Towards the Exact Minimization of BDDs—An Elitism-Based Distributed Evolutionary Algorithm

Binary Decision Diagrams (BDDs) are the state-of-the-art data structure for representation and manipulation of Boolean functions. In general, exact BDD minimization is NP-complete. For BDD-based technology, a small improvement in the number of nodes often simplifies the follow-up problem tremendously. This paper proposes an elitism-based evolutionary algorithm (EBEA) for BDD minimization. It can efficiently find the optimal orderings of variables for all LGSynth91 benchmark circuits with a known minimum size. Moreover, we develop a distributed model of EBEA, DEBEA, which obtains the best-ever variable orders for almost all benchmarks in the LGSynth91. Experimental results show that DEBEA is able to achieve super-linear performance compared to EBEA for some hard benchmarks.     

Learning to See: Making Sense of the Mathematics of Change in Middle School

In this article, we will describe the results of a study of 6th grade students learning about the mathematics of change. The students in this study worked with software environments for the computer and the graphing calculator that included a simulation of a moving elevator, linked to a graph of its velocity vs. time. We will describe how the students and their teacher negotiated the mathematical meanings of these representations, in interaction with the software and other representational tools available in the classroom. The class developed ways of selectively attending to specific features of stacks of centimeter cubes, hand-drawn graphs, and graphs (labeled velocity vs. time) on the computer screen. In addition, the class became adept at imagining the motions that corresponded to various velocity vs. time graphs. In this article, we describe this development as a process of learning to see mathematical representations of motion. The main question this article addresses is: How do students learn to see mathematical representations in ways that are consistent with the discipline of mathematics? This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Degradation of ZnS:Cu,Al,Au phosphor powder in different gas mixtures

The ZnS:Cu,Al,Au (P22G) phosphor powder was bombarded by an electron beam in an O₂ ambient, Ar ambient and other mixture of gases. These gases consisted of mixtures of O₂ and CO_x, and O₂, CO_x and Ar gas. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) was used to monitor changes in the surface composition of the P22G phosphor during electron bombardment. When the P22G phosphor powder was exposed to the electron beam in a water-rich O₂ ambient, a chemically limited ZnO layer was formed on the surface. The electron beam degradation of the P22G phosphor powder was also performed in a dry O₂ ambient and a layer of ZnSO₄ was formed on the surface. The ZnSO₄ formation decayed exponentially with time and it is postulated that this was due to the diffusion of the charge reactants through the ZnSO₄ film to the reaction interfaces. The P22G phosphor exposed to the electron beam in an Ar ambient and to the other gas mixtures degraded at a lower rate than in the case of the O₂ ambient. This suggests that Ar and CO_x may suppress the degradation of the P22G phosphor powder.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of thermodynamic properties of NaCl at high pressures and temperatures

The expansivity, constant-pressure heat capacity, and isothermal bulk modulus of sodium chloride (NaCl) have been obtained by using molecular dynamics method. The calculated thermodynamic parameters are found to be in agreement with the available experimental data. At an extended temperature and pressure ranges, these parameters have also been predicted. The thermodynamic properties of NaCl are summarized in the pressure 0-500 kbar ranges and the temperature up to 1000 K.     

Surface profile measurement of low-frequency vibrating objects using temporal analysis of fringe pattern

A simple and accurate algorithm (phase scanning method) is proposed for 3D surface contouring and dynamic response determination of a vibrating object. A sinusoidal fringe pattern is projected onto a low-frequency vibrating object by a programmable liquid crystal display projector. The fringe patterns are captured by a high-speed CCD camera with a telecentric gauging lens. Phase values are evaluated point by point using phase scanning method. From the phase values of each point on the object, the contour of the specimen at different instants of vibration can be retrieved. In this paper, a small vibrating coin is used to demonstrate the validity of the method and the experimental results are compared with test results on a stationary coin using four-step phase shifting and fast Fourier transform methods. The technique is especially useful in applications where the vibrating object has a complicated shape.     

Proton-exchanged optical waveguides fabricated by glutaric acid

In this paper, we first report that a new proton source, glutaric acid, has been used to fabricate optical waveguides in Z-cut lithium niobate crystals. The relationship was experimentally established between proton-exchanged (PE) waveguide parameters and fabrication conditions. It is shown that this new organic acid can be used to obtain deep PE waveguides in fast diffusion speed (0.275 μm²/h at 221°C) and with low loss (0.2 dB/cm). It provides an alternative approach for fabricating PE waveguides in lithium niobate substrate.     

Propagation of elegant Laguerre–Gaussian beams through an annular apertured paraxial ABCD optical system

Based on the generalized Huygens–Fresnel diffraction integral and the expansion of the hard aperture function into a finite sum of complex Gaussian functions, the approximate analytical expression of elegant Laguerre–Gaussian beams passing through a paraxial ABCD optical system with an annular aperture is derived. Meanwhile, the corresponding closed-forms for the unapertured, circular apertured or circular black screen cases are also given. The obtained results provide more convenience for studying their propagation and transformation than the usual way by using diffraction integral formula directly. Some numerical examples are given to illustrate the propagation properties of elegant Laguerre–Gaussian beams.     

A New Cohomology Theory of Orbifold

Based on the orbifold string theory model in physics, we construct a new cohomology ring for any almost complex orbifold. The key theorem is the associativity of this new ring. Some examples are computed.Both authors partially supported by the National Science Foundation     

Fe/Si多层膜的层间耦合与界面扩散

对以本征Si及重掺杂ｐ型和ｎ型Si作为中间层的Fe/Si多层膜的层间耦合进行研究，并通过退火，增大Fe，Si之间的扩散，分析界面扩散对层间耦合的影响. 实验结果表明，层状结构良好的制备态的多层膜，Fe，Si之间也存在一定程度的扩散，它是影响层间耦合的 主要因素，远远超过了半导体意义上的重掺杂，使不同种类的Si作为中间层的层间耦合基本 一致.进一步还发现，在一定范围内增大Fe，Si之间的扩散，即使多层膜的层状结构已经有了相当的退化，Fe/Si多层膜的反铁磁耦合强度基本保持不变. 关键词： Fe/Si多层膜 层间耦合 界面扩散