On the validity and utility of queueing models of human service systems

Based on observations made during an extensive study of police patrol operations in New York City, we examine the issues of the validity and utility of queueing models of service systems in which adaptive behavior by the (human) customers or servers is likely. We find that in addition to depending on the technical accuracy of its assumptions, the accuracy of such a model will also depend upon the level of managerial control of the system and adequacy of resources. We recommend that queueing models of human service systems be used in a normative fashion and incorporated in the management feedback loop.     

Supramolecular chemistry

The article discusses molecular recognition and overviews the key concepts -storage and retrieval of chemical information by molecular structures, supramolecular reagents and catalysts, molecular transport, semiochemistry and self assembly. The prospects of controlling supramolecular architecture through engineered molecular recognition and design of ‘programmed systems’ controlled by molecular information are also discussed.     

On the characterisation of paired monotone metrics

Hasegawa and Petz introduced the notion of paired monotone metrics. They also gave a characterisation theorem showing that Wigner-Yanase-Dyson metrics are the only members of the paired family. In this paper we show that the characterisation theorem holds true under hypotheses that are more general than those used in the above quoted references.     

低速二维流动的粒子仿真研究

本文运用信息保存法对低速二维的流动现象进行模拟，考察了低速条件下的有限平板绕流以及微槽道气体流动问题。研究表明：在对低速流动的模拟过程中，运用IP法在能够获得较好的结果的同时，具有比DSMC方法更高的计算效率。     

Analysis of a Duopoly Supply Chain and its Application in Electricity Spot Markets

This paper studies a supply chain consisting of two suppliers and one retailer in a spot market, where the retailer uses the newsvendor solution as its purchase policy, and suppliers compete for the retailer’s purchase. Since each supplier’s bidding strategy affects the other’s profit, a game theory approach is used to identify optimal bidding strategies. We prove the existence and uniqueness of a Nash solution. It is also shown that the competition between the supplier leads to a lower market clearing price, and as a result, the retailer benefits from it. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability of the obtained results by deriving optimal bidding strategies for power generator plants in the deregulated California energy market. Supported in part by RGC (Hong Kong) Competitive Earmarked Research Grants (CUHK4167/04E and CUHK4239/03E), a Distinguished Young Investigator Grant from the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China, and a grant from Hundred Talents Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.     

Positive value of information in games

We exhibit a general class of interactive decision situations in which all the agents benefit from more information. This class includes as a special case the classical comparison of statistical experiments à la Blackwell. AMS 2000 Subject Classification:Primary 91A35.The work of Bruno Bassan and Marco Scarsini was partially supported by MIUR-COFIN. The authors express their thanks to Sylvain Sorin for enlightening comments.     

Rough隶属函数关于集合并与交的一种高精度计算方法

近些年来，许多处理近似问题的方法陆续被提出，其中利用Rough集理论计算两个集合的并和交的Rough隶属函数方法是被用较多的一种方法，但毕竟该方法精度较差。为此，介绍了一种精度较高的计算两个集合的并和交的Rough隶属函数方法，它克服了前者利用Rough集理论计算Rough隶属函数的复杂性，而迎来了简单和高精度的特点。     

Stochastic resonance in perspective

Summary We outline the historical development of stochastic resonance (SR), a phenomenon in which the signal and/or the signal-to-noise ratio in a nonlinear system increase with increasing intensity of noise. We discuss basic theoretical ideas explaining and describing SR, and we review some revealing experimental data that place SR within the wider context of statistical physics. We emphasize the close relationship of SR to some effects that are well known in condensed-matter physics. Paper presented at the International Workshop ?Fluctuations in Physics and Biology: Stochastic Resonance, Signal Processing and Related Phenomena?, Elba, 5–10 June 1994.     

资源共享方式若干问题的研讨

社会公用服务系统和工程技术系统，存在共同的资源共享问题。本文通过典例就资源共享方式的若干问题加以探究：讨论广义的多用户系统中人工资源共享方式的分类；阐述常用的共享方式的特点、优缺点；分析系统时间性能及其改进与共享方式的关系等。文章还提出在系统工程范畴里，应对社会公用服务和工程技术两类系统的资源共享方式予以综合研究，并相互借鉴和移植。     

Statistical mechanics of warm and cold unfolding in proteins

We present a statistical mechanics treatment of the stability of globular proteins which takes explicitly into account the coupling between the protein and water degrees of freedom. This allows us to describe both the cold and the warm unfolding, thus qualitatively reproducing the known thermodynamics of proteins. Received: 19 March 1998 / Revised and Accepted: 25 May 1998