Genetic programming and bacterial algorithm for neural networks and fuzzy systems design

In the field of control systems it is common to use techniques based on model adaptation to carry out control for plants for which mathematical analysis may be intricate. Increasing interest in biologically inspired learning algorithms for control techniques such as Artificial Neural Networks and Fuzzy Systems is in progress. In this line, this paper gives a perspective on the quality of results given by two different biologically connected learning algorithms for the design of B-spline neural networks (BNN) and fuzzy systems (FS). One approach used is the Genetic Programming (GP) for BNN design and the other is the Bacterial Evolutionary Algorithm (BEA) applied for fuzzy rule extraction. Also, the facility to incorporate a multi-objective approach to the GP algorithm is outlined, enabling the designer to obtain models more adequate for their intended use.

Genetic and bacterial programming for B-Spline neural networks design

The design phase of B-spline neural networks is a highly computationally complex task. Existent heuristics have been found to be highly dependent on the initial conditions employed. Increasing interest in biologically inspired learning algorithms for control techniques such as Artificial Neural Networks and Fuzzy Systems is in progress. In this paper, the Bacterial Programming approach is presented, which is based on the replication of the microbial evolution phenomenon. This technique produces an efficient topology search, obtaining additionally more consistent solutions.

Design of B-spline neural networks using a bacterial programming approach

The design phase of B-spline neural networks represents a very high computational task. For this purpose, heuristics have been developed, but have been shown to be dependent on the initial conditions employed. In this paper a new technique, Bacterial Programming, is proposed, whose principles are based on the replication of the microbial evolution phenomenon. The performance of this approach is illustrated and compared with existing alternatives.

A computational study of a parallel Branch and Bound algorithm for the quadratic 0-1 programming problem on transputers

Discrete optimization problems are very difficult to solve, even if the dimantion is small. For most of them the problem of finding an ε-approximate solution is already NP-hard.

Hotel W Barcelona: style department (housekeeping)

Este relatório pretende descrever a experiência proporcionada pelo estágio efetuado no departamento de Style do hotel W Barcelona, enquanto supervisor de housekeeping. Para melhor conseguir definir esta experiência, é feita uma caraterização da entidade de acolhimento, referindo os elementos diferenciadores associados à brand do hotel, assim como aspetos gerais da cadeia hoteleira a que esta está liga. Segue-se uma revisão de literatura onde é explorada a descrição do departamento de alojamento e do subdepartamento de housekeeping. Nesta revisão focam-se as funções dos vários colaboradores pertencentes ao subdepartamento, assim como os variados documentos inerentes ao decorrer da operação. Posteriormente é feita uma descrição da realidade do hotel, ao nível da área de housekeeping: relata-se as funções dos vários elementos do departamento, dando-se especial destaque à função de supervisor de andares. Refere-se quais os procedimentos e relatórios exigidos, durante a operativa do hotel. Comenta-se, também, a implementação de um sistema (REX), que visa melhorar o desempenho deste departamento. Comparando os conceitos obtidos através da revisão da literatura com a realidade do hotel verifica-se que não é fácil implementar grandes inovações, dentro da área do housekeeping, e que a forma de operar não conheceu profundas alterações nos últimos dez anos e conclui-se que este hotel estabeleceu para a operativa, procedimentos estandardizados.

Methodological aspects of a mathematical programming model to evaluate soil tillage technologies in a risky environment

In this work we develop a methodology for the economic evaluation of soil tillage technologies, in a risky environment, and to capture the influence of farmer behaviour on his technology choice. The model has short-term activities, that change with the type of year, and long-term activities, in which sets of traction investment activities are included. Although these activities do not change with the type of year, they lead to different availability of resources for each type of year, since the same tractor has different available fieldwork days under different weather conditions. We prove that the model is sensitive to the greater income variability resulting from the use of alternative technologies and to the balance between income and risk, accounting for the probability of occurrence of each state of nature and giving an investment solution that considers the best production plan for each type of year. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Early nutritional programming in fish: tailoring the metabolic use of dietary carbohydrates

Tese de doutoramento, Ciências da Vida, do Mar, da Terra e do Ambiente (Nutrição), Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2015