Makespan minimization in the two‐machine flowshop batch scheduling problem

In this paper we consider a practical scheduling problem commonly arising from batch production in a flexible manufacturing environment. Different part‐types are to be produced in a flexible manufacturing cell organized into a two‐stage production line. The jobs are processed in batches on the first machine, and the completion time of a job is defined as the completion time of the batch containing it. When processing of all jobs in a batch is completed on the first machine, the whole batch of jobs is transferred intact to the second machine. A constant setup time is incurred whenever a batch is formed on any machine. The tradeoff between the setup times and batch processing times gives rise to the batch composition decision. The problem is to find the optimal batch composition and the optimal schedule of the batches so that the makespan is minimized. The problem is shown to be strongly NP‐hard. We identify some special cases by introducing their corresponding solution methods. Heuristic algorithms are also proposed to derive approximate solutions. We conduct computational experiments to study the effectiveness of the proposed heuristics. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 47: 128–144, 2000     

The myth of Afghan electoral democracy: the irregularities of the 2014 presidential election

ABSTRACT

This article systematically assesses the 2014 Afghanistan Presidential Election, the first transfer of power from President Hamid Karzai to an elected successor, using provincial voting data as well as explicit data from polling centers. The analysis finds unusual voting results in the April election, where no candidate received 50%+1 votes required by the Afghan constitution, versus the voting results realized for the June ‘runoff election.’ As in other Afghan voting analyses, this article finds voting based on ethno-linguistic preferences, and interestingly found Dr. Ashraf Ghani receiving almost all the swing votes in the runoff election even though the other leading candidate from the April election all endorsed Dr. Abdullah Abdullah. More importantly, however, the research presented here clearly finds extremely strange voting patterns. For example, the polling data center analysis finds 606 polling places where Ghani received all 600 votes and Abdullah received none and another 900 polling centers that gave virtually all its votes to Ghani. These results in combination with other analyses raise the very real possibility that the election results were illegitimate. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the research to future Afghan elections and their processes as well as to the long-standing conflict in the country.     

A competitive genetic algorithm for resource-constrained project scheduling

In this paper we consider the resource-constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) with makespan minimization as objective. We propose a new genetic algorithm approach to solve this problem. Subsequently, we compare it to two genetic algorithm concepts from the literature. While our approach makes use of a permutation based genetic encoding that contains problem-specific knowledge, the other two procedures employ a priority value based and a priority rule based representation, respectively. Then we present the results of our thorough computational study for which standard sets of project instances have been used. The outcome reveals that our procedure is the most promising genetic algorithm to solve the RCPSP. Finally, we show that our genetic algorithm yields better results than several heuristic procedures presented in the literature. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 45: 733–750, 1998     

槽头式野战管线水击波速计算方法研究

按照弹性水击理论,管线内发生水力瞬变时,其水击波速取决于管子的弹性、流体的可压缩性和管子受约束的情况。对于给定的输送介质,焊接式固定输油管线的水击波速是一个常数。而槽头式野战管线采用连接器连接,胶圈密封,这种特殊的连接方式改变了管子整体的弹性摸量,从而使水击波速的常规计算方法不再适用。本文研究了野战管线连接器连接方式时水击波速的影响,实验研究了在受到约束时,橡胶的弹性模量随所受压力的变化而变化的规律,推导出野战管线水击波速平均计算方法,推导的公式表明:与焊接式固定管线不同,野战管线的水击波速随管线内压力的增大而增大。     

基于仿真结果的舰载武备系统试验鉴定方法研究

由于舰载武备系统现场实验效率低、实现困难等现状,提出了仿真结果用于试验鉴定的基本思想。用数学、统计语言对小子样场合下武器装备系统的试验鉴定问题进行了描述,将其"映射"成Bayes统计推断问题,得到了其Bayes统计推断数学仿真模型。经实例分析研究,与传统方法相比较,该方法提高了舰载武备系统试验鉴定水平,缩短了试验周期,有效保障了武器装备系统的作战使用。     

一种新型的P2P Tracker实现方法

流媒体数据已经在互联网流量中占据极高的比例,P2P是目前支撑互联网流媒体数据分发的重要手段。本文提出一种新型的P2P Tracker实现方法——eTracker。该方法通过网络边缘的eTracker分布实现peer列表的保存,不但消除传统集中式Tracker的性能瓶颈,而且通过eTracker对本地peer的识别,优化了P2P系统的peer选择。     

平流层飞艇强迫对流特性数值仿真分析

强迫对流换热特性对平流层飞艇热状态有重要影响。以平流层飞艇流线型封闭囊体为研究对象,基于囊体内部纯导热传热的假设,采用计算流体力学方法建立平流层飞艇外部流场三维数值模型,对飞艇外部强迫对流换热特性进行仿真分析,得到了不同太阳照射角度、风速和攻角条件下的飞艇表面温度分布和内部平均温度变化规律,为平流层飞艇热状态预测和热控设计提供参考依据。     

计算流体动力学在液体火箭发动机中的应用

对计算流体动力学（ＣＦＤ）在液体火箭发动机中的应用情况进行了全面的回顾与分析,提出了今后的发展趋势与方向。     

滑移边界条件的收敛性分析及应用

用速度滑移与温度跳跃边界条件代替通常假定的无滑移边界条件,可有效地提高计算流体力学模型对高空滑移流区域流动的预测精度。应用Maxwell滑移边界条件时,通过直接计算速度梯度及温度梯度而得到速度滑移和温度跳跃量的处理方法在网格较密的时候会出现迭代计算发散的问题。理论分析表明,直接计算梯度的方法使边界条件的时间推进过程等价于雅克比迭代过程,因此必须满足相应的收敛性条件。为了消除收敛性条件的限制,给出了一种在任意网格密度下均收敛的边界条件处理方法并通过数值算例验证了该方法的正确性。针对高空高超声速流动,以空天飞机为例,对比了滑移/无滑移边界条件所得结果的差异,分析了滑移效应对飞行器气动特性及热环境的影响。     

指挥信息系统非线性最优化问题的混沌搜索解法

指挥信息系统进行辅助决策很多情况下是一个求解最优化问题的过程,指挥信息系统遇到的很多问题具有非线性,同时指挥信息系统对算法的适应性和收敛速度要求相当严格。对此,普通的优化技术只能求出局部最优解。基于混沌搜索技术的计算智能具有全局搜索能力强、算法简洁、计算量小、收敛速度快的特点,成为一种求解非线性最优化问题全局最优的有效方法。算例表明,当搜索次数达到一定数量时,混沌搜索方法可以保证算法收敛到全局最优解,且计算效率很高。