Constraint reasoning with local search for continuous optimization

Optimization is a very important field for getting the best possible value for the optimization function. Continuous optimization is optimization over real intervals. There are many global and local search techniques. Global search techniques try to get the global optima of the optimization problem. However, local search techniques are used more since they try to find a local minimal solution within an area of the search space. In Continuous Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CCSP)s, constraints are viewed as relations between variables, and the computations are supported by interval analysis. The continuous constraint programming framework provides branch-and-prune algorithms for covering sets of solutions for the constraints with sets of interval boxes which are the Cartesian product of intervals. These algorithms begin with an initial crude cover of the feasible space (the Cartesian product of the initial variable domains) which is recursively refined by interleaving pruning and branching steps until a stopping criterion is satisfied. In this work, we try to find a convenient way to use the advantages in CCSP branchand- prune with local search of global optimization applied locally over each pruned branch of the CCSP. We apply local search techniques of continuous optimization over the pruned boxes outputted by the CCSP techniques. We mainly use steepest descent technique with different characteristics such as penalty calculation and step length. We implement two main different local search algorithms. We use “Procure”, which is a constraint reasoning and global optimization framework, to implement our techniques, then we produce and introduce our results over a set of benchmarks.

Shiva's dance: Crisis, local institutions and private firms

The uneven spatial distribution of start-ups and their respective survival may reflect comparative advantages resulting from the local institutional background. For the first time, we explore this idea using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to assess the relative efficiency of Portuguese municipalities in this specific context. We depart from the related literature where expenditure is perceived as a desirable input by choosing a measure of fiscal responsibility and infrastructural variables in the first stage. Comparing results for 2006 and 2010, we find that mean performance decreased substantially 1) with the effects of the Global Financial Crisis, 2) as municipal population increases and 3) as financial independence decreases. A second stage is then performed employing a double-bootstrap procedure to evaluate how the regional context outside the control of local authorities (e.g. demographic characteristics and political preferences) impacts on efficiency.

Finding the hidden influencers

This thesis is a first step in the search for the characteristics of funders, and the underlying motivation that drives them to participate in crowdfunding. The purpose of the study is to identify demographics and psychographics that influence a funder’s willingness to financially support a crowdfunding project (WFS). Crowdfunding, crowdsourcing and donation literature are combined to create a conceptual model in which age, gender, altruism and income, together with several control variables, are expected to have an influence on a funder’s WFS. Primary data collection was conducted using a survey, and a dataset of 175 potential crowdfunders was created. The data is analysed using a multiple regression and provided several interesting results. First of all, age and gender have a significant effect on WFS, males and young adults until the age of 30 have a higher intention to give money to crowdfunding projects. Second, altruism is significantly positively related to WFS, meaning that the funders do not just care about the potential rewards they could receive, but also about the benefits that they create for the entrepreneur and the people affected by the crowdfunding project. Third, the moderation effect of income was found to be insignificant in this model. It shows that income does not affect the strength of the relationship between the age, gender and altruism, and WFS. This study provides important theoretical contributions by, to the best of my knowledge, being the first study to quantitatively investigate the characteristics of funders and using the funder as the unit of analysis. Moreover, the study provides important insights for entrepreneurs who wish to target the crowd better in order to attract and retain more funders, thereby increasing the chance of success of their project.

Poder local, desenvolvimento e educação: a política educativa da Câmara Municipal do Seixal de 1986 a 1992: um estudo de caso

Dissertação de mestrado em Ciências da Educação: área de Educação e Desenvolvimento

Escola e espaço local: representações e práticas dos professores do Barreiro

Dissertação de mestrado em Ciências da Educação: área de Educação e Desenvolvimento

O acompanhamento local como modelo de desenvolvimento curricular em matemática

Dissertação de mestrado em Ciências da Educação: área de Educação e Desenvolvimento

Constraint reasoning for differential models

The basic motivation of this work was the integration of biophysical models within the interval constraints framework for decision support. Comparing the major features of biophysical models with the expressive power of the existing interval constraints framework, it was clear that the most important inadequacy was related with the representation of differential equations. System dynamics is often modelled through differential equations but there was no way of expressing a differential equation as a constraint and integrate it within the constraints framework. Consequently, the goal of this work is focussed on the integration of ordinary differential equations within the interval constraints framework, which for this purpose is extended with the new formalism of Constraint Satisfaction Differential Problems. Such framework allows the specification of ordinary differential equations, together with related information, by means of constraints, and provides efficient propagation techniques for pruning the domains of their variables. This enabled the integration of all such information in a single constraint whose variables may subsequently be used in other constraints of the model. The specific method used for pruning its variable domains can then be combined with the pruning methods associated with the other constraints in an overall propagation algorithm for reducing the bounds of all model variables. The application of the constraint propagation algorithm for pruning the variable domains, that is, the enforcement of local-consistency, turned out to be insufficient to support decision in practical problems that include differential equations. The domain pruning achieved is not, in general, sufficient to allow safe decisions and the main reason derives from the non-linearity of the differential equations. Consequently, a complementary goal of this work proposes a new strong consistency criterion, Global Hull-consistency, particularly suited to decision support with differential models, by presenting an adequate trade-of between domain pruning and computational effort. Several alternative algorithms are proposed for enforcing Global Hull-consistency and, due to their complexity, an effort was made to provide implementations able to supply any-time pruning results. Since the consistency criterion is dependent on the existence of canonical solutions, it is proposed a local search approach that can be integrated with constraint propagation in continuous domains and, in particular, with the enforcing algorithms for anticipating the finding of canonical solutions. The last goal of this work is the validation of the approach as an important contribution for the integration of biophysical models within decision support. Consequently, a prototype application that integrated all the proposed extensions to the interval constraints framework is developed and used for solving problems in different biophysical domains.

Práticas de gestão ambiental na administração pública local

As práticas de gestão ambiental são meios através dos quais as organizações podem melhorar o seu desempenho. Um comportamento eco-eficiente, optimiza o uso dos recursos e evita a produção de resíduos, permitindo poupanças significativas. Para além disso, um bom desempenho ambiental evita custos resultantes da aplicação do princípio do poluidor-pagador. A introdução destas práticas no processo de gestão global é hoje uma realidade nas empresas. No entanto, e como muitas das acções a nível local passam essencialmente pelas autarquias, afigura-se fundamental que também estas organizações introduzam práticas ambientais na sua gestão. O objectivo central deste trabalho é identificar o perfil ambiental da Administração Pública Local, nomeadamente dos municípios portugueses. Para atingir este objectivo foi desenvolvido um inquérito por questionário, o qual foi remetido a todos os municípios do país, de forma a poder diagnosticar práticas de gestão ambiental nesse sector. Com base na avaliação do grau de implementação de determinadas vertentes e práticas de gestão ambiental foi traçado o perfil ambiental dos municípios portugueses. Os principais resultados evidenciam um fraco nível de adopção de práticas de gestão ambiental. Urge melhorar estes níveis de desempenho, pelo que deverão ser adoptadas novas práticas organizacionais e políticas públicas de desenvolvimento sustentável, para que se inverta a tendência actual. Este trabalho pretendeu constituir uma base de apoio às inúmeras autarquias, transmitindo quais as vantagens de recorrer a práticas de gestão ambiental, de forma a aumentar o desempenho ambiental nestas organizações.

Diversity in Teams: Source of Conflict or Source of Creativity? Investigating Hidden Mental Models

The workforce in organizations today is becoming increasingly diverse. Consequently the role of diversity management is heavily discussed with respect to the question how diversity influences the productivity of a group. Empirical studies show that on one hand there is a potential for increasing productivity but on the other hand it might be as well that conflicts arise due to the heterogeneity of the group. Usually according empirical studies are based on interviews, questionnaires and/or observations. These methods imply that answers are highly selective and filtered. In order to make the invisible visible, to have access to mental models of team members the paper will present an empirical study on the self-understanding of groups based on an innovative research method, called “mind-scripting”.

Contributos para uma comparação de metodologias entre a agenda 21 local e a rede social

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ordenamento do Território e Planeamento Ambiental

A Logic and tool for local reasoning about security protocols

Trabalho apresentado no âmbito do Mestrado em Engenharia Informática, como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Informática

Expropriações: dos impactes dos planos municipais de ordenamento do território à identificação local das áreas a expropriar

Dissertação apresentada como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ciência e Sistemas de Informação Geográfica

Evolução da população no período 2001–2026 no Concelho de Alenquer – Um aeroporto na Ota? Impactos de desenvolvimento local

Dissertação apresentada como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Gestão de Informação

Factores que influenciam a mortalidade de abetarda e sisão por colisão em linhas de muito alta tensão. Análises às escalas local e regional e implicações para o Ordenamento do Território

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ordenamento do Território e Planeamento Ambiental

The intersection of people, technology and local space. PPGIS and Web in practice for participatory planning

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies