Dynamic optimization of the operation of single-car elevator systems with destination hall call registration: Part I. Formulation and simulations

The purpose of this two-part study is to investigate the operation problem of single-car elevator systems with destination hall call registration. Destination hall call registration is such a system in which passengers register their destination floors at elevator halls before boarding the car, while in the ordinary systems passengers specify only the directions of their destination floors at elevator halls and register destination floors after boarding the car. In this part of the study, we formulate the operation problem as a dynamic optimization problem and demonstrate by computer simulations that dynamically optimized operation considerably improves the transportation capability compared to conventional selective collective operation. How to solve the dynamic optimization problem is given in the second part of this study.     

When are static and adjustable robust optimization problems with constraint-wise uncertainty equivalent?

Adjustable robust optimization (ARO) generally produces better worst-case solutions than static robust optimization (RO). However, ARO is computationally more difficult than RO. In this paper, we provide conditions under which the worst-case objective values of ARO and RO problems are equal. We prove that when the uncertainty is constraint-wise, the problem is convex with respect to the adjustable variables and concave with respect to the uncertain parameters, the adjustable variables lie in a convex and compact set and the uncertainty set is convex and compact, then robust solutions are also optimal for the corresponding ARO problem. Furthermore, we prove that if some of the uncertain parameters are constraint-wise and the rest are not, then under a similar set of assumptions there is an optimal decision rule for the ARO problem that does not depend on the constraint-wise uncertain parameters. Also, we show for a class of problems that using affine decision rules that depend on all of the uncertain parameters yields the same optimal objective value as when the rules depend solely on the non-constraint-wise uncertain parameters. Finally, we illustrate the usefulness of these results by applying them to convex quadratic and conic quadratic problems.     

RCMARS: Robustification of CMARS with different scenarios under polyhedral uncertainty set

Our recently developed CMARS is powerful in handling complex and heterogeneous data. We include into CMARS the existence of uncertainty about the scenarios. Indeed, data include noise in both output and input variables. Therefore, solutions of the optimization problem may reveal a remarkable sensitivity to perturbations in the parameters of the problem. The data uncertainty results in uncertain constraints and objective function. To overcome this difficulty, we refine our CMARS algorithm by a robust optimization technique proposed to cope with data uncertainty. In our previous study, we present the new robust CMARS (RCMARS) in theory and method and illustrate it with a numerical example. In this study, we present RCMARS results with different uncertainty scenarios for our numerical example.     

Robust stabilization of multilinear interval plants by Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy controllers

This study investigates the stabilization problem of interval and multilinear interval plants. For this purpose, a Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy state model, expressed in the form of an interval system, is considered as a robust stabilizing controller for the plants with interval and multilinear interval models. Based on the Zero Exclusion Condition, sufficient conditions that ensure robust stability of the presented fuzzy controller are derived as well. A two-mass-spring-damper system with multilinear uncertain parameters is studied to demonstrate the application and the effectiveness of the design process.     

电梯决策问题的占线算法分析

结合现实生活中电梯的运营状况,从占线算法角度分析并解决了电梯运行中碰到的两个问题:乘客如何选择乘坐电梯的策略以及多少楼层以上应该开放电梯.通过对问题的描述,建立了求解模型并提出一种竞争策略;运用占线算法得到该策略的竞争比,并将此策略作为等待电梯的较优策略;通过对竞争策略的分析,并利用实地考察得到的数据,得出楼层达到4层及以上时才应该开放电梯的结论,并以此为基础对电梯运营者提出相关建议.     

A note on issues of over-conservatism in robust optimization with cost uncertainty

We identify and discuss issues of hidden over-conservatism in robust linear optimization, when the uncertainty set is polyhedral with a budget of uncertainty constraint. The decision-maker selects the budget of uncertainty to reflect his degree of risk aversion, i.e. the maximum number of uncertain parameters that can take their worst-case value. In the first setting, the cost coefficients of the linear programming problem are uncertain, as is the case in portfolio management with random stock returns. We provide an example where, for moderate values of the budget, the optimal solution becomes independent of the nominal values of the parameters, i.e. is completely disconnected from its nominal counterpart, and discuss why this happens. The second setting focusses on linear optimization with uncertain upper bounds on the decision variables, which has applications in revenue management with uncertain demand and can be rewritten as a piecewise linear problem with cost uncertainty. We show in an example that it is possible to have more demand parameters equal their worst-case value than what is allowed by the budget of uncertainty, although the robust formulation is correct. We explain this apparent paradox.     

Evolutionary bi-objective optimisation in the elevator car routing problem

The paper introduces a genetic algorithms based elevator group control system utilising new approaches to multi-objective optimisation in a dynamically changing process control environment. The problem of controlling a group of elevators as well as the basic principles of the existing single-objective genetic elevator group control method are described. The foundations of the developed multi-objective approach, Evolutionary Standardised-Objective Weighted Aggregation Method, with a PI-controller operating as an interactive Decision Maker, are introduced. Their operation as a part of bi-objective genetic elevator group control is presented together with the performance results obtained from simulations concerning a high-rise office building. The results show that with this approach it is possible to regulate the service level of an elevator system, in terms of average passenger waiting time, so as to bring it to a desired level and to produce that service with minimum energy consumption. This has not been seen before in the elevator industry.     

不确定语言环境下基于ULHGA算子的群决策方法

研究属性权重和专家权重为确定的实数,属性值为不确定语言变量的多属性群决策问题.提出了一种新的数据信息集成算子不确定语言混合几何集结(ULHGA)算子,并给出不确定语言环境下基于ULWGM算子和ULHGA算子的一种群决策方法.最后进行实例分析,说明该方法的实用性和有效性.     

On the recoverable robust traveling salesman problem

We consider an uncertain traveling salesman problem, where distances between nodes are not known exactly, but may stem from an uncertainty set of possible scenarios. This uncertainty set is given as intervals with an additional bound on the number of distances that may deviate from their expected, nominal values. A recoverable robust model is proposed, that allows a tour to change a bounded number of edges once a scenario becomes known. As the model contains an exponential number of constraints and variables, an iterative algorithm is proposed, in which tours and scenarios are computed alternately. While this approach is able to find a provably optimal solution to the robust model, it also needs to solve increasingly complex subproblems. Therefore, we also consider heuristic solution procedures based on local search moves using a heuristic estimate of the actual objective function. In computational experiments, these approaches are compared.     

Robust decentralized adaptive control for a class of uncertain neural networks with time-varying delays

This paper considers the robust control problem for a class of uncertain time-varying delayed neural networks, in which the activation function may be a discontinuous function. A robust decentralized adaptive sliding mode controller is proposed to guarantee the asymptotically stability of the system. The proposed controller, which does not dependent on the time delay, ensures the occurrence of the sliding manifold even when the system is undergoing parameter uncertainties and nonlinear input. Two numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed controller.     

Two-stage minimax regret robust uncapacitated lot-sizing problems with demand uncertainty

In this paper, we consider the two-stage minimax robust uncapacitated lot-sizing problem with interval uncertain demands. A mixed integer programming formulation is proposed. Even though the robust uncapacitated lot-sizing problem with discrete scenarios is an NP-hard problem, we show that it is polynomial solvable under the interval uncertain demand set.     

A robust optimization model for multi-product two-stage capacitated production planning under uncertainty

Production planning (PP) is one of the most important issues carried out in manufacturing environments which seeks efficient planning, scheduling and coordination of all production activities that optimizes the company’s objectives. In this paper, we studied a two-stage real world capacitated production system with lead time and setup decisions in which some parameters such as production costs and customer demand are uncertain. A robust optimization model is developed to formulate the problem in which minimization of the total costs including the setup costs, production costs, labor costs, inventory costs, and workforce changing costs is considered as performance measure. The robust approach is used to reduce the effects of fluctuations of the uncertain parameters with regards to all the possible future scenarios. A mixed-integer programming (MIP) model is developed to formulate the related robust production planning problem. In fact the robust proposed model is presented to generate an initial robust schedule. The performance of this schedule could be improved against of any possible occurrences of uncertain parameters. A case from an Iran refrigerator factory is studied and the characteristics of factory and its products are discussed. The computational results display the robustness and effectiveness of the model and highlight the importance of using robust optimization approach in generating more robust production plans in the uncertain environments. The tradeoff between solution robustness and model robustness is also analyzed.     

Some geometric aggregation operators based on interval intuitionistic uncertain linguistic variables and their application to group decision making

With respect to multiple attribute group decision making (MAGDM) problems in which both the attribute weights and the expert weights take the form of crisp numbers, and attribute values take the form of interval-valued intuitionistic uncertain linguistic variables, some new group decision making analysis methods are developed. Firstly, some operational laws, expected value and accuracy function of interval-valued intuitionistic uncertain linguistic variables are introduced. Then, an interval-valued intuitionistic uncertain linguistic weighted geometric average (IVIULWGA) operator and an interval-valued intuitionistic uncertain linguistic ordered weighted geometric (IVIULOWG) operator have been developed. Furthermore, some desirable properties of the IVIULWGA operator and the IVIULOWG operator, such as commutativity, idempotency and monotonicity, have been studied, and an interval-valued intuitionistic uncertain linguistic hybrid geometric (IVIULHG) operator which generalizes both the IVIULWGA operator and the IVIULOWG operator, was developed. Based on these operators, an approach to multiple attribute group decision making with interval-valued intuitionistic uncertain linguistic information has been proposed. Finally, an illustrative example is given to verify the developed approaches and to demonstrate their practicality and effectiveness.     

联合订货下基于ø-散度的多产品库存鲁棒优化模型

针对多产品联合库存决策问题,在市场需求不确定条件下,建立了考虑联合订货成本的多产品库存鲁棒优化模型。针对不确定市场需求,采用一系列未知概率的离散情景进行描述,给出了基于最小最大准则的鲁棒对应模型,并证明了(s,S)库存策略的最优性。进一步,在仅知多产品市场需求历史数据基础上,采用基于ø-散度的数据驱动方法构建了满足一定置信度要求的关于未知需求概率分布的不确定集。在此基础上,为获得(s,S)库存策略的相关参数,运用拉格朗日对偶方法将所建模型等价转化为易于求解的数学规划问题。最后,通过数值计算分析了Kullback-Leibler散度和Cressie-Read散度以及不同的置信水平下的多产品库存绩效,并将其与真实分布下应用鲁棒库存策略得到的库存绩效进行对比。结果表明,需求分布信息的缺失虽然会导致一定的库存绩效损失,但损失值很小,表明基于文中方法得到的库存策略能够有效抑制需求不确定性扰动,具有良好的鲁棒性。     

Delay-dependent robust control for uncertain discrete-time singular systems with time-delays

The robust memoryless state feedback H_∞ control problem for uncertain time-delay discrete-time singular systems is discussed. Under a series of equivalent transformation, the equivalence of this problem and the robust state feedback H_∞ control problem for standard state-space uncertain time-delay discrete-time systems is presented. In terms of matrix inequality, the delay-dependent sufficient condition for the solution of this problem is given, the design method of the memoryless state feedback controller and the controller are also given.     

An alternative approach to solve the mixed AKNS equations

The algebraic–geometric solutions of the mixed AKNS equations are investigated through a finite-dimensional Lie–Poisson Hamiltonian system, which is generated by the nonlinearization of the adjoint equation related to the AKNS spectral problem. First, each mixed AKNS equation can be decomposed into two compatible Lie–Poisson Hamiltonian flows. Then the separated variables on the coadjoint orbit are introduced to study these Lie–Poisson Hamiltonian systems. Further, based on the Hamilton–Jacobi theory, the relationship between the action-angle coordinates and the Jacobi-inversion problem is established. In the end, using Riemann–Jacobi inversion, the algebraic–geometric solutions of the first three mixed AKNS equations are obtained.     

Robust decentralized adaptive control for uncertain large-scale delayed systems with input nonlinearities

The paper is concerned with the problem of robust stabilization for uncertain large-scale time-varying delayed systems with input nonlinearities. Based on the sliding mode control, a memoryless decentralized adaptive sliding mode controller (DASMC) is developed. The proposed controller ensures the occurrence of the sliding manifold of the composite system even subjected to input nonlinearity. It shows that the uncertain nonlinear large-scale system also possesses the property of insensitivity to uncertainties and disturbances as a linear system does. A numerical example is given to verify the validity of the developed memoryless DASMC.     

一类离散不确定线性时滞系统的鲁棒镇定

研究具有时变不确定参数的离散线性时滞系统的鲁棒控制问题,其中不确定性满足匹配条件,利用Ｌｙａｐｕｎｏｖ确定性理论,提出了鲁棒稳定性控制器一种新的设计方法,得到了这类离散不确定线性时滞系统可鲁棒镇定的充分条件。     

A robust optimization approach for multicast network coding under uncertain link costs

Network coding is a technique that can be used to improve the performance of communication networks by performing mathematical operations at intermediate nodes. An important problem in coding theory is that of finding an optimal coding subgraph for delivering network data from a source node throughout intermediate nodes to a set of destination nodes with the minimum transmission cost. However, in many real applications, it can be difficult to determine exact values or specific probability distributions of link costs. Establishing minimum-cost multicast connections based on erroneous link costs might exhibit poor performance when implemented. This paper considers the problem of minimum-cost multicast using network coding under uncertain link costs. We propose a robust optimization approach to obtain solutions that protect the system against the worst-case value of the uncertainty in a prespecified set. The simulation results show that a robust solution provides significant improvement in worst-case performance while incurring a small loss in optimality for specific instances of the uncertainty.