Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Integer Solutions To Optimization Problems And Modular Sequences Of Nexus Numbers, Jeremy T. Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we examine the use of integers through two ideas. As mathematics teachers, we prefer students not use calculators on assessments. In order to require this, students compute the problems by hand. We take a look at the classic Calculus I optimization box problem while restricting values to integers. In addition, sticking with the integer theme, we take a new look at the nexus numbers. Nexus numbers are extensions of the hex and rhombic dodecahedral numbers. We put these numbers into a sequence, and through a few computations of modular arithmetic, we analyze the sequences and their patterns …

Variable Risk Policy Search For Dynamic Robot Control, Scott Robert Kuindersma

Open Access Dissertations

A central goal of the robotics community is to develop general optimization algorithms for producing high-performance dynamic behaviors in robot systems. This goal is challenging because many robot control tasks are characterized by significant stochasticity, high-dimensionality, expensive evaluations, and unknown or unreliable system models. Despite these challenges, a range of algorithms exist for performing efficient optimization of parameterized control policies with respect to average cost criteria. However, other statistics of the cost may also be important. In particular, for many stochastic control problems, it can be advantageous to select policies based not only on their average cost, but also their …

An Integrated Screening And Optimization Strategy, Nathaniel Jackson Rohbock

Theses and Dissertations

Within statistical methods, design of experiments (DOE) is well suited to make good inference from a minimal amount of data. Two types of designs within DOE are screening designs and optimization designs. Traditionally, these approaches have been necessarily separated by a gap between the objectives of each design and the methods available. Despite being so separated, in practice these designs are frequently connected by sequential experimentation. In fact, from the genesis of a project, the experimentor often knows that both designs will be necessary to accomplish his objectives. Due to advances in the understanding of experimental designs with complex aliasing …

Performance Evaluation Of Optimal Rate Allocation Models For Wireless Networks, Ryan Michael Padilla

Theses and Dissertations

Convex programming is used in wireless networks to optimize the sending or receiving rates of links or flows in a network. This kind of optimization problem is formulated into a rate allocation problem, where each node in the network will distributively solve the convex problem and all links or flows will converge to their optimal rate. The objective function and constraints of these problems are represented in a simplified model of contention, interference, and sending or receiving rates. The Partial Interference model is an optimal rate allocation model for use in wireless mesh networks that has been shown to be …

Networking And Security Solutions For Vanet Initial Deployment Stage, Baber Aslam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) is a special case of mobile networks, where vehicles equipped with computing/communicating devices (called "smart vehicles") are the mobile wireless nodes. However, the movement pattern of these mobile wireless nodes is no more random, as in case of mobile networks, rather it is restricted to roads and streets. Vehicular networks have hybrid architecture; it is a combination of both infrastructure and infrastructure-less architectures. The direct vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communication is infrastructure-less or ad hoc in nature. Here the vehicles traveling within communication range of each other form an ad hoc network. On the other …

A Multimodal Freight Collaborative Hub Location And Network Design Problem, Jiri Tylich

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The study presents an analytical framework to explore the rail-road collaborative paradigm.

New collaborative technologies have been developed in recent years and they offer a potential solutions and opportunities for collaboration among all modes of transportation. The most progressive technologies that could fulfill the gap in rail-road collaborative paradigm are identified and presented in this research.

The research deals with current state and possible development of collaboration of rail and highway modes of transportation, referred to as rail-road collaboration. Multimodal transportation is the shipment of goods in a single transportation unit. The longest part of the route takes place by …

A Fitness Function Elimination Theory For Blackbox Optimization And Problem Class Learning, Gautham Anil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The modern view of optimization is that optimization algorithms are not designed in a vacuum, but can make use of information regarding the broad class of objective functions from which a problem instance is drawn. Using this knowledge, we want to design optimization algorithms that execute quickly (efficiency), solve the objective function with minimal samples (performance), and are applicable over a wide range of problems (abstraction). However, we present a new theory for blackbox optimization from which, we conclude that of these three desired characteristics, only two can be maximized by any algorithm. We put forward an alternate view of …

Coevolutionary Algorithms For The Optimization Of Strategies For Red Teaming Applications, Tirtha Ranjeet

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Red teaming (RT) is a process that assists an organization in finding vulnerabilities in a system whereby the organization itself takes on the role of an “attacker” to test the system. It is used in various domains including military operations. Traditionally, it is a manual process with some obvious weaknesses: it is expensive, time-consuming, and limited from the perspective of humans “thinking inside the box”. Automated RT is an approach that has the potential to overcome these weaknesses. In this approach both the red team (enemy forces) and blue team (friendly forces) are modelled as intelligent agents in a multi-agent …

Advances In Quantum Optical Metrology And The Establishment Of An Invisible Quantum Tripwire, Steven Blane Mccracken

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis presents a summary of the foundation and background of the field of quantum optics, and an analysis of some recent discoveries in various fields of which I have aided in furthering investigative research and advancement through publications. Such topics include numerical optimization of generalized quantum states used in phase sensitive quantum metrology, an analysis of object detection through the use of quantum interferometry in the presence of lossy conditions, and the use of the latter technique to propose an invisible quantum tripwire. First is a collaborative effort to numerically optimize quantum optical states for quantum metrological applications. We …