A time aggregation approach to Markov decision processes

We propose a time aggregation approach for the solution of infinite horizon average cost Markov decision processes via policy iteration. In this approach, policy update is only carried out when the process visits a subset of the state space. As in state aggregation, this approach leads to a reduced state space, which may lead to a substantial reduction in computational and storage requirements, especially for problems with certain structural properties. However, in contrast to state aggregation, which generally results in an approximate model due to the loss of Markov property, time aggregation suffers no loss of accuracy, because the Markov property is preserved. Single sample path-based estimation algorithms are developed that allow the time aggregation approach to be implemented on-line for practical systems. Some numerical and simulation examples are presented to illustrate the ideas and potential computational savings.     

The effects of degree of mixing and concentration of carbon black on the tensile properties of filled elastomers

Based on the concept of entropy of mixing, a new method for determining the degree of mixing of the filler in a polymer matrix has been established. The measurement used in this method is based on a new variable, the effective volume fraction of the filler, ?′, which is a function of the mixing index, A, and the volume fraction of the filler, ?. The mixing index can be determined from the tensile modulus data of filled elastomers. Excellent agreement is obtained between the mixing index and the dispersion of the filler as determined by a morphological study of cryogenically fractured surfaces of filled elastomers. Using the new variable, the effective volume fraction of the filler, useful relationships for the tensile modulus and the ultimate stretch ratio of filled elastomer have been established. Experimental data confirm that these relationships can well describe the effects of concentration and degree of mixing on the two tensile properties of filled elastomers.     

Memory scanning: Are fixed and varied sets scanned concurrently or successively?

Subjects were timed as they decided whether individually presented probe letters were or were not contained in pairs of memorized sets of one, two, or four letters. One set was fixed in advance of a block of trials, while the other varied from trial to trial. In Experiments 1 and 2, subjects responded positively if the probe was in either set and negatively otherwise; in Experiment 3 they made different responses to fixed-set, varied-set, and negative probes. In all three experiments, reaction time (RT) to varied-set probes depended more on the size of the varied set than of the fixed set, whereas RT to fixed-set and negative probes depended more on the size of the fixed set. These results were generally consistent with the hypothesis that scanning of the two sets was at least to some extent concurrent rather than successive, with the fixed set scanned more slowly than the varied set. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Efficient Management of Persistent Knowledge

Although computer speed has steadily increased and memory is getting cheaper, the need for storage managers to deal efficiently with applications that cannot be held into main memory is vital. Dealing with large quantities of clauses implies the use of persistent knowledge and thus, indexing methods are essential to access efficiently the subset of clauses relevant to answering a query. We introduce PerKMan, a storage manager that uses G-trees, and aims at efficient manipulation of large amounts of persistent knowledge. PerKMan may be connected to Prolog systems that offer an external C language interface. As well as the fact that the storage manager allows different arguments of a predicate to share a common index dimension in a novel manner, it indexes rules and facts in the same manner. PerKMan handles compound terms efficiently and its data structures adapt their shape to large dynamic volumes of clauses, no matter what the distribution. The storage manager achieves fast clause retrieval and reasonable use of disk space.     

CALCE/RAMCAD for Electronics

The University of Maryland's Computer Aided Life Cycle Engineering (CALCE) research effort is aimed at developing techniques for design, analysis, prediction, and optimization of electronics with respect to a variety of design goals. Performance, producibility, reliability, maintainability, life-cycle cost, safety, etc., are the design criteria which are being integrated through the application of interactive heuristic and algorithmic design optimization techniques. The University of Maryland Reliability and Maintainability Computer-Aided Design (RAMCAD) research is CALCE and is focused on second- and third-level electronic package design with respect to interfacing thermal, mechanical, and reliability analysis. The goal is to make reliability and maintainability an integral, real-time, and upfront part of the design process, such that the need to resubmit designs will be eliminated. The motivation behind this project was the fact that schedule constraints are often compromising the effectiveness and efficiency of the design process. To achieve the goal of CALCE/RAMCAD, a cohesive and extensible design environment for analysis and tradeoff tools was developed. A system executive controller that integrates tools for analysis while providing system transparency, design data management, and process management was developed to guide the user through the design process and provide direct access to the design tools. These developments required the integration of computer-aided design (CAD), artificial intelligence (AI), and decision support (DS) techniques. Attention to human factors and the use of interactive graphics were also instrumental in the development.     

A Novel UWB Pulse Shape Modulation System

In this paper novel modified Hermite polynomial functions for use in impulse radio (ultra-wideband) communications are proposed. With these functions pulse shapes which are orthogonal and have nearly constant pulse width regardless of the pulse order are generated. These properties hold under the effects of differentiation. An M-ary communication system is constructed using these pulse shapes. A Matlab model for generating the pulses is designed and the effect of timing jitter on the performance of the system is investigated by computer simulation.     

The “burning ship” and its quasi-Julia sets

By manipulating the imaginary part of the complex-analytic quadratic equation, we obtain, by iteration, a set that we call the “burning ship” because of its appearance. It is an analogue to the Mandelbrot set (M-set). Its nonanalytic “quasi”-Julia sets yield surprizing graphical shapes.     

Impact of specification changes on chloride-induced corrosion service life of bridge decks

A model was developed to determine the time to first repair and to subsequently rehabilitate concrete bridge decks exposed to chloride deicer salts. Said model incorporates the statistical nature of factors affecting the corrosion process. The time to first repair and rehabilitate was predicted for 10 bridge decks built in Virginia between 1981 and 1994.The model was validated using historical service life data for 129 bridge decks built in Virginia between 1968 and 1972. The time for rehabilitation predicted for the newer set of bridge decks was approximately 13 years longer than the normalized time for rehabilitation projected for the older bridge decks. The increase in time for rehabilitation for the newer set of bridge decks was attributed to a reduction in the specified maximum water/cement ratio and increase in clear cover depth. The probabilistic model is shown to be an advancement over the deterministic model currently in use.     

Effects of design parameters on geared two-link mechanisms

The design of a specialized agricultural harvesting machine required the use of a path generation mechanism that was compact, accurate, inexpensive to manufacture and difficult attempts involved the use of a cam and follower, but they were expensive to manufacture and difficult to operate. This paper discusses an alternative method of using a coupled, open loop, two-link mechanism to generate a polygon-like closed path (pseudo-polygon) with an integer number of curved sides and apexes. A complete development of the path and path curvaturei equations are presented. The influence of the design variables on the coupler shape (flatness of each side) is shown in equation and design chart form. An example of a successful application of this design method applied to a plant cutting mechanism is presented.     

OXIDIZABLE COUPLING AGENTS: INTRODUCTION OF SURFACE FUNCTIONALITY

The synthesis and grafting to glass or quartz of alkylalkoxysilane coupling agents (RSi(OR') 3 ) that are susceptible/responsive to oxidation is described. Hydrosilylation of the inexpensive polyolefin squalene occurred efficiently once or twice with the silane HMe 2 SiOSiMe 2 (CH 2 ) 2 Si(OEt) 3 to give a silane coupling agent 3 that possesses several alkene groups. Once grafted to a silica surface Q-Sq using traditional means, the coupling agent was oxidized and further processed in several different ways. First, epoxidation using soluble peracids led to polyepoxides that could be further hydrolyzed to give polyalcohol surfaces Q-Sq-PAA-H 2 O . Alternatively, ozonolysis with gaseous O 3 led to the ozonides Q-Sq-O 3 , which could be decomposed to give either aldehyde/ketone Q-Sq-O 3 -redu , or ketone/carboxylic acid groups Q-Sq-O 3 -H 2 O 2 , respectively, bound to the surface. The aldehyde/ketone groups were characterized by condensation with dinitrophenylhydrazine to give the highly colored hydrazones Q-Sq-O 3 -redu-DNPH . These studies demonstrate the ready portability of organic chemistry to silica (or related) surfaces using judiciously chosen silane coupling agents and the possibility of controlling surface functionalization by postgrafting oxidation.