Approximating nondominated sets in continuous multiobjective optimization problems

Many important problems in Operations Research and Statistics require the computation of nondominated (or Pareto or efficient) sets. This task may be currently undertaken efficiently for discrete sets of alternatives or for continuous sets under special and fairly tight structural conditions. Under more general continuous settings, parametric characterisations of the nondominated set, for example through convex combinations of the objective functions or ε‐constrained problems, or discretizations‐based approaches, pose several problems. In this paper, the lack of a general approach to approximate the nondominated set in continuous multiobjective problems is addressed. Our simulation‐based procedure only requires to sample from the set of alternatives and check whether an alternative dominates another. Stopping rules, efficient sampling schemes, and procedures to check for dominance are proposed. A continuous approximation to the nondominated set is obtained by fitting a surface through the points of a discrete approximation, using a local (robust) regression method. Other actions like clustering and projecting points onto the frontier are required in nonconvex feasible regions and nonconnected Pareto sets. In a sense, our method may be seen as an evolutionary algorithm with a variable population size. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2005.     

Coordinated scheduling of customer orders for quick response

The scheduling problem addressed in this paper concerns a manufacturer who produces a variety of product types and operates in a make‐to‐order environment. Each customer order consists of known quantities of the different product types, and must be delivered as a single shipment. Periodically the manufacturer schedules the accumulated and unscheduled customer orders. Instances of this problem occur across industries in manufacturing as well as in service environments. In this paper we show that the problem of minimizing the weighted sum of customer order delivery times is unary NP‐hard. We characterize the optimal schedule, solve several special cases of the problem, derive tight lower bounds, and propose several heuristic solutions. We report the results of a set of computational experiments to evaluate the lower bounding procedures and the heuristics, and to determine optimal solutions. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2005.     

Asymptotic analysis of periodic policies for the inventory routing problem

In this article, a distribution system is studied where the sum of transportation and inventory costs is to be minimized. The inventory holding cost is assumed to be the same for all retailers. A fixed partition (FP) periodic policy is proposed with tight asymptotic worst‐case performance of 3/2 with respect to the best possible policy. This bound cannot be improved in the class of FP periodic policies. In partition‐based PB policies, the retailers are first partitioned into sets and then the sets are grouped in such a way that sets of retailers within a group are served together at selected times. A PB periodic, policy is presented with tight worst‐case asymptotic performance of with respect to the best possible policy. This latter performance improves the worst‐case asymptotic performance of of the previously best known policy for this problem. We also show that the proposed PB periodic policy has the best worst‐case asymptotic performance within the class of PB policies. Finally, practical heuristics inspired by the analyzed policies are designed and tested. The asymptotic worst–case performances of the heuristics are shown to be the same of those of the analyzed policies. Computational results show that the heuristics suggested are less than 6.4% on average from a lower bound on the optimal cost when 50 or more retailers are involved. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 00: 000–000, 2013     

The effect of deployment on first‐ and second‐term re‐enlistment in the US active duty force

Why should deployment affect re‐enlistment? In our model, members enter the military with naïve beliefs about deployment and use actual deployment experience to update their beliefs and revise their expected utility of re‐enlisting. Empirically, re‐enlistment is related to the type and number of deployments, consistent with the learning model. Non‐hostile deployment increases first‐term re‐enlistment but hostile deployment has little effect except for the Army, where the effect is positive. Both types increase second‐term re‐enlistment. Interestingly, first‐term members with dependants tend to respond to deployment like second‐term members. In addition, deployment acts directly to affect re‐enlistment, not indirectly through time to promotion.     

The view from above: how the Royal Air Force provided a strategic vision for operational intelligence during the Malayan Emergency

It has long been held that the Federation of Malaya’s counter-insurgency campaign during the First Malayan Emergency (1948–60) was determined by the use of intelligence. Special Branch — the Federation’s primary intelligence agency — dominates the prevailing paradigm of how the insurgent threat was tackled. Conversely, the role of the Royal Air Force (RAF) within this paradigm is very limited. Most observers simply dismiss the role of photoreconnaissance or airstrikes as being largely inconsequential to the counter-insurgency effort. This is perhaps understandable: the Emergency was after all a ‘policing action’ and the insurgents were largely hidden under Malaya’s jungle canopy and amongst the Chinese community. However, further scrutiny reveals that the RAF made a much more significant contribution to the intelligence element of the counter-insurgency campaign than previously realised. First, the RAF decided to locate their Advanced Headquarters with the Army’s General Headquarters. This led to the creation of the Land/Air Operations Room, through which intelligence, tasking and resources were coordinated. Moreover, the RAF put its intelligence teams into the field to provide a practical link between local units and theatre-level assets. Second, with the support of the Army, the RAF established at the beginning of the Emergency the Joint Air Photographic Intelligence Board (Far East). This coordinated all photographic intelligence requirements throughout the Emergency, which was then delivered via the Joint Air Photographic Centre (Far East). Hence, via Joint Operations Centre and JAPIB (FE), the RAF provided both the practical means for effective joint intelligence operations at theatre level throughout the Emergency.     

过程挖掘算法

过程挖掘又称工作流挖掘,主要依据日志中记录的过程实例执行信息重构工作流过程模型,是工作流再设计与分析方法的一项关键技术。对目前主流的过程挖掘算法和相关工具进行了研究,把过程挖掘算法按照特性及解决问题分成了4类,对每类算法的优缺点进行比较研究。最后指出了目前过程挖掘研究中存在的问题。     

10.6μm 双路 NH2D 斯塔克盒稳频CO2 激光拍频系统研究

在无恒温设备,无特殊防震措施,激光器采用泵浦循环水冷却,稳频环路采用常温热释电探测器的条件下,我们成功地建立了１０．６μｍ双路ＮＨ_２Ｄ斯塔克盒稳频ＣＯ_２激光拍频系统。文中重点对稳频系统的频率稳定性的拍频测试进行实验研究,并对关键技术进行了讨论。用拍频法及阿仑方差评价的频率稳定性是：取样时间为１０_ｓ、１ｓ的频率稳定性优于４×１０~（－１０）;取样时间为１００ｍｓ、１０ｍｓ、１ｍｓ的频率稳定性优于１．７×１０~（－９）。     

共轭梯度反传算法及其在液体火箭发动机系统辨识中的应用

结合非线性优化理论和方法提出了易于实现、收敛速度比较快的多层神经网络共轭梯度反传算法。液体火箭发动机参数辨识技术已得到广泛的应用,由于传统的数学方法必须基于发动机已知模型,使得其参数辨识受到极大的限制。文中基于神经网络共轭梯度反传算法进行液体火箭发动机的系统辨识,结合变推力发动机热试车动态数据,得到了满意的仿真结果。     

Aid versus sanctions for taming oppressors: theory and case study of the Iraqi Kurds

We model an oppressor aiming at victimizing an excluded group in his country, with two main variants. A foreign power affects his behaviour using either conditional aid, subject to the dictator’s participation constraint, or the threat of sanctions, broadly defined, subject to the credibility constraint. The choice between the two is either determined by the latter, or by their relative cost. Aid is preferred when the threat of sanctions is ineffective, and sanctions are too expensive. Sanctions might be imposed, if the threat is ineffective. A case study of the Iraqi Kurds after Iraq was subject to sanctions is presented.     

用遗传算法实现雷达网目标分配

通过对雷达网目标分配问题的深入研究,建立了数学模型.为了获得发现概率最大的目标分配方案,引入了遗传算法来对模型求解,并给出了实现的步骤和方法.最后经过验证,证明该方法应用在雷达网目标分配问题上切实可行.