What you should know about approximate dynamic programming

Approximate dynamic programming (ADP) is a broad umbrella for a modeling and algorithmic strategy for solving problems that are sometimes large and complex, and are usually (but not always) stochastic. It is most often presented as a method for overcoming the classic curse of dimensionality that is well‐known to plague the use of Bellman's equation. For many problems, there are actually up to three curses of dimensionality. But the richer message of approximate dynamic programming is learning what to learn, and how to learn it, to make better decisions over time. This article provides a brief review of approximate dynamic programming, without intending to be a complete tutorial. Instead, our goal is to provide a broader perspective of ADP and how it should be approached from the perspective of different problem classes. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 2009     

Making defense planning meaningful: the evolution of strategic guidance in the Hungarian Ministry of Defense

Hungary, a former communist state, adapted a Western-style defense planning system during the 1990s and 2000s. Although on the surface the elements of this planning system were similar to the planning programming budgeting system (PPBS) developed by the US Department of Defense, strategic guidance for defense planning has not been properly developed until recently. Thus, albeit PPBS-based defense plans were developed in the Hungarian Ministry of Defense (Hungarian MoD) regularly, they lacked both an expression of clear priorities and strategic focus. This article delineates the evolution of strategic guidance in the Hungarian MoD concentrating on current developments, and introduces the newly elaborated analytical concepts and tools, which helped to create needed strategic guidance in Hungary.     

基于协方差矩阵估计的稳健Capon波束形成算法

常规Capon波束形成器性能对模型误差或失配非常敏感,尤其是当期望信号包含在训练数据中,导向矢量失配将引起性能急剧下降。为解决这一问题,提出了一种采用干扰噪声协方差矩阵和导向矢量联合估计的稳健波束形成算法。该方法通过对Capon空间谱在非目标信号的方位区域内的积分,实现对干扰噪声协方差矩阵的估计,解决数据协方差矩阵包含有目标信号时引起信号自相消问题;其次为了克服导向矢量失配的影响,通过最大化输出功率,并增加二次型约束防止估计的导向矢量接近于干扰导向矢量,实现对导向矢量的估计。仿真实验表明:该算法能获得近似最优的输出信干噪比,与现有算法相比稳健性更强。     

配套装备器材的库存与运输集成优化研究

针对我军配套装备器材订货的特点,在考虑库存容量空间限制与整套装备的最低期望满足率两种约束条件下,建立了配套装备器材的库存与运输优化模型,并应用改进的动态规划方法进行求解。结果表明：应用库存与运输的优化模型,在保障军事目标实现的前提下,有效地降低了物流成本。     

流编程模型下的存储一致性模型

在流编程模型下建立了一个新的存储一致性模型--流一致性模型,它比传统的释放一致性模型更加松弛.讨论了流一致性模型对程序设计和系统设计的要求,给出了一个正确的系统实现,并且指出流一致性模型的编程和实现并不比现有的一致性模型复杂.     

Optimal capacity in a coordinated supply chain

We consider a supply chain in which a retailer faces a stochastic demand, incurs backorder and inventory holding costs and uses a periodic review system to place orders from a manufacturer. The manufacturer must fill the entire order. The manufacturer incurs costs of overtime and undertime if the order deviates from the planned production capacity. We determine the optimal capacity for the manufacturer in case there is no coordination with the retailer as well as in case there is full coordination with the retailer. When there is no coordination the optimal capacity for the manufacturer is found by solving a newsvendor problem. When there is coordination, we present a dynamic programming formulation and establish that the optimal ordering policy for the retailer is characterized by two parameters. The optimal coordinated capacity for the manufacturer can then be obtained by solving a nonlinear programming problem. We present an efficient exact algorithm and a heuristic algorithm for computing the manufacturer's capacity. We discuss the impact of coordination on the supply chain cost as well as on the manufacturer's capacity. We also identify the situations in which coordination is most beneficial. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2008     

Strategic capacity decision‐making in a stochastic manufacturing environment using real‐time approximate dynamic programming

In this study, we illustrate a real‐time approximate dynamic programming (RTADP) method for solving multistage capacity decision problems in a stochastic manufacturing environment, by using an exemplary three‐stage manufacturing system with recycle. The system is a moderate size queuing network, which experiences stochastic variations in demand and product yield. The dynamic capacity decision problem is formulated as a Markov decision process (MDP). The proposed RTADP method starts with a set of heuristics and learns a superior quality solution by interacting with the stochastic system via simulation. The curse‐of‐dimensionality associated with DP methods is alleviated by the adoption of several notions including “evolving set of relevant states,” for which the value function table is built and updated, “adaptive action set” for keeping track of attractive action candidates, and “nonparametric k nearest neighbor averager” for value function approximation. The performance of the learned solution is evaluated against (1) an “ideal” solution derived using a mixed integer programming (MIP) formulation, which assumes full knowledge of future realized values of the stochastic variables (2) a myopic heuristic solution, and (3) a sample path based rolling horizon MIP solution. The policy learned through the RTADP method turned out to be superior to polices of 2 and 3. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 2010     

A misclassification cost‐minimizing evolutionary–neural classification approach

Machine learning algorithms that incorporate misclassification costs have recently received considerable attention. In this paper, we use the principles of evolution to develop and test an evolutionary/genetic algorithm (GA)‐based neural approach that incorporates asymmetric Type I and Type II error costs. Using simulated, real‐world medical and financial data sets, we compare the results of the proposed approach with other statistical, mathematical, and machine learning approaches, which include statistical linear discriminant analysis, back‐propagation artificial neural network, integrated cost preference‐based linear mathematical programming‐based minimize squared deviations, linear integrated cost preference‐based GA, decision trees (C 5.0, and CART), and inexpensive classification with expensive tests algorithm. Our results indicate that the proposed approach incorporating asymmetric error costs results in equal or lower holdout sample misclassification cost when compared with the other statistical, mathematical, and machine learning misclassification cost‐minimizing approaches. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2006.     

提高消防经费使用效益之管见

当前,我国消防经费的规模随着消防事业的迅速发展正日益扩大。如何加强消防经费的管理,实现有限的经费效益最大化,确保消防部队的发展和建设显得尤为重要。通过分析现阶段消防经费管理和使用中存在的一些普遍问题,就提高消防部队经费使用效益问题,谈了几点意见。     

兵力展开问题研究

如何将基地的兵力以最短时间展开到多个阵地中,是运输问题中的一种。为解决此问题对著名的兵力展开问题进行了研究。建立了兵力展开问题的数学模型,此模型是一个混合整数规划模型。提出了一种求解方法,该方法可解决类似的混合整数规划问题。最后给出了一个实例。