Schedule of Events 2010

Jirotka, M., and Goguen, J. A. (1994). Requirements Engineering: Social and Technical Issues. 296 pages, US$52.50. San Diego: Academic Press, Inc. (ISBN 0–1238–5335–4)

Dillon, A. (1994). Designing Usable Electronic Text: Ergonomie Aspects of Human Information Usage. 175 pages, Cloth $75.00, Paper $32.00. Bristol, PA: Taylor &; Francis, Ltd. (ISBN 0–7484–0113‐X)

Oppermann, R. (1994). Adaptive User Support. 253 pages, US$49.95. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. (ISBN 0–8058–1655–0)

Landauer, T. K. (1995). The Trouble with Computers. 296 pages, US$27.50. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. (ISBN 0–262–12186–7).

Weimer, J. (1995). Research Techniques In Human Engineering. 504 pages, US$63.75. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall PTR. (ISBN 0–13–097072–7).     

Book reviews

Monk, A., Diaper, D., and Harrison, M. D. (1992). People and Computers VII. 534 pages, US$69.96: Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. (ISBN 0–521–44591–4)

Duffy, T. M., Palmer, J. E., and Mehlenbacher, B. (1992). Online Help: Design and Evaluation. 260 pages, US$55.00 (cloth) US$26.50 (paper): Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corp. (ISBN 0–89391–848–2)     

Reviews: What a great idea—I'll try that with my grade 9s

M. Monk & J. Osborne. (Eds.). (2000). Good Practice in Science Teaching: What Research Has to Say. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press. ISBN 0–335–20391–4 (paper), 0–335–20392–2 (cloth)     

Number theory in mathematics education: Perspectives and prospects

Zazkis, R., & Campbell, S.R. (Eds.). (2006). Number Theory in Mathematics Education: Perspectives and Prospects. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. ISBN 0–8058–5407‐X (cloth); 0–8058–5408–8 (paper)     

Similarity measures of picture fuzzy sets based on entropy and their application in MCDM

Pattern Analysis and Applications - An extension of fuzzy sets (Zadeh in Inf Control 8:338–353, 1965) and intuitionistic fuzzy sets (Atanassov in Fuzzy Sets Syst 20(1):87–96, 1986) is...     

Inter-satellite calibration linkages for the visible and near-infared channels of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer on the NOAA-7, -9, and -11 spacecraft

The post-launch degradation of the visible (channel 1:≈0· 58–0·68μm) and near-infrared (channel 2: ≈ O·72–1·1 μm) channels of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on the NOAA–7, –9, and –11 Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) was estimated using the south-eastern part of the Libyan desert as a radiometrically stable calibration target. The relative annual degradation rates, in per cent, for the two channels are, respectively: 3·6 and 4·3 (NOAA–7) 5·9 and 3·5 (NOAA–9); and 1·2 and 2·0 (NOAA–11). Using the relative degradation rates thus determined, in conjunction with absolute calibrations based on congruent path aircraft/satellite radiance measurements over White Sands, New Mexico (U.S.A.), the variation in time of the absolute gain or ‘slope’ of the AVHRR on NOAA–9 was evaluated. Inter-satellite calibration linkages were established, using the AYHRR on NOAA–9 as a normalization standard. Formulae for the calculation of calibrated radiances and albedos (AYHRR usage), based on these interlinkages, are given for the three AYHRRs.     

Book review

Emmeche, Claus, translated by Steven Sampson, (1994). The Garden in the Machine: The Emerging Science of Artificial Life, 199 pages: Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. (ISBN 0–691–03330–7)     

Remote sensing technique for mapping salt affected soils

The salt affected soils of Etah, Aligarh, Mainpuri and Mathura districts have been mapped into S1: < 10 per cent of the area covered by salts, S2: 10–30 per cent, S3: 30–50 per cent, S4: 50–75 per cent and S5: > 75 per cent using an integrated approach of image interpretation. The dull white tone of salt affected and sandy soils have posed problems in their discrimination, on TM false colour composite, however, the problem of spectral similarity was solved through integration of interpretation of thermal data (10.4–12.5μm) with TM FCC (bands 2, 3, 4) interpretation. The discrimination of salt affected soils was significantly better on data between March and first week of April because of maximum contrast. Out of l-75m ha of the total geographical area, the salt affected soils account for 11–8 per cent. Another 16–2 per cent is likely to be affected with this problem if similar degraded conditions prevail there. The values of pH: 8–7 and ECe: 1–3 dsm^-1 of S1 soils group them into non saline and mildly alkali class. Similarly low ECe: 4–4dSm^-1 and high pH: 9–8 for S3 soils and high ECe: 24–0 dsm^-1 and very high pH: 10–7 of S4/S5 soils, placed the soils into alkali and sodic classes respectively. The gypsum requirement based on pH values varies from 1 to 15 tha^-1.     

The Cognitive Artifacts of Designing. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates by Willemien Visser

Lansdale, M. W., and Ormerod, T. C. (1994). Understanding Interfaces: A Handbook of Human‐Computer Dialogue. 289 pages, US $45.00: San Diego CA: Academic Press, Inc. (ISBN 0–12–528390–3)     

Some types of filters in residuated lattices

In this paper, inspired by some types of $BL$ -algebra filters (deductive systems) introduced in Haveshki et al. (Soft Comput 10:657–664, 2006), Kondo and Dudek (Soft Comput 12:419–423, 2008) and Turunen (Arch Math Log 40:467–473, 2001), we defined residuated lattice versions of them and study them in connection with Van Gasse et al. (Inf Sci 180(16):3006–3020, 2010), Lianzhen and Kaitai (Inf Sci 177:5725–5738, 2007), Zhu and Xu (Inf Sci 180:3614–3632, 2010). Also we consider some relations between these filters and quotient residuated lattice that are constructed via these filters.     

Book reviews

Booth, Paul. An Introduction to Human Computer Interaction. 268 pages, $39.95 (Hardback), $19.95 (Paperback): Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1989, ISBN O‐86377–122‐X (Hbk); ISBN O‐86377–123–8 (Pbk)     

Performing word sense disambiguation at the border between unsupervised and knowledge-based techniques

This paper aims to fully present a new word sense disambiguation method that has been introduced in Hristea and Popescu (Fundam Inform 91(3–4):547–562, 2009) and so far tested in the case of adjectives (Hristea and Popescu in Fundam Inform 91(3–4):547–562, 2009) and verbs (Hristea in Int Rev Comput Softw 4(1):58–67, 2009). We hereby extend the method to the case of nouns and draw conclusions regarding its performance with respect to all these parts of speech. The method lies at the border between unsupervised and knowledge-based techniques. It performs unsupervised word sense disambiguation based on an underlying Naïve Bayes model, while using WordNet as knowledge source for feature selection. The performance of the method is compared to that of previous approaches that rely on completely different feature sets. Test results for all involved parts of speech show that feature selection using a knowledge source of type WordNet is more effective in disambiguation than local type features (like part-of-speech tags) are.     

Comments and further improvements on “pth moment stability of stochastic neural networks with Markov volatilities”

In a very recent paper, Peng and Liu (Neural Comput Appl 20:543–547, 2011) investigated the pth moment stability of the stochastic Grossberg–Hopfield neural networks with Markov volatilities by Mao et al. (Bernoulli 6:73–90, 2000, Theorem 4.1). We should point out that Mao et al. (Bernoulli 6:73–90, 2000, Theorem 4.1) investigated the pth moment exponentially stable for a class of stochastic dynamical systems with constant delay; however, this theorem cannot apply to the case of variable time delays. It is also worthy to emphasize that Peng and Liu (Neural Comput Appl 20:543–547, 2011) discussed by Mao et al. (Bernoulli 6:73–90, 2000, Theorem 4.1) the pth moment exponentially stable for the Grossberg–Hopfield neural networks with variable delays, and therefore, there are some gaps between Peng and Liu (Neural Comput Appl 20:543–547, 2011, Theorem 1) and Mao et al. (Bernoulli 6:73–90, 2000, Theorem 4.1). In this paper, we fill up this gap. Moreover, a numerical example is also provided to demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability of the theoretical results.     

A Comparison of Iterated Optimal Stopping and Local Policy Iteration for American Options Under Regime Switching

A theoretical analysis tool, iterated optimal stopping, has been used as the basis of a numerical algorithm for American options under regime switching (Le and Wang in SIAM J Control Optim 48(8):5193–5213, 2010). Similar methods have also been proposed for American options under jump diffusion (Bayraktar and Xing in Math Methods Oper Res 70:505–525, 2009) and Asian options under jump diffusion (Bayraktar and Xing in Math Fin 21(1):117–143, 2011). An alternative method, local policy iteration, has been suggested in Huang et al. (SIAM J Sci Comput 33(5):2144–2168, 2011), and Salmi and Toivanen (Appl Numer Math 61:821–831, 2011). Worst case upper bounds on the convergence rates of these two methods suggest that local policy iteration should be preferred over iterated optimal stopping (Huang et al. in SIAM J Sci Comput 33(5):2144–2168, 2011). In this article, numerical tests are presented which indicate that the observed performance of these two methods is consistent with the worst case upper bounds. In addition, while these two methods seem quite different, we show that either one can be converted into the other by a simple rearrangement of two loops.     

Predictive LPV control of a liquid–gas separation process

The problem of controlling a liquid–gas separation process is approached by using LPV control techniques. An LPV model is derived from a nonlinear model of the process using differential inclusion techniques. Once an LPV model is available, an LPV controller can be synthesized. The authors present a predictive LPV controller based on the GPC controller [Clarke D, Mohtadi C, Tuffs P. Generalized predictive control – Part I. Automatica 1987;23(2):137–48; Clarke D, Mohtadi C, Tuffs P. Generalized predictive control – Part II. Extensions and interpretations. Automatica 1987;23(2):149–60]. The resulting controller is denoted as GPC–LPV. This one shows the same structure as a general LPV controller [El Gahoui L, Scorletti G. Control of rational systems using linear-fractional representations and linear matrix inequalities. Automatica 1996;32(9):1273–84; Scorletti G, El Ghaoui L. Improved LMI conditions for gain scheduling and related control problems. International Journal of Robust Nonlinear Control 1998;8:845–77; Apkarian P, Tuan HD. Parametrized LMIs in control theory. In: Proceedings of the 37th IEEE conference on decision and control; 1998. p. 152–7; Scherer CW. LPV control and full block multipliers. Automatica 2001;37:361–75], which presents a linear fractional dependence on the process signal measurements. Therefore, this controller has the ability of modifying its dynamics depending on measurements leading to a possibly nonlinear controller. That controller is designed in two steps. First, for a given steady state point is obtained a linear GPC using a linear local model of the nonlinear system around that operating point. And second, using bilinear and linear matrix inequalities (BMIs/LMIs) the remaining matrices of GPC–LPV are selected in order to achieve some closed loop properties: stability in some operation zone, norm bounding of some input/output channels, maximum settling time, maximum overshoot, etc., given some LPV model for the nonlinear system. As an application, a GPC–LPV is designed for the derived LPV model of the liquid–gas separation process. This methodology can be applied to any nonlinear system which can be embedded in an LPV system using differential inclusion techniques.     

An interpretation of probability in the law of evidence based on pro-et-contra argumentation

The purpose of this paper is to improve on the logical and measure-theoretic foundations for the notion of probability in the law of evidence, which were given in my contributions Åqvist [ (1990) Logical analysis of epistemic modality: an explication of the Bolding–Ekelöf degrees of evidential strength. In: Klami HT (ed) Rätt och Sanning (Law and Truth. A symposium on legal proof-theory in Uppsala May 1989). Iustus Förlag, Uppsala, pp 43–54; (1992) Towards a logical theory of legal evidence: semantic analysis of the Bolding–Ekelöf degrees of evidential strength. In: Martino AA (ed) Expert systems in law. Elsevier Science Publishers BV, Amsterdam, North-Holland, pp 67–86]. The present approach agrees with the one adopted in those contributions in taking its main task to be that of providing a semantic analysis, or explication, of the so called Bolding–Ekelöf degrees of evidential strength (“proof-strength”) as applied to the establishment of matters of fact in law-courts. However, it differs from the one advocated in our earlier work on the subject in explicitly appealing to what is known as “Pro-et-Contra Argumentation”, after the famous Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess. It tries to bring out the logical form of that interesting kind of reasoning, at least in the context of the law of evidence. The formal techniques used here will be seen to be largely inspired by the important work done by Patrick Suppes, notably Suppes [(1957) Introduction to logic. van Nostrand, Princeton and (1972) Finite equal-interval measurement structures. Theoria 38:45–63].     

Ultra-light Mg–Li alloy by design to achieve unprecedented high stiffness using the CALPHAD approach

Over decades, Mg–Li alloys have been widely used in aerospace industries owing to their low density (<1.65 g/cm³), medium strength (UTS: 130–200 MPa; YS: 100–170 MPa), and exceptional ductility (elongation: 5–30%). However, their stiffness is so poor (Young's Modulus: 45–47 GPa) that cannot meet many engineering design requirements such as space exploration and Lunar/Mars landing. Therefore, increasing modulus without degrading the strength and ductility of Mg–Li alloy has been a tough problem to be solved for many years. In this study, we have successfully made a significant breakthrough in improving the performance of Mg–Li alloys by inventing a new composition and a new processing route using CALPHAD for ultra-light Mg–Li alloys (density∼1.57 g/cm³), achieving high-strength (UTS: 335 MPa and YS: 290 MPa) and high-modulus (62.5 GPa). The origin of modulus improvement has been discovered by using a combination of SEM, TEM, XCT, nanoindentation, and neutron scattering experiments. Thermodynamically, it was found the high strength and modulus are attributed to the enhanced Mg–Mg bonding in the matrix and the increased elastic interaction forces from the lattice mismatch between the solute atoms and the solvent Mg. Meanwhile, the solution strengthening by lithium and precipitation hardening is discovered by inhibiting dislocation motion. Interestingly, age softening in Al–Li has been found to be a result of phase transformation from high-modulus particles into low ones using TEM, SANS, and nanoindentation tests.     

Evaluation of the implementation of a subset of ISO/IEC 29110 Software Implementation process in four teams of undergraduate students of Ecuador. An empirical software engineering experiment

The competitiveness of software development companies depends on their ability to offer software products with quality attributes within approved budget and schedule. Most Very Small Entities (VSEs) that develop software do not see the benefits of implementing software standards. Consequently, they limit their potential to be recognised as quality software development entities. In this study, the authors present results obtained through the application of empirical software engineering in an experiment in which the ISO/IEC TR 29110–5–1–2 “Software engineering – Lifecycle profiles for Very Small Entities (VSEs) – Part 5–1–2: Management and engineering guide: Generic profile group: Basic profile” was used. The guide includes two processes: Project Management (PM) process and Software Implementation (SI) process. The objective of the project was the development of a software product for the scheduling of medical appointments for the Student Wellness Center of a university of Ecuador. Four teams of undergraduate students were involved. Two of them (controlled teams) implemented a subset of the SI process, while the other two (non-controlled teams) had freedom to choose development activities that were subsequently mapped with the activities of the standard. All teams developed the software product using the SCRUM framework within the same timeframe. Although the experiment was focused on the SI process, the teams also used a tailored version of the PM process defined by the professors. The experiment execution encountered several difficulties. For example, the timeframe of six weeks established in the design of the experiment was too short since students worked part time in the project. All the teams experienced this difficulty, especially when they had to construct and test the software components. Overall, the teams that used the ISO/IEC TR 29110–5–1–2 guide achieved better scores in the quality evaluation of their software processes.     

Comparison Between Reduced Basis and Stochastic Collocation Methods for Elliptic Problems

The stochastic collocation method (Babu?ka et al. in SIAM J Numer Anal 45(3):1005–1034, 2007; Nobile et al. in SIAM J Numer Anal 46(5):2411–2442, 2008a; SIAM J Numer Anal 46(5):2309–2345, 2008b; Xiu and Hesthaven in SIAM J Sci Comput 27(3):1118–1139, 2005) has recently been applied to stochastic problems that can be transformed into parametric systems. Meanwhile, the reduced basis method (Maday et al. in Comptes Rendus Mathematique 335(3):289–294, 2002; Patera and Rozza in Reduced basis approximation and a posteriori error estimation for parametrized partial differential equations Version 1.0. Copyright MIT, http://augustine.mit.edu, 2007; Rozza et al. in Arch Comput Methods Eng 15(3):229–275, 2008), primarily developed for solving parametric systems, has been recently used to deal with stochastic problems (Boyaval et al. in Comput Methods Appl Mech Eng 198(41–44):3187–3206, 2009; Arch Comput Methods Eng 17:435–454, 2010). In this work, we aim at comparing the performance of the two methods when applied to the solution of linear stochastic elliptic problems. Two important comparison criteria are considered: (1), convergence results of the approximation error; (2), computational costs for both offline construction and online evaluation. Numerical experiments are performed for problems from low dimensions $O(1)$ to moderate dimensions $O(10)$ and to high dimensions $O(100)$ . The main result stemming from our comparison is that the reduced basis method converges better in theory and faster in practice than the stochastic collocation method for smooth problems, and is more suitable for large scale and high dimensional stochastic problems when considering computational costs.