On a Problem of Karpilovsky

Let G be a finite elementary group. Let ⁿ (G) denote the nth power of the augmentation ideal (G) of the integral group ring G. In this paper, we give an explicit basis of the quotient group Q_n(G) = ⁿ(G)/ⁿ⁺¹ (G) and compute the order of Qⁿ (G).2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 16S34, 20C05     

Broad distributions from resource partitioning

We present a model describing a generic process in which a finite resource is partitioned and distributed among agents. Through numerical simulation we show that the model considered is able to originate, within a unifying approach, a variety of broad distributions and provides an interpretation of empirical properties of distributions observed in the real world. In particular it allows to relate the exponent of the power-law part of the distributions to resource abundance and accessibility, while the left-end exponential behavior, observed in many distributions, is related to the presence of dissipative effects.     

Stability Relationships Among the Gibbs Sampler and its Subchains

The use of Gibbs samplers driven by improper posteriors has been a controversial issue in the statistics literature over the last few years. It has recently been demonstrated that it is possible to make valid statistical inferences through such Gibbs samplers. Furthermore, theoretical and empirical evidence has been given to support the idea that there are actually computational advantages to using these nonpositive recurrent Markov chains rather than more standard positive recurrent chains. These results provide motivation for a general study of the behavior of the Gibbs Markov chain when it is not positive recurrent. This article concerns stability relationships among the two-variable Gibbs sampler and its subchains. We show that these three Markov chains always share the same stability; that is, they are either all positive recurrent, all null recurrent, or all transient. In addition, we establish general results concerning the ways in which positive recurrent Markov chains can arise from null recurrent and transient Gibbs chains. Six examples of varying complexity are used to illustrate the results.     

Covering symmetric semi-monotone functions

We define a new set of functions called semi-monotone, a subclass of skew-supermodular functions. We show that the problem of augmenting a given graph to cover a symmetric semi-monotone function is NP-complete if all the values of the function are in {0,1} and we provide a minimax theorem if all the values of the function are different from 1. Our problem is equivalent to the node to area augmentation problem. Our contribution is to provide a significantly simpler and shorter proof.     

Pre-emption in resource-constrained project scheduling

The Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Project (RCPSP), together with some of its extensions, has been widely studied. A fundamental assumption in this basic problem is that activities in progress are non-preemptable. Very little effort has been made to uncover the potential benefits of discrete activity pre-emption, and the papers dealing with this issue have reached the conclusion that it has little effect on project length when constant resource availability levels are defined. In this paper we show how three basic elements of many heuristics for the RCPSP – codification, serial SGS and double justification – can be adapted to deal with interruption. The paper is mainly focussed on problem 1_PRCPSP, a generalization of the RCPSP where a maximum of one interruption per activity is allowed. However, it is also shown how these three elements can be further adapted to deal with more general pre-emptive problems. Computational experiments on the standard j30 and j120 sets support the conclusion that pre-emption does help to decrease project length when compared to the no-interruption case. They also prove the usefulness of the justification in the presence of pre-emption. The justification is a RCPS technique that can be easily incorporated into a wide range of algorithms for the RCPSP, increasing their solution quality – maintaining the number of schedules calculated.     

几类非Abel群之增广商群的结构

记ZG为有限群G的整群环,△n(G)为增广理想△(G)的n次幂,Qn(G)=△"(G)/△n 1(G)为G的增广商群.本文考虑了二面体群D2tk(k 奇)和m次对称群Sm,证明了Qn(D2tk)为秩不超过2t 1的基本2-群以及Qn(Sm)≌Z2.     

A study on volunteer augmentation navigation technology

Navigation augmentation technology is one of the most common methods to increase the continuity,reliability and integrity of the global satellite navigation system.The concept of volunteer augmentation navigation (VNA) is proposed and the elements and topological structure of VNA are also analyzed in this paper.The study focuses on the neural network model that volunteers and ordinary users use modern communication information network to exchange self-organizing information.The neural cell model of Voluntee...     

Stochastic models for strategic resource allocation in nonprofit foreclosed housing acquisitions

Increased rates of mortgage foreclosures in the U.S. have had devastating social and economic impacts during and after the 2008 financial crisis. As part of the response to this problem, nonprofit organizations such as community development corporations (CDCs) have been trying to mitigate the negative impacts of mortgage foreclosures by acquiring and redeveloping foreclosed properties. We consider the strategic resource allocation decisions for these organizations which involve budget allocations to different neighborhoods under cost and return uncertainty. Based on interactions with a CDC, we develop stochastic integer programming based frameworks for this decision problem, and assess the practical value of the models by using real-world data. Both policy-related and computational analyses are performed, and several insights such as the trade-offs between different objectives, and the efficiency of different solution approaches are presented.     

Single-machine group scheduling with processing times dependent on position,starting time and allotted resource

This article considers scheduling problems on a single machine with learning effect, deteriorating jobs and resource allocation under group technology (GT) assumption. We assume that the actual processing time of a job depends on the job position, the group position, the starting time and the amount of resource allocated to them concurrently, and the actual setup times of groups depend on the group position and the amount of resource allocated to them concurrently. Two resource allocation functions are examined for minimizing the weighted sum of makespan and total resource cost. We prove that the problems have polynomial solutions under the condition that the number of jobs in each group are the same.     

Trade-offs between target hardening and overarching protection

Defenders concerned about protecting multiple targets can either protect them individually (through target hardening), or collectively (through overarching protections such as border security, public health, emergency response, or intelligence). Decision makers may find it relatively straightforward to choose which targets to harden, but are likely to find it more difficult to compare seemingly incommensurate forms of protection - e.g., target hardening, versus a reduction in the likelihood of weapons being smuggled across the border. Unfortunately, little previous research has addressed this question, and fundamental research is needed to provide guidance and practical solution approaches. In this paper, we first develop a model to optimally allocate resources between target hardening and overarching protection, then investigate the factors affecting the relative desirability of target hardening versus overarching protection, and finally apply our model to a case study involving critical assets in Wisconsin. The case study demonstrates the value of our method by showing that the optimal solution obtained using our model is in some cases substantially better than the historical budget allocation.