Algorithm Engineering in Robust Optimization

Robust optimization is a young and emerging field of research having received a considerable increase of interest over the last decade. In this paper, we argue that the the algorithm engineering methodology fits very well to the field of robust optimization and yields a rewarding new perspective on both the current state of research and open research directions. To this end we go through the algorithm engineering cycle of design and analysis of concepts, development and implementation of algorithms, and theoretical and experimental evaluation. We show that many ideas of algorithm engineering have already been applied in publications on robust optimization. Most work on robust optimization is devoted to analysis of the concepts and the development of algorithms, some papers deal with the evaluation of a particular concept in case studies, and work on comparison of concepts just starts. What is still a drawback in many papers on robustness is the missing link to include the results of the experiments again in the design

The Complexity of Flat Freeze LTL

We consider the model-checking problem for freeze LTL on one-counter automata (OCAs). Freeze LTL extends LTL with the freeze quantifier, which allows one to store different counter values of a run in registers so that they can be compared with one another. As the model-checking problem is undecidable in general, we focus on the flat fragment of freeze LTL, in which the usage of the freeze quantifier is restricted. Recently, Lechner et al. showed that model checking for flat freeze LTL on OCAs with binary encoding of counter updates is decidable and in 2NEXPTIME. In this paper, we prove that the problem is, in fact, NEXPTIME-complete no matter whether counter updates are encoded in unary or binary. Like Lechner et al., we rely on a reduction to the reachability problem in OCAs with parameterized tests (OCAPs). The new aspect is that we simulate OCAPs by alternating two-way automata over words. This implies an exponential upper bound on the parameter values that we exploit towards an NP algorithm for reachability in OCAPs with unary updates. We obtain our main result as a corollary

Crystal Phase Transitions in the Shell of PbS CdS Core Shell Nanocrystals Influences Photoluminescence Intensity

ABSTRACT We reveal the existence of two different crystalline phases, i.e., the metastable rock salt and the equilibrium zinc blende phase within the CdS shell of PbS CdS core shell nanocrystals formed by cationic exchange. The chemical composition profile of the core shell nanocrystals with different dimensions is determined by means of anomalous small angle X ray scattering with subnanometer resolution and is compared to X ray diffraction analysis. We demonstrate that the photoluminescence emission of PbS nanocrystals can be drastically enhanced by the formation of a CdS shell. Especially, the ratio of the two crystalline phases in the shell significantly influences the photoluminescence enhancement. The highest emission was achieved for chemically pure CdS shells below 1 nm thickness with a dominant metastable rock salt phase fraction matching the crystal structure of the PbS core. The metastable phase fraction decreases with increasing shell thickness and increasing Exchange times. The photoluminescence intensity depicts a constant decrease with decreasing metastable rock salt phase fraction but Shows an abrupt drop for shells above 1.3 nm thickness. We relate this effect to two different transition mechanisms for changing from the metastable rock salt phase to the equilibrium zinc blende phase depending on the shell thicknes

Decomposition and nanocrystallization in reactively sputtered amorphous Ta-Si-N thin films

The nanocrystallization process of reactively sputtered thin amorphous Ta-Si-N films is investigated by anomalous small angle x-ray scattering (ASAXS) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Changes in the microstructure in Ta40Si14N46 films, density variations in the amorphous matrix, decomposition, formation, and growth of nanocrystals after vacuum anneals at different temperatures in the range between 800 and 1000 degreesC are observed and the results of the different techniques are compared. From a Fourier analysis of ASAXS intensities the nanostructure of the investigated ternary system is derived using a model of hard spheres according to Guinier and Fournet. ASAXS investigations indicate that the noncrystalline samples can be described by a monophase fit and the crystallized samples by a bimodal-phase fit, the latter results being consistent with XRD which identifies TaN and Ta5Si3 phases. Detailed analysis shows that TaN nanograins of approximately 2 nm size develop after a decomposition process. Larger grains of Ta5Si3 are observed in addition to the TaN grains if annealing is performed at temperatures higher than 950 degreesC. The aim of these investigations is to give a generally applicable explanation of the barrier failure mechanism for Ta-Si-N diffusion barriers, which is actually observed at temperatures below the crystallization temperature if the films are used in contact with Cu or Al. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics