A Multi-Agent Architecture for An Intelligent Web-Based Educational System

An intelligent educational system must constitute an adaptive system built on multi-agent system architecture. The multi-agent architecture component provides self-organization, self-direction, and other control functionalities that are crucially important for an educational system. On the other hand, the adaptiveness of the system is necessary to provide customization, diversification, and interactional functionalities. Therefore, an educational system architecture that integrates multi-agent functionality [50] with adaptiveness can offer the learner the required independent learning experience. An educational system architecture is a complex structure with an intricate hierarchal organization where the functional components of the system undergo sophisticated and unpredictable internal interactions to perform its function. Hence, the system architecture must constitute adaptive and autonomous agents differentiated according to their functions, called multi-agent systems (MASs). The research paper proposes an adaptive hierarchal multi-agent educational system (AHMAES) [51] as an alternative to the traditional education delivery method. The document explains the various architectural characteristics of an adaptive multi-agent educational system and critically analyzes the system’s factors for software quality attributes

Recent Advances in Social Data and Artificial Intelligence 2019

The importance and usefulness of subjects and topics involving social data and artificial intelligence are becoming widely recognized. This book contains invited review, expository, and original research articles dealing with, and presenting state-of-the-art accounts pf, the recent advances in the subjects of social data and artificial intelligence, and potentially their links to Cyberspace

Application of Voice Personal Assistants in the Context of Smart University

Los asistentes personales de voz basados en técnicas avanzadas de comprensión del lenguaje natural se muestran como un recurso prometedor frente al reto del diseño de plataformas virtuales de aprendizaje. Específicamente, estos recursos pueden servir de apoyo para la mejora del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. El objetivo principal de este trabajo ha sido el de estudiar los desafíos actuales para la utilización de este tipo de asistentes en el ámbito de las universidades inteligentes. Asimismo, se ha analizado cómo esta nueva tecnología puede ayudar a los estudiantes en su proceso de aprendizaje y grado de satisfacción. Los resultados de este trabajo se presentan en tres artículos de investigación publicados en revistas científicas indexadas en Web of Science. También se aporta un Registro de la Propiedad Intelectual registrado en el Ministerio de Cultura de España, en la categoría de programa de ordenador, cuyos derechos fueron cedidos a la Universidad de Burgos.Personal voice assistants based on advanced natural language comprehension techniques are shown as a promising resource with regard to the challenge of designing virtual learning platforms. In particular, these resources can support the improvement of the teaching-learning process. The main objective of this work has been to study the current challenges for the use of this type of assistant in the field of smart universities. Likewise, it has been analyzed how this innovative technology can help students in their learning process and their degree of satisfaction. The results of this work are presented in three research articles published in scientific journals indexed on the Web of Science. Also, an Intellectual Property Registry registered with the Ministry of Culture of Spain in the category of computer programs is provided, whose rights were transferred to the University of Burgos

EU-Turkey Relations

This open access book explores the new complexities and ambiguities that epitomize EU-Turkey relations. With a strong focus on the developments in the last decade, the book provides full access to a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted relationship through three entry points: (1) Theories and Concepts, (2) Institutions, and (3) Policies. Part I brings together complementary and competing analytical approaches to study the evolution of EU-Turkey relations, ranging from traditional integration theories to novel concepts. Part II investigates the institutional machinery of EU-Turkey relations by analyzing the roles and perspectives of the European Council, the European Commission, and the European Parliament. Part III offers analyses of the policies most relevant for the relationship: enlargement policy, trade and macroeconomic policies, foreign and security policy, migration and asylum policies, and energy policy. In Part IV, the volume closes with a systematic survey of the conditions under which cooperative trends in EU-Turkey relations could be (re)invigorated. The systematic setup and the balanced combination of distinguished experts from EU- and Turkey-based institutions make this book a fundamental reading for students, researchers, lecturers, and practitioners of EU-Turkey relations, European integration and Turkish foreign policy

International Conference on Continuous Optimization (ICCOPT) 2019 Conference Book

The Sixth International Conference on Continuous Optimization took place on the campus of the Technical University of Berlin, August 3-8, 2019. The ICCOPT is a flagship conference of the Mathematical Optimization Society (MOS), organized every three years. ICCOPT 2019 was hosted by the Weierstrass Institute for Applied Analysis and Stochastics (WIAS) Berlin. It included a Summer School and a Conference with a series of plenary and semi-plenary talks, organized and contributed sessions, and poster sessions. This book comprises the full conference program. It contains, in particular, the scientific program in survey style as well as with all details, and information on the social program, the venue, special meetings, and more

Essays on bounded rationality: individual decision and strategic interaction

Economics is a social science which, therefore, focuses on people and on the decisions they make, be it in an individual context, or in group situations. It studies human choices, in face of needs to be fulfilled, and a limited amount of resources to fulfill them. For a long time, there was a convergence between the normative and positive views of human behavior, in that the ideal and predicted decisions of agents in economic models were entangled in one single concept. That is, it was assumed that the best that could be done in each situation was exactly the choice that would prevail. Or, at least, that the facts that economics needed to explain could be understood in the light of models in which individual agents act as if they are able to make ideal decisions. However, in the last decades, the complexity of the environment in which economic decisions are made and the limits on the ability of agents to deal with it have been recognized, and incorporated into models of decision making in what came to be known as the bounded rationality paradigm. This was triggered by the incapacity of the unboundedly rationality paradigm to explain observed phenomena and behavior. This thesis contributes to the literature in three different ways. Chapter 1 is a survey on bounded rationality, which gathers and organizes the contributions to the field since Simon (1955) first recognized the necessity to account for the limits on human rationality. The focus of the survey is on theoretical work rather than the experimental literature which presents evidence of actual behavior that differs from what classic rationality predicts. The general framework is as follows. Given a set of exogenous variables, the economic agent needs to choose an element from the choice set that is avail- able to him, in order to optimize the expected value of an objective function (assuming his preferences are representable by such a function). If this problem is too complex for the agent to deal with, one or more of its elements is simplified. Each bounded rationality theory is categorized according to the most relevant element it simplifes. Chapter 2 proposes a novel theory of bounded rationality. Much in the same fashion as Conlisk (1980) and Gabaix (2014), we assume that thinking is costly in the sense that agents have to pay a cost for performing mental operations. In our model, if they choose not to think, such cost is avoided, but they are left with a single alternative, labeled the default choice. We exemplify the idea with a very simple model of consumer choice and identify the concept of isofin curves, i.e., sets of default choices which generate the same utility net of thinking cost. Then, we apply the idea to a linear symmetric Cournot duopoly, in which the default choice can be interpreted as the most natural quantity to be produced in the market. We find that, as the thinking cost increases, the number of firms thinking in equilibrium decreases. More interestingly, for intermediate levels of thinking cost, an equilibrium in which one of the firms chooses the default quantity and the other best responds to it exists, generating asymmetric choices in a symmetric model. Our model is able to explain well-known regularities identified in the Cournot experimental literature, such as the adoption of different strategies by players (Huck et al. , 1999), the inter temporal rigidity of choices (Bosch-Dom enech & Vriend, 2003) and the dispersion of quantities in the context of di cult decision making (Bosch-Dom enech & Vriend, 2003). Chapter 3 applies a model of bounded rationality in a game-theoretic set- ting to the well-known turnout paradox in large elections, pivotal probabilities vanish very quickly and no one should vote, in sharp contrast with the ob- served high levels of turnout. Inspired by the concept of rhizomatic thinking, introduced by Bravo-Furtado & Côrte-Real (2009a), we assume that each per- son is self-delusional in the sense that, when making a decision, she believes that a fraction of the people who support the same party decides alike, even if no communication is established between them. This kind of belief simplifies the decision of the agent, as it reduces the number of players he believes to be playing against { it is thus a bounded rationality approach. Studying a two-party first-past-the-post election with a continuum of self-delusional agents, we show that the turnout rate is positive in all the possible equilibria, and that it can be as high as 100%. The game displays multiple equilibria, at least one of which entails a victory of the bigger party. The smaller one may also win, provided its relative size is not too small; more self-delusional voters in the minority party decreases this threshold size. Our model is able to explain some empirical facts, such as the possibility that a close election leads to low turnout (Geys, 2006), a lower margin of victory when turnout is higher (Geys, 2006) and high turnout rates favoring the minority (Bernhagen & Marsh, 1997)

Drivers and consequences of residents' satisfaction with off-campus student housing in South-South, Nigeria

The student housing system worldwide and South-South Nigeria in particular has witnessed an unprecedented transformation, such that private off-campus student housing facilities (SHFs) are now the primary source of accommodation for students in tertiary institutions. A considerable gap exists between the supply and demand for on-campus student housing and the quest to fill this gap has stimulated the creation of a significant student housing market in the areas where these tertiary institutions are located. The prospect for economic investments in the student housing sector is high and private investors are involved in the provision and management of offcampus student housing. The main consequence of this practice in South-South, Nigeria is the delivery of low-quality buildings that are not able to meet the needs and expectations of residents. SHFs that are constructed without due regard to residents needs are characterised by dissatisfaction with attributes of housing and low investment performance. The implication is that residence users are often not satisfied with the attributes of the residential environment that are provided; thus their behaviours often impose some consequences on investors gains and objectives.Therefore, understanding the dynamics among attributes that are important to students, that give the required satisfaction, and the impact of the availability or lack-of on behaviour such as loyalty, willingness to pay for attributes and word of mouth behaviour are critical to profitability. Most often, the relationship among these attributes are treated as linear and symmetrical with the assumed implication that better attributes produce improved behaviours. However, this may not always be the case. This approach is rarely addressed and is little understood in student housing studies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify student housing attributes that act as drivers of resident atisfaction and the consequences/effects of these drivers on student behaviour in order to determine appropriate measures that could be used to develop, maintain and upgrade student accommodation. The methodology of the study included an extensive literature review and a field study conducted to obtain the perceptions of students in seven tertiary institutions located in South-South, Nigeria. The main task was to define attributes of student housing facilities based on the symmetric and asymmetric impact of the performance of attributes on satisfaction with residence. The Kano model and importance-performance analysis (IPA) were used to establish sets of criteria that could be used to prioritise attributes that are required in student housing for optimal investor gains. Analysis of the findings lead to the conclusions that different degrees of behaviour were associated to the perception of importance that is attached to attributes by residents and the satisfaction that is derived from the use of such attributes. The implication of the conclusions is that to meet users satisfaction needs, varied improvement strategies are required for different attributes in order to maximise the use of resources for maximum gains. The recommendations for investors in SHFs include among others to segment the SHFs market based on demographic characteristics, prioritise and provide only attributes that add-value to identified groups. Emphasis should also be placed on providing attributes that are not only satisfactory, but with capacity to improve loyalty/retention, willingness to pay and positive word of mouth behaviour. It is also recommended that the local authority should improve critical attributes that are deemed to be outside the scope of the investors