Cónall Kelly

Lecturer

 

Department of Mathematics,

University of the West Indies.

 

Room 4, Mathematics Building

External phone number: +876 977 2693

Extension: 2284/2455

Intercom: 234

Email: conall “dot” kelly “at” uwimona “dot” edu “dot” jm

 

Research

 

Stochastic functional differential equations

 

Equilibrium preserving stochastic perturbations of functional differential equations can have a startling influence on their qualitative behaviour. Noise and delay have complementary roles in oscillatory behaviour, and carefully constructed stochastic perturbations can act to stabilise or destabilise even highly nonlinear systems with memory effects. I have also worked on the theory of existence and uniqueness of solutions of nonlinear stochastic functional differential equations.

 

Discrete-time phenomenological models

 

It can be useful to construct discrete-time models of stochastic differential equations that capture a particular dynamic property. For example it is possible to construct stochastic difference equations that that mimic the oscillatory dynamics of a particular differential equation, or which reflect the presence or absence of a finite time explosion in solutions of a corresponding stochastic differential equation.

 

Stochastic numerical analysis

 

When a numerical method is applied to a differential equation, the result is a difference equation. Ideally the dynamics of the difference equation should reflect those of the original as closely as possible, but in general this can be difficult to check. It is therefore useful to perform a linear stability analysis, applying the method of interest to a linear test equation possessed of an equilibrium solution with known stability properties, and determining the asymptotic stability of the resultant difference equation for comparison.

 

Local dynamics in discrete time

 

a.s. asymptotic properties of a class of polynomial difference equations with several equilibrium solutions, under the influence of unbounded stochastic perturbation, are local, in the sense that they depend strongly on the initial state of the process. This work encroaches upon the field of stochastic numerical analysis in that these equations may be viewed as Euler-Maruyama discretisations of drift-polynomial stochastic differential equations of Ito type. However the resultant dynamic picture holds for more general perturbation classes, including those with heavy tails.  Moreover, one can identify interesting dynamic features present in discrete time that are impossible in continuous time.

 

Academic History

 

My PhD thesis, submitted to Dublin City University in July 2005, is entitled ‘On the Oscillatory Behaviour of Stochastic Delay Equations’ and you can download the PDF version here.

 

From August 2005 until August 2006 I held a postdoctoral position at University College Cork, working with the Probability Group, headed by Prof. Neil O’Connell. The Probability Group, supported by SFI grant 04/RP1/L512 “Probability and its applications”, was part of the School of Mathematical Sciences and the Boole Centre for Research in Informatics.

 

Since August 2006 I have been a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.

Teaching (2008/09)

 

Semester 1:

M65A – Stochastic Processes.

 

Semester 2:

M25B - Statistical Inference.

M33R - Complex Analysis.

 

Teaching materials for courses currently in session can be found on OurVLE – the university’s online learning system, accessible to students here.

 

Seminar Series

 

I co-ordinate the regular research seminar held in the Mathematics Lecture Theatre on Fridays at 11am during term.

 

2006/07 Semester 1 seminars.

2006/07 Semester 2 seminars.

2007/08 Semester 1 seminars.

2007/08 Semester 2 seminars.

2008/09 Semester 1 seminars.

 

 

 

Publications (preprints and offprints available on request)

 

Cónall Kelly and Alexandra Rodkina.

Constrained Stability and Instability of Polynomial Difference Equations with State-Dependent Noise.

Discrete and Continuous Dynamical Systems, Series A, accepted for publication.

 

John A.D. Appleby, Xuerong Mao, Cónall Kelly, and Alexandra Rodkina.

On the local stability and instability of polynomial difference equations with fading stochastic perturbations.

Dynamics of Continuous, Discrete and Impulsive Systems, Series A: Mathematical Analysis, accepted for publication.

 

John A.D. Appleby, Cónall Kelly, and Alexandra Rodkina.

Dynamical consistency of solutions of continuous and discrete stochastic equations with a finite time explosion.

Proceedings of the Twelfth International Conference on Difference Equations and Applications, accepted for publication.

 

John A.D. Appleby, Xuerong Mao, Cónall Kelly, and Alexandra Rodkina.

Positivity and Stabilization for Nonlinear Stochastic Delay Differential Equations.

Stochastics: An International Journal of Probability and Stochastic Processes. 81 (2009), no. 1, 29–54.

 

Cónall Kelly and Kirk Morgan.

A Monte-Carlo Approach to the Effect of Noise on Local Stability in Polynomial Difference Equations.

Matematicas: Ensenanza Universitaria. 16 (2008), no. 2, 3-10.

 

John A.D. Appleby and Cónall Kelly.

Spurious oscillation in a uniform Euler discretisation of linear stochastic differential equations with vanishing delay.

Journal of. Computational and Applied Mathematics. 205 (2007), no. 2, 923-925.

 

John A.D. Appleby and Cónall Kelly.

Almost Sure Asymptotic Behaviour of One- and Two-step Difference Equations with Random Coefficients on a Reducing Mesh.

Proceedings of the IX International Chetayev Conference: Analytical Mechanics, Stability and Control of Motion, (2007).

 

John A.D. Appleby and Cónall Kelly.

Oscillation of solutions of a nonuniform discretisation of linear stochastic differential equations with vanishing delay.

Dynamics of Continuous, Discrete and Impulsive Systems, Series A: Mathematical Analysis. 13B (2006), suppl., 535-550.

 

John A. D. Appleby and Cónall Kelly.

Prevention of Explosions in Solutions of Functional Differential Equations by Noise Perturbation.

Dynamic Systems and Applications, 15 (2006), no. 2, 227–240.

 

John A. D. Appleby and Cónall Kelly.

Asymptotic and Oscillatory Properties of Linear Stochastic Delay Differential Equations with Vanishing Delay.

Functional Differential Equations, 11 (2004), no. 3–4, 235–265.

 

John A. D. Appleby and Cónall Kelly.

Oscillation and Non-oscillation in Solutions of Nonlinear Stochastic Delay Differential Equations.

Electronic Communications in Probability, 9 (2004), 106–118.

 

Presentations 2008/09

 

Local Dynamics of Stochastic Difference Equations,

Warwick Mathematics Institute Seminar, 21 January 2009, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.*

 

Local Dynamics of Stochastic Difference Equations,

University of Strathclyde Lunchtime Seminar, 20 January 2009, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.*

 

Linear stability analysis of one-step methods for systems of stochastic differential equations,

Heriot-Watt University Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Biology Seminar, 15 January 2009, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.*

 

Local Convergence of Difference Equations with Fading Gaussian Noise,

UWI Mathematics Seminar, 10 October 2008, University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.

 

Local Convergence of Difference Equations with Fading Gaussian Noise, University of Puerto Rico Mathematics Seminar, 19 August 2008, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

 

Local Stability of Polynomial Difference Equations Experiencing Unbounded

Stochastic Perturbations,

Heriot-Watt University Mathematics Seminar, 6 June 2008, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.

 

Explosions and Hard Landings in Discretized Nonlinear Stochastic Equations,

IX International Conference: Approximation and Optimization in the Caribbean, 6 March 2008, San Andres Island, Colombia.

 

Feedback Noise in Dynamical Systems,

Eighth Conference: Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, 28 February 2008, University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.

 

 

* Funded by a London Mathematical Society Scheme 2 Grant.

 

 

 

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