After the search is over... the work begins

A narrative and discursive discussion of some adventures in musicology using a simple MIR system

Multi-criteria Decision Analysis Applied to a Potential U.S. Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Allocation Queue Strategy

Although work has been done on a wide variety of fields in multi-criteria decision analysis, no literature was found that has specifically studied the development of a spent nuclear fuel (SNF) allocation queue strategy to maximize value to decision maker (DM) based on multiple objectives (allocation queue will be mostly used in this document as a shortened version of this, but allocation queue and allocation queue refer to this same thing). In this document, the DM is the person or persons who ultimately decide what allocation queue is selected. Previous work by Petersen [1] researched optimizing the order in which SNF is removed from nuclear reactor sites with the goal of reducing the number of years after all reactors on a site shut down by when all fuel is cleared from a site. This research proposal seeks to build on those methods to optimize the allocation queue by employing multiple criteria, because the development of allocation strategies for clearing nuclear reactor sites is expected to depend upon several other factors in addition to minimizing the number of Shutdown Reactor Years (SRY). Shutdown reactor years are the cumulative number of years that reactor sites have SNF remaining on-site after they are shut down summed over the entire reactor fleet.In this dissertation, a new model has been developed with the ability to consider a multiple number of DM’s preferences when developing an optimal allocation queue (in terms of maximizing value to the DM). Unlike traditional multi-objective evaluations where potential allocation strategies are developed manually, and the results compared after analyzing each scenario separately, the model was developed to search for optimum allocation strategies based on DM’s preferences. A Chebyshev integer programming method was developed for this application and the results herein provided show that the new model, denoted as the Tractable Validation Model for Value (TVMV), performs as intended.Additionally, major assumptions that affect the TVMV were explored to investigate the implications of different system assumptions. These parameters include the year in which acceptance from reactor sites begins, the maximum fleet-wide acceptance rate per year, the maximum number of canisters that can be accepted from operating or shutdown reactors in each year, and the assumed storage and transportation cask thermal limits

Dynamic Path Planning and Replanning for Mobile Robots using RRT*

It is necessary for a mobile robot to be able to efficiently plan a path from its starting, or current, location to a desired goal location. This is a trivial task when the environment is static. However, the operational environment of the robot is rarely static, and it often has many moving obstacles. The robot may encounter one, or many, of these unknown and unpredictable moving obstacles. The robot will need to decide how to proceed when one of these obstacles is obstructing it's path. A method of dynamic replanning using RRT* is presented. The robot will modify it's current plan when an unknown random moving obstacle obstructs the path. Various experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed method

Challenging Old and New Images Representing the Cambodian Genocide: The Missing Picture (Rithy Panh, 2013)

This article focuses on the images used over four decades to represent the Cambodian genocide in photography, cinema, visual arts and the media as the basis for analyzing the documentary-memoir directed by Rithy Panh, The Missing Picture. First, there is a paucity of images which depict, evoke or allude to the crimes perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979); second, scholars raise objections about whether any image can adequately depict a catastrophic event such as genocide. This article begins by categorizing the Cambodian genocide iconography according to the modality of the visual production. After briefly classifying this visual output in four categories (perpetrator images, liberator images, belated evidential images, and creative imagery), the author questions the challenging visual strategies used in The Missing Picture. Rithy Panh adopts an unexpected and original dispositif in his documentary: an un-realistic imagery based on hand-carved clay figurines placed in a diorama-like setting, as the narrative is sustained by a first-person hypnotic voiceover that evokes the author's childhood memories under the Khmer Rouge rule. By juxtaposing these static figures with propaganda archival footage, Panh introduces an estrangement that paradoxically imbues the film continuum with an emotional tone ideal for conveying affliction. From a figurative perspective, this device avoids mimesis and draws upon a tradition of 'animal stories' combined with animation techniques. Beyond a representational point of view, the originality of The Missing Picture draws on the search of a visual and narrative vocabulary destined to perform an exorcism from trauma; or, from another perspective, a self-therapeutic exercise through art and memory work

Diagonal Peg Solitaire

We study the classical game of peg solitaire when diagonal jumps are allowed. We prove that on many boards, one can begin from a full board with one peg missing, and finish with one peg anywhere on the board. We then consider the problem of finding solutions that minimize the number of moves (where a move is one or more jumps by the same peg), and find the shortest solution to the "central game", which begins and ends at the center. In some cases we can prove analytically that our solutions are the shortest possible, in other cases we apply A* or bidirectional search heuristics.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figure

Citation chain aggregation: An interaction model to support citation cycling

This is the postprint version of the conference paper.Citation chaining is a powerful means of exploring the academic literature. Starting from just one or two known relevant items, a naïve researcher can cycle backwards and forwards through the citation graph to generate a rich overview of key works, authors and journals relating to their topic. Whilst online citation indexes greatly facilitate this process, the size and complexity of the search space can rapidly escalate. In this paper, we propose a novel interaction model called citation chain aggregation (CCA). CCA employs a simple three-list view which highlights the overlaps that occur between the first-generation relations of known relevant items. As more relevant articles are identified, differences in the frequencies of citations made by or to unseen articles provide strong relevance feedback cues. The benefits of this technique are illustrated using a simple case study

Machine learning : techniques and foundations

The field of machine learning studies computational methods for acquiring new knowledge, new skills, and new ways to organize existing knowledge. In this paper we present some of the basic techniques and principles that underlie AI research on learning, including methods for learning from examples, learning in problem solving, learning by analogy, grammar acquisition, and machine discovery. In each case, we illustrate the techniques with paradigmatic examples