Epistemological Disjunctivism and the New Evil Demon

In common with traditional forms of epistemic internalism, epistemological disjunctivism attempts to incorporate an awareness condition on justification. Unlike traditional forms of internalism, however, epistemological disjunctivism rejects the so-called New Evil Genius thesis. In so far as epistemological disjunctivism rejects the New Evil Genius thesis, it is revisionary. After explaining what epistemological disjunctivism is, and how it relates to traditional forms of epistemic internalism / externalism, I shall argue that the epistemological disjunctivist’s account of the intuitions underlying the New Evil Genius thought experiment is incomplete at best. Therefore, as presented, epistemological disjunctivism is unable to accommodate the core guiding intuitions of epistemic internalism. Given the stated aim of not being revisionary on this score, the view is at a dialectical disadvantage over the traditional forms of epistemic internalism the position is meant to replace. Unfortunately, therefore, at present, the impasse between internalism and externalism remains.     

Environmental Impact Assessment and Decision Analysis

A brief introduction to environmental impact assessment (E.I.A.) is given. An E.I.A. requires, as a final stage, the aggregation of diverse and highly subjective impacts, though in practice this is often done implicitly. Explicit aggregation techniques have their origins in cost-benefit analysis or decision analysis, and the appropriateness of these two techniques for applications in E.I.A.s is considered.An illustration of decision analysis is given in which multi-attribute value analysis is used to assist in the siting of new mines. The method can be presented as a development of the simple visual sieving technique, and by employing colour graphics facilities and microcomputers, a portable, flexible and powerful decision aid emerges: but powerful tools require careful handling.     

A many sorted algebra based signal processing data flow language

A many sorted algebra is developed for digital signal processing. It provides a rigorous setting for specifying various discrete signal processing operations. The algebra is the framework for a digital processing data flow language.     

Machine dependent programming in common languages

It is suggested that we should distinguish between common programming languages and common solutions to specific problems. A solution may depend on specific machine characteristics even though it is expressed in a common language. It is further suggested that in future common programming languages this should be admitted openly by allowing the programmer to get access to the machine characteristics at hand through Environment Enquiries which are part of the language. Some specific examples of Environment Enquiries are given.An earlier version of this paper was published in ALGOL BULLETIN no. 18, October 1964.     

Argumentation update in YALLA (Yet Another Logic Language for Argumentation)

This article proposes a complete framework for handling the dynamics of an abstract argumentation system. This frame can encompass several belief bases under the form of several argumentation systems, more precisely it is possible to express and study how an agent who has her own argumentation system can interact on a target argumentation system (that may represent a state of knowledge at a given stage of a debate). The two argumentation systems are defined inside a reference argumentation system called the universe which constitutes a kind of “common language”. This paper establishes three main results. First, we show that change in argumentation in such a framework can be seen as a particular case of belief update. Second, we have introduced a new logical language called YALLA in which the structure of an argumentation system can be encoded, enabling to express all the basic notions of argumentation theory (defense, conflict-freeness, extensions) by formulae of YALLA. Third, due to previous works about dynamics in argumentation we have been in position to provide a set of new properties that are specific for argumentation update.     

The variable projection algorithm in time-resolved spectroscopy,microscopy and mass spectrometry applications

Nonlinear least squares optimization problems in which the parameters can be partitioned into two sets such that optimal estimates of parameters in one set are easy to solve for given fixed values of the parameters in the other set are common in practice. Particularly ubiquitous are data fitting problems in which the model function is a linear combination of nonlinear functions, which may be addressed with the variable projection algorithm due to Golub and Pereyra. In this paper we review variable projection, with special emphasis on its application to matrix data. The generalization of the algorithm to separable problems in which the linear coefficients of the nonlinear functions are subject to constraints is also discussed. Variable projection has been instrumental for model-based data analysis in multi-way spectroscopy, time-resolved microscopy and gas or liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, and we give an overview of applications in these domains, illustrated by brief case studies.     

Multi-level optimization for multi-objective problems

A multi-level solution method is presented for multi-objective optimization of large-scale systems associated with the hierarchical structure of decision-making. The method, consisting of a multi-level problem formulation and an interactive algorithm, has distinct advantages in handling the difficulties which are often experienced in engineering. The method is illustrated by its application to an optimal design of a processing system.     

Abstractions of control environments

This paper focusses on a language which allows to program and encapsulate control environments. The proposal is to tackle control related problems much the same way data type related problems have been tackled in recent programming language designs, that is introducing the possibility of building complex structures starting from a restricted set of primitive notions and providing a hiding mechanism allowing new objects to be used as if they were primitive in the language. An example of a control package implementing recursion along with simple exception handling mechanisms tries to put the ideas in focus.     

Making Statistics Significant in a Short Course for Graduates with Widely-Varying Non-Statistical Backgrounds

With reference to a short compulsory module for MBA students, this paper discusses how, despite a range of pressures and an extraordinary range of student backgrounds, fears and motivations, it is possible to quickly facilitate understanding and confidence in handling data and basic statistics for graduates in business and associated workplaces. Links and contrasts with a variety of undergraduate teaching scenarios help to enrich teaching and learning strategies, and the strategies and materials developed through interaction with the range of MBA students are transferable to other postgraduate coursework situations. In particular, the need for understanding and confidence in handling data and its presentation, in considering categorical and simple continuous data, and in understanding correlation and association, are common across many different workplaces and applications.     

On max-min linear inequalities and Coalitional Resource Games with sharable resources

In a Coalitional Resource Game (CRG for brief), agents form coalitions to pool their resources in order to achieve certain goals, requiring the expenditure of these resources. A particular coalition is said to be successful, if the common resources of its members enable to achieve a set of goals that satisfies all members of the coalition. It is known that when resources are consumable it is NP-complete to decide whether a given coalition is successful. In this paper, we show a connection of CRGs with sharable resources and max-min linear systems of inequalities. This correspondence leads to polynomial algorithms for checking whether a given CRG admits a successful coalition and for several other problems whose counterparts for CRGs with consumable resources are hard. On the other hand, we prove that some problems concerning the structure of successful coalitions are hard also in the case of sharable resources.     

Minmax scheduling problems with common flow-allowance

In due-date assignment problems with a common flow-allowance, the due-date of a given job is defined as the sum of its processing time and a job-independent constant. We study flow-allowance on a single machine, with an objective function of a minmax type. The total cost of a given job consists of its earliness/tardiness and its flow-allowance cost components. Thus, we seek the job schedule and flow-allowance value that minimize the largest cost among all the jobs. Three extensions are considered: the case of general position-dependent processing times, the model containing an explicit cost for the due-dates, and the setting of due-windows. Properties of optimal schedules are fully analysed in all cases, and all the problems are shown to have polynomial time solutions.     

基于区间型多属性决策的突发事件属性熵权的确定

突发事件的实时数据是应急决策的依据,提高对数据的处理能力,确定突发事件属性的熵权,筛选出反映事件发展趋势的重要属性,是提高决策效率和准确性的关键问题。利用共性知识模型结构化表示突发事件和属性,参考区间型多属性决策方法,把事件属性监测值转换为区间数型,在保持时序信息的同时降低数据维数,并通过定义精确数与区间的距离,使突发事件属性集均转化为成本型属性;继而利用基于熵权的区间型多属性决策方法计算事件的属性熵权值,权值越大,表示包含事件演化趋势的信息越多,在决策时就应被重点关注。最后,通过实例说明此方法的有效性和实用性。     

A basic course on compiler principles

An attempt to devise a methodology of compiler design is described, and an outline is given for a possible course on this subject. The theoretical basis is formed by the concepts of phrase-structure language, finite-state- and stack-acceptor, and transducer. As their extension capable of processing context-dependent elements of languages, a so-called Table-Transducer is postulated, and it serves as the core-algorithm upon which compilers are based. The developed theory and method of compiler construction is applied to an example of a simple programming language.     

椭偏光谱测量中椭偏参数的灵敏度分析

在对椭圆偏振测量的基本原理进行了简单介绍和推导后,讨论了椭圆偏振测量中椭偏参数关于薄膜参数的灵敏度以及入射角对椭偏参数的影响,并进行了具体的仿真分析,得到如下结论：椭偏参数Delta对薄膜光学常数和薄膜厚度变化的灵敏度明显高于椭偏参数Psi。在椭偏数据处理中,椭偏参数Delta的测量精度直接影响薄膜光学常数和薄膜厚度的拟合精度。为了提高椭偏参数Delta的测量精度,可以选择入射角在膺布儒斯特角附近。所得结论对高精度椭偏测量具有指导意义。     

Nonnegative definite matrices and their applications to matrix quadratic programming problems

In this paper, the concept that a matrix is nonnegative definite over a subspace and the tool of generalized inverse are used to express a general form of matrix quadratic programming. Several fundamental conclusions are obtained. An application to the common penalty method for handling constrained minimization problem is given.     

Array theory and the nial programming language

The Nested Interactive Array Language Nial is based on a mathematical theory of hierarchical rectangular arrays known as array theory. This paper gives a brief introduction to array theory and Nial and then discusses the main characteristics of the Nial language, its current implementation and some of its applications.Dedicated to Peter Naur on the occasion of his 60th birthday.     

Nonnegative definite matrices and their applications to matrix quadratic programming problems

In this paper, the concept that a matrix is nonnegative definite over a subspace and the tool of generalized inverse are used to express a general form of matrix quadratic programming. Several fundamental conclusions are obtained. An application to the common penalty method for handling constrained minimization problem is given.     

The domain decomposition method for parabolic transmission problems

An estimate of the rate of convergence is given for the domain decomposition method for the second-order parabolic transmission problem. A brief discussion of the method and some of its applications are presented.     

Isetl: A programming language for learning mathematics

This paper gives a brief history of the development of an approach to help students learn mathematical concepts at the post-secondary level. The method uses ISETL, a programming language derived from SETL, to implement instruction whose design is based on an emerging theory of learning. Examples are given of uses of this pedagogical strategy in abstract algebra, calculus, and mathematical induction. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Using Conventional Edge Detectors and Postsmoothing for Segmentation of Spotted Microarray Images

Segmentation of spotted microarray images is important in generating gene expression data. It aims to distinguish foreground pixels from background pixels for a given spot of a microarray image. Edge detection in the image processing literature is a closely related research area, because spot boundary curves separating foregrounds from backgrounds in a microarray image can be treated as edges. However, for generating gene expression data, segmentation methods for handling spotted microarray images are required to classify each pixel as either a foreground or a background pixel; most conventional edge detectors in the image processing literature do not have this classification property, because their detected edge pixels are often scattered in the whole design space and consequently the foreground or background pixels are not defined. In this article, we propose a general postsmoothing procedure for estimating spot boundary curves from the detected edge pixels of conventional edge detectors, such that these conventional edge detectors together with the proposed postsmoothing procedure can be used for segmentation of spotted microarray images. Numerical studies show that this proposal works well in applications.

Datasets and computer code are available in the online supplements.