A unified theory for coherent systems in reliability II. A unified viewpoint on multinary coherent systems through monotone coherence and relevance

Binary coherent system theory has played an important part in reliability. Its extension to (‘degradable’ or ‘multistate’ or) multinary systems has recently been considered in various papers, through various definitions. This paper studies the most general model for multinary systems, proposes a unified viewpoint on multinary coherent systems and gives unified arguments to apply and to investigate further the binary and multinary cases. In a more detailed way, the ‘helpful bridge’ lately proposed by Block and Savits¹ between the binary and multinary cases is completed and multinary systems then can be studied in terms of monotone binary coherent systems, introduced in a companion paper.² Through various results, multinary systems are examined in terms of structure functions and of life functions; fundamental relations for their analysis are obtained with their set characterizations; the main axis that can be retained among the numerous types of coherence is emphasized, in a unified way, through relevance; reliability models are examined through performance processes, life lengths and performance functions; and Birnbaum's factors of importance are thoroughly extended to the multinary case. Fundamental results proposed in previous studies are thus completed with a shorter unified approach.     

A unified theory for coherent systems in reliability I. A generalization for some classic theory: Monotone binary coherent systems

Binary coherent system theory has played an important part in reliability. Its extension to (‘degradable’ or ‘multistate’ or) multinary systems has recently been considered in various papers, through various definitions. This paper lays the foundations of a unified theory for coherent systems by first giving unified arguments to apply and to investigate further binary and multinary systems. Monotone binary systems are introduced and examined by generalizing classic deterministic and probabilistic results. Applications of monotone coherence to the multinary case are proposed in a companion paper with a unified viewpoint on multinary coherent systems. As an indication, monotone constraints are defined with a partition of the component set and some total orderings imposed on the elements of the concerned partition. The discrete partition retrieves the classic theory of (free) binary coherent systems; some constraints defined from component levels lead to multinary coherent systems; some other constraints apply to systems submitted to some ‘common stresses’, e.g. the organizing system of a monotone coherent decomposition.     

Monotone optimal control for a class of Markov decision processes

This paper provides a unified framework to study monotone optimal control for a class of Markov decision processes through D-multimodularity. We demonstrate that each system in this class can be classified as either a substitution-type or a complement-type system according to the possible transition set, which can be used as a classification mechanism that integrates a variety of models in the literature. We develop a generic proof of the structural properties of both types of system. In particular, we show that D-multimodularity is a generally sufficient condition for monotone optimal control of different types of system in this class. With this unified theory, there is no need to pursue each problem ad hoc and the structural properties of this class of MDPs follow with ease.     

On the degree theory for general mappings of monotone type

Degree theory has been developed as a tool for checking the solution existence of nonlinear equations. In his classic paper published in 1983, Browder developed a degree theory for mappings of monotone type f+T, where f is a mapping of class ₊(S) from a bounded open set Ω in a reflexive Banach space X into its dual X^∗, and T is a maximal monotone mapping from X into X^∗. This breakthrough paved the way for many applications of degree theoretic techniques to several large classes of nonlinear partial differential equations. In this paper we continue to develop the results of Browder on the degree theory for mappings of monotone type f+T. By enlarging the class of maximal monotone mappings and pseudo-monotone homotopies we obtain some new results of the degree theory for such mappings.     

The reliability of reasoning with unreliable arguments

Shafer's theory of evidence has found much interest as a means to represent and manage uncertainty in reasoning. It is shown that an important part of this theory can be recast as a theory of reasoning with unreliable arguments. This places the problem within the framework of the reliability theory of binary, monotone systems. Methods from this well developed theory can thus be used in the context of reasoning under uncertainty. This opens new computational perspectives for combining evidence. In particular, it allows for a backward chaining approach in judging hypotheses in the light of unreliable information. As a consequence, mechanisms to explain the judgments of hypotheses can be designed. The approach will be illustrated especially by the problem of reasoning in inference networks with uncertain rules and uncertain facts.     

Properties of the probability density function of the non-central chi-squared distribution

In this paper we consider the probability density function (pdf) of a non-central χ² distribution with arbitrary number of degrees of freedom. For this function we prove that can be represented as a finite sum and we deduce a partial derivative formula. Moreover, we show that the pdf is log-concave when the degrees of freedom is greater or equal than 2. At the end of this paper we present some Turán-type inequalities for this function and an elegant application of the monotone form of l'Hospital's rule in probability theory is given.     

Monotone flows and fixed points for dynamic systems on time scales in a banach space

Utilizing the dynamic systems on time scales in a Banach space, the theory of monotone flows and fixed points for discrete as well as continuous dynamical systems are unified.     

On the O(1/t) convergence rate of the projection and contraction methods for variational inequalities with Lipschitz continuous monotone operators

Nemirovski’s analysis (SIAM J. Optim. 15:229–251, 2005) indicates that the extragradient method has the O(1/t) convergence rate for variational inequalities with Lipschitz continuous monotone operators. For the same problems, in the last decades, a class of Fejér monotone projection and contraction methods is developed. Until now, only convergence results are available to these projection and contraction methods, though the numerical experiments indicate that they always outperform the extragradient method. The reason is that the former benefits from the ‘optimal’ step size in the contraction sense. In this paper, we prove the convergence rate under a unified conceptual framework, which includes the projection and contraction methods as special cases and thus perfects the theory of the existing projection and contraction methods. Preliminary numerical results demonstrate that the projection and contraction methods converge twice faster than the extragradient method.     

Properties of a quasi-uniformly monotone operator and its application to the electromagnetic p-curl systems

In this paper we propose a new concept of quasi-uniform monotonicity weaker than the uniform monotonicity which has been developed in the study of nonlinear operator equation Au = b. We prove that if A is a quasi-uniformly monotone and hemi-continuous operator, then A^?1 is strictly monotone, bounded and continuous, and thus the Galerkin approximations converge. Also we show an application of a quasi-uniformly monotone and hemi-continuous operator to the proof of the well-posedness and convergence of Galerkin approximations to the solution of steady-state electromagnetic p-curl systems.

     

非线性二元算子方程组的迭代求解方法

Using the cone and partial ordering theory and mixed monotone operator theory, the existence and uniqueness of solutions for some classes of systems of nonlinear two binary operator equations in a Banach space with a partial ordering are discussed. And the error estimates that the iterative sequences converge to solutions are also given. Some relevant results of solvability of two binary operator equations and systems of operator equations are improved and generalized.     

Iterative Solutions for a Non-monotone BinaryOperator Equations and Operator System of Equations

By using the theory of the cone and partial ordering. It is studied that the existence and uniqueness of solutions for a non-monotone binary operator equation A(x, x)= x and operator system of equations A(x,x)=x,B(x,x)=x in Banach spaces. Where A and B can be decomposed A=A1+A2, B=B1+B2,A1 and B1 are mixed monotone, A2 and B2 are anti-mixed monotone. The results presented here improve and generalize some corresponding results of mixed monotone operator equations.     

Transformations of discrete closure systems

Discrete systems such as sets, monoids, groups are familiar categories. The internal structure of the latter two is defined by an algebraic operator. In this paper we concentrate on discrete systems that are characterized by unary operators; these include choice operators σ, encountered in economics and social theory, and closure operators φ, encountered in discrete geometry and data mining. Because, for many arbitrary operators α, it is easy to induce a closure structure on the base set, closure operators play a central role in discrete systems. Our primary interest is in functions f that map power sets 2 ^U into power sets 2 ^U′, which are called transformations. Functions over continuous domains are usually characterized in terms of open sets. When the domains are discrete, closed sets seem more appropriate. In particular, we consider monotone transformations which are “continuous”, or “closed”. These can be used to establish criteria for asserting that “the closure of a transformed image under f is equal to the transformed image of the closure”. Finally, we show that the categories MCont and MClo of closure systems with morphisms given by the monotone continuous transformations and monotone closed transformations respectively have concrete direct products. And the supercategory Clo of MClo whose morphisms are just the closed transformations is shown to be cartesian closed.     

二元非混合单调算子方程组的迭代求解

利用锥与半序理论和混合单调算子理论,讨论Banach空间中非单调二元非线性算子方程组解的存在性与唯一性,并给出了收敛于方程组解的迭代序列和误差估计。改进和推广了混合单调算子方程和一元算子方程的某些相应结果。     

Reliability and covariance estimation of weighted k-out-of-n multi-state systems

In the literature of reliability engineering, reliability of the weighted k-out-of-n system can be calculated using component reliability based on the structure function. The calculation usually assumes that the true component reliability is completely known. However, this is not the case in practical applications. Instead, component reliability has to be estimated using empirical sample data. Uncertainty arises during this estimation process and propagates to the system level. This paper studies the propagation mechanism of estimation uncertainty through the universal generating function method. Equations of the complete solution including the unbiased system reliability estimator and the corresponding unbiased covariance estimator are derived. This is a unified approach. It can be applied to weighted k-out-of-n systems with multi-state components, to weighted k-out-of-n systems with binary components, and to simple series and parallel systems. It may also serve as building blocks to derive estimators of system reliability and uncertainty measures for more complicated systems.     

Examples of discontinuous maximal monotone linear operators and the solution to a recent problem posed by B.F. Svaiter

In this paper, we give two explicit examples of unbounded linear maximal monotone operators. The first unbounded linear maximal monotone operator S on ?² is skew. We show its domain is a proper subset of the domain of its adjoint S^∗, and −S^∗ is not maximal monotone. This gives a negative answer to a recent question posed by Svaiter. The second unbounded linear maximal monotone operator is the inverse Volterra operator T on L²[0,1]. We compare the domain of T with the domain of its adjoint T^∗ and show that the skew part of T admits two distinct linear maximal monotone skew extensions. These unbounded linear maximal monotone operators show that the constraint qualification for the maximality of the sum of maximal monotone operators cannot be significantly weakened, and they are simpler than the example given by Phelps-Simons. Interesting consequences on Fitzpatrick functions for sums of two maximal monotone operators are also given.     

Vanishing moment conditions for wavelet atoms in higher dimensions

We provide explicit criteria for wavelets to give rise to frames and atomic decompositions in L²(?^d), but also in more general Banach function spaces. We consider wavelet systems that arise by translating and dilating the mother wavelet, with the dilations taken from a suitable subgroup of GL(?^d), the so-called dilation group.The paper provides a unified approach that is applicable to a wide range of dilation groups, thus giving rise to new atomic decompositions for homogeneous Besov spaces in arbitrary dimensions, but also for other function spaces such as shearlet coorbit spaces. The atomic decomposition results are obtained by applying the coorbit theory developed by Feichtinger and Gröchenig, and they can be informally described as follows: Given a function ψ ∈ L²(?^d) satisfying fairly mild decay, smoothness and vanishing moment conditions, any sufficiently fine sampling of the translations and dilations will give rise to a wavelet frame. Furthermore, the containment of the analyzed signal in certain smoothness spaces (generalizing the homogeneous Besov spaces) can be decided by looking at the frame coefficients, and convergence of the frame expansion holds in the norms of these spaces. We motivate these results by discussing nonlinear approximation.     

Conglomerable coherence

We contrast Williams? and Walley?s theories of coherent lower previsions in the light of conglomerability. These are two of the most credited approaches to a behavioural theory of imprecise probability. Conglomerability is the notion that distinguishes them most: Williams? theory does not consider it, while Walley aims at embedding it in his theory. This question is important, as conglomerability is a major point of disagreement at the foundations of probability, since it was first defined by de Finetti in 1930. We show that Walley?s notion of joint coherence (which is the single axiom of his theory) for conditional lower previsions does not take all the implications of conglomerability into account. Considering also some previous results in the literature, we deduce that Williams? theory should be the one to use when conglomerability is not required; for the opposite case, we define the new theory of conglomerably coherent lower previsions, which is arguably the one to use, and of which Walley?s theory can be understood as an approximation. We show that this approximation is exact in two important cases: when all conditioning events have positive lower probability, and when conditioning partitions are nested.     

Adaptive synchronization to a general non-autonomous chaotic system and its applications

In this paper, new adaptive synchronous criteria for a general class of n-dimensional non-autonomous chaotic systems with linear and nonlinear feedback controllers are derived. By suitable separation between linear and nonlinear terms of the chaotic system, the phenomenon of stable chaotic synchronization can be achieved using an appropriate adaptive controller of feedback signals. This method can also be generalized to a form for chaotic synchronization or hyper-chaotic synchronization. Based on stability theory on non-autonomous chaotic systems, some simple yet less conservative criteria for global asymptotic synchronization of the autonomous and non-autonomous chaotic systems are derived analytically. Furthermore, the results are applied to some typical chaotic systems such as the Duffing oscillators and the unified chaotic systems, and the numerical simulations are given to verify and also visualize the theoretical results.     

Free operated monoids and rewriting systems

The construction of bases for quotients is an important problem. In this paper, applying the method of rewriting systems, we give a unified approach to construct sections—an alternative name for bases in semigroup theory—for quotients of free operated monoids. As applications, we capture sections of free \(*\)-monoids and free groups, respectively.     

非线性非单调二元算子方程组的解及其应用

利用非线性泛函分析中的锥理论和单调迭代的方法,研究了一类非线性非单调二元算子方程组的解的存在性,并给出了收敛于解的迭代序列,然后作为应用,得到了B anach空间中的一类非线性V olterra型积分方程组的解,改进了最近的许多结果.