PACKER: a switchbox router based on conflict elimination by local transformations

PACKER is an algorithm for switchbox routing, based on a novel approach. In an initial phase, the connectivity of each net is established without taking the other nets into account. In general, this gives rise to conflicts (short circuits). In the second stage, the conflicts are removed iteratively using connectivity-preserving local transformations. They reshape a net by displacing one of its segments without disconnecting it from the net. The transformations are applied in a asystematic way using a scan line technique. The results obtained by PACKER are very positive: it solves all well-known benchmark example

Investigation to develop a process for production of oxide fibers by melt draw technique Final report

Process for production of oxide fibers by melt draw techniqu

Modeling and Compensation of Nonlinear Distortion in Horn Loudspeakers

Horn loaded compression drivers are widely used in the area where high sound pressure levels together with good directivity characteristics are needed. Major disadvantage of this kind of drivers is the considerable amount of nonlinear distortion. Due to the quite high air pressures in the driver the air is driven into its nonlinear range. This paper describes a technique to reduce the distortion caused by this phenomenon. Using a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a feedforward compensation technique, based on an equivalent lumped parameter circuit, is implemented and tested in real–time in series with the loudspeaker. Measurement and simulation results are given. The overall conclusion is that a distortion reduction is obtained in the frequency span from 600 to 1050 Hz

Response of a BGO detector to photon and neutron sources: simulations and measurements

In this paper Monte Carlo simulations (FLUKA) and measurements of the response of a BGO detector are reported. %For the measurements different radioactive sources were used to irradiate the BGO crystal. For the measurements three low-energy photon emitters $\left({}^{60}\rm{Co},\right.$ ${}^{54}\rm{Mn},$ $\left. {}^{137}\rm{Cs}\right)$ were used to irradiate the BGO from various distances and angles. The neutron response was measured with an Am--Be neutron source. Simulations of the experimental irradiations were carried out. Our study can also be considered as a benchmark for FLUKA in terms of its reliability to predict the detector response of a BGO scintillator

Analytical study of the effect of recombination on evolution via DNA shuffling

We investigate a multi-locus evolutionary model which is based on the DNA shuffling protocol widely applied in \textit{in vitro} directed evolution. This model incorporates selection, recombination and point mutations. The simplicity of the model allows us to obtain a full analytical treatment of both its dynamical and equilibrium properties, for the case of an infinite population. We also briefly discuss finite population size corrections

Parametric Fokker-Planck equation

We derive the Fokker-Planck equation on the parametric space. It is the Wasserstein gradient flow of relative entropy on the statistical manifold. We pull back the PDE to a finite dimensional ODE on parameter space. Some analytical example and numerical examples are presented

A versatile algorithm for two-dimensional symmetric noncausal modeling

In this paper a novel algorithm is presented for the efficient two-dimensional (2-D) symmetric noncausal finite impulse response (FIR) filtering and autoregressive (AR) modeling. Symmetric filter masks of general boundaries are allowed. The proposed algorithm offers the greatest maneuverability in the 2-D index space in a computational efficient way. This flexibility can be taken into advantage if the shape of the 2-D mask is not a priori known and has to be dynamically configured

Recombination dramatically speeds up evolution of finite populations

We study the role of recombination, as practiced by genetically-competent bacteria, in speeding up Darwinian evolution. This is done by adding a new process to a previously-studied Markov model of evolution on a smooth fitness landscape; this new process allows alleles to be exchanged with those in the surrounding medium. Our results, both numerical and analytic, indicate that for a wide range of intermediate population sizes, recombination dramatically speeds up the evolutionary advance

Irreversible Performance of a Quantum Harmonic Heat Engine

The unavoidable irreversible losses of power in a heat engine are found to be of quantum origin. Following thermodynamic tradition a model quantum heat engine operating by the Otto cycle is analyzed. The working medium of the model is composed of an ensemble of harmonic oscillators. A link is established between the quantum observables and thermodynamical variables based on the concept of canonical invariance. These quantum variables are sufficient to determine the state of the system and with it all thermodynamical variables. Conditions for optimal work, power and entropy production show that maximum power is a compromise between the quasistatic limit of adiabatic following on the compression and expansion branches and a sudden limit of very short time allocation to these branches. At high temperatures and quasistatic operating conditions the efficiency at maximum power coincides with the endoreversible result. The optimal compression ratio varies from the square root of the temperature ratio in the quasistatic limit where their reversibility is dominated by heat conductance to the temperature ratio to the power of 1/4 in the sudden limit when the irreversibility is dominated by friction. When the engine deviates from adiabatic conditions the performance is subject to friction. The origin of this friction can be traced to the noncommutability of the kinetic and potential energy of the working medium.Comment: 25 pages, 7 figures. Revision added explicit heat-transfer expression and extended the discussion on the quantum origin of frictio