On Backtracking in Real-time Heuristic Search

Real-time heuristic search algorithms are suitable for situated agents that need to make their decisions in constant time. Since the original work by Korf nearly two decades ago, numerous extensions have been suggested. One of the most intriguing extensions is the idea of backtracking wherein the agent decides to return to a previously visited state as opposed to moving forward greedily. This idea has been empirically shown to have a significant impact on various performance measures. The studies have been carried out in particular empirical testbeds with specific real-time search algorithms that use backtracking. Consequently, the extent to which the trends observed are characteristic of backtracking in general is unclear. In this paper, we present the first entirely theoretical study of backtracking in real-time heuristic search. In particular, we present upper bounds on the solution cost exponential and linear in a parameter regulating the amount of backtracking. The results hold for a wide class of real-time heuristic search algorithms that includes many existing algorithms as a small subclass

Factorisation of Macdonald polynomials

We discuss the problem of factorisation of the symmetric Macdonald polynomials and present the obtained results for the cases of 2 and 3 variables.Comment: 13 pages, LaTex, no figure

Eigenproblem for Jacobi matrices: hypergeometric series solution

We study the perturbative power-series expansions of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a general tridiagonal (Jacobi) matrix of dimension d. The(small) expansion parameters are being the entries of the two diagonals of length d-1 sandwiching the principal diagonal, which gives the unperturbed spectrum. The solution is found explicitly in terms of multivariable (Horn-type) hypergeometric series of 3d-5 variables in the generic case, or 2d-3 variables for the eigenvalue growing from a corner matrix element. To derive the result, we first rewrite the spectral problem for a Jacobi matrix as an equivalent system of cubic equations, which are then resolved by the application of the multivariable Lagrange inversion formula. The corresponding Jacobi determinant is calculated explicitly. Explicit formulae are also found for any monomial composed of eigenvector's components.Comment: Latex, 20 pages; v2: corrected typos, added section with example

Perturbation of spectra and spectral subspaces

We consider the problem of variation of spectral subspaces for linear self-adjoint operators under off-diagonal perturbations. We prove a number of new optimal results on the shift of the spectrum and obtain (sharp) estimates on the norm of the difference of two spectral projections

On a Subspace Perturbation Problem

We discuss the problem of perturbation of spectral subspaces for linear self-adjoint operators on a separable Hilbert space. Let $A$ and $V$ be bounded self-adjoint operators. Assume that the spectrum of $A$ consists of two disjoint parts $\sigma$ and $\Sigma$ such that $d=\text{dist}(\sigma, \Sigma)>0$. We show that the norm of the difference of the spectral projections \EE_A(\sigma) and \EE_{A+V}\big (\{\lambda | \dist(\lambda, \sigma) $<d/2\}\big)$ for $A$ and $A+V$ is less then one whenever either (i) $\|V\|<\frac{2}{2+\pi}d$ or (ii) $\|V\|<{1/2}d$ and certain assumptions on the mutual disposition of the sets $\sigma$ and $\Sigma$ are satisfied

Q-operator and factorised separation chain for Jack polynomials

Applying Baxter's method of the Q-operator to the set of Sekiguchi's commuting partial differential operators we show that Jack polynomials P(x_1,...,x_n) are eigenfunctions of a one-parameter family of integral operators Q_z. The operators Q_z are expressed in terms of the Dirichlet-Liouville n-dimensional beta integral. From a composition of n operators Q_{z_k} we construct an integral operator S_n factorising Jack polynomials into products of hypergeometric polynomials of one variable. The operator S_n admits a factorisation described in terms of restricted Jack polynomials P(x_1,...,x_k,1,...,1). Using the operator Q_z for z=0 we give a simple derivation of a previously known integral representation for Jack polynomials.Comment: 26 page

Heterogeneous biomedical database integration using a hybrid strategy: a p53 cancer research database.

Complex problems in life science research give rise to multidisciplinary collaboration, and hence, to the need for heterogeneous database integration. The tumor suppressor p53 is mutated in close to 50% of human cancers, and a small drug-like molecule with the ability to restore native function to cancerous p53 mutants is a long-held medical goal of cancer treatment. The Cancer Research DataBase (CRDB) was designed in support of a project to find such small molecules. As a cancer informatics project, the CRDB involved small molecule data, computational docking results, functional assays, and protein structure data. As an example of the hybrid strategy for data integration, it combined the mediation and data warehousing approaches. This paper uses the CRDB to illustrate the hybrid strategy as a viable approach to heterogeneous data integration in biomedicine, and provides a design method for those considering similar systems. More efficient data sharing implies increased productivity, and, hopefully, improved chances of success in cancer research. (Code and database schemas are freely downloadable, http://www.igb.uci.edu/research/research.html.)