Matter-wave grating distinguishing conservative and dissipative interactions

We propose an optical grating for matter waves that separates molecules depending on whether their interaction with the light is conservative or dissipative. Potential applications include fundamental tests of quantum mechanics, measurement of molecular properties and the ability to selectively prepare matter waves with different internal temperatures

Prejudicial search and backprop

Journal ArticleThis paper introduces the combination of backward error propagation and prejudicial search. Prejudicial search is a method, which like simulated annealing, guarantees convergence to a global minimum as time approaches infinity. Unlike simulated annealing, its application is more flexible because it can be combined with other search methods. This method is applied to the exclusive-or problem. When prejudicial search is combined with backward error propagation, the resulting sum of mean squared error at each time step is between 10 and 70 percent (depending on t h e cooling schedule) of the normal backward error propagation error

Generality Vs. speed of convergence in the cart-pole balancer

technical reportThis paper compares the speed of convergence to an optimal solution of four controllers for the problem of balancing a pole on a cart. We demonstrate that controllers whose design is tailored specifically to the cart-pole problem (i.e. less general) converge more rapidly to an optimal solution. However, the architectures and learning algorithms for those networks may not perform well for more general tasks. The four controllers, ordered from the least general to the most general, are the Perceptron, the Associative Search Element [1], Jordan's approach [3], and Prejudicial Search applied to the ASE architecture. Two of the above neural networks, the Perceptron and Prejudicial Search [2] are new methods for solving this problem. The perceptron is a simple two input neuron (summing unit) with 2 weights and a step function output. The Prejudicial Search is a method for biasing the search of possible solutions. It guarantees convergence, but allows the search to be biased by heuristics or information about the problem. In this paper, it is combined with the ASE architecture. However, the Prejudicial Search technique can be combined with any architecture and learning algorithm, extending their ability to handle a more general class of problems

Cockpit in the Systems Engineering Lenses

The commercial transport aircraft of today vary greatly from early aircraft in regards to how they are controlled and the feedback provided from the machine to the human operator. Automation has improved operational precision and efficiency but at the cost of providing less feedback. Pilots are the last line of defense and current technology cannot provide the human ability to solve novel problems for which no computer logic can be written. The automated cockpits of today have may sub-components that interact in a manner often opaque and unpredictable when a sensor or sub-component fails or even in situations where no failure occurs but an unexpected result comes from the normal interaction of system components. This system complexity means the most rigorous pre-deployment testing may not predict an undesirable outcome when system parts interact as designed. Different stakeholders in the design and operations process have different and sometimes competing objectives. The components of the commercial aviation system and their numerous interactions means that examining each component individually is difficult. Evaluating all the hard and soft elements requires a systems analysis approach to provide the best outcome when working with human-automation co-existing systems