On equivalence between the proportionate flow shop and single‐machine scheduling problems

We derive sufficient conditions which, when satisfied, guarantee that an optimal solution for a single‐machine scheduling problem is also optimal for the corresponding proportionate flow shop scheduling problem. We then utilize these sufficient conditions to show the solvability in polynomial time of numerous proportionate flow shop scheduling problems with fixed job processing times, position‐dependent job processing times, controllable job processing times, and also problems with job rejection. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 62: 595–603, 2015     

Scheduling research and the first decade of NRLQ: A historical perspective

It is generally recognized that the first model involving job scheduling was presented by Selmer Johnson and published in the inaugural issue of Naval Research Logistics Quarterly (NRLQ) in 1954. NRLQ also published another seminal scheduling paper by Wayne E. Smith a short time later. In the present paper, we discuss the contribution of NRLQ and the role of the Office of Naval Research in the development of the scheduling literature during the first decade (1954–1963). We also provide a critical analysis of the papers by Johnson and Smith. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 62: 335–344, 2015     

Multidirectional scheduling scheme in resource‐constrained project schedulingproblem

In 2000, Klein showed that bidirectional scheduling schemes (bidss) outperform single‐directional scheduling schemes (e.g., forward or backward schemes). In 2010, Yoosefzadeh, et al. [J Math Model Algor 9 (2010), 357–373] showed that depending on the nature of the problems and also the type of priority rules used, schedules produced by a so‐called tridirectional scheduling scheme (trdss) yields shorter makespans when compared to forward, backward, and even bidss. Since the justification technique is applied in many of the state‐of‐the‐art algorithms nowadays, we show that the tuned version of the trdss outperforms the double justification technique. Moreover, we investigate the circumstances under which the trdss is more probable to generate schedules with shorter makespans. To this end, we introduce a new measure of resource requirements and their distributions, namely total amount of overflows. Our analytical as well as empirical investigations show that when the new measure is increased, it is more probable to obtain schedules with shorter makespans using the trdss. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 61: 44–55, 2014     

Critics gone wild: Counterinsurgency as the root of all evil

The Western interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced a heated polemic concerning the merits and demerits of counterinsurgency – the operational approach underpinning both campaigns. The two books reviewed here provide a good summation of the arguments against counterinsurgency: it is not a strategy and will fail when mistaken as such; its theory does not make intervention and war significantly easier; and even the most successful counterinsurgency campaigns have been bloody, violent, and protracted. Yet as this review highlights, beyond these central points, criticism of counterinsurgency is too often off the mark in its approach and totalizing in its pretentions. There is much to criticize and an urgent need to learn from past campaigns, yet bold claims and broad generalizations can mislead rather than enlighten. The analysis is particularly unhelpful when the definition of the central issue at hand – counterinsurgency – is being unwittingly or deliberately distorted. In the end, these two books form a poor basis for the debate that must now take place, because they are too ideological in tone, too undisciplined in approach, and therefore too unqualified in what they finally say.     

A note on the optimality of index priority rules for search and sequencing problems

We show that the linear objective function of a search problem can be generalized to a power function and/or a logarithmic function and still be minimized by an index priority rule. We prove our result by solving the differential equation resulting from the required invariance condition, therefore, we also prove that any other generalization of this linear objective function will not lead to an index priority rule. We also demonstrate the full equivalence between two related search problems in the sense that a solution to either one can be used to solve the other one and vice versa. Finally, we show that the linear function is the only function leading to an index priority rule for the single‐machine makespan minimization problem with deteriorating jobs and an additive job deterioration function. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2011     

Influence of porosity distribution on nonlinear free vibration and transient responses of porous functionally graded skew plates

This article deals with the investigation of the effects of porosity distributions on nonlinear free vibration and transient analysis of porous functionally graded skew (PFGS) plates. The effective material properties of the PFGS plates are obtained from the modified power-law equations in which gradation varies through the thickness of the PFGS plate. A nonlinear finite element (FE) formulation for the overall PFGS plate is derived by adopting first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) in conjunction with von Karman’s nonlinear strain displacement relations. The governing equations of the PFGS plate are derived using the principle of virtual work. The direct iterative method and Newmark’s integration technique are espoused to solve nonlinear mathematical relations. The influences of the porosity distributions and porosity parameter indices on the nonlinear frequency responses of the PFGS plate for different skew angles are studied in various parameters. The effects of volume fraction grading index and skew angle on the plate’s nonlinear dynamic responses for various porosity distributions are illustrated in detail.     

The role of covariate balance in observational studies

Observational data are prevalent in many fields of research, and it is desirable to use this data to make causal inferences. Because this data is nonrandom, additional assumptions are needed in order to construct unbiased estimators for causal effects. The standard assumption is strong ignorability, though it is often impossible to achieve the level of covariate balance that it requires. As such, researchers often settle for lesser balance levels within their datasets. However, these balance levels are generally insufficient to guarantee an unbiased estimate of the treatment effect without further assumptions. This article presents several extensions to the strong ignorability assumption that address this issue. Under these additional assumptions, specific levels of covariate balance are both necessary and sufficient for the treatment effect estimate to be unbiased. There is a trade‐off, however: as balance decreases, stronger assumptions are required to guarantee estimator unbiasedness. These results unify parametric and nonparametric adjustment methods for causal inference and are actualized by the Balance Optimization Subset Selection framework, which identifies the best level of balance that can be achieved within a dataset. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 64: 323–344, 2017     

Expected waiting time rankings in extended machine-repair models

The present paper studies the relative magnitudes of expected waiting times in extended machine-repair models, when processing times are of two Erlang types. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 46: 864–870, 1999     

Analysis of production lines with Coxian service times and no intermediate buffers

This paper uses the holding time model (HTM) method to derive an approximate analytic formula for the calculation of the mean throughput of a K-station production line with no buffers between any two successive stations. Service times follow the two-stage Coxian (C²) distribution at all stations. The paper provides a formula that relates the third moment of the service completion (or virtual service) time with the respective parameters of the service time, the repair time and the time to breakdown (the latter is assumed to follow the exponential distribution). In this way, it concludes that under certain conditions the two-stage Coxian distribution can be used to approximate any general distribution matching the first three moments of the service completion time distribution. The mean holding times (consisting of the service and blocking periods) of all stations of the line are obtained in an analytical form. Numerical results are provided for the mean throughput of lines with up to 20 stations. These results are shown to have a good accuracy compared against results obtained from the Markovian state method (for short lines) and results from simulation (for longer lines). © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 45: 669–685, 1998     

Combat modeling of remotely targeted vehicles and a battery against a moving target

This paper considers a combined system composed of multiple stand-by remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs) and a single battery against a single passive enemy target, where the target, if not killed, is allowed to change its location after each attack. The RPV has the duty to report on target acquisition, to confirm a target kill, and to pass information on any change in target location after each battery attack. The battery has the duty to attack the target on the basis of the target location information provided to it by the RPV. We develop a closed-form expression for the time-dependent state probabilities of the system, which can be used to compute several important combat measures of effectiveness, including (a) the time-varying mean and variance of the number of the RPVs being alive and of the surviving enemy target, (b) the mission success, mission failure, and combat draw probabilities, and (c) the mean and variance of the combat duration time. Illustrative numerical examples are solved for these combat measures, and sensitivity analyses are performed with respect to target acquisition time and target kill probability. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 45: 645–667, 1998