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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Alayzing The Effects Of Modularity On Search Spaces, Ozlem Garibay Jan 2008

Alayzing The Effects Of Modularity On Search Spaces, Ozlem Garibay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We are continuously challenged by ever increasing problem complexity and the need to develop algorithms that can solve complex problems and solve them within a reasonable amount of time. Modularity is thought to reduce problem complexity by decomposing large problems into smaller and less complex subproblems. In practice, introducing modularity into evolutionary algorithm representations appears to improve search performance; however, how and why modularity improves performance is not well understood. In this thesis, we seek to better understand the effects of modularity on search. In particular, what are the effects of module creation on the search space structure and how …


Optimizing The Level Of Customization For Products In Mass Customization Systems, Sami Spahi Jan 2008

Optimizing The Level Of Customization For Products In Mass Customization Systems, Sami Spahi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mass customization (MC) was developed to capitalize on the combined benefits of economies of scale and economies of scope. Balancing the tradeoffs involved in an MC system warrants the determination of the degree or the extent of customization. Most of the literature views the degree of customization as how early or how far the customer is integrated in the production cycle, which is defined as the order decoupling point. In this study we are addressing the degree of customization from a product structural perspective. There are two objectives in this research. The first is to develop a unit of measurement …