Purpose A recursive scheme for the ALIENOR method is proposed as a remedy for the difficulties induced by the method. A progressive focusing on the most promising region, in combination with a variation of the density of the alpha-dense curve, is proposed. Design/methodology/approach ALIENOR method is aimed at reducing the space dimensions of an optimization problem by spanning it by using a single alpha-dense curve: the curvilinear abscissa along the curve becomes the only design parameter for any design space.

The reverse mortgage market has been expanding rapidly in developed economies in recent years. Reverse mortgages provide an alternative source of funding for retirement income and health care costs. Increase in life expectancies and decrease in the real income at retirement continue to worry those who are retired or close to retirement. Therefore, financial products that help to alleviate the "risk of living longer" continue to be attractive among the retirees. Reverse mortgage contracts involve a range of risks from the insurer's perspective.

Here we propose and analyze a mathematical model that aims to describe the marble sulphation process occurring in a given material. The model accounts for rugosity as well as for damaging effects. This model is characterized by some technical difficulties that seem hard to overcome from a theoretical viewpoint. Therefore, we introduce some physically reasonable modifications in order to establish the existence of a suitable notion of solution on a given time interval. Numerical simulations are presented and discussed, also in view of further research.