OPTIMAL HARVESTING POLICY FOR INSHORE-OFFSHORE FISHERY MODEL WITH IMPULSIVE DIFFUSION

This article studies the inshore-offshore fishery model with impulsive diffusion. The existence and global asymptotic stability of both the trivial periodic solution and the positive periodic solution are obtained. The complexity of this system is also analyzed. Moreover, the optimal harvesting policy are given for the inshore subpopulation, which includes the maximum sustainable yield and the corresponding harvesting effort.     

在预报更新的环境下具有两种配送方式的供应链模型

本文研究在预报更新环境下具有快、慢两种配送方式和需求预报更新的库存系统，为了得到更多关于费用参数和预报改进对最优定货量以及最优的平均费用的影响，我们考虑两个周期的情形．以动态规划为工具我们得到了系统的最优策略．对于需求预报服从均匀分布情形，本文得到了最优定货量和最优的平均总费用的精确表达式．我们通过一些数值例子来说明库存费用、罚金、需求的预报改进和预报误差对最优定货量和最优的     

Computing Aviation Sparing Policies: Solving a Large Nonlinear Integer Program

Deployed US Navy aircraft carriers must stock a large number of spare parts to support the various types of aircraft embarked on the ship. The sparing policy determines the spares that will be stocked on the ship to keep the embarked aircraft ready to fly. Given a fleet of ten or more aircraft carriers and a cost of approximately 50 million dollars per carrier plus the cost of spares maintained in warehouses in the United States, the sparing problem constitutes a significant portion of the Navy’s resources. The objective of this work is to find a minimum-cost sparing policy that meets the readiness requirements of the embarked aircraft. This is a very large, nonlinear, integer optimization problem. The cost function is piecewise linear and convex while the constraint mapping is highly nonlinear. The distinguishing characteristics of this problem from an optimization viewpoint are that a large number of decision variables are required to be integer and that the nonlinear constraint functions are essentially “black box” functions; that is, they are very difficult (and expensive) to evaluate and their derivatives are not available. Moreover, they are not convex. Integer programming problems with a large number of variables are difficult to solve in general and most successful approaches to solving nonlinear integer problems have involved linear approximation and relaxation techniques that, because of the complexity of the constraint functions, are inappropriate for attacking this problem. We instead employ a pattern search method to each iteration of an interior point-type algorithm to solve the relaxed version of the problem. From the solution found by the pattern search on each interior point iteration, we begin another pattern search on the integer lattice to find a good integer solution. The best integer solution found across all interations is returned as the optimal solution. The pattern searches are distributed across a local area network of non-dedicated, heterogeneous computers in an office environment, thus, drastically reducing the time required to find the solution.     

On the tradeoff between optimal order-base-stock levels and demand lead-times

We investigate the tradeoff between finished-goods inventory and advance demand information for a model of a single-stage make-to-stock supplier who uses an order-base-stock replenishment policy to meet customer orders that arrive a fixed demand lead-time in advance of their due-dates. We show that if the replenishment orders arrive in the order that they are placed, then the tradeoff between the optimal order-base-stock level and the demand lead-time is “exhaustive”, in the sense that the optimal order-base-stock level drops all the way to zero if the demand lead-time is sufficiently long. We then provide a sufficient condition under which this tradeoff is linear. We verify that this condition is satisfied for the case where the supply process is modeled as an M/M/1 queue. We also show that the tradeoff between the optimal order-base-stock level and the demand lead-time is linear for the case where the supply process is modeled as an M/D/1 queue. More specifically, for this case, we show that the optimal order-base-stock level decreases by one unit if the demand lead-time increases by an amount equal to the supplier’s constant processing time. Finally, we show that the tradeoff between the optimal order-base-stock level and the demand lead-time is exhaustive but not linear in the case where the supply process is modeled as an M/D/∞ queue. We illustrate these results with a numerical example.     

A ratio‐dependent predator–prey model with stage structure and optimal harvesting policy

In this paper, a ratio‐dependent predator–prey model with stage structure and harvesting is investigated. Mathematical analyses of the model equations with regard to boundedness of solutions, nature of equilibria, permanence and stability are performed. By constructing appropriate Lyapunov functions, a set of easily verifiable sufficient conditions are obtained for the global asymptotic stability of nonnegative equilibria of the model. The existence possibilities of bioeconomic equilibria have been examined. An optimal harvesting policy is also given by using Pontryagin's maximal principle. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multi-criteria decision aid for the formulation of sustainable technological energy priorities using linguistic variables

Implementation of new and innovative energy technologies is a key mean towards a sustainable energy system. Currently, governments have to decide from an increasingly diverse mix of them, the ones which warrant support, including funding and other incentives for private sector efforts. However, appraising energy technologies in terms of their sustainability is a really complex task, considering the series of uncertainties and implications that have to be encountered so as to obtain realistic and transparent results. In this context, the main aim of this paper is to present a direct and flexible multi-criteria decision making approach, using linguistic variables, to assist policy makers in formulating sustainable technological energy priorities. Furthermore, its software realization will be applied to a number of technologies, in the context of the Greek Technology Foresight Programme, and the results will be presented and discussed.     

OPTIMAL IMPULSIVE CONTROL IN COMPETITIVE SYSTEM

In this paper,the impulsive exploitation of two species periodic competitive system is considered.First,we show that this type of system with impulsive har- vesting has a unique positive periodic solution,which is globally asymptotically stable.Further,by choosing the maximum total revenues as the management objective,we investigate the optimal harvesting policies for periodic competi- tive system with impulsive harvesting.Finally,we obtain the optimal time to harvest and optimal population level.     

Extended optimal inspection policies for a system in storage

A system such as missiles and spare parts of aircraft has to perform a normal operation in a severe environment at any time when it is used. However, the system is in storage for a long time from the delivery to the usage and its reliability goes down with time. Thus, a system in storage should be inspected and maintained at periodic times to hold a higher reliability than is prespecified.The following inspection model is considered: A system has three types of units, where unit 1 is maintained, unit 21 is not maintained but is replaced and unit 22 is neither maintained nor replaced. The system is overhauled if its reliability becomes lower than a prespecified probability. The number of replacements and time until overhaul are derived. Using these results, the average cost is obtained and both an optimal inspection time and an optimal replacement time to minimize it are numerically discussed.     

Periodic-Review Inventory Model with Three Consecutive Delivery Modes and Forecast Updates

This paper is concerned with a periodic-review inventory system with three consecutive delivery modes (fast, medium, and slow) and demand forecast updates. At the beginning of each period, the inventory level and demand information are updated and decisions on how much to order using each of the three delivery modes are made. It is shown that there is a base-stock policy for fast and medium modes which is optimal. Furthermore, the optimal policy for the slow mode may not be a base-stock policy in general.This research was supported in part by a Faculty Research Grant from the University of Texas at Dallas, a RGC (Hong Kong) Competitive Earmarked Research Grant, a Distinguished Young Investigator Grant from the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China, and a Grant from the Hundred Talents Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.