Speeding up global optimization with the help of intelligent supervisors

It is shown in the paper that Developmental Genetic Programming is an efficient tool for evolutionary development of intelligent supervisors that solve an extension of Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem. The extension assumes that resources are only partially available. It also assumes that renewable resources affect the project cost. The cost should be as low as possible and a deadline of the project must be met. This is apparent with regard to software houses and building enterprises. Computational experiments showed that supervisors find solutions of the problem much faster than other genetic approaches. A specific property of the supervisor is that it has various strategies of allocating the resources to the tasks. The supervisor uses the strategies in order to develop a procedure for producing the best schedule for the whole project. The analysis of the evolutionary process was performed and experimental results were compared with the optimal ones obtained by means of the exhaustive search method.     

Erotetic Search Scenarios and Three-Valued Logic

Our aim is to model the behaviour of a cognitive agent trying to solve a complex problem by dividing it into sub-problems, but failing to solve some of these sub-problems. We use the powerful framework of erotetic search scenarios (ESS) combined with Kleene’s strong three-valued logic. ESS, defined on the grounds of Inferential Erotetic Logic, has appeared to be a useful logical tool for modelling cognitive goal-directed processes. Using the logical tools of ESS and the three-valued logic, we will show how an agent could solve the initial problem despite the fact that the sub-problems remain unsolved. Thus our model not only indicates missing information but also specifies the contexts in which the problem-solving process may end in success despite the lack of information. We will also show that this model of problem solving may find use in an analysis of natural language dialogues.     

Vocal-based emotion recognition using random forests and decision tree

This paper proposes a new vocal-based emotion recognition method using random forests, where pairs of the features on the whole speech signal, namely, pitch, intensity, the first four formants, the first four formants bandwidths, mean autocorrelation, mean noise-to-harmonics ratio and standard deviation, are used in order to recognize the emotional state of a speaker. The proposed technique adopts random forests to represent the speech signals, along with the decision-trees approach, in order to classify them into different categories. The emotions are broadly categorised into the six groups, which are happiness, fear, sadness, neutral, surprise, and disgust. The Surrey Audio-Visual Expressed Emotion database is used. According to the experimental results using leave-one-out cross-validation, by means of combining the most significant prosodic features, the proposed method has an average recognition rate of \(66.28\%\), and at the highest level, the recognition rate of \(78\%\) has been obtained, which belongs to the happiness voice signals. The proposed method has \(13.78\%\) higher average recognition rate and \(28.1\%\) higher best recognition rate compared to the linear discriminant analysis as well as \(6.58\%\) higher average recognition rate than the deep neural networks results, both of which have been implemented on the same database.     

Quantum steering borders in three-qubit systems

We discuss a family of states describing three-qubit systems in a context of quantum steering phenomena. We show that symmetric steering cannot appear between two qubits—only asymmetric steering can appear in such systems. The main aim of this paper is to discuss the possible relations between the entanglement measures and steering parameter for two-mode mixed state corresponding to the qubit–qubit subsystem. We have derived the conditions determining boundary values of the negativity parametrized by concurrence. We show that two-qubit mixed state cannot be steerable when the negativity of such state is smaller than, or equal to, its boundary value. Finally, we have found ranges of the values of the mixedness measure, parametrized by concurrence and negativity for steerable and unsteerable two-qubit mixed states.     

Constrained motion planning of nonholonomic systems

This paper addresses the constrained motion planning problem for nonholonomic systems represented by driftless control systems with output. The problem consists in defining a control function driving the system output to a desirable point at a given time instant, whereas state and control variables remain over the control horizon within prescribed bounds. The state and control constraints are handled by extending the control system with a pair of state equations driven by the violation of constraints, and adding regularizing perturbations. For the regularized system a Jacobian motion planning algorithm is designed, called imbalanced. Solutions of example constrained motion planning problems for the rolling ball illustrate the theoretical concepts.     

One-dimensional axial simulation of electric double layer overlap effects in devices combining micro- and nanochannels

This paper presents a numerical steady-state model of ion transport in micro- and nanofluidic devices with widely varying geometric scale, such as transitions between micro- and nanochannels. Finite element or finite volume simulation of such problems is challenging, due to the number of elements needed to produce a satisfactory mesh. Here, only the lengthwise channel dimension is meshed; standard analytical approximations are used to incorporate cross-channel properties. Singularly perturbed cases are built up by continuation. The method is shown to reproduce our previously reported measurements of electric double-layer effects on conductivity, ion concentration, and ion enhancement and depletion. Comparison with 2-D simulations reported in the literature shows that effects on accuracy due to the 1-D approximation are small. The model incorporates analytical models of surface charge density taken from the literature. This enables predictive simulation with reasonable accuracy using published parameter values, or these values may be tuned based on experiment to give improved results. Use of the model for iterative design and parameter estimation is demonstrated.     

Analytical benchmarks for topological optimization IV: square-shaped line support

Michell’s problem of optimizing truss topology for stress or compliance constraints under a single load condition is solved analytically for plane trusses having a square-shaped line support. Geometrical characteristics of the Hencky nets giving the truss layout are expressed in terms of Lommel functions. Analytically derived truss volumes for the above problem are compared with those of trusses supported along circles of equivalent area. Some general implications of the results are also discussed.     

Ordering within precipitates in copper-nickel-titanium alloys

The precipitation process in alloys containing 4% Ti and 5 to 16% Ni was investigated using transmission electron microscopy, hardness and electrical conductivity measurements. After ageing, spherical -Ni₃Ti precipitates with ordered DO₂₂ superlattice were observed in alloys CuTiNi5 to 10 and the L1₂ superlattice in the CuTi4Ni16 alloy. With increasing nickel content the size of precipitates decreases; this has only a minor influence on the age hardening. The CuTiNi10 alloy has the best electrical conductivity approaching 18m^–1mm^–2.