A biased random-key genetic algorithm for road congestion minimization

One of the main goals in transportation planning is to achieve solutions for two classical problems, the traffic assignment and toll pricing problems. The traffic assignment problem aims to minimize total travel delay among all travelers. Based on data derived from the first problem, the toll pricing problem determines the set of tolls and corresponding tariffs that would collectively benefit all travelers and would lead to a user equilibrium solution. Obtaining high-quality solutions for this framework is a challenge for large networks. In this paper, we propose an approach to solve the two problems jointly, making use of a biased random-key genetic algorithm for the optimization of transportation network performance by strategically allocating tolls on some of the links of the road network. Since a transportation network may have thousands of intersections and hundreds of road segments, our algorithm takes advantage of mechanisms for speeding up shortest-path algorithms.     

Prescribed diagonal Schouten tensor in locally conformally flat manifolds

We consider the pseudo-euclidean space ${(\mathbb{R}^n, g)}$ , with n ≥  3 and ${g_{ij} = \delta_{ij} \varepsilon_i, \varepsilon_i = \pm 1}$ and tensors of the form ${T = \sum \nolimits_i \varepsilon_i f_i (x) dx_i^2}$ . In this paper, we obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for a diagonal tensor to admit a metric ${\bar{g}}$ , conformal to g, so that ${A_{\bar g}=T}$ , where ${A_{\bar g}}$ is the Schouten Tensor of the metric ${\bar g}$ . The solution to this problem is given explicitly for special cases for the tensor T, including a case where the metric ${\bar g}$ is complete on ${\mathbb{R}^n}$ . Similar problems are considered for locally conformally flat manifolds. As an application of these results we consider the problem of finding metrics ${\bar g}$ , conformal to g, such that ${\sigma_2 ({\bar g })}$ or ${\frac{\sigma_2 ({\bar g })}{\sigma_1 ({\bar g })}}$ is equal to a given function. We prove that for some functions, f ₁ and f ₂, there exist complete metrics ${\bar{g} = g/{\varphi^2}}$ , such that ${\sigma_2 ({\bar g }) = f_1}$ or ${\frac{\sigma_2 ({\bar g })}{\sigma_1 ({\bar g })} = f_2}$ .     

A nonlocal nonlinear diffusion equation in higher space dimensions

We study the initial-value problem for a nonlocal nonlinear diffusion operator which is analogous to the porous medium equation, in the whole RN, N?1, or in a bounded smooth domain with Neumann or Dirichlet boundary conditions. First, we prove the existence, uniqueness and the validity of a comparison principle for solutions of these problems. In RN we show that if initial data is bounded and compactly supported, then the solutions is compactly supported for all positive time t, this implies the existence of a free boundary. Concerning the Neumann problem, we prove that the asymptotic behavior of the solutions as t→∞, they converge to the mean value of the initial data. For the Dirichlet problem we prove that the asymptotic behavior of the solutions as t→∞, they converge to zero.     

A biased random-key genetic algorithm with forward-backward improvement for the resource constrained project scheduling problem

This paper presents a biased random-key genetic algorithm for the resource constrained project scheduling problem. The chromosome representation of the problem is based on random keys. Active schedules are constructed using a priority-rule heuristic in which the priorities of the activities are defined by the genetic algorithm. A forward-backward improvement procedure is applied to all solutions. The chromosomes supplied by the genetic algorithm are adjusted to reflect the solutions obtained by the improvement procedure. The heuristic is tested on a set of standard problems taken from the literature and compared with other approaches. The computational results validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.     

Restart strategies for GRASP with path-relinking heuristics

GRASP with path-relinking is a hybrid metaheuristic, or stochastic local search (Monte Carlo) method, for combinatorial optimization. A restart strategy in GRASP with path-relinking heuristics is a set of iterations {i ₁, i ₂, …} on which the heuristic is restarted from scratch using a new seed for the random number generator. Restart strategies have been shown to speed up stochastic local search algorithms. In this paper, we propose a new restart strategy for GRASP with path-relinking heuristics. We illustrate the speedup obtained with our restart strategy on GRASP with path-relinking heuristics for the maximum cut problem, the maximum weighted satisfiability problem, and the private virtual circuit routing problem.     

Solving the vendor–buyer integrated inventory system with arithmetic–geometric inequality

In the past, economic order quantity (EOQ) and economic production quantity (EPQ) were treated independently from the viewpoints of the buyer or the vendor. In most cases, the optimal solution for one player was non-optimal to the other player. In today’s competitive markets, close cooperation between the vendor and the buyer is necessary to reduce the joint inventory cost and the response time of the vendor–buyer system. The successful experiences of National Semiconductor, Wal-Mart, and Procter and Gamble have demonstrated that integrating the supply chain has significantly influenced the company’s performance and market share (Simchi-Levi et al. (2000) [1]). Recently, Yang et al. (2007) [2] presented an inventory model to determine the economic lot size for both the vendor and buyer, and the number of deliveries in an integrated two stage supply chain. In this paper, we present an alternative approach to determine the global optimal inventory policy for the vendor–buyer integrated system using arithmetic–geometric inequality.     

An isochore versal deformation theorem

We introduce a cohomological approach to isochore deformation problems. We use this formulation in order to prove an isochore versal deformation theorem for holomorphic function germs.     

Erratum: Long‐range JCH heteronuclear coupling constants in cyclopentane derivatives. Part II

The original article to which this Erratum refers was published in Magnetic Resonance in volume 45 issue 1.     

An efficient synthesis of 3‐hydroxychromone using niobium pentachloride

A new and efficient 2‐step synthesis of 3‐hydroxychromone is described. Commercially available chromone is converted to the corresponding epoxide which is rearranged with niobium pentachloride to 3‐hydroxychromone in 61% overall yield.