Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 15691 - 15720 of 713703

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Ctrl + Alt + Neuron, Stuart Hilton Jan 2026

Ctrl + Alt + Neuron, Stuart Hilton

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.


Multi-Agent Path Planning And Optimization Using Q-Learning, Chirag Rudrish Jan 2026

Multi-Agent Path Planning And Optimization Using Q-Learning, Chirag Rudrish

Master's Projects

Robot navigation in a multi-agent setting requires a balance between safety and efficiency, especially in dense environments. In these two-dimensional spaces, the scope for geometric errors is much less and could lead to collisions or immobility. This project proposes to address the navigation task using a two-phase path planning pipeline that combines reinforcement learning and convex optimization in a scalable and robust manner. The first phase consists of generating diverse collision-free paths using a Q-learning agent that is trained on a visibility graph representation of the environment. The discretization of the environment using waypoint-based graphs allows the agent to train …


Synthesis And Characterization Of Poly(Γ-Benzyl-L-Glutamate) By Infrared Absorption And Diffusion-Ordered Nmr Spectroscopy, Leah C. Johnson Jan 2026

Synthesis And Characterization Of Poly(Γ-Benzyl-L-Glutamate) By Infrared Absorption And Diffusion-Ordered Nmr Spectroscopy, Leah C. Johnson

Dissertations

Acquiring the molecular weight of a polymer is not a trivial task due to the differing degrees of chain growth within a sample during synthesis, leading to a molecular weight range instead of a single value. Popular methods that estimate a polymer’s molecular weight include proton nuclear magnetic resonance, gel permeation chromatography and mass spectrometry; however, these methods have drawbacks like molecular weight limitations, dispersity limitations and column dependencies. Since poly(amino acid)s are used in biomedical research, developing a harmonizing set of molecular weight characterization methods is crucial. Two novel methods for estimating the molecular weight by infrared absorbance and …


Utility Of Model-Based And Probabilistic Approaches For Rocket Engine Affordability : Exemplified On The Rs-25 Engine, Shreyas Lakshmipuram Raghu Jan 2026

Utility Of Model-Based And Probabilistic Approaches For Rocket Engine Affordability : Exemplified On The Rs-25 Engine, Shreyas Lakshmipuram Raghu

Dissertations

Rocket engine development has historically relied on test–fail–fix (TFF) methodologies to uncover structural and fatigue deficiencies under representative operating conditions. While effective, TFF is inherently costly and schedule-intensive, often revealing life-limiting behavior late in the development lifecycle. The increasing use of additive manufacturing (AM) amplifies this challenge by introducing material property scatter and process-induced variability. Without explicit early treatment of uncertainty, these effects can increase reliance on physical testing and drive additional TFF cycles. This work presents a reliability-driven life-consistent design-bounding framework intended as an early lifecycle decision-support tool to assess and mitigate TFF risk. Although material variability is inherently …


The Parallel And Perpendicular Diffusion Of Energetic Particles In The Inner Heliosphere Using Nonlinear Theories And Observations, Nibuna Siranjeevi Madam Subashchandar Jan 2026

The Parallel And Perpendicular Diffusion Of Energetic Particles In The Inner Heliosphere Using Nonlinear Theories And Observations, Nibuna Siranjeevi Madam Subashchandar

Dissertations

Energetic-particle transport in the near-Sun solar wind is strongly controlled by magnetic turbulence and its geometry. Using Parker Solar Probe observations from encounters E1--E19, we investigate parallel, perpendicular, and momentum diffusion coefficients for energetic protons in the inner heliosphere. The observed turbulence spectra are decomposed into slab and two-dimensional components using a composite turbulence model. The parallel diffusion coefficient is calculated using second-order quasi-linear theory, while the perpendicular diffusion coefficient is obtained from unified nonlinear transport theory. The results show that parallel diffusion increases with heliocentric distance but decreases with increasing turbulence amplitude, indicating enhanced pitch-angle scattering in stronger turbulence. …


A Major Update And Improved Validation Functionality In The Mwtab Python Library And The Metabolomics Workbench File Status Website, P. Travis Thompson, Hunter N. B. Moseley Jan 2026

A Major Update And Improved Validation Functionality In The Mwtab Python Library And The Metabolomics Workbench File Status Website, P. Travis Thompson, Hunter N. B. Moseley

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Background: The Metabolomics Workbench (MW) is a public scientific data repository consisting of experimental data and metadata from metabolomics studies collected with mass spectroscopy (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses. Although not as rapidly as in the past, MW has steadily evolved, updating its mwTab and JSON deposition text file formats and its web-based infrastructure. However, the growth of MW has been exponential since its inception in 2013 and continues to be exponential, with the number of datasets hosted on the repository increasing by 50% since April 2024. As part of regular maintenance to keep up with changes to …


Diffusion Of Excitons In Thin Films Of Quantum Dots, Dustin Roberts Jan 2026

Diffusion Of Excitons In Thin Films Of Quantum Dots, Dustin Roberts

Dissertations

Quantum dots are heavily used in modern devices, such as consumer television screens, lasers, medical sensors, solar cells, and quantum computing. Their tunability and photo-stability make them candidates for a variety of applications which formerly required either dyes or significant amounts of band structure engineering. Despite all of the current and active applications, there is a gap in the current literature with regards to how energy is transported through thin films of quantum dots, and what methods may be used to control transport direction and range. The goal of this dissertation is to help fill those gaps, towards the end …


Cost-Aware Predictive Routing For Vision-Language Models, Sahil Sait Naveed Jan 2026

Cost-Aware Predictive Routing For Vision-Language Models, Sahil Sait Naveed

Master's Projects

Vision-language models (VLMs) are increasingly used for multimodal tasks, but their inference costs vary widely across model tiers. This work presents a predictive routing framework that assigns each query to the most cost-effective VLM by using multimodal embeddings, clustering, and per-cluster model error estimates. Evaluated on six commercial VLMs, the selected router reduces average cost by about 49 percent relative to the quality-first setting on both validation and test. This comes with accuracy losses of 0.4 percentage points on validation and 0.9 on held-out test data. It also outperforms K-NN and ZeroRouter routing baselines while providing lowercost operating points than …


How Wasteful Is Signaling?, Alex Frankel Jan 2026

How Wasteful Is Signaling?, Alex Frankel

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Signaling is wasteful. But how wasteful? We study the fraction of surplus dissipated in a separating equilibrium. For isoelastic environments, this waste ratio has a simple formula: β/(β + σ), where β is the benefit elasticity (reward to higher perception) and σ is the elasticity of higher types’ relative cost advantage. The ratio is constant across types and independent of other parameters, including convexity of cost in the signal. A constant waste ratio characterizes the isoelastic class. In winner-take-all signaling tournaments with N candidates, exactly (N − 1)/N of the surplus dissipates—the same as in Tullock contests.


The Trade-Off Between Quality And Quantity: Evidence From A Field Experiment On Tutoring, Rohen Shaw Jan 2026

The Trade-Off Between Quality And Quantity: Evidence From A Field Experiment On Tutoring, Rohen Shaw

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

High-dosage tutoring has the potential to substantially raise adolescent academic achievement, but schools may lack the resources to deliver small-group tutoring frequently at scale. This paper studies the relative importance of tutoring group size (quality) versus tutoring frequency (quantity) using a randomized controlled trial in a Midwestern U.S. charter middle school. Students were randomized to a control group, tutoring twice a week in 2-student groups, or tutoring three times a week in 3-student groups, with equal total cost per student across the two treatment arms. The results show that tutoring in 2-student groups led to a statistically significant improvement in …


Moréteau On Law, Language & Heritage, Agustin Parise, Mariano Vitetta, Michel Séjean Jan 2026

Moréteau On Law, Language & Heritage, Agustin Parise, Mariano Vitetta, Michel Séjean

All Scholarship

No abstract provided.


Practicing Professionalism Framework: A Coherent Course Structure Aligned With Effective Practices For Physics Programs (Ep3) Guidelines, Martha-Elizabeth Baylor, Suzanne White Brahmia Jan 2026

Practicing Professionalism Framework: A Coherent Course Structure Aligned With Effective Practices For Physics Programs (Ep3) Guidelines, Martha-Elizabeth Baylor, Suzanne White Brahmia

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Work

Many physics educators seek to improve their courses but feel constrained by traditional post-secondary structures and norms. Instructors often perceive a false tension between fostering inclusive learning environments and maintaining the rigor central to the discipline. The Effective Practices for Physics Programs (EP3) Guide synthesizes decades of research-based recommendations for improving physics education. However, it offers limited guidance on how to integrate these diverse recommendations into a coherent, course-level approach—a responsibility that falls to individual instructors, whose graduate training prepared them primarily as researchers rather than as educators. This paper begins by motivating and introducing the Practicing Professionalism Framework (PPF), …


Strain-Induced Nonvolatile Domain Switching And Tunable Elastic Modulus In Ba1-Xsrxtio3 Membrane By Phase-Field Simulation., Laveeza Ahmad Jan 2026

Strain-Induced Nonvolatile Domain Switching And Tunable Elastic Modulus In Ba1-Xsrxtio3 Membrane By Phase-Field Simulation., Laveeza Ahmad

Material Science and Engineering Dissertations

Ferroelectrics underpin a broad spectrum of technological applications due to its switchable ferroelectric polarization and the associated electro-mechanical responses under electrical, optical, thermal, and mechanical stimuli. Recent advancement in membrane technology offers new opportunities to tune ferroelectric polarizations via mechanical strains at relatively large magnitude and scale. However, its influence on the tunability of mechanical responses of the membrane remains underexplored. Herein, we developed a phase-field model for free-standing Ba1-xSrxTiO3 ferroelectric membranes with stress-free boundary conditions on top/bottom surfaces and achieved strain-induced nonvolatile ferroelectric domain switching in the membrane. It is discovered that a …


Challenges And Applications Of Fine-Grained Temporal Action Understanding: Modeling Temporal Granularity And Data Efficiency, Halil I. Helvaci Jan 2026

Challenges And Applications Of Fine-Grained Temporal Action Understanding: Modeling Temporal Granularity And Data Efficiency, Halil I. Helvaci

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

Fine-grained Temporal Action Segmentation (TAS) has become a cornerstone of video understanding, offering dense frame-level predictions essential for clinical assessment, surgical skill evaluation, and human-computer interaction. While TAS methods have delivered strong results on coarse-grained benchmarks, two fundamental challenges persist: (1) global attention mechanisms dilute boundary information critical for subsecond precision, a phenomenon we term the temporal granularity bottleneck, and (2) dense frame-level annotation remains prohibitively expensive, with most datasets requiring exhaustive labeling of lengthy untrimmed videos. These challenges are particularly pronounced in medical domains, where sub-second primitives define clinical outcomes while expert annotation remains scarce. In this dissertation, we …


Advancing Edge Intelligence: Strategies For Improving Machine Learning On Embedded Devices, Prakash Dhungana Jan 2026

Advancing Edge Intelligence: Strategies For Improving Machine Learning On Embedded Devices, Prakash Dhungana

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

Artificial intelligence (AI) has demonstrated tremendous success in handling complex tasks across multiple domains, a leap largely attributed to complex deep neural network (DNN) architectures. However, the increasing demand for real-time processing, low latency, limited connectivity, and enhanced privacy necessitates edge intelligence, where computation is performed directly on resource-constrained embedded devices rather than relying on cloud infrastructures. While optimized TinyML techniques such as pruning, quantization, and neural architecture search (NAS) have made edge deployment feasible by significantly reducing computation and memory demands, achievable performance remains severely limited by hardware constraints. Furthermore, models deployed in highly dynamic real-world environments suffer from …


Philosophical System Of General T-Continuity As The Base Of Culture-Space Economics, Victor L. Tonn Jan 2026

Philosophical System Of General T-Continuity As The Base Of Culture-Space Economics, Victor L. Tonn

Faculty and Staff - Articles & Papers

This paper presents a holistic philosophical system based on systric forms, operational transformors, and T-Continuity, aiming to establish cultural foundations for Type I and II Economies. Culture-space economics bridges Earth and space, initiating universal economics for the Great Space Era. The Comprehensive Universe (『SELF』) comprises three systems supporting mutual-central, micro-private, and macro-collective economies. Humanity’s spaceward journey advances T-Continuity, with human creativity—not just technology—as the primary driver, offering hope for cosmic peace through ideal cultural-spatial economies. This paper presents a holistic philosophical system based on systric forms, operational transformors, and T-Continuity, aiming to establish cultural foundations for Type I and II …


Hubungan Pertumbuhan Ekonomi Dengan Inflasi Di 90 Kabupaten-Kota Indonesia, Samsul Arifin, Hermanto Siregar, Lukytawati Anggraeni, Yeti Lis Purnamadewi Jan 2026

Hubungan Pertumbuhan Ekonomi Dengan Inflasi Di 90 Kabupaten-Kota Indonesia, Samsul Arifin, Hermanto Siregar, Lukytawati Anggraeni, Yeti Lis Purnamadewi

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Pembangunan Indonesia

This study aims to explain the relationship between economic growth and inflation in 90 Indonesian cities during the period 2018–2022 using the GMM estimator with Windmeijer - Sigmund robust standard errors. The author’s findings reveal that the two-way relationship between the two is that economic growth has a significant positif effect on inflation, while inflation has a negatif but insignificant effect. Through the results of this study, policymakers and stakeholders can consider priority objectives, namely achieving economic growth targets compared to inflation problems during the COVID-19 crisis and economic development during the future economic recovery.


Generative Ai Peer Tutoring To Support Peer-Reviewed Source Identification And Evaluation, Rae Mair, Michelle Kelley, Taylar Wenzel, Andrea C. Borowczak, Yuqing Li, Mike Borowczak Jan 2026

Generative Ai Peer Tutoring To Support Peer-Reviewed Source Identification And Evaluation, Rae Mair, Michelle Kelley, Taylar Wenzel, Andrea C. Borowczak, Yuqing Li, Mike Borowczak

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This chapter explores the design and evaluation of a generative artificial intelligence peer tutor prompt to support college students in identifying and evaluating peer-reviewed sources for academic research. Grounded in literature on peer tutoring, Socratic dialogue, and AI-supported learning, the authors describe an iterative prompt engineering process designed to transform large language models (LLMs) into Socratic-style peer tutors capable of scaffolding student reasoning without completing tasks for them. Five guiding criteria for an effective peer tutor shaped development and evaluation: cognitive congruence, step-by-step guidance, avoiding giving answers, adaptability to student level, metacognitive transparency, and following assignment directions. Across multiple human-centered …


Wright State University Magazine, 2026, Wright State Alumni Association And Wright State Foundation Jan 2026

Wright State University Magazine, 2026, Wright State Alumni Association And Wright State Foundation

Wright State University Magazine

Fifty-two page issue of the Wright State University Magazine. This magazine is published once a year and focuses on news related to Wright State alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the university.


History Is Durable: A Mixed-Methods Study Exploring Stakeholder Perceptions Of The Degree And Career Relevance, Hala Al-Tinawi, Damali Curry, Tonya S. Hall, Sharrie A. Merritte Jan 2026

History Is Durable: A Mixed-Methods Study Exploring Stakeholder Perceptions Of The Degree And Career Relevance, Hala Al-Tinawi, Damali Curry, Tonya S. Hall, Sharrie A. Merritte

Doctor of Education Capstones

Declining undergraduate enrollments in history departments reflect a national trend that many institutions have struggled to reverse. This capstone project, conducted in partnership with the Virginia Commonwealth University Department of History (VCUDOH), examines a specific and addressable dimension of that challenge: a communication gap in how the career value of a history degree is conveyed to students in introductory-level courses. Using improvement science principles and a mixed-methods case study design, the capstone team investigated how introductory history instructors communicate durable skills and career applicability, how students perceive the relevance of introductory history coursework to their career plans, and why students …


Oppression On The Blockchain, Erwin J. Kwok, Moin A. Yahya Jan 2026

Oppression On The Blockchain, Erwin J. Kwok, Moin A. Yahya

Emory Business Law Review

When Ethereum (ETH) shifted from a Proof of Work (PoW) protocol to a Proof of Stake (PoS) protocol, not all users were enthused. We use Ethereum’s shift from PoW to PoS as a case study for the broader question of whether developers of a blockchain owe its members certain fiduciary or fiduciary-like duties. We argue that if done properly, in accordance to the rules governing the blockchain, then developers do not necessarily owe fiduciary responsibility to other members of the chain, but they nonetheless may owe fiduciary-like responsibilities to users inadvertently and negatively impacted. We argue these users may be …


No 'Dexit': Delaware's New Statutory Corporate Law Loosens The Restrictions On Controlling Shareholder Transactions In Response To Corporate Outlash Following Tornetta V. Musk, Reid A. Manabat Jan 2026

No 'Dexit': Delaware's New Statutory Corporate Law Loosens The Restrictions On Controlling Shareholder Transactions In Response To Corporate Outlash Following Tornetta V. Musk, Reid A. Manabat

Emory Business Law Review

The recent Tornetta v. Musk decisions caused upheaval in the Delaware corporate community. Throughout 2024, shareholder executives have left or threatened to leave Delaware to incorporate elsewhere in a move termed “DExit.” The threat did not go unnoticed by Delawareans and lawmakers who contemplated a two-billion-dollar loss to the state’s tax revenue. Despite the courts’ willingness to require heightened scrutiny for conflicted-controller transactions, in recent years lawmakers have lowered the bar. I argue that Delaware’s new statutory corporate law does not adequately protect minority shareholders from conflicted controllers. First, the new statutory cleansing mechanisms ignore the unique dangers of conflicted-controller …


Report 17—Revisions To The Articles Of Organization And Procedure Of The Commission On Stratigraphic Nomenclature Of The Americas, Lynn T. Dafoe, Robert B. Macnaughton, Marie-Perre Aubry, Carlton E. Brett, James R. Lehane, Fernando Núñez-Useche, Randall C. Orndorff, Frank Brunton, Lucy E. Edwards, Richard H. Fluegeman, Howard Harper, Robert Matthew Joeckel, Norman P. Lasca, B. H. Tew Jan 2026

Report 17—Revisions To The Articles Of Organization And Procedure Of The Commission On Stratigraphic Nomenclature Of The Americas, Lynn T. Dafoe, Robert B. Macnaughton, Marie-Perre Aubry, Carlton E. Brett, James R. Lehane, Fernando Núñez-Useche, Randall C. Orndorff, Frank Brunton, Lucy E. Edwards, Richard H. Fluegeman, Howard Harper, Robert Matthew Joeckel, Norman P. Lasca, B. H. Tew

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

Several revisions to the Articles of Organization and Procedure for the North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature have been adopted following the 75th, 79th, and 80th annual meetings of the Commission in 2020, 2024 and 2025, respectively. Of these, the most substantial change was revision of Article III regarding membership composition of the Commission and the addition of new member organizations from Central and South America and the Caribbean region. As a result, the Commission also voted to change its name to be more inclusive of the expanding membership, with approval of the name: Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature of the …


Hydroponics In The Classroom: Cultivating Plants, Captivating Young People, Stacy A. Adams, Christian Stephenson, Theresa James, Kim Todd Jan 2026

Hydroponics In The Classroom: Cultivating Plants, Captivating Young People, Stacy A. Adams, Christian Stephenson, Theresa James, Kim Todd

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Few students take the initiative to pursue coursework beyond that required for progression to graduation. Limited are opportunities that connect educational content to industry application, potentially inspiring young people towards impactful careers. The United States government has emphasized the importance of STEM education to ensure national security and to maintain economic competitiveness globally. STEM education is not a defined discipline but an approach for building knowledge through application and engagement. Developing and managing a hydroponics prototype provides numerous opportunities for embedding STEM content into a fun and interactive project. This poster provides inspiration for constructing a simple deep water culture …


Assessment Of Soybean Response To Irrigation Variability In Eastern Nebraska Using The Aquacrop Model, Anmol Singh, Saleh Taghvaeian, Yufeng Ge, Derek M. Heeren, Frank Bai Jan 2026

Assessment Of Soybean Response To Irrigation Variability In Eastern Nebraska Using The Aquacrop Model, Anmol Singh, Saleh Taghvaeian, Yufeng Ge, Derek M. Heeren, Frank Bai

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is a major irrigated crop in eastern Nebraska, where recent expansions in irrigated agriculture and projected trends in irrigation demand necessitate thorough investigations of approaches that can optimize its irrigation management. In this study, the AquaCrop model was calibrated and validated using 19 variable irrigation treatments from a five-year field experiment. The model accurately simulated canopy cover, soil water content, and grain yield, with validation normalized root mean square error (nRMSE) of 12%, 7%, and 7%, respectively. The model was subsequently applied to estimate soybean yield and water requirement during a 15-year period (2010–2024) …


Dataset: The Impact Of External Resource Use On The Validity Of Score Interpretation For A Biology Concept Assessment Administered Out-Of-Class, Tiffany J. Burgess, Crystal Uminski, Gia Alicea, Brian A. Couch Jan 2026

Dataset: The Impact Of External Resource Use On The Validity Of Score Interpretation For A Biology Concept Assessment Administered Out-Of-Class, Tiffany J. Burgess, Crystal Uminski, Gia Alicea, Brian A. Couch

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Instructors use concept assessments to gauge student knowledge and guide course improvement. Many instructors experience time and logistical constraints around administering these assessments in class. For this reason, administering concept assessments outside of class can help increase feasibility. While previous studies have cautioned that the use of external resources (e.g., internet, course notes, peers) in the out-of-class setting may inflate assessment scores, the extent to which undergraduate students access various resources when completing concept assessments is unknown. The current study uses two survey question formats to better understand whether students engage with external resources when taking a biology concept assessment …


Dataset: Participation Versus Points: Examining The Impact Of Grading Conditions On Student Resource Use During An Out-Of-Class Biology Concept Assessment, Tiffany J. Burgess, Crystal Uminski, Brian A. Couch Jan 2026

Dataset: Participation Versus Points: Examining The Impact Of Grading Conditions On Student Resource Use During An Out-Of-Class Biology Concept Assessment, Tiffany J. Burgess, Crystal Uminski, Brian A. Couch

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Instructors use concept assessments to collect diagnostic information regarding student learning and to inform decisions surrounding instructional interventions and course modifications. Administering concept assessments out-of-class helps preserve already limited instructional time, but instructors still must consider whether to apply a lower-stakes (i.e., participation) versus higher-stakes (i.e., correctness) grading scheme. An increase in stakes is likely to prompt additional effort, but it may also increase undesired behaviors and inadvertently prompt external resource use, such as students leveraging their notes, the internet, or their peers. In the present study, we compared student self-reported resource use on a biology concept assessment administered under …


From Text To Test: Pre-Lecture Reading Boosts Medical Students’ Comprehension And Retention, Hamad A. Alfahaad, Mohammed Y. Alasmary, Emad M. Masuadi, Henk G. Schmidt Jan 2026

From Text To Test: Pre-Lecture Reading Boosts Medical Students’ Comprehension And Retention, Hamad A. Alfahaad, Mohammed Y. Alasmary, Emad M. Masuadi, Henk G. Schmidt

Saudi Medical Journal

Objective: Medical students frequently attend lectures without prior review of the related literature when preparing for examinations. It raises the question of whether studying the material in advance could enhance their learning outcomes during lectures. Methods: A total of 102 medical students from a Saudi Arabian university took part in this research. Participants were assigned to one of 2 cohorts: one read a 4-page passage before a 15-minute lecture, while the other attended the lecture before reading the passage. Knowledge acquisition was measured using a test that assessed their ability to recall concepts administered 3 times—prior to the session, post …


Visual Analytics For Interpretable Quantum Computing, Shaolun Ruan Jan 2026

Visual Analytics For Interpretable Quantum Computing, Shaolun Ruan

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Quantum computing has entered a stage of increasing practicality. Many quantum hardware vendors such as IBM, Rigetti, Honeywell, and IonQ now enable experiments on real devices in the Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) era. These platforms show computational advantages in domains such as optimization, machine learning, and materials science. However, they remain limited by hardware noise and the absence of human-interpretable information. Existing visual metaphors, such as the Bloch Sphere for single-qubit states or circuit schematics for algorithm design, struggle to convey multi-qubit entanglement or measurement probabilities in ways accessible to human reasoning. Likewise, the rise of variational quantum circuits and …


Constrained Reinforcement Learning: From Single-Agent Safety To Multi-Agent Coordination, Hao Jiang Jan 2026

Constrained Reinforcement Learning: From Single-Agent Safety To Multi-Agent Coordination, Hao Jiang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Real-world decision-making systems such as autonomous driving and largescale ride-pooling must operate under strict safety and resource constraints. Traditional Reinforcement Learning (RL) methods, while powerful in simulation, often fail to guarantee such constraints, limiting their real-world deployment. The fundamental challenge lies in integrating constraint satisfaction with long-term reward optimization, especially when outcomes are stochastic and interdependent across multiple agents.

This dissertation advances the field of Constrained Reinforcement Learning (CRL) from both single-agent safety and multi-agent coordination perspectives. In the single-agent setting, we introduce a Reward Penalty framework that augments the state space with cumulative cost and penalizes only trajectories that …