Making and breaking power laws in evolutionary algorithm population dynamics

Deepening our understanding of the characteristics and behaviors of population-based search algorithms remains an important ongoing challenge in Evolutionary Computation. To date however, most studies of Evolutionary Algorithms have only been able to take place within tightly restricted experimental conditions. For instance, many analytical methods can only be applied to canonical algorithmic forms or can only evaluate evolution over simple test functions. Analysis of EA behavior under more complex conditions is needed to broaden our understanding of this population-based search process. This paper presents an approach to analyzing EA behavior that can be applied to a diverse range of algorithm designs and environmental conditions. The approach is based on evaluating an individual’s impact on population dynamics using metrics derived from genealogical graphs. From experiments conducted over a broad range of conditions, some important conclusions are drawn in this study. First, it is determined that very few individuals in an EA population have a significant influence on future population dynamics with the impact size fitting a power law distribution. The power law distribution indicates there is a non-negligible probability that single individuals will dominate the entire population, irrespective of population size. Two EA design features are however found to cause strong changes to this aspect of EA behavior: (1) the population topology and (2) the introduction of completely new individuals. If the EA population topology has a long path length or if new (i.e. historically uncoupled) individuals are continually inserted into the population, then power law deviations are observed for large impact sizes. It is concluded that such EA designs can not be dominated by a small number of individuals and hence should theoretically be capable of exhibiting higher degrees of parallel search behavior.     

Convenient synthesis of new pregnenolone oximinyl oxalate dimers

Three new symmetrical pregnenolone oxyminyl oxalate dimers (8–10) were synthesized from the corresponding pregnenolone oximes (3, 5, and 7) at room temperature. All dimers were characterised by spectroscopic means, notably HRFABMS and comprehensive NMR spectroscopic data analyses. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 250–252, May–June, 2008.     

A disruption recovery model for a single stage production-inventory system

This paper presents a newly developed disruption recovery model for a single stage production and inventory system, where the production is disrupted for a given period of time during the production up time. The model is categorized as a constrained non-linear optimization program which we have solved using an efficient heuristic developed in this paper. The model was also solved using an evolutionary algorithm and a comparison of the results from both methods was performed. The heuristic was able to accurately solve the model with significantly less time compared to the evolutionary algorithm. It can be shown that the optimal recovery schedule is dependent on the shortage cost parameters, as well as the extent of the disruption. The proposed model offers a potentially useful tool to help manufacturers decide on the optimal recovery plan in real time whenever the production system experiences a sudden disruption.     

Single-manufacturer,multi-retailer consignment policy for retailers’ generalized demand distributions

Consignment policy (CP) is a novel approach to the inventory management in supply chains. It is based on strong interaction and reliable collaboration between vendor(s) and buyer(s), which is acquiring growing importance in today's industrial reality. Unlike most literature focusing on single-vendor single-buyer models and deterministic customer demand, a single-manufacturer (vendor) multi-retailer (buyer) generic model is developed under stochastic customer demand in this study. In order to understand the potential benefits of CP, it is compared with a traditional policy (TP) model developed in the similar approach. The models are tested with two scenarios of uniform and exponential demand distributions of the retailers. The results show how CP works better than the traditional uncoordinated optimization. It not only helps the manufacturer to generate higher profit, but also coordinates retailers to achieve a higher supply chain profit. At the same time, each retailer earns at least as much as they do in TP. Further price discount sensitivity analysis demonstrates the efficiency of CP when facing price-demand fluctuation.     

A just-in-time three-level integrated manufacturing system for linearly time-varying demand process

This paper considers a just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing system in which a single manufacturer procures raw materials from a single supplier, process them to produce finished products, and then deliver the products to a single-buyer. The customer demand rate is assumed to be linearly decreasing time-varying. In the JIT system, in order to minimize the suppliers as well as the buyers holding costs, the supply of raw materials and the delivery of finished products are made in small quantities. In this case, both the supply and the delivery may require multiple installments for a single production lot. We develop a mathematical model for this problem, propose a simple methodology for solving the model, and illustrate the effectiveness of the method with numerical examples.     

Supply chain models for an assembly system with preprocessing of raw materials

In this paper, we investigate the material procurement and delivery policy in a production system where raw materials enter into the assembly line from two different flow channels. The system encompasses batch production process in which the finished product demand is approximately constant for an infinite planning horizon. Two distinct types of raw materials are passed through the assembly line before to convert them into the finished product. Of the two types of raw materials, one type requires preprocessing inside the facility before the assembly operation and other group is fed straightway in the assembly line. The conversion factors are assigned to raw materials to quantify the raw material batch size required. To analyze such a system, we formulate a nonlinear cost function to aggregate all the costs of the inventories, ordering, shipping and deliveries. An algorithm using the branch and bound concept is provided to find the best integer values of the optimal solutions. The result shows that the optimal procurement and delivery policy minimizes the expected total cost of the model. Using a test problem, the inventory requirements at each stage of production and their corresponding costs are calculated. From the analysis, it is shown that the rate and direction change of total cost is turned to positive when delivery rates per batch reaches close to the optimal value and the minimum cost is achieved at the optimal delivery rate. Also, it is shown that total incremental cost is monotonically increasing, if the finished product batch size is increased, and if, inventory cost rates are increased. We examine a set of numerical examples that reveal the insights into the procurement-delivery policy and the performance of such an assembly type inventory model.     

X=Y-ZH compounds as potential 1,3-dipoles. Part 64: Synthesis of highly substituted conformationally restricted and spiro nitropyrrolidines via Ag(I) catalysed azomethine ylide cycloadditions

1,3-Dipolar reactions of imines of both acyclic and cyclic α-amino esters with a range of nitroolefins using a combination of AgOAc or Ag₂O with NEt₃ are described. In most cases the reactions were highly regio- and stereospecific and endo-cycloadducts were obtained in good yield. However, in a few cases the initially formed cycloadducts underwent base catalysed epimerisation. The stereochemistry of the cycloadducts was assigned from NOE data and established unequivocally in several cases by X-ray crystallography.     

Investigation of thermal processes in one-and two-layer materials under irradiation with high-energy heavy ions within the thermal peak model

A system of equations for the electron and lattice temperatures around and along the path of a 700-MeV heavy (uranium) ion in nickel (one-layer material) is solved numerically in the axially symmetric cylindrical coordinate system under the assumption of temperature-dependent specific heat and thermal conductivity. The obtained dependences of the lattice temperature on the radius (distance from the ion path) and depth suggest that the ionization energy loss of a 700-MeV uranium ion in nickel is sufficient to melt the material. A comparative analysis with the linear model is performed and the maximum radius and depth of the region where the target material can melt is estimated. Then, the initial system of equations is solved for the region around and along the path of a 710-MeV heavy (bismuth ²⁰⁹Bi) ion in the two-layer material Ni(2 μm)-W with constant thermophysical parameters. The obtained dependences of the lattice temperature on the radius and depth show that the ionization energy loss of a 710-MeV bismuth ion in this two-layer material is sufficient for melting. The maximum radius and depth of the regions in the target material where phase transitions may occur are estimated.     

The electrochemical properties of a series of phenylene-thienyl polymers in tetramethylene sulfone based electrolytes

Electronically conducting polymers based on polythiophene and polyparaphenylene exhibit generally, both n-doping and p-doping. In most cases, however, the n-doping process is associated usually with poor reversibility and stability. One approach to improve the doping behavior is to modify the structure of the monomer repeat unit at the molecular level. In this paper we report on the electrochemical properties of the polymer series: pTHP, pTFP (1,4-bis(2-thienyl)-2-fluorobenzene), pTF₂P (1,4-bis(2-thienyl)-2,5-difluorobenzene), and pTF₄P (1,4-bis(2-thienyl)-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzene) in tetramethylene sulfone (sulfolane) TBABF₄ based electrolytes.