Evolutionary Computation 2020

Intelligent optimization is based on the mechanism of computational intelligence to refine a suitable feature model, design an effective optimization algorithm, and then to obtain an optimal or satisfactory solution to a complex problem. Intelligent algorithms are key tools to ensure global optimization quality, fast optimization efficiency and robust optimization performance. Intelligent optimization algorithms have been studied by many researchers, leading to improvements in the performance of algorithms such as the evolutionary algorithm, whale optimization algorithm, differential evolution algorithm, and particle swarm optimization. Studies in this arena have also resulted in breakthroughs in solving complex problems including the green shop scheduling problem, the severe nonlinear problem in one-dimensional geodesic electromagnetic inversion, error and bug finding problem in software, the 0-1 backpack problem, traveler problem, and logistics distribution center siting problem. The editors are confident that this book can open a new avenue for further improvement and discoveries in the area of intelligent algorithms. The book is a valuable resource for researchers interested in understanding the principles and design of intelligent algorithms

The Role of Entanglement in Quantum Communication, and Analysis of the Detection Loophole

Entanglement is a feature at the heart of quantum information. Its enablement of unusual correlations between particles drives a new wave of communication and computation. This thesis explores some of the ways in which the tools for studying entanglement can be used to quantify the transmission of quantum information, and compares the use of different techniques. We begin this thesis by expanding the technique of teleportation simulation, which adds noise to the entangled resource state to mimic channel effects. By introducing classical noise in the communication step, we show it is possible to simulate more than just Pauli channels using teleportation. This new class is characterised, and studied in detail for a particular resource state, leading to a family of simulable channels named “Pauli-Damping channels” whose properties are analysed. Also introduced are a new family of quantum states, “phase Werner” states, whose entanglement properties relate to the interesting conjecture of bound entangled states with a negative partial transpose. Holevo-Werner channels, to which these states are connected, are shown to be teleportation covariant. We exploit this to present several interesting results, including the optimal estimation of the channel-defining parameter. The minimal binary-discrimination error for Holevo-Werner channels is bounded for the first time with the analytical form of the quantum Chernoff bound. We also consider the secret key capacity of these channels, showing how different entanglement measures provide a better upper bound for different regions of these channels. Finally, a method for generating new Bell inequalities is presented, exploiting nonphysical probability distributions to obtain new inequalities. Tens of thousands of new inequivalent inequalities are generated, and their usefulness in closing the detection loophole for imperfect detectors is examined, with comparison to the current optimal construction. Two candidate Bell inequalities which may equal or beat the best construction are presented

The Application of Nature-inspired Metaheuristic Methods for Optimising Renewable Energy Problems and the Design of Water Distribution Networks

This work explores the technical challenges that emerge when applying bio-inspired optimisation methods to real-world engineering problems. A number of new heuristic algorithms were proposed and tested to deal with these challenges. The work is divided into three main dimensions: i) One of the most significant industrial optimisation problems is optimising renewable energy systems. Ocean wave energy is a promising technology for helping to meet future growth in global energy demand. However, the current technologies of wave energy converters (WECs) are not fully developed because of technical engineering and design challenges. This work proposes new hybrid heuristics consisting of cooperative coevolutionary frameworks and neuro-surrogate optimisation methods for optimising WECs problem in three domains, including position, control parameters, and geometric parameters. Our problem-specific algorithms perform better than existing approaches in terms of higher quality results and the speed of convergence. ii) The second part applies search methods to the optimization of energy output in wind farms. Wind energy has key advantages in terms of technological maturity, cost, and life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions. However, designing an accurate local wind speed and power prediction is challenging. We propose two models for wind speed and power forecasting for two wind farms located in Sweden and the Baltic Sea by a combination of recurrent neural networks and evolutionary search algorithms. The proposed models are superior to other applied machine learning methods. iii) Finally, we investigate the design of water distribution systems (WDS) as another challenging real-world optimisation problem. WDS optimisation is demanding because it has a high-dimensional discrete search space and complex constraints. A hybrid evolutionary algorithm is suggested for minimising the cost of various water distribution networks and for speeding up the convergence rate of search.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Computer Science, 202

Local search enabled extremal optimisation for continuous inseparable multi-objective benchmark and real-world problems

Local search is an integral part of many meta-heuristic strategies that solve single objective optimisation problems. Essentially, the meta-heuristic is responsible for generating a good starting point from which a greedy local search will find the local optimum. Indeed, the best known solutions to many hard problems (such as the travelling salesman problem) have been generated in this hybrid way. However, for multiple objective problems, explicit local search strategies are relatively under studied, compared to other aspects of the search process. In this paper, a generic local search strategy is developed, particularly for problems where it is difficult or impossible to determine the contribution of individual solution components (often referred to as inseparable problems). The meta-heuristic adopted to test this is extremal optimisation, though the local search technique may be used by any meta-heuristic. To supplement the local search strategy a diversification strategy that draws from the external archive is incorporated into the local search strategy. Using benchmark problems, and a real-world airfoil design problem, it is shown that this combination leads to improved solutions. © The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V

A vision-based optical character recognition system for real-time identification of tractors in a port container terminal

Automation has been seen as a promising solution to increase the productivity of modern sea port container terminals. The potential of increase in throughput, work efficiency and reduction of labor cost have lured stick holders to strive for the introduction of automation in the overall terminal operation. A specific container handling process that is readily amenable to automation is the deployment and control of gantry cranes in the container yard of a container terminal where typical operations of truck identification, loading and unloading containers, and job management are primarily performed manually in a typical terminal. To facilitate the overall automation of the gantry crane operation, we devised an approach for the real-time identification of tractors through the recognition of the corresponding number plates that are located on top of the tractor cabin. With this crucial piece of information, remote or automated yard operations can then be performed. A machine vision-based system is introduced whereby these number plates are read and identified in real-time while the tractors are operating in the terminal. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of the system and highlight the major difficulties encountered including the recognition of character information printed on the number plates due to poor image integrity. Working solutions are proposed to address these problems which are incorporated in the overall identification system.postprin

Job shop scheduling with artificial immune systems

The job shop scheduling is complex due to the dynamic environment. When the information of the jobs and machines are pre-defined and no unexpected events occur, the job shop is static. However, the real scheduling environment is always dynamic due to the constantly changing information and different uncertainties. This study discusses this complex job shop scheduling environment, and applies the AIS theory and switching strategy that changes the sequencing approach to the dispatching approach by taking into account the system status to solve this problem. AIS is a biological inspired computational paradigm that simulates the mechanisms of the biological immune system. Therefore, AIS presents appealing features of immune system that make AIS unique from other evolutionary intelligent algorithm, such as self-learning, long-lasting memory, cross reactive response, discrimination of self from non-self, fault tolerance, and strong adaptability to the environment. These features of AIS are successfully used in this study to solve the job shop scheduling problem. When the job shop environment is static, sequencing approach based on the clonal selection theory and immune network theory of AIS is applied. This approach achieves great performance, especially for small size problems in terms of computation time. The feature of long-lasting memory is demonstrated to be able to accelerate the convergence rate of the algorithm and reduce the computation time. When some unexpected events occasionally arrive at the job shop and disrupt the static environment, an extended deterministic dendritic cell algorithm (DCA) based on the DCA theory of AIS is proposed to arrange the rescheduling process to balance the efficiency and stability of the system. When the disturbances continuously occur, such as the continuous jobs arrival, the sequencing approach is changed to the dispatching approach that involves the priority dispatching rules (PDRs). The immune network theory of AIS is applied to propose an idiotypic network model of PDRs to arrange the application of various dispatching rules. The experiments show that the proposed network model presents strong adaptability to the dynamic job shop scheduling environment.postprin

Device-independent certification of quantum resources

Premi extraordinari doctorat UPC curs 2017-2018. Àmbit de CiènciesThe last two decades have been a very fruitful period for the fundamental research related to quantum information theory. Today we have a fairly good understanding of how intrinsically quantum properties affect various computational and cryptographic tasks. Practical implementations are advancing as well. Devices performing quantum key distribution or quantum random number generation are already commercially available. As time goes more resources are being invested in building a device which would demonstrate and exploit quantum computational supremacy. In the context of the impending second quantum revolution it is of crucial importance to build new certification tools, improve the existing ones and understand their limits. When assessing the non-classicality of a given device it is essential to estimate which assumptions about the device are not jeopardizing the certification procedure. Device-independent scenario does not make any assumptions about the inner functioning of devices, but usually only assumes the correctness of quantum theory. It gained a lot of attention because it manages to certify the quantum character of certain devices while giving to potential adversaries all power allowed by the laws of physics. Device-independent certification of various quantum resources is the main subject of the thesis.In the first part of the thesis we focus on self-testing, one of the simplest device-independent protocols. It aims to recover quantum states solely from the observed measurement correlations. It has a fundamental importance for the device-independent paradigm because it shows which quantum states can leave a device-independent 'imprint'. Practically, it bears a significance as a possible first step in more complex protocols such as blind quantum computing, randomness generation or quantum key distribution. In this thesis we present several new self-testing results. Firstly, we provide a proof that chained Bell inequalities can be used to robustly self-test maximally entangled pair of qubits and an arbitrary number of real measurements. As a side result we also present a protocol for randomness generation based on the maximal violation of a chained Bell inequality. Secondly, we provide new self-testing protocols for several classes of multipartite quantum states: Dicke states, graph states and all states of arbitrary finite dimension admitting the Schmidt decomposition. Finally, we extend self-testing to the semi-device-independent scenario and explore its properties.In the second part we move to the certification of several quantum resources and protocols. While the device-independent scenario offers the utmost security, it has a few undesirable properties. Firstly, it is very difficult to implement. In some cases, depending on the scenario, stronger assumptions about the functioning of the devices can be made. Secondly, the scenario relies on the observation of nonlocal measurement correlations, which makes some classes of entangled states useless for device-independent protocols. We address the first difficulty by presenting quantification of entanglement and randomness in quantum networks in the measurement-device-independent scenario, in which parties are assumed to have characterized preparation devices. In this scenario all entangled states can be detected. To address the second issue, we merge measurement-device-independent entanglement detection with self-testing and present the first protocol for a completely device-independent detection of all entangled states. The protocol involves placing an entangled state to be detected in a quantum network. Finally, we identify quantum state teleportation as a representative of one-sided measurement-device-independent protocols, which helps us to propose a new benchmark for certifying the non-classicality of teleportation. By using this new benchmark we show that all entangled states can lead to a teleportation protocol that cannot be simulated classicallyLes dues darreres dècades han significat un període molt fructífer per a la investigació bàsica en relació a la teoria quàntica de la informació. Avui en dia tenim un grau de comprensió raonable sobre l'efecte que les propietats quàntiques tenen sobre diverses tasques computacionals i criptogràfiques. Paral·lelament, també es produeixen avenços en les implementacions pràctiques: Varis dispositius que realitzen distribució quàntica de claus o generació quàntica de nombres aleatoris són ja una realitat i estan disponibles comercialment. Mentrestant, més recursos s'estan invertint en construir un dispositiu que pugui provar i explotar l'anomenada superioritat quàntica. En el context d'aquesta imminent segona revolució quàntica, la importància de construir noves eines de certificació i millorar les existents és crucial. En el procés d'avaluar la no-classicalitat d'un dispositiu donat, és essencial poder estimar quines hipòtesis no comprometen el procés de certificació. L'escenari independent del dispositiu no fa cap hipòtesi sobre el funcionament intern dels dispositius, tan sols pren com a punt de partida que la teoria quàntica és correcta. Aquest escenari aconsegueix certificar el caràcter quàntic de certs dispositius, fins i tot en el supòsit que adversaris potencials tenen a la seva disposició tot el poder que les lleis de la física permeten. El tema principal d'aquesta tesi és la certificació de diversos recursos quàntics de manera independent del dispositiu. En la primera part de la tesi ens centrem en l'autoavaluació, un dels protocols independents del dispositiu més senzills. El seu objectiu és recuperar els estats quàntics que s'usen, només a partir de les correlacions observades al mesurar. Té una importància fonamental en el paradigma independent del dispositiu ja que mostra quins estats quàntics deixen una 'empremta'. En aquesta tesi presentem varis resultats referents a l'autoavaluació. Primerament, demostrem que les desigualtats de Bell encadenades poden ser usades per auto-avaluar parelles de qubits màximament entrellaçats de manera robusta, així com estats de Dicke, estats de grafs i estats de dimensió finita arbitrària que admetin la descomposició de Schmidt. Finalment, estenem l'autoavaluació a l'escenari semi-independent del dispositiu i n'explorem les seves propietats. En la segona part de la tesi anem a la certificació de varis recursos quàntics i protocols. Mentre que l'escenari independent del dispositiu ofereix seguretat en grau màxim, té algunes propietats que hom voldria evitar. És difícil d'implementar: En alguns casos es poden plantejar hipòtesis més fortes sobre el funcionament dels dispositius.En segon lloc, l'escenari es basa en l'observació de correlacions no locals, cosa que inutilitza certes classes d'estats entrellaçats per a protocols independents del dispositiu. Abordem el primer repte presentant una quantificació de l'entrellaçament i l'aleatorietat en xarxes quàntiques en l'escenari de mesurament independent del dispositiu, on se suposa que totes les parts tenen els seus aparells de preparació caracteritzats. En aquest cas, es poden detectar tots els estats entrellaçats. Quant al segon problema, combinem l'escenari de la mesurament independent del dispositiu amb l'autoavaluació i presentem el primer protocol per a una detecció de tots els estats entrellaçats de manera independent del dispositiu. El protocol implica la col·locació d'un estat entrellaçat per ser detectat en una xarxa quàntica. Finalment, identifiquem la teleportació d'estats quàntics com un representant dels protocols unilaterals de mesurament independent del dispositiu, el qual ens ajuda a proposar un nou punt de referència per certificar la no-classicalitat de la teleportació. Partint d'aquest punt de referència, demostrem que tots els estats entrellaçats indueixen un experiment de teleportació que no pot ser simulat de manera clàssica.Award-winningPostprint (published version