4,151 research outputs found
Coverage, Continuity and Visual Cortical Architecture
The primary visual cortex of many mammals contains a continuous
representation of visual space, with a roughly repetitive aperiodic map of
orientation preferences superimposed. It was recently found that orientation
preference maps (OPMs) obey statistical laws which are apparently invariant
among species widely separated in eutherian evolution. Here, we examine whether
one of the most prominent models for the optimization of cortical maps, the
elastic net (EN) model, can reproduce this common design. The EN model
generates representations which optimally trade of stimulus space coverage and
map continuity. While this model has been used in numerous studies, no
analytical results about the precise layout of the predicted OPMs have been
obtained so far. We present a mathematical approach to analytically calculate
the cortical representations predicted by the EN model for the joint mapping of
stimulus position and orientation. We find that in all previously studied
regimes, predicted OPM layouts are perfectly periodic. An unbiased search
through the EN parameter space identifies a novel regime of aperiodic OPMs with
pinwheel densities lower than found in experiments. In an extreme limit,
aperiodic OPMs quantitatively resembling experimental observations emerge.
Stabilization of these layouts results from strong nonlocal interactions rather
than from a coverage-continuity-compromise. Our results demonstrate that
optimization models for stimulus representations dominated by nonlocal
suppressive interactions are in principle capable of correctly predicting the
common OPM design. They question that visual cortical feature representations
can be explained by a coverage-continuity-compromise.Comment: 100 pages, including an Appendix, 21 + 7 figure
Optimization of Tapered Composite Beams
A study on the optimization of tapered composite beams for vibration is conducted. Designers of tapered rotating structural components such as wind mill, helicopter or turbine blades are increasingly considering composite materials as an option to create lighter structures without compromising structural stiffness and to significantly increase their efficiency. In the design of composite material structures, a challenge arises due to a large number of design variables, therefore numerical optimization is required for a better design. Given this, the purpose of this study is to propose an optimization methodology for the design of a tapered beam, considering the vibration constrains present in rotating components. This is achieved by coupling a numerical model which considers the bending modes of vibration, with an optimization algorithm, both coded in MATLAB. Five optimization algorithms, heuristic and deterministic, are coded and compared and the most efficient method is selected. Because the ply orientation angles can assume an infinite number of possible angles, or follow the regular 0 / ±45 / 90 degrees approach, four possible tuning approaches are defined. The beam is optimized for the following design cases of boundary conditions and design requirements: the presence or absence of a tensile axial force, the presence or absence of a taper, three taper configurations, four proposed structural tuning approaches and four boundary conditions. Two of these structural tuning approaches are compared for its influence in the dynamic behavior of the structural component and in achieving better values of in-plane and out-of-plane stresses. The results demonstrate the Genetic Algorithm is an efficient method for optimization, a design analysis is an important step in optimization, and an appropriate tuning approach can improve the overall efficiency of the optimized structure
Synchronization of heterogeneous oscillators under network modifications: Perturbation and optimization of the synchrony alignment function
Synchronization is central to many complex systems in engineering physics
(e.g., the power-grid, Josephson junction circuits, and electro-chemical
oscillators) and biology (e.g., neuronal, circadian, and cardiac rhythms).
Despite these widespread applications---for which proper functionality depends
sensitively on the extent of synchronization---there remains a lack of
understanding for how systems evolve and adapt to enhance or inhibit
synchronization. We study how network modifications affect the synchronization
properties of network-coupled dynamical systems that have heterogeneous node
dynamics (e.g., phase oscillators with non-identical frequencies), which is
often the case for real-world systems. Our approach relies on a synchrony
alignment function (SAF) that quantifies the interplay between heterogeneity of
the network and of the oscillators and provides an objective measure for a
system's ability to synchronize. We conduct a spectral perturbation analysis of
the SAF for structural network modifications including the addition and removal
of edges, which subsequently ranks the edges according to their importance to
synchronization. Based on this analysis, we develop gradient-descent algorithms
to efficiently solve optimization problems that aim to maximize phase
synchronization via network modifications. We support these and other results
with numerical experiments.Comment: 25 pages, 6 figure
A Genetic Search in Frequency Space for Stabilizing Atoms by High-Intensity Laser Fields
The goal of this paper is to explore the power of stochastic search methods, in particular genetic algorithms, to solve a challenging problem in experimental physics. The problem is to find an optimum frequency to stabilize atoms by high-intensity laser fields. The standard approach to search for optimal laser parameters has been by trial and error. This is the first known application of a genetic algorithm technique to model atomic stabilization. Genetic algorithms worked well for this problem as a way to automate the search in a time efficient manner. A parallel platform is used to perform the genetic search efficiently. Locating the best frequency to achieve a suppression of ionization, which is predicted to occur at high intensities, can help design a laboratory experiment and tune to that frequency in order to identify a stabilization effect. The genetic algorithms did successfully identify this optimum frequency. It is indeed possible to extend the number of unknown tunable laser parameters, beyond searching merely over frequency space. For instance, optimal pulse shape and pulse duration can also be included. While conducting such a search in multi-dimensional parameter space, parallel genetic algorithms can offer an advantage to the tedious trial and error procedures
Simulated Annealing
The book contains 15 chapters presenting recent contributions of top researchers working with Simulated Annealing (SA). Although it represents a small sample of the research activity on SA, the book will certainly serve as a valuable tool for researchers interested in getting involved in this multidisciplinary field. In fact, one of the salient features is that the book is highly multidisciplinary in terms of application areas since it assembles experts from the fields of Biology, Telecommunications, Geology, Electronics and Medicine
Readiness of Quantum Optimization Machines for Industrial Applications
There have been multiple attempts to demonstrate that quantum annealing and,
in particular, quantum annealing on quantum annealing machines, has the
potential to outperform current classical optimization algorithms implemented
on CMOS technologies. The benchmarking of these devices has been controversial.
Initially, random spin-glass problems were used, however, these were quickly
shown to be not well suited to detect any quantum speedup. Subsequently,
benchmarking shifted to carefully crafted synthetic problems designed to
highlight the quantum nature of the hardware while (often) ensuring that
classical optimization techniques do not perform well on them. Even worse, to
date a true sign of improved scaling with the number of problem variables
remains elusive when compared to classical optimization techniques. Here, we
analyze the readiness of quantum annealing machines for real-world application
problems. These are typically not random and have an underlying structure that
is hard to capture in synthetic benchmarks, thus posing unexpected challenges
for optimization techniques, both classical and quantum alike. We present a
comprehensive computational scaling analysis of fault diagnosis in digital
circuits, considering architectures beyond D-wave quantum annealers. We find
that the instances generated from real data in multiplier circuits are harder
than other representative random spin-glass benchmarks with a comparable number
of variables. Although our results show that transverse-field quantum annealing
is outperformed by state-of-the-art classical optimization algorithms, these
benchmark instances are hard and small in the size of the input, therefore
representing the first industrial application ideally suited for testing
near-term quantum annealers and other quantum algorithmic strategies for
optimization problems.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figures. Content updated according to Phys. Rev. Applied
versio
Optimizing Omega
"The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com " Copyright Springer. DOI: 10.1007/s10898-008-9396-5This paper considers the Omega function, proposed by Cascon, Keating & Shadwick as a performance measure for comparing financial assets. We discuss the use of Omega as a basis for portfolio selection. We show that the problem of choosing portfolio weights in order to maximize Omega typically has many local solutions and we describe some preliminary computational experience of finding the global optimum using a NAG library implementation of the Huyer & Neumaier MCS method.Peer reviewe
An Evolutionary Computational Approach for the Problem of Unit Commitment and Economic Dispatch in Microgrids under Several Operation Modes
In the last decades, new types of generation technologies have emerged and have been gradually integrated into the existing power systems, moving their classical architectures to distributed systems. Despite the positive features associated to this paradigm, new problems arise such as coordination and uncertainty. In this framework, microgrids constitute an effective solution to deal with the coordination and operation of these distributed energy resources. This paper proposes a Genetic Algorithm (GA) to address the combined problem of Unit Commitment (UC) and Economic Dispatch (ED). With this end, a model of a microgrid is introduced together with all the control variables and physical constraints. To optimally operate the microgrid, three operation modes are introduced. The first two attend to optimize economical and environmental factors, while the last operation mode considers the errors induced by the uncertainties in the demand forecasting. Therefore, it achieves a robust design that guarantees the power supply for different confidence levels. Finally, the algorithm was applied to an example scenario to illustrate its performance. The achieved simulation results demonstrate the validity of the proposed approach.Ministerio de Ciencia, InnovaciĂłn y Universidades TEC2016-80242-PMinisterio de EconomĂa y Competitividad PCIN-2015-043Universidad de Sevilla Programa propio de I+D+
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