Traffic channeling under uncertain conversion rates on e-commerce platforms

Traffic is the lifeblood of every e-commerce platform. The question of how to channel traffic to merchants operating on a platform lies at the heart of platform management. We consider a platform on which two independent merchants sell their products. Merchants compete on inventory in the sense that some of the unmet demand at one merchant will spill over to the other. The platform channels traffic based on products' conversion rates to maximize the total sale on the platform. We show that traffic channeling plays three roles. First, it allows more efficient allocation of traffic; that is, the merchant with a high conversion rate is given a higher priority in receiving traffic. Second, it allows the platform to control demand spillover between the merchants to maximize total sales. The platform either facilitates or prevents demand spillover, depending on product substitutability. Third, traffic channeling intensifies competition between the merchants and hence increases the total inventory. More efficient allocation of traffic and the increase in inventory increase sales inequality between the merchants. In contrast, demand spillover decreases sales inequality. While the platform always benefits from traffic channeling, the merchants do not benefit when their products are moderately substitutable. Interestingly, when the two products are owned and sold by the same merchant, the opposite happens–traffic channeling always benefits the merchant but may hurt the platform. Our study provides a basis for informed discussions on how platforms should channel traffic in response to conversion rates, and how traffic channeling affects the welfare of merchants and platforms.     

Cyclic best first search: Using contours to guide branch‐and‐bound algorithms

The cyclic best‐first search (CBFS) strategy is a recent search strategy that has been successfully applied to branch‐and‐bound algorithms in a number of different settings. CBFS is a modification of best‐first search (BFS) that places search tree subproblems into contours which are collections of subproblems grouped in some way, and repeatedly cycles through all non‐empty contours, selecting one subproblem to explore from each. In this article, the theoretical properties of CBFS are analyzed for the first time. CBFS is proved to be a generalization of all other search strategies by using a contour definition that explores the same sequence of subproblems as any other search strategy. Further, a bound is proved between the number of subproblems explored by BFS and the number of children generated by CBFS, given a fixed branching strategy and set of pruning rules. Finally, a discussion of heuristic contour‐labeling functions is provided, and proof‐of‐concept computational results for mixed‐integer programming problems from the MIPLIB 2010 database are shown. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 64: 64–82, 2017     

Fracture mechanism of a cylindrical shell cut by circumferential detonation collision

The failure mechanism of a cylindrical shell cut into fragments by circumferential detonation collision was experimentally and numerically investigated. A self-designed detonation wave regulator was used to control the detonation and cut the shell. It was found that the self-designed regulator controlled the fragment shape. The macrostructure and micro-characteristics of fragments revealed that shear fracture was a prior mechanism, the shell fractured not only at the position of detonation collision, but the crack also penetrated the shell at the first contact position of the Chapmen-Jouguet (C-J) wave. The effects of groove number and outer layer thickness on the fracture behavior were tested by simulations. When the thickness of the outer layer was 5–18 mm, it has little effect on fragmentation of the shell, and shells all fractured at similar positions. The increase of the groove number reduced the fracture possibility of the first contact position of the C-J wave. When the groove number reached 7 with a 10 mm outer layer (1/4 model), the fracture only occurred at the position of detonation collision and the fragment width rebounded.     

Mitigation effects on the reflected overpressure of blast shock with water surrounding an explosive in a confined space

The mitigation of blast shock with water has broad application prospects. Understanding the mitigation effects on the reflected overpressure of the explosion shock with water surrounding an explosive in a confined space is of great significance for military explosives safety applications. To estimate the effects of the parameters on the reflected overpressure of blasted shock wave, a series of experiments were carried out in confined containers with spherical explosives immersed in a certain thickness of water, and numerical simulations were conducted to explore the corresponding mechanisms. The results reveal that the reflected overpressure is abnormally aggravated at a small scaled distance. This aggravation is due to the high impulse of the bulk accelerated water shell converted from the explosion. With increasing scaled distance, the energy will be gradually dissipated. The mitigation effects will appear with the dispersed water phase front impacting at a larger scaled distance, except in the case of a dense water phase state. A critical scaled distance range of 0.7—0.8 m/kg1/3 for effective mitigation was found. It is suggested that the scaled distance of space walls should be larger than the critical value for a certain water-to-explosive weight ratio range (5—20).     

A nuclear-armed North Korea without ICBMs: the best achievable objective

This article analyzes the North Korean nuclear crisis from a balance-of-power perspective. It is in the long-term interests of international peace for a secure and independent North Korea to serve as a buffer between US and Chinese ground forces. However, the conventional military advantage of the South Korean-American alliance over North Korea has grown drastically since the end of the Cold War, threatening North Korea’s survival. Since North Korea lacks any reliable ally, nuclear weapons represent its most cost-effective way to restore a balance of power and thus secure itself. Accepting security guarantees in exchange for its nuclear arsenal is rhetorically appealing but not a viable approach. North Korea’s development of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), however, has overcompensated for the post-Cold War imbalance, inviting talk in Washington of waging a preventive war. Persuading North Korea to give up its ICBM capability, not its nuclear arsenal, should therefore be the primary objective of US diplomacy.     

略论孙子战争控制观

战争控制是战争指导者对战争的发生、发展、规模、强度及后果等有意识地加以限制和约束的行为。一代兵学大师孙武对战争控制问题给予了较高的重视,并进行了较多的论述。本文试图从“安国全军”的整体控制观、“致人而不致于人”的主动控制观、“战胜强立”的实战控制观,“全争天下”的综合控制观等四个方面对孙子的战争控制观加以阐释。     

乱世元勋的为将为臣与为人——唐代名将郭子仪功业中的人格因素分析

封建专制时代的将领,建功立业不仅要有非凡的军事才能,还要有高超的人事协调艺术。否则,非但功业难成,身家性命也难保全。本文以唐代名将郭子仪为蓝本,通过对郭子仪为臣、为将、为人三方面处世之道的深入分析,廓清了封建专制时代武将建功立业不得不具备的人格因素。     

分布式态势感知一致性分析与度量方法研究

一致的态势感知,是现代武器、火力系统以及部队紧耦合协同作战的基础。本文以分布式态势感知理论为依据,从系统的角度,构建了团队达成一致态势感知过程的动力学模型;以系统内部一致性、外部一致性和一致所需最短时间为指标,给出了团队态势感知一致性的度量方法。仿真结果表明,适当地提高团队内沟通的广泛度和相互作用强度,选择合适的沟通网络,对提高一致性能力有积极的作用。     

受限空间雾化射流降温与加湿作用数值分析

以雾化射流预防、控制受限空间内油气热安全事故为工程背景,综合可压缩流场控制方程、k-ε湍流模型、粒子动力学模型与相变传热模型,构建了描述受限空间内雾化射流降温与加湿作用的数值分析模型。借助Fluent流体动力学仿真软件,以1 600 mm×200 mm二维狭长受限空间中不同工况的雾化射流为算例,对雾化射流降温与加湿过程进行了数值模拟,并探讨了雾化射流流量与粒径的不同对上述作用的影响。所得结果为进一步探究雾化射流降温与加湿行为,推进雾化射流在热安全防护领域的工程应用提供借鉴和参考。     

10W/40高温重负荷润滑油在柴油发动机上的试验

为更好地研究高原地区车辆发动机与油料的适应性,针对高原地区特殊的地理环境气候特点,选用10W/40高温重负荷润滑油,对其进行了理化性能分析、350 h台架可靠性试验及高原实际行车试验。结果表明:该型润滑油具有优良的抗氧抗腐性、清净分散性和抗磨性,可满足高原地区大功率、重负荷柴油发动机的用油要求。