A Hybrid Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm for the Redundancy Allocation Problem

The Redundancy Allocation Problem generally involves the selection of components with multiple choices and redundancy levels that produce maximum system reliability given various system level constraints as cost and weight. In this paper we investigate the series–parallel redundant reliability problems, when a mixing of components was considered. In this type of problem both the number of redundancy components and the corresponding component reliability in each subsystem are to be decided simultaneously so as to maximise the reliability of system. A hybrid algorithm is based on particle swarm optimization and local search algorithm. In addition, we propose an adaptive penalty function which encourages our algorithm to explore within the feasible region and near feasible region, and discourage search beyond that threshold. The effectiveness of our proposed hybrid PSO algorithm is proved on numerous variations of three different problems and compared to Tabu Search and Multiple Weighted Objectives solutions.     

The lattice of embedded subsets

In cooperative game theory, games in partition function form are real-valued function on the set of the so-called embedded coalitions, that is, pairs (S,π) where S is a subset (coalition) of the set N of players, and π is a partition of N containing S. Despite the fact that many studies have been devoted to such games, surprisingly nobody clearly defined a structure (i.e., an order) on embedded coalitions, resulting in scattered and divergent works, lacking unification and proper analysis. The aim of the paper is to fill this gap, thus to study the structure of embedded coalitions (called here embedded subsets), and the properties of games in partition function form.     

A multi-level search strategy for the 0-1 Multidimensional Knapsack Problem

We propose an exact method based on a multi-level search strategy for solving the 0-1 Multidimensional Knapsack Problem. Our search strategy is primarily based on the reduced costs of the non-basic variables of the LP-relaxation solution. Considering that the variables are sorted in decreasing order of their absolute reduced cost value, the top level branches of the search tree are enumerated following Resolution Search strategy, the middle level branches are enumerated following Branch & Bound strategy and the lower level branches are enumerated according to a simple Depth First Search enumeration strategy. Experimentally, this cooperative scheme is able to solve optimally large-scale strongly correlated 0-1 Multidimensional Knapsack Problem instances. The optimal values of all the 10 constraint, 500 variable instances and some of the 30 constraint, 250 variable instances of the OR-Library were found. These values were previously unknown.     

Reconstruction of Thin Conductivity Imperfections

We consider the case of a uniform plane conductor containing a thin curve-like inhomogeneity of finite conductivity. In this article we prove that the imperfection can be uniquely determined from the boundary measurements of the first order correction term in the asymptotic expansion of the steady state voltage potential as the thickness goes to zero.     

Stability and fairness in models with a multiple membership

This article studies a model of coalition formation for the joint production (and finance) of public projects, in which agents may belong to multiple coalitions. We show that, if projects are divisible, there always exists a stable (secession-proof) structure, i.e., a structure in which no coalition would reject a proposed arrangement. When projects are indivisible, stable allocations may fail to exist and, for those cases, we resort to the least core in order to estimate the degree of instability. We also examine the compatibility of stability and fairness in metric environments with indivisible projects, where we also explore the performance of well-known solutions, such as the Shapley value and the nucleolus.     

Zero Duality Gap for Convex Programs: A Generalization of the Clark–Duffin Theorem

This article uses classical notions of convex analysis over Euclidean spaces, like Gale & Klee’s boundary rays and asymptotes of a convex set, or the inner aperture directions defined by Larman and Brøndsted for the same class of sets, to provide a generalization of the Clark–Duffin Theorem. On this ground, we are able to characterize objective functions and, respectively, feasible sets for which the duality gap is always zero, regardless of the value of the constraints and, respectively, of the objective function.     

Implicit multifunction theorems in complete metric spaces

In this paper, we establish some new characterizations of metric regularity of implicit multifunctions in complete metric spaces by using lower semicontinuous envelopes of the distance functions to set-valued mappings. Through these new characterizations it is possible to investigate implicit multifunction theorems based on coderivatives and on contingent derivatives as well as the perturbation stability of implicit multifunctions.     

Uniformly Classical Primary Submodules

We shall introduce the notion of uniformly classical primary submodule that generalizes the concept of uniformly primary ideal as given by J. A. Cox and A. J. Hetzel. We also advance the companion concepts of fully uniformly classical primary module and uniformly primary compatible module. Along these lines, we present a characterization of Noetherian rings R for which every R-module is fully uniformly classical primary and we present a characterization of rings R for which every finitely generated R-module is uniformly primary compatible. Results illustrating connections among the notions of uniformly classical primary submodule, uniformly primary ideal, and uniformly primary submodule as given by R. Ebrahimi-Atani and S. Ebrahimi-Atani are also provided.