proper/math/trunk/src/changes/changes.xml Fri Mar 1 17:36:46 2013 @@ -55,6 +55,10 @@ This is a minor release: It combines bug Changes to existing features were made in a backwards-compatible way such as to allow drop-in replacement of the v3.1[.1] JAR file. "> + <action dev="luc" type="fix" issue="MATH-937" > + Improved javadoc to explain how switching functions should + behave across events in ODE events detection. + </action> <action dev="luc" type="add" > Added Hermite interpolator for ExtendFieldElement instances. </action> Modified: commons/proper/math/trunk/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/math3/ode/events/EventHandler.java URL: http://svn.apache.org/viewvc/commons/proper/math/trunk/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/math3/ode/events/EventHandler.java?rev=1451658&r1=1451657&r2=1451658&view=diff ============================================================================== --- commons/proper/math/trunk/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/math3/ode/events/EventHandler.java (original) +++ commons/proper/math/trunk/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/math3/ode/events/EventHandler.java Fri Mar 1 17:36:46 2013 @@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package org.apache.commons.math3.ode.events; + /** This interface represents a handler for discrete events triggered * during ODE integration. * @@ -107,6 +108,28 @@ public interface EventHandler { * The switching function must be continuous in its roots neighborhood * (but not necessarily smooth), as the integrator will need to find its * roots to locate precisely the events.</p> + * <p>Also note that the integrator expect that once an event has occurred, + * the sign of the switching function at the start of the next step (i.e. + * just after the event) is the opposite of the sign just before the event. + * This consistency between the steps <string>must</strong> be preserved, + * otherwise {@link org.apache.commons.math3.exception.NoBracketingException + * exceptions} related to root not being bracketed will occur.</p> + * <p>This need for consistency is sometimes tricky to achieve. A typical + * example is using an event to model a ball bouncing on the floor. The first + * idea to represent this would be to have {@code g(t) = h(t)} where h is the + * height above the floor at time {@code t}. When {@code g(t)} reaches 0, the + * ball is on the floor, so it should bounce and the typical way to do this is + * to reverse its vertical velocity. However, this would mean that before the + * event {@code g(t)} was decreasing from positive values to 0, and after the + * event {@code g(t)} would be increasing from 0 to positive values again. + * Consistency is broken here! The solution here is to have {@code g(t) = sign + * * h(t)}, where sign is a variable with initial value set to {@code +1}. Each + * time {@link #eventOccurred(double, double[], boolean) eventOccurred} is called, + * {@code sign} is reset to {@code -sign}. This allows the {@code g(t)} + * function to remain continuous (and even smooth) even across events, despite + * {@code h(t)} is not. Basically, the event is used to <em>fold</em> {@code h(t)} + * at bounce points, and {@code sign} is used to <em>unfold</em> it back, so the + * solvers sees a {@code g(t)} function which behaves smoothly even across events.</p> * @param t current value of the independent <i>time</i> variable * @param y array containing the current value of the state vector