Search for high-performance probe-fed stacked patches using optimization

High-performance circular probe-fed stacked patch antenna designs are explored through the use of numerical optimization. New trends are sought to aid understanding and to suggest novel solutions. We describe the optimization technique, present a new design trend relating efficiency and bandwidth to the choice of substrate dielectric, and propose and demonstrate a novel, optimized antenna achieving 33% bandwidth whilst maintaining greater than 80% surface wave efficiency.     

Least-squares integration of one-dimensional codistributions with application to approximate feedback linearization

We study the problem of approximating one-dimensional nonintegrable codistributions by integrable ones and apply the resulting approximations to approximate feedback linearization of single-input systems. The approach derived in this paper allows a linearizable nonlinear system to be found that is close to the given system in a least-squares (L ₂) sense. A linearly controllable single-input affine nonlinear system is feedback linearizable if and only if its characteristic distribution is involutive (hence integrable) or, equivalently, any characteristic one-form (a one-form that annihilates the characteristic distribution) is integrable. We study the problem of finding (least-squares approximate) integrating factors that make a fixed characteristic one-form close to being exact in anL ₂ sense. A given one-form can be decomposed into exact and inexact parts using the Hodge decomposition. We derive an upper bound on the size of the inexact part of a scaled characteristic one-form and show that a least-squares integrating factor provides the minimum value for this upper bound. We also consider higher-order approximate integrating factors that scale a nonintegrable one-form in a way that the scaled form is closer to being integrable inL ₂ together with some derivatives and derive similar bounds for the inexact part. This allows a linearizable nonlinear system that is close to the given system in a least-squares (L ₂) sense together with some derivatives to be found. The Sobolev embedding techniques allow us to obtain an upper bound on the uniform (L _∞) distance between the nonlinear system and its linearizable approximation. This research was supported in part by NSF under Grant PYI ECS-9396296, by AFOSR under Grant AFOSR F49620-94-1-0183, and by a grant from the Hughes Aircraft Company.     

An approach to integrating intelligentdiagnostics and supervision of machine tools

Arguments are presented for the necessity of integrating diagnostics and supervision in technological machines. An example of integrated diagnostics and supervision of the machine tool main drive, based on an expert system and neural network, is shown. Problems of intelligent thermal displacement supervision and questions related to practical supervision of machining centres are presented.     

A Rough Set Approach to Estimating the Game Value and the Shapley Value from Data

A value of a game v is a function which to each coalition S assigns the value v(S) of this coalition, meaning the expected pay–off for players in that coalition. A classical approach of von Neumann and Morgenstern [6] had set some formal requirements on v which contemporary theories of value adhere to. A Shapley value of the game with a value v [14] is a functional Φ giving for each player p the value Φ_p(v) estimating the expected pay-off of the player p in the game. Game as well as conflict theory have been given recently much attention on the part of rough and fuzzy set communities [11,8,1,4,7,2]. In particular, problems of plausible strategies [1] in conflicts as well as problems related to Shapley's value [3,2] have been addressed.We confront here the problem of estimating a value as well as Shapley's value of a game from a partial data about the game. We apply to this end the rough set ideas of approximations, defining the lower and the upper value of the game and, respectively, the lower and upper Shapley value. We also define a notion of an exact coalition, on which both values coincide giving the true value of the game; we investigate the structure of the family of exact sets showing its closeness on complements, disjoint sums, and intersections of coalitions covering the set of players. This work sets open a new area of rough set applications in mining constructs from data. The construct mined in this case are values as well as Shapley values of games.     

Methods of Image Compression by PHL Transform

In this paper an image data compression scheme based on Periodic Haar Piecewise-Linear (PHL) transform and quantization tables is proposed. Effectiveness of the compression for different classes of images is evaluated. The comparison of the compression quality using PHL and DCT transforms is given.