Neural networks for contract bridge bidding

The objective of this study is to explore the possibility of capturing the reasoning process used in bidding a hand in a bridge game by an artificial neural network. We show that a multilayer feedforward neural network can be trained to learn to make an opening bid with a new hand. The game of bridge, like many other games used in artificial intelligence, can easily be represented in a machine. But, unlike most games used in artificial intelligence, bridge uses subtle reasoning over and above the agreed conventional system, to make a bid from the pattern of a given hand. Although it is difficult for a player to spell out the precise reasoning process he uses, we find that a neural network can indeed capture it. We demonstrate the results for the case of one-level opening bids, and discuss the need for a hierarchical architecture to deal with bids at all levels.     

Asymptotic stabilization of some equilibria of an underactuated underwater vehicle

The stabilization problem for selected relative equilibria of an underactuated rigid body, modelling a simple underwater vehicle, moving in an ideal fluid is addressed. State feedback control laws achieving local asymptotic stability of a forward motion and of a diving/rising with forward/reverse motion are proposed. The control design exploits the Hamiltonian nature of the system to be controlled and it is based on the so-called interconnection and damping assignment (IDA) procedure. Simulation results complete the work.     

下一代SONET/SDH对网络部署的冲击

面对电信业的低迷,运营商和设备制造商都捏紧了钱袋,想方设法少花钱多办事。这就意味着,必须改进现有传输网(见图1),使话音和数据传输效率更高。从网络部署的角度来看,运营商需要:用一些有效的方法,将多协议数据转换到SONET/SDH信道上;用一种灵活的带宽适应机制,使SONET/SDH信道大小与在其中传输的数据的需求相一致;用一种机制,灵活并以理想的动态方式改变整个SONET/SDH网络的信道带宽。这就要求集成电路供应商提供有助于在SONET/SDH上有效传输数据的芯片。虽然现在有多种SONET/SDH信息包(PoS)产品,但是它们的转换效率都太…     

Sodium silicate as a coke inhibitor during naphtha pyrolysis

Rates of coke formation during steam pyrolysis of naphtha have been investigated in a jet-stirred reactor both for sodium silicate coated and uncoated Inconel 600 surfaces in the temperature range of 1078–1108 K. Coke formation rates were significantly reduced on sodium silicate coated plates due to the passivation of the metal surface. However, the coking rates gradually increased with successive decokings of the coated surface.     

Stability and throughput analysis of unslotted CDMA‐ALOHA with finite number of users and code sharing

We consider a system comprising a finite number of nodes, with infinite packet buffers, that use unslotted ALOHA with Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) to share a channel for transmitting packetised data. We propose a simple model for packet transmission and retransmission at each node, and show that saturation throughput in this model yields a sufficient condition for the stability of the packet buffers; we interpret this as the capacity of the access method. We calculate and compare the capacities of CDMA‐ALOHA (with and without code sharing) and TDMA‐ALOHA; we also consider carrier sensing and collision detection versions of these protocols. In each case, saturation throughput can be obtained via analysis of a continuous time Markov chain. Our results show how saturation throughput degrades with code‐sharing. Finally, we also present some simulation results for mean packet delay. Our work is motivated by optical CDMA in which “chips” can be optically generated, and hence the achievable chip rate can exceed the achievable TDMA bit rate which is limited by electronics. Code sharing may be useful in the optical CDMA context as it reduces the number of optical correlators at the receivers. Our throughput results help to quantify by how much the CDMA chip rate should exceed the TDMA bit rate so that CDMA‐ALOHA yields better capacity than TDMA‐ALOHA. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

An experimental study of non-newtonian fluid flow in fluidized beds: minimum fluidization velocity and bed expansion characteristics

In this work, new experimental measurements of the minimum fluidization velocity and velocity-voidage characteristics are reported for a variety of liquid-particle systems in glass columns of two different diameters. Three types of liquids, namely, Newtonian, visco-inelastic, and visco-elastic fluids, were used to fluidize the beds of glass particles of four different sizes (1.27–15.8 mm). The results obtained with Newtonian liquids conform to the expected behaviour. The applicability of a variety of equations has been examined with a view to predicting the values of the minimum fluidization velocity and fluidization index for non-Newtonian systems. The experimental results reported herein embrace the following ranges of conditions: 1.27 < D_p < 15.8 mm; D_T = 50.8 and 101.6 mm, and 0.382 n 1.00.