A refined approach for forecasting based on neutrosophic time series

This research introduces a neutrosophic forecasting approach based on neutrosophic time series (NTS). Historical data can be transformed into neutrosophic time series data to determine their truth, indeterminacy and falsity functions. The basis for the neutrosophication process is the score and accuracy functions of historical data. In addition, neutrosophic logical relationship groups (NLRGs) are determined and a deneutrosophication method for NTS is presented. The objective of this research is to suggest an idea of first-and high-order NTS. By comparing our approach with other approaches, we conclude that the suggested approach of forecasting gets better results compared to the other existing approaches of fuzzy, intuitionistic fuzzy, and neutrosophic time series

Smart Energy and Intelligent Transportation Systems

With the Internet of Things and various information and communication technologies, a city can manage its assets in a smarter way, constituting the urban development vision of a smart city. This facilitates a more efficient use of physical infrastructure and encourages citizen participation. Smart energy and smart mobility are among the key aspects of the smart city, in which the electric vehicle (EV) is believed to take a key role. EVs are powered by various energy sources or the electricity grid. With proper scheduling, a large fleet of EVs can be charged from charging stations and parking infrastructures. Although the battery capacity of a single EV is small, an aggregation of EVs can perform as a significant power source or load, constituting a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) system. Besides acquiring energy from the grid, in V2G, EVs can also support the grid by providing various demand response and auxiliary services. Thanks to this, we can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and utilize the renewable energy more effectively. This Special Issue “Smart Energy and Intelligent Transportation Systems” addresses existing knowledge gaps and advances smart energy and mobility. It consists of five peer-reviewed papers that cover a range of subjects and applications related to smart energy and transportation

Managing the challenges of digital divide among first year students : a case of UKZN.

Master of Commerce in Information Systems and Technology. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2019.The integration of technology into the educational system has brought about changes in the style of teaching and learning. Nowadays, institutions are adopting technologies such as computers and the Internet to enhance their teaching and learning activities. Students that grew up using computers and related technologies are often at an advantage with their learning because they would have developed the skills required for using technological resources to enhance their learning. However, students that have not been exposed to any form of technology are often at a disadvantage with their learning because they often lack or do not possess sufficient technological skills. The disparity between students that have been exposed to technology and those that have not, is often referred to as digital divide. The literature shows that the digital divide is a challenge that is impacting on students’ academic performance. This study was therefore conducted to understand the challenges faced by the first-year students of UKZN with regards to the digital divide. In this study, a quantitative research methodology was employed. The findings of this study show that students with little or no exposure to technology prior to joining the university often face challenges that include the use of application programs (e.g. MS Word, Spreadsheet), downloading of informative materials, conducting online tasks and navigating the Internet. The findings also show that time of access/ownership to technology (before or after joining the university), technology skills and computer anxiety affects student’s computer self-efficacy. However, the study’s findings also showed that irrespective of student’s exposure level to technology prior to joining the university, students are faced with the university’s technological challenges that include insufficient technological resources (e.g. printer, computers, scanners), power interruption, poor Wi-Fi connectivity and lack of technology assistants. Based on the findings in this study, it is therefore recommended that universities organize frequent orientation and IT training programs for first year students. Such programs should focus on the effective use of technologies for learning purposes. In addition, universities should ensure the availability of administrative and technical support whenever students are performing technology related learning tasks. Furthermore, universities should setup a team that will focus on continuous monitoring of whether students are coping with technology or not. This team should also evaluate the available resources on monthly basis to identify the possible or required maintenance

Analysis of the Digital Divide Using Fuzzy Forecasting

In the countries of the former Eastern Bloc (Central and Eastern Europe) belonging to the European Union, a gradual elimination of the technological gap, greater expenditures, competitiveness and productivity can be noticed. In this context, analysis and forecast of the level of accessibility and use of ICT (information and communication technologies) by households in these countries has become interesting. It allows for the selection of digitally excluded regions, or those threatened with this phenomenon in the coming years (2018⁻2020). To carry out the analysis, a framework based on fuzzy numbers and the NEAT F-PROMETHEE (New Easy Approach To Fuzzy-PROMETHEE) method was developed. The potential of the fuzzy outranking approach taking into account the uncertainty of input data (criteria and preferences) has been demonstrated as an alternative to the IDI (ICT Development Index) methodology widely used in research on regional ICT development based on composite indices. Research has shown that Estonia is the leader in the area of ICT expansion among households, and in the next three years will definitely maintain its dominant position. Slovenia follows shortly after, followed by Latvia. At the end of the ranking were the countries with the largest percentage in Central and Eastern Europe of population excluded digitally or threatened with this phenomenon; these are: Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria and, in last place, Romania. Within this framework, the robustness of the obtained rankings to change in the degree of uncertainty of preferences was also examined. It turned out that eliminating the uncertainty of preferences resulted in an increase in the uncertainty of the aggregate, fuzzy grades obtained at the output