On the analysis of a dynamic evolutionary algorithm

Evolutionary algorithms are applied as problem-independent optimization algorithms. They are quite efficient in many situations. However, it is difficult to analyze even the behavior of simple variants of evolutionary algorithms like the (1+1) EA on rather simple functions. Nevertheless, only the analysis of the expected run time and the success probability within a given number of steps can guide the choice of the free parameters of the algorithms. Here static (1+1) EAs with a fixed mutation probability are compared with dynamic (1+1) EAs with a simple schedule for the variation of the mutation probability. The dynamic variant is first analyzed for functions typically chosen as example-functions for evolutionary algorithms. Afterwards, it is shown that it can be essential to choose the suitable variant of the (1+1) EA. More precisely, functions are presented where each static (1+1) EA has exponential expected run time while the dynamic variant has polynomial expected run time. For other functions it is shown that the dynamic (1+1) EA has exponential expected run time while a static (1+1) EA with a good choice of the mutation probability has polynomial run time with overwhelming probability.     

Surface morphology for ion-beam sputtered Al layer with varying sputtering conditions

We study the growth morphology of thin macrostructure films which is known to be largely affected by the deposition conditions as thin film nucleation and formation is dependent on the kinetic energy and chemical free energy of the atoms. The ion-beam sputtering technique used for depositing thin layers is due to the advantage over other techniques, e.g. the independent control of many process parameters, such as the pressure and/or the energy of the ion-beam and the substrate temperature. Therefore, the dependence of various sputtering parameters such as: (i) sputtering pressure and/or the rate of deposition and (ii) the effect of substrate temperature on the growth has been studied by depositing a single layer of Al. The variations show some interesting dependencies on the structural parameters for the Al layer deposited which has been understood in terms of thin film growth and nucleation theory.     

Bronze roman mirrors: the secret of brightness

The surface microchemical structure of high tin leaded bronze Roman mirrors has been studied by means of scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and optical microscopy (OM) techniques. The results allowed understanding of the origin of their high chemical stability and silvery-lustrous appearance. Indeed, some areas of the selected Roman mirrors are still characterised by a highly reflective and silver coloured surface even though they have been buried in the soil for about 2000 years. The micro-chemical results obtained from these areas have revealed that the mirror surface was tin enriched via inverse-segregation phenomenon by tailoring the cooling parameters. Furthermore, the presence of tin could be likely enhanced via cycles of oxidation and selective copper corrosion processes, thus resulting in a tin surface enrichment as a semi-transparent amorphous-like tin oxide (SnO₂) film, as well as a copper depletion at the outer surfaces.     

Exploring interactions in high-dimensional genomic data: an overview of Logic Regression, with applications

Logic Regression is an adaptive regression methodology mainly developed to explore high-order interactions in genomic data. Logic Regression is intended for situations where most of the covariates in the data to be analyzed are binary. The goal of Logic Regression is to find predictors that are Boolean (logical) combinations of the original predictors. In this article, we give an overview of the methodology and discuss some applications. We also describe the software for Logic Regression, which is available as an R and S-Plus package.     

Microchemical Investigation of Archaeological Copper Based Artefacts Disclosing an Ancient Witness of the Transition from the Value of the Substance to the Value of the Appearance

In many Italian archaeological sites dated between the sixth and third centuries BC, unworked lumps of Cu-based materials are sometimes found, the so called Aes Rude, which according to archaeological considerations were appreciated as currency, as a medium of exchange and as a form of saving. The microchemical investigation of these ancient artefacts discloses their nature as apparently not usable for any functional applications or possible use. Indeed, Aes Rude resemble ordinary copper material, but microchemical results indicate that they are constituted by highly ferruginous leaded copper, making them useless for producing other metal objects by means of casting or hot and cold working. Notwithstanding this intrinsic negative feature, the production of these intractable Cu-based alloys was deliberately carried out to maximise the process yield in terms of produced metal from an impure and unselected metal ore by tailoring the smelting process parameters. With these considerations in mind, the microchemical investigation of these ancient iron–copper alloys gives evidence of the passage from the acceptance of an artefact value based on its true nature or potential use to the acceptance of the value based only on its appearance or form irrespective of its present or future use. This information could contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of human thought and economic and social interactions.     

Correspondences of ribbon categories

Much of algebra and representation theory can be formulated in the general framework of tensor categories. The aim of this paper is to further develop this theory for braided tensor categories. Several results are established that do not have a substantial counterpart for symmetric tensor categories. In particular, we exhibit various equivalences involving categories of modules over algebras in ribbon categories. Finally, we establish a correspondence of ribbon categories that can be applied to, and is in fact motivated by, the coset construction in conformal quantum field theory.