On <Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis>-Spaces and <Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">R</Emphasis></Subscript>-Spaces

In this note we study the relation between k _R -spaces and k-spaces and prove that a k _R -space with a σ-hereditarily closure-preserving k-network consisting of compact subsets is a k-space, and that a k _R -space with a point-countable k-network consisting of compact subsets need not be a k-space. This work was supported by the NSF of China (10271056).     

κ-Gorenstein Modules

Let A and F be artin algebras and ∧UГa paper, we first introduce the notion of k-Gorenstein faithfully balanced selforthogonal bimodule. In this modules with respect to ∧UГ and then characterize it in terms of the U-resolution dimension of some special injective modules and the property of the functors Ext^i （Ext^i （-, U）, U） preserving monomorphisms, which develops a classical result of Auslander. As an application, we study the properties of dual modules relative to Gorenstein bimodules. In addition, we give some properties of ∧UГwith finite left or right injective dimension.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis>-factors in regular graphs

Plesnik in 1972 proved that an （m - 1）-edge connected m-regular graph of even order has a 1-factor containing any given edge and has another 1-factor excluding any given m - 1 edges. Alder et al. in 1999 showed that if G is a regular （2n ＋ 1）-edge-connected bipartite graph, then G has a 1-factor containing any given edge and excluding any given matching of size n. In this paper we obtain some sufficient conditions related to the edge-connectivity for an n-regular graph to have a k-factor containing a set of edges and （or） excluding a set of edges, where 1 ≤ k ≤n/2. In particular, we generalize Plesnik＇s result and the results obtained by Liu et al. in 1998, and improve Katerinis＇ result obtained 1993. Furthermore, we show that the results in this paper are the best possible.     

On <Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis>-pairable graphs from trees

The concept of the k-pairable graphs was introduced by Zhibo Chen (On k-pairable graphs, Discrete Mathematics 287 (2004), 11–15) as an extension of hypercubes and graphs with an antipodal isomorphism. In the same paper, Chen also introduced a new graph parameter p(G), called the pair length of a graph G, as the maximum k such that G is k-pairable and p(G) = 0 if G is not k-pairable for any positive integer k. In this paper, we answer the two open questions raised by Chen in the case that the graphs involved are restricted to be trees. That is, we characterize the trees G with p(G) = 1 and prove that p(G □ H) = p(G) + p(H) when both G and H are trees.     

Reliability formula &; limit law of the failure time of “<Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis>-consecutive-<Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis>-out-of-<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>:<Emphasis Type="Italic">F</Emphasis> system”

An “m-consecutive-k-out-of-n:F system” consists of n components ordered on a line; the system fails if and only if there are at least m nonoverlapping runs of k consecutive failed components. In this paper, we give a recursive formula to compute the reliability of such a system. Thereafter, we state two asymptotic results concerning the failure time Z _n of the system. The first result concerns a limit theorem for Z _n when the failure times of components are not necessarily with identical failure distributions. In the second one, we prove that, for an arbitrary common failure distribution of components, the limit system failure distribution is always of the Poisson class.      

Approximations for the <Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis>/<Emphasis Type="Italic">GI</Emphasis>/<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>+<Emphasis Type="Italic">GI</Emphasis> type call center

In this paper, we propose approximations to compute the steady-state performance measures of the M/GI/N+GI queue receiving Poisson arrivals with N identical servers, and general service and abandonment-time distributions. The approximations are based on scaling a single server M/GI/1+GI queue. For problems involving deterministic and exponential abandon times distributions, we suggest a practical way to compute the waiting time distributions and their moments using the Laplace transform of the workload density function. Our first contribution is numerically computing the workload density function in the M/GI/1+GI queue when the abandon times follow general distributions different from the deterministic and exponential distributions. Then we compute the waiting time distributions and their moments. Next, we scale-up the M/GI/1+GI queue giving rise to our approximations to capture the behavior of the multi-server system. We conduct extensive numerical experiments to test the speed and performance of the approximations, which prove the accuracy of their predictions.      

Iterative approximation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis>-limited polling systems

The present paper deals with the problem of calculating queue length distributions in a polling model with (exhaustive) k-limited service under the assumption of general arrival, service and setup distributions. The interest for this model is fueled by an application in the field of logistics. Knowledge of the queue length distributions is needed to operate the system properly. The multi-queue polling system is decomposed into single-queue vacation systems with k-limited service and state-dependent vacations, for which the vacation distributions are computed in an iterative approximate manner. These vacation models are analyzed via matrix-analytic techniques. The accuracy of the approximation scheme is verified by means of an extensive simulation study. The developed approximation turns out to be accurate, robust and computationally efficient. This research is supported by the Technology Foundation STW, applied science division of NWO and the technology programme of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs.     

Nonparametric inference for sequential <Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis>-out-of-<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis> systems

The k-out-of-n model is commonly used in reliability theory. In this model the failure of any component of the system does not influence the components still at work. Sequential k-out-of-n systems have been introduced as an extension of k-out-of-n systems where the failure of some component of the system may influence the remaining ones. We consider nonparametric estimation of the cumulative hazard function, the reliability function and the quantile function of sequential k-out-of-n systems. Furthermore, nonparametric hypothesis testing for sequential k-out-of-n-systems is examined. We make use of counting processes to show strong consistency and weak convergence of the estimators and to derive the asymptotic distribution of the test statistics.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">K</Emphasis><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Subscript>-nearest neighbor estimators of entropy

For estimating the entropy of an absolutely continuous multivariate distribution, we propose nonparametric estimators based on the Euclidean distances between the n sample points and their k _n -nearest neighbors, where {k _n : n = 1, 2, …} is a sequence of positive integers varying with n. The proposed estimators are shown to be asymptotically unbiased and consistent.      

The flatness properties of <Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>-poset <Emphasis Type="Italic">A</Emphasis>(<Emphasis Type="Italic">I</Emphasis>) and Rees factor <Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>-posets

Let S be a pomonoid and I a proper right ideal of S. In a previous paper, using the amalgamated coproduct A(I) of two copies of _S S over I, we were able to solve one of the problems posed in S. Bulman-Fleming et al. (Commun. Algebra 34:1291–1317, 2006). In the present paper, we investigate further flatness properties of A(I). We also solve another problem stated in the paper cited above. Namely, we determine the condition under which Rees factor S-posets have property (P _w ). Research supported by nwnu-kjcxgc-03-18.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-Ideals in <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-Regular Semirings

In this paper, we introduce p-ideals in semirings. A new form of regularity, which is compatible with p-ideals, is defined. Our aim is to explore the possibilities of establishing an ideal theory in semirings, going alongside the existing literature of semiring theory.AMS Subject Classification (2000): Primary 16Y60     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">∂</Emphasis>-operations and <Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">V</Emphasis></Subscript>-fields

The hyperoperations, called theta-operations （δ）, are motivated from the usual property, which the derivative has on the derivation of a product of functions. Using any map on a set, one can define δ-operations. In this paper, we continue our study on the δ-operations on groupoids, rings, fields and vector spaces or on the corresponding hyperstructures. Using δ-operations one obtains, mainly, Hwstructures, which form the largest class of the hyperstructures. For representation theory of hyperstructures, by hypermatrices, one needs special Hv-rings or Hy-fields, so these hyperstructures can be used. Moreover, we study the relation of these δ-structures with other classes of hyperstructures, especially with the Hv-structures.     

Consecutive customer losses in regular and oscillating <Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis><Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">X</Emphasis></Superscript>/<Emphasis Type="Italic">G</Emphasis>/1/<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis> systems

We derive fast recursions to compute the probability that k or more consecutive customer losses take place during a busy period of a queue, the so called k-CCL probability, for regular and oscillating M ^X /G/1/n systems.     

A Cooperative Search Method for the <Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis>-Coloring Problem

In this paper, a cooperative search method, based on a multi-agent structure is developed to deal with the k-coloring problem. Three agents coordinate using an adaptive memory, a search agent, an intensification agent and a diversification agent. We use the results of a preliminary fitness landscape study to adjust the navigation strategy in the solution space and to fix the search parameters. Our method provides competitive results and it is fast when compared with best existing techniques on instances extracted from the second DIMACS challenge.      

Analysis of GI<Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">X</Emphasis></Superscript>/<Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis>(<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>)//<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis> systems with stochastic customer acceptance policy

We investigate GI ^X /M(n)//N systems with stochastic customer acceptance policy, function of the customer batch size and the number of customers in the system at its arrival. We address the time-dependent and long-run analysis of the number of customers in the system at prearrivals and postarrivals of batches and seen by customers at their arrival to the system, as well as customer blocking probabilities. These results are then used to derive the continuous-time long-run distribution of the number of customers in the system. Our analysis combines Markov chain embedding with uniformization and uses stochastic ordering as a way to bound the errors of the computed performance measures.      

Localization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">LM</Emphasis><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Subscript>-algebras

The aim of this paper is to define the localization LM _n -algebra of an LM _n —algebra L with respect to a topology F on L; in Section 5 we prove that the maximal LM _n -algebra of fractions (defined in [3]) and the LM _n -algebra of fractions relative to an Λ—closed system (defined in Section 2) are LM _n -algebras of localization.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis></Subscript>-mixed intersection bodies

In this paper the author first introduce a new concept of L _p -dual mixed volumes of star bodies which extends the classical dual mixed volumes. Moreover, we extend the notions of L _p intersection body to L _p -mixed intersection body. Inequalities for L _p -dual mixed volumes of L _p -mixed intersection bodies are established and the results established here provide new estimates for these type of inequalities. This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province of China (Grant No. Y605065) and the Foundation of the Education Department of Zhejiang Province of China (Grant No. 20050392)     

Local and variable neighborhood search for the <Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis>-cardinality subgraph problem

The minimum weighted k-cardinality subgraph problem consists of finding a connected subgraph of a given graph with exactly k edges whose sum of weights is minimum. For this NP-hard combinatorial problem, only constructive types of heuristics have been suggested in the literature. In this paper we propose a new heuristic based on variable neighborhood search metaheuristic rules. This procedure uses a new local search developed by us. Extensive numerical results that include graphs with up to 5,000 vertices are reported. It appears that VNS outperforms all previous methods.     

Fisher information in<Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis>-records

We derive some general results on the Fisher information (FI) contained in the upper (or lower)k-record values and associatedk-record times generated from an i.i.d. sample of fixed size from a continuous distribution. We apply the results to obtain the FI in both upper and lowerk-record data from an exponential distribution. We propose two estimators of the exponential mean, based on the upper and lowerk-record data, and discuss their small sample properties. We also considerk-record data from an inverse sampling plan, and present general formulas for the FI contained in it. Supported in part by Fonde Nacional de Desarrollo Cientifico y Tecnologico (FONDECYT) grant # 1020479 of Chile.     

On locally <Emphasis Type="Italic">A</Emphasis>-convex <Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>*-algebras

We endow any proper A-convex H*-algebra (E, τ) with a locally pre-C*-topology. The latter is equivalent to that introduced by the pre C*-norm given by Ptàk function when (E, τ) is a Q-algebra. We also prove that the algebra of complex numbers is the unique proper locally A-convex H*-algebra which is barrelled and Q-algebra.