Search

In this paper, we propose a Riemannian version of the difference of convex algorithm (DCA) to solve a minimization problem involving the difference of convex (DC) function. The equivalence between the classical and simplified Riemannian versions of the DCA is established. We also prove that under mild assumptions the Riemannian version of the DCA is well defined and every cluster point of the sequence generated by the proposed method, if any, is a critical point of the objective DC function. Some duality relations between the DC problem and its dual are also established. To illustrate the algorithm's effectiveness, some numerical experiments are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabric defect detection is an important part of the textile industry, aiming at the problems of many types of fabric defects, small size defects and unbalanced samples, an improved YOLOv5 fabric defect detection algorithm, FD-YOLOv5, was proposed. First, the coordinate attention module is embedded in the YOLOv5 backbone network structure to replace the bottleneck structure in the original network model. While reducing the amount of parameters and calculation, it enhances the ability of the network to extract features and improves the model's ability to detect small target defects. Secondly, a smoother Mish activation function is used in the original model convolution structure for model training, which improves the nonlinear expression ability of the model; the SIoU loss function considering the direction of the anchor box is used to improve the convergence speed and detection accuracy of the model. Finally, combining the focal loss and GHM loss functions as the target confidence loss function to solve the problem of sample imbalance in the fabric defect dataset. The experimental results based on the public fabric defect dataset of Aliyun TianChi shows that the mAP@.5 and mAP@.5:.95 of the improved algorithm are 65.1% and 30.4%, respectively, which are 8.3% and 3.2% higher than the original model, respectively, and the parameter amount, calculation amount and weight of the model are reduced by 8.4%, 11.2% and 14.3%, respectively, compared with the original model. Even compared with the state-of-the-art YOLOv7 model, the mAP@.5 value of the proposed model is improved by 6.5%. Although the FPS value is lower than YOLOv7 model, it also achieves a detection speed of 79 frames per second, which can meet the real-time demand. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the method in this paper, which can provide a reference for the automatic detection method of fabric defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite its obvious relevance to computer science, computational thinking (CT) is transdisciplinary with the potential of impacting one's analytical ability. Although countless efforts have been invested across K‐12 education, there is a paucity of research at the postsecondary level about the extent to which CT can contribute to sustainable learning outcomes. Objectives: The current study examines how a series of Arduino‐based robotics learning activities capture the fuller essence of concepts related to CT. Methods: College students (n = 50) completed a series of six robotics learning activities. Think‐alouds, student reflections and performance scores were used to assess students' CT through a robotics challenge in virtual and physical learning environments. Results and Conclusions: Students verbalized CT concepts related to algorithmic thinking much more than abstraction, problem decomposition and testing and debugging. Students exposed to active learning performed better in a virtual robotics challenge compared to their peers in a traditional‐oriented classroom. Students' scores on the physical robotics challenge increased as a function of the number of references they made to CT concepts during the think‐alouds. It is possible to design pedagogical experiences that tap into various dimensions of CT at incremental levels of complexity through a series of Arduino‐based robotics activities. With the integration of an online simulation, students can visualize and transfer their CT skills between a virtual and physical learning environment, thus leading to more sustainable learning outcomes. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Computational thinking (CT) is the conceptual foundation for problem‐solving.CT shifted from unplugged to plugged activities.CT concepts can be fostered through educational robotics. What this paper adds: A multi‐dimensional approach to assessing CT.Applications of CT provide insights into skill transfer.An integrative theoretical approach to study the 'how' and the 'what' of CT. Implications for practice: Educational robotics activities can cater to a fuller range of CT skills.Virtual simulations with constructive feedback are beneficial for students in traditional settings.Mixed learning environments contribute to making links between lectures and labs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimal operation of reservoir groups is a strongly constrained, multi-stage, and high-dimensional optimization problem. In response to this issue, this article couples the standard Pelican optimization algorithm with adaptive ε constraint methods, and further improves the optimization performance of the algorithm by initializing the population with a good point set, reverse differential evolution, and optimal individual t-distribution perturbation strategy. Based on this, an improved Pelican algorithm coupled with adaptive ε constraint method is proposed (ε-IPOA). The performance of the algorithm was tested through 24 constraint testing functions to find the optimal ability and solve constraint optimization problems. The results showed that the algorithm has strong optimization ability and stable performance. In this paper, we select Sanmenxia and Xiaolangdi reservoirs as the research objects, establish the maximum peak-cutting model of terrace reservoirs, apply the ε-IPOA algorithm to solve the model, and compare it with the ε-POA (Pelican algorithm coupled with adaptive ε constraint method) and ε-DE (Differential Evolution Algorithm) algorithms, the results indicate that ε. The peak flow rate of the Huayuankou control point solved by the IPOA algorithm is 12,319 m3/s, which is much lower than the safe overflow flow rate of 22,000 m3/s at the Huayuankou control point, with a peak shaving rate of 44%, and other algorithms do not find effective solutions meeting the constraint conditions. This paper provides a new idea for solving the problem of flood control optimal operation of cascade reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the problem of inaccurate user phase identification, the paper proposes a new algorithm based on improved cloud model and adaptive segmented voltage algorithm. Firstly, the new algorithm uses improved cloud model to calculate the digital features of station area and users' voltage sequences quickly. Secondly, the paper uses the adaptive segmentation voltage algorithm to divide the full voltage sequences into three parts automatically to add local features into phase identification. Finally, the paper calculates cosine similarity between each segmented voltage cloud model to identify users' voltage phase. The analysis based on station data and field verification shows that the new algorithm has not only improved the calculation efficiency by 41% compared with traditional user phase identification algorithm, but also increased the difference in identification results between different phases by 1000 times. In the final result, the accuracy of the new algorithm is 95%. The new algorithm has more obvious differentiation and higher accuracy. The analysis results based on the actual engineering data also prove the feasibility and effectiveness of the new user phase identification algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, there are many semantic segmentation algorithms with excellent performance for intelligent driving vehicles, but most of them only work well on scenes with good illumination. In order to solve the problem of scene segmentation under low illumination, this paper proposes a novel semantic segmentation algorithm that combines visible and infrared images. In this algorithm, two parallel encoders are designed as the input of the images, and the decoder divides the fused images output from the encoder. The model is based on ResNet algorithm, and the residual attention module is used in each branch to mine and enhance the spatial features of multilevel channels to extract images information. Experiments are carried out on publicly available thermal infrared and visible datasets. The results show that the algorithm proposed in this paper is superior to the algorithm using only visible images in semantic segmentation of traffic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regular path query is a technique of using regular expressions to query graph data, usually uses finite state automata to achieve query matching. The matching result of the existing regular path query method is a sequence of vertex pairs, and the structure of the graph is not fully preserved. In order to solve this problem, this paper proposed a method of structured regular path query for graph data. By structuring constraints between different sequences, the query results could be transformed from paths to subgraphs. For this purpose, the method firstly defined a structured regular path query language, and then designed a structured query parsing and a matching algorithm based on this structure. Experimental results on simulated and real datasets verify the influence of network size on query speed. This paper compared the proposed method with the control group. Experimental results show that the proposed method can realize structured query under the premise of satisfying regular expression constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In reinforcement learning, the policy gradient algorithm often needs to model the continuous-time process as a discrete-time process through sampling. To model the problem more accurately, it improves the sampling frequency. However, the excessive sampling frequency may reduce the training efficiency. To solve this problem, this paper proposed action stable updating algorithm. This method calculated the probability of action repetition using the change of the output of the policy function, and randomly repeated or changed the action based on this probability. This paper theoretically analyzed the performance of this method. This paper evaluated the performance of this method in nine different environments and compared it with the existing methods. This method surpassed existing methods in six of these environments. The experimental results show that this method can improve the training efficiency of the policy gradient algorithm in continuous-time problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the shortcomings of whale optimization algorithm (WOA) when solving problems such as high dimension, multi-peak and non-origin of optimal value, such as low convergence accuracy and easy to be captured by local optimum, this paper proposed a whale optimization algorithm based on multi-dimensional variation learning and distributed optimization (MLDOWOA) . Firstly, this algorithm introduced adaptive weights and dominant individual interference to dynamically adjust the direction of individual spiral surround, which improved the global search ability and convergence accuracy of the algorithm. Then, in order to further expand the search range of the algorithm, the improved algorithm used a multi-dimensional variation learning mechanism to adaptively plan the direction of population variation. Finally, it put forward the distributed optimization mechanism to coordinate the step size of search, so as to help the population break through the limitation of search stagnation in the middle and late stage. The test results on 8 high dimensional benchmark functions and 4 fixed dimensional benchmark functions show that, compared with the basic WOA, SSA and the improved WOA algorithms ACWOA, AWOA, MSIWOA, ADWOA, the proposed algorithm has significant advantages in convergence accuracy and ability to cope with high dimensional functions. This paper used the algorithm to tune the parameters of the FOPID controller, and compared the control results with the research results of this engineering problem in recent years, which prove the excellent performance of the proposed algorithm in FOPID parameter tuning problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimal operation of reservoir groups is a strongly constrained, multi-stage, and high-dimensional optimization problem. In response to this issue, this article couples the standard Pelican optimization algorithm with adaptive ε constraint methods, and further improves the optimization performance of the algorithm by initializing the population with a good point set, reverse differential evolution, and optimal individual t-distribution perturbation strategy. Based on this, an improved Pelican algorithm coupled with adaptive ε constraint method is proposed (ε-IPOA). The performance of the algorithm was tested through 24 constraint testing functions to find the optimal ability and solve constraint optimization problems. The results showed that the algorithm has strong optimization ability and stable performance. In this paper, we select Sanmenxia and Xiaolangdi reservoirs as the research objects, establish the maximum peak-cutting model of terrace reservoirs, apply the ε-IPOA algorithm to solve the model, and compare it with the ε-POA (Pelican algorithm coupled with adaptive ε constraint method) and ε-DE (Differential Evolution Algorithm) algorithms, the results indicate that ε. The peak flow rate of the Huayuankou control point solved by the IPOA algorithm is 12,319 m3/s, which is much lower than the safe overflow flow rate of 22,000 m3/s at the Huayuankou control point, with a peak shaving rate of 44%, and other algorithms do not find effective solutions meeting the constraint conditions. This paper provides a new idea for solving the problem of flood control optimal operation of cascade reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a road crack detection algorithm based on an improved SparseInst network, called the SparseInst-CDSM algorithm, aimed at solving the problems of low recognition accuracy and poor real-time detection of existing algorithms. The algorithm introduces the CBAM module, DCNv2 convolution, SPM strip pooling module, MPM mixed pooling module, etc., effectively improving the integrity and accuracy of crack recognition. At the same time, the central axis skeleton of the crack is extracted using the central axis method, and the length and maximum width of the crack are calculated. In the experimental comparison under the self-built crack dataset, SparseInst-CDSM has an accuracy of 93.66%, a precision of 67.35%, a recall of 66.72%, and an IoU of 84.74%, all higher than mainstream segmentation models such as Mask-RCNN and SOLO that were compared, reflecting the superiority of the algorithm proposed in this paper. The comparison results of actual measurements show that the algorithm error is within 10%, indicating that it has high effectiveness and practicality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current bitmap collaboration models suffer from issues such as large volume of data transmission, poor flexibility, overlapping conflicts and storage pressure. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a collaborative editing model for complex bitmaps. Collaborative operation that sends only the coordinates and color change, featuring low data volume, multi-dimensional granularity, and overlap able. Adds a four-dimensional bitmap collaborative architecture with spatiotemporal relationship, and only saves the edited pixel data, which can save more storage space; A replica state control algorithm based on rollback that ensures operations are executed on correct replica. An algorithm that can dynamically generate branch versions according to the current state and policy configuration, solving the problem of too many branch versions. Finally, inferring model correctness based on the CCI model, develop a prototype collaborative editor “Co-Pixel”, execute experiments based on randomly generated operation sets, simulation of actual editing behavior against Adobe Lightroom. Results show that this model can avoid conflicts between independent operations to a greater extent, can reduce the algorithmic overhead in the consistency maintenance process, can flexibly adjust the intent retention policy, and can generate a version of the result that reduces the user’s intent maintenance effort. The model in this paper provides a good solution for collaborative bitmap editing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the outbreak of the epidemic, the distribution of living supplies in residential areas under closed management become one of the focal issues to be solved urgently, and this problem can be abstracted as the the location problem of distribution points for living supplies during the epidemic, whose essence is the NP-Hard problem in combinational optimization. This paper studied the exact algorithm of the location problem of distribution points for living supplies during the lockdown period. Firstly, the paper researched some mathematical properties and corresponding proof of the problem, and these properties could be used to reduce the size of the given problem, thereby reducing the difficulty of the problem solving. Then the paper designed allocation sub-algorithm, upper and lower bound sub-algorithms and the reduced order sub-algorithm. Based on these sub-algorithms, the paper proposed a backtracking algorithm with reduction which can reduce the size of the problem and get the optimal solution. Finally,the paper analyzed and solved several examples to further illustrate the principle and execution process of the proposed algorithm. The results show that the proposed algorithm can reduce the difficulty of solving the problem by reducing the size of the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to achieve a fair distribution of benefits in federated learning, an indicator that quantifies the contribution of each data provider to the global model is critical. Aiming at the problems of privacy leakage, opacity and dependence on central server in existing contribution evaluation schemes, this paper proposed a transparent federated learning contribution evaluation scheme based on blockchain. Firstly, this paper proposed an improved Paillier secure aggregation algorithm, which avoided the inference of user local data in the model aggregation stage by joint decryption. Secondly, this paper proposed a method to approximate the contribution based on the gradient of user cumulative submission, which solved the problem of privacy leakage in the existing contribution evaluation scheme. In addition, it integrated the evaluation of the contribution into the consensus process of the blockchain, making the evaluation results auditable. Finally, experiments based on MNIST dataset show that the proposed method can effectively evaluate the contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cryptographic system is the foundation of blockchain security mechanisms. This paper constructs a blockchain security mechanism based on the Chinese national cryptographic SM2 algorithm, involving the generation of public–private key pairs and the signing of block information using key pairs. However, the original SM2 algorithm has a high computational complexity, which cannot meet the requirements of low on-chain delay in blockchain applications. To solve this problem, this paper optimizes the SM2 digital signature algorithm. The scalar multiplication operation in the digital signature algorithm has a large computational complexity, which affects the efficiency of a digital signature. To reduce its computational complexity, this paper improves the traditional window non-adjacent form (w-NAF) algorithm for the scalar multiplication operation and proposes a low computational complexity Fw-NAF algorithm based on the prime number precomputation window, which greatly reduces its computational complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper proposes a topology-free specification of distributed control systems by means of a process-oriented programming paradigm. The proposed approach was characterized, on the one hand, by a topologically independent specification of the control algorithm and, on the other hand, by the possibility of using existing formal verification methods by preserving the semantics of a centralized process-oriented program. The paper discusses the advantages of a topologically independent specification of distributed control systems, outlines the features of control software, argues why the use of a process-oriented approach to the development of the automation of cyber-physical systems is suitable for solving these problems, describes a general scheme for implementing a distributed control system according to a process-oriented specification, and proposes a formal heuristic algorithm for partitioning a sequential process-oriented program into independent clusters. We illustrate our algorithm with bottle-filling and sluice case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that accurate estimation of the loop delay between the input and output feedback signals is the key to behavioral modeling and digital predistortion of power amplifier. Nevertheless, most of the traditional loop‐delay compensation algorithms have the disadvantage of high computational complexity. For the purpose of solving this problem, a loop‐delay estimation algorithm based on sliding window has been proposed in this paper, where the first derivative characteristic of the signal is employed to evaluate the correlation between the input and output feedback signals. The simulation and experiment are carried out with different bandwidth signals in this paper. The results show that the proposed algorithm and the traditional cross‐correlation‐based method could align the input and output feedback signals successfully. But in terms of resource consumption, the proposed algorithm could reduce the multiplier nearly by 100% and the adder by approximately 93.2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the location of the sensor nodes is a challenging aspect of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) in a distributed environment. It is vital to understand where data and events come from when sensor nodes collect data and report on them. This paper uses a nature-inspired Jaya algorithm to estimate the location coordinates of target nodes in a distributed architecture of WSNs. The Jaya algorithm handles the nonlinear optimization problem of node localization in a randomly distributed sensor node configuration. The range-based, Received Signal Strength Indicator method is used for the distance estimation. MATLAB software is used to assess the proposed work, and a comparison is made with the Particle Swarm Optimization, Krill Herd Optimization, and Salp Swarm Algorithm based node localization algorithms in terms of localization error and computation time. The localization error analysis is done for the different numbers of anchor nodes and different values of degree of irregularity to verify the effectiveness of the proposed work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mathematical side of applied problems in multiple subject areas (biology, pattern recognition, etc.) is reduced to the problem of discrete optimization in the following mathematical method. We were provided a network and graphs in its leaves, for which we needed to find a rearrangement of graphs by non-leaf nodes, in which the given functional reached its minimum. Such a problem, even in the simplest case, is NP-hard, which means unavoidable restrictions on the network, on graphs, or on the functional. In this publication, this problem is addressed in the case of all graphs being so-called "structures", meaning directed-loaded graphs consisting of paths and cycles, and the functional as the sum (over all edges in the network) of distances between structures at the endpoints of every edge. The distance itself is equal to the minimal length of sequence from the fixed list of operations, the composition of which transforms the structure at one endpoint of the edge into the structure at its other endpoint. The list of operations (and their costs) on such a graph is fixed. Under these conditions, the given discrete optimization problem is called the reconstruction problem. This paper presents novel algorithms for solving the reconstruction problem, along with full proofs of their low error and low polynomial complexity. For example, for the network, the problem is solved with a zero error algorithm that has a linear polynomial computational complexity; and for the tree the problem is solved using an algorithm with a multiplicative error of at most two, which has a second order polynomial computational complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In numerous scientific disciplines and practical applications, addressing optimization challenges is a common imperative. Nature-inspired optimization algorithms represent a highly valuable and pragmatic approach to tackling these complexities. This paper introduces Dendritic Growth Optimization (DGO), a novel algorithm inspired by natural branching patterns. DGO offers a novel solution for intricate optimization problems and demonstrates its efficiency in exploring diverse solution spaces. The algorithm has been extensively tested with a suite of machine learning algorithms, deep learning algorithms, and metaheuristic algorithms, and the results, both before and after optimization, unequivocally support the proposed algorithm's feasibility, effectiveness, and generalizability. Through empirical validation using established datasets like diabetes and breast cancer, the algorithm consistently enhances model performance across various domains. Beyond its working and experimental analysis, DGO's wide-ranging applications in machine learning, logistics, and engineering for solving real-world problems have been highlighted. The study also considers the challenges and practical implications of implementing DGO in multiple scenarios. As optimization remains crucial in research and industry, DGO emerges as a promising avenue for innovation and problem solving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum approximate optimization algorithms are hybrid quantum-classical variational algorithms designed to approximately solve combinatorial optimization problems such as the MAX-CUT problem. In spite of its potential for near-term quantum applications, it has been known that quantum approximate optimization algorithms have limitations for certain instances to solve the MAX-CUT problem, at any constant level p. Recently, the recursive quantum approximate optimization algorithm, which is a non-local version of quantum approximate optimization algorithm, has been proposed to overcome these limitations. However, it has been shown by mostly numerical evidences that the recursive quantum approximate optimization algorithm outperforms the original quantum approximate optimization algorithm for specific instances. In this paper, we analytically prove that the recursive quantum approximate optimization algorithm is more competitive than the original one to solve the MAX-CUT problem for complete graphs with respect to the approximation ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Popular Secp256k1 and Schnorr algorithms offer strong security in current Blockchains. However, they are vulnerable to quantum attacks. To solve this problem, several quantum-resistant algorithms have been proposed. However, the performance evaluations and tangible analyses of these algorithms on current Blockchains have not been studied yet. In this context, a performance analysis of quantum-resistant algorithms on a Blockchain can provide valuable insight into the efficiency of quantum-resistant algorithms in real-world scenarios. To address this need, we prototyped and analyzed a quantum-resistant Blockchain using the Falcon algorithm. Falcon is selected because it provides smaller signature and key size compared to Crystals-Dilithium and Sphincs+. We then measured in real-time the key size, transaction signature size, and transaction verification time. The paper also discusses the potential scalability limitations of the proposed quantum-resistant Blockchain and suggests an approach to select quantum-resistant algorithms based on different Blockchain use cases. Our approach and benchmark results have implications for the future development and adoption of quantum-resistant Blockchains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of the interferometric phase unwrapping in radar remote sensing of Earth systems is considered. Such interferograms are widely used in the problems of creating and updating maps of the relief of the Earth's surface in geodesy, cartography, environmental monitoring, geological, hydrological and glaciological studies, and for monitoring transport communications. Modern radar systems have ultra-high spatial resolution and a wide band, which leads to the need to unwrap large interferograms from several tens of millions of elements. The implementation of calculations by these methods requires a processing time of several days. In this paper, an effective method for equalizing the inverse vortex field for phase unwrapping is proposed, which allows solving a problem with quasi-linear computational complexity depending on the interferogram size and the number of singular points on it. To implement the method, a parallel algorithm for solving the problem on a multi-core processor using OpenMP technology was developed. Numerical experiments on radar data models were carried out to investigate the effectiveness of the algorithm depending on the size of the source data, the density of singular points and the number of processor cores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports of theoretical and computational results related to an original concept of consensus clustering involving what we call the projective distance between partitions. This distance is defined as the squared difference between a partition incidence matrix and its image over the orthogonal projection in the linear space spanning the other partition incidence matrix. It appears, provided that the ensemble clustering is of a sufficient size, agglomerate clustering with the semi-average within-cluster similarity criterion effectively solves the problem of consensus partition and, moreover, of the number of clusters in it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual-inertial odometry (VIO) algorithms, fusing various features such as points and lines, are able to improve their performance in challenging scenes while the running time severely increases. In this paper, we propose a novel lightweight point–line visual–inertial odometry algorithm to solve this problem, called LRPL-VIO. Firstly, a fast line matching method is proposed based on the assumption that the photometric values of endpoints and midpoints are invariant between consecutive frames, which greatly reduces the time consumption of the front end. Then, an efficient filter-based state estimation framework is designed to finish information fusion (point, line, and inertial). Fresh measurements of line features with good tracking quality are selected for state estimation using a unique feature selection scheme, which improves the efficiency of the proposed algorithm. Finally, validation experiments are conducted on public datasets and in real-world tests to evaluate the performance of LRPL-VIO and the results show that we outperform other state-of-the-art algorithms especially in terms of speed and robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metaheuristic algorithms, widely applied across various domains due to their simplicity and strong optimization capabilities, play a crucial role in problem-solving. While the Aquila Optimizer is recognized for its effectiveness, it often exhibits slow convergence rates and susceptibility to local optima in certain scenarios. To address these concerns, this paper introduces an enhanced version, termed Tent-enhanced Aquila Optimizer (TEAO). TEAO incorporates the Tent chaotic map to initialize the Aquila population, promoting a more uniform distribution within the solution space. To balance exploration and exploitation, novel formulas are proposed, accelerating convergence while ensuring precision. The effectiveness of the TEAO algorithm is validated through a comprehensive comparison with 14 state-of-the-art algorithms using 23 classical benchmark test functions. Additionally, to assess the practical feasibility of the approach, TEAO is applied to six constrained engineering problems and benchmarked against the performance of the same 14 algorithms. All experimental results consistently demonstrate that TEAO outperforms other advanced algorithms in terms of solution quality and stability, establishing it as a more competitive choice for optimization tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, solar photovoltaic (PV) energy, as a clean energy source, has received widespread attention and experienced rapid growth worldwide. However, the rapid growth of PV power deployment also brings important challenges to the maintenance of PV panels, and in order to solve this problem, this paper proposes an innovative algorithm based on PA-YOLO. First, we propose to use PA-YOLO's asymptotic feature pyramid network (AFPN) instead of YOLOv7's backbone network to support direct interactions of nonadjacent layers and avoid large semantic gaps between nonadjacent layers. For the occlusion problem of dense targets in the dataset, we introduce a repulsive loss function, which successfully reduces the occurrence of false detection situations. Finally, we propose a customized convolutional block equipped with an EMA mechanism to enhance the perceptual and expressive capabilities of the model. Experimental results on the dataset show that our proposed model achieves excellent performance with an average accuracy (mAP) of 94.5%, which is 6.8% higher than YOLOv7. In addition, our algorithm also succeeds in drastically reducing the model size from 71.3 MB to 48.4 MB, which well demonstrates the effectiveness of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are a lot of multi-objective optimization problems (MOPs) in the real world, and many multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) have been presented to solve MOPs. However, obtaining non-dominated solutions that trade off convergence and diversity remains a major challenge for a MOEA. To solve this problem, this paper designs an efficient multi-objective sine cosine algorithm based on a competitive mechanism (CMOSCA). In the CMOSCA, the ranking relies on non-dominated sorting, and the crowding distance rank is utilized to choose the outstanding agents, which are employed to guide the evolution of the SCA. Furthermore, a competitive mechanism stemming from the shift-based density estimation approach is adopted to devise a new position updating operator for creating offspring agents. In each competition, two agents are randomly selected from the outstanding agents, and the winner of the competition is integrated into the position update scheme of the SCA. The performance of our proposed CMOSCA was first verified on three benchmark suites (i.e., DTLZ, WFG, and ZDT) with diversity characteristics and compared with several MOEAs. The experimental results indicated that the CMOSCA can obtain a Pareto-optimal front with better convergence and diversity. Finally, the CMOSCA was applied to deal with several engineering design problems taken from the literature, and the statistical results demonstrated that the CMOSCA is an efficient and effective approach for engineering design problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we mainly consider a class of nonconvex non smooth optimization problems, whose objective function is the sum of a smooth function with a Lipschitz continuous gradient and a convex non smooth function. We first propose a proximal stochastic recursive momentum algorithm(ProxSTORM) with mini-batch for solving the optimization problems and consider its convergence behaviour. Then, based on the Polyak–Łojasiewicz inequality, we establish the global linear convergence rate of ProxSTORM. Finally, some numerical experiments have been conducted to illustrate the efficiency of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The moth-flame algorithm shows some shortcomings in solving the complex problem of optimization, such as insufficient population diversity and unbalanced search ability. In this paper, an IMFO (Improved Moth-Flame Optimization) algorithm is proposed to be applied in solving the optimization problem of function. First, cat chaotic mapping is used to generate the initial position of moth to improve the population diversity. Second, cosine inertia weight is introduced to balance the global and local search abilities of the algorithm. Third, the memory information in the particle swarm algorithm is introduced into the iterative process of the algorithm to speed up the convergence of the population. Finally, Gaussian mutation strategy is used in the current optimal solution to avoid the algorithm from falling into the local optimum. Simulation experiments are conducted on 11 benchmark test functions, compared with other improved MFO (Moth-Flame Optimization) algorithms and classical optimization algorithms. The results show that the IMFO has higher accuracy and stability in solving the above-mentioned test functions. The proposed algorithm is experimented and verified by optimizing the KELM (Kernel Extreme Learning Machine) in an engineering example and exhibits a better optimization performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are useful tools for many applications. However, autonomous path planning for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in unfamiliar environments is a challenging problem when facing a series of problems such as poor consistency, high influence by the native controller of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. In this paper, we investigate reinforcement learning-based autonomous local path planning methods for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles with high autonomous decision-making capability and locally high portability. We propose an autonomous local path planning algorithm based on the TD3 strategy to solve the problem of local obstacle avoidance and path planning in unfamiliar environments using autonomous decision-making of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The simulation results on Gazebo show that our method can effectively realize the autonomous local path planning task for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, the success rate of path planning with our method can reach 93% under the interference of no obstacles, and 92% in the environment with obstacles. Finally, our method can be used for autonomous path planning of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in unfamiliar environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a path-based approach for the minimization of a continuously differentiable function over sparse symmetric sets, which is a hard problem that exhibits a restrictiveness-hierarchy of necessary optimality conditions. To achieve the more restrictive conditions in the hierarchy, state-of-the-art algorithms require a support optimization oracle that must exactly solve the problem in smaller dimensions. The path-based approach developed in this study produces a path-based optimality condition, which is placed well in the restrictiveness-hierarchy, and a method to achieve it that does not require a support optimization oracle and, moreover, is projection-free. In the development process, new results are derived for the regularized linear minimization problem over sparse symmetric sets, which give additional means to identify optimal solutions for convex and concave objective functions. We complement our results with numerical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider a class of structured nonsmooth difference-of-convex (DC) minimization in which the first convex component is the sum of a smooth and a nonsmooth function, while the second convex component is the supremum of finitely many convex smooth functions. The existing methods for this problem usually have weak convergence guarantees or need to solve lots of subproblems per iteration. Due to this, we propose hybrid algorithms for solving this problem in which we first compute approximate critical points and then check whether these points are approximate D-stationary points. Under suitable conditions, we prove that there exists a subsequence of iterates of which every accumulation point is a D-stationary point. Some preliminary numerical experiments are conducted to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The image stitching process often produces many undesirable effects. Solving problems such as discontinuity and dislocation of pictures has always been the focus of people's research. From the perspective of human vision, this dislocation situation can be easily perceived and found. In this paper, we propose a stitching strategy based on the human visual system (HVS) and scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) algorithm. We preprocess the brightness difference and contrast of the stitched images, combining SIFT algorithm and HVS to divide the overlapping areas of the stitched images and establish an attribute relationship model. We use dynamic programming to find the optimal seamline according to the attribute relationship model, and the final result makes the optimal seamline almost invisible under the discriminative vision of human eyes. The experimental results show that our method has more advantages in the HVS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the load balancing of the transactions in the blockchain. The problem is how to assign these transactions to the blocks. The objective is to guarantee a load balancing of the workload in the time of blocks. The proposed problem is an NP-hard one. To face the hardness of the studied problem, the challenge is to develop algorithms that solve the problem approximately. Finding an approximate solution is a real challenge. In this paper, nine algorithms are proposed. These algorithms are based on the dispatching-rules method, randomization approach, clustering algorithms, and iterative method. The proposed algorithms return approximate solutions in a remarkable time. In addition, in this paper, a novel architecture composed of blocks is proposed. This architecture adds the component "Balancer". This component is responsible to call the best-proposed algorithm and solve the scheduling problem in a polynomial time. In addition, the proposed work helps users to solve the problem of big data concurrency. These algorithms are coded and compared. The performance of these algorithms is tested over three classes of instances. These classes are generated based on uniform distribution. The total number of instances tested is 1350. The average gap, execution time, and the percentage of the best-reached value are used as metrics to measure the performance of the proposed algorithms. Experimental results show the performance of these algorithms and a comparison between them is discussed. The experimental results show that the best algorithm is best-mi-transactions iterative multi-choice with 93.9% in an average running time of 0.003 s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to address the shortcomings of the facial landmarks detection models, which cannot model the relations between long-distance landmarks, this paper proposed a parallel multi-branch architecture combining with convolution and Transformer for facial landmarks tasks, called MCTN, it utilized the dynamic attention mechanism to model the long-distance relations between facial landmarks. The multi-branch parallel structure designing allowed MCTN to include shared weights, global information fusion and other merits. What’s more, this paper proposed the novel Transformer structure, Deformer, which could make the MCTN focused attention weights faster on sparse and meaningful locations and solved the problem of slow convergence of Transformer. MCTN reached 4.33%,3.12% and 3.15% normalized average error respectively on the WFLW,300W and COFW datasets, the results show that MCTN utilizes Transformer with CNN multi-branch parallel structure and Deformer structure to dramatically outperform other facial landmarks localization algorithms based on convolution network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problems of low recognition accuracy and large calculation amount of age estimation, this paper proposes a staged single aggregation backbone network VoVNetv4. In order to improve the feature extraction ability of the network, the Regional One-Shot Aggregation (ROSA) module is proposed in the network for regional encapsulation of the feature module. The classifier adopts the COnsistent RAnk Logits (CORAL) framework, which can solve the problem of inconsistency of classifiers in ordered regression CNNs for multiple binary classification tasks. This paper conducts experimental verification on the Asian Face Age Dataset (AFAD) and compares it with other research methods. The experimental results show that VoVNetv4 can effectively improve the feature extraction and detection ability of the network and improve the detection efficiency of age estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of factors will affect the combination and distribution of the molds used in the production of prefabricated components on the mold table, and will produce many combination and distribution results. In order to solve such problems and quickly find the best distribution results of the molds on the mold table, this paper proposed a mold combination method based on the combination of backtracking method and improved Eclat algorithm. Firstly, it built a binary tree model based on the mold combination relationship in the historical data, searched the binary tree through the backtracking method, and obtained all theoretically feasible mold combination results. Then it pre-placed these combination results by using the improved BL positioning algorithm on the mold table with a fixed area, and screened out the mold combination results that met the actual placement conditions. It used Eclat algorithm to obtain the optimal combination set of mold adaptation from the selected combination results, determined the association rules between different types of molds,and used the rules to guide the allocation process of molds on the mold table in the new component production task. At the same time, this paper improved the Eclat algorithm by introducing the partition idea and the priori constraint idea based on probability, so as to improve its operation efficiency when dealing with large-scale data. Finally, through the simulation test of the case data in the prefabricated component manufacturing enterprise, it verified the effectiveness of the method to quickly solve the problem of mold table combination allocation. The results show that the mold combination allocation based on backtracking and DEclat algorithm method has a good effect on the utilization of the mold area, the reduction of the mold changing time and the reduction of the total completion time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the incremental subgradient algorithm employing dynamic step sizes for minimizing the sum of a large number of component convex functions. The dynamic step size rule was firstly introduced by Goffin and Kiwiel [Math. Program., 1999, 85(1): 207‐211] for the subgradient algorithm, soon later, for the incremental subgradient algorithm by Nedic and Bertsekas in [SIAM J. Optim., 2001, 12(1): 109‐138]. It was observed experimentally that the incremental approach has been very successful in solving large separable optimizations and that the dynamic step sizes generally have better computational performance than others in the literature. In the present paper, we propose two modified dynamic step size rules for the incremental subgradient algorithm and analyse the convergence and complexity properties of them. At last, the assignment problem is considered and the incremental subgradient algorithms employing different kinds of dynamic step sizes are applied to solve the problem. The computational experiments show that the two modified ones converges dramatically faster and more stable than the corresponding one in [SIAM J. Optim., 2001, 12(1): 109‐138]. Particularly, for solving large separable convex optimizations, we strongly recommend the second one (see Algorithm 3.3 in the paper) since it has interesting computational performance and is the simplest one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve tracking accuracy of time-varying sparse signals, a sparse state Kalman filter algorithm based on Kalman gain matrix is proposed in this paper. Under the constraint of sparse state, minimizing the mean square error and solving the optimization problem by using the symmetrical alternating direction multiplier method (symmetrical ADMM), while keeping the update expression of state estimation unchanged, a Kalman gain matrix is obtained which can make the state estimation sparse. In addition, this paper also discusses two different sparse constraints which are L1 norm constraint and cardinality function constraint. The proposed algorithm can be implemented under the framework of conventional Kalman filter algorithm, no need to introduce additional frameworks. Two groups of dynamic signal models, a slow change of signal and a random walk of nonzero elements, are simulated. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can improve the tracking accuracy of conventional Kalman filter algorithm for time-varying sparse signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Close-range photogrammetry methods are widely used for non-contact and accurate measurements of surface shapes. These methods are based on calculating the three-dimensional coordinates of an object from two-dimensional images using special digital processing algorithms. Due to the relatively complex measurement principle, the accurate estimation of the photogrammetric measurement error is a non-trivial task. Typically, theoretical estimations or computer modelling are used to solve this problem. However, these approaches cannot provide an accurate estimate because it is impossible to consider all factors that influence the measurement results. To solve this problem, we propose the use of physical modelling. The measurement results from the photogrammetric system under test were compared with the results of a more accurate reference measurement method. This comparison allowed the error to be estimated under controlled conditions. The test object was a flexible surface whose shape could vary smoothly over a wide range. The estimation of the measurement accuracy for a large number of different surface shapes allows us to obtain new results that are difficult to obtain using standard approaches. To implement the proposed approach, a laboratory system for the error estimation of close-range photogrammetric measurements was developed. The paper contains a detailed description of the developed system and the proposed technique for a comparison of the measurement results. The error in the reference method, which was chosen to be phasogrammetry, was evaluated experimentally. Experimental testing of the stereo photogrammetric system was performed according to the proposed technique. The obtained results show that the proposed technique can reveal dependencies that may not be detected by standard approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel spectral method is presented and studied for the fourth order problem with mixed boundary in a cylindrical domain. The basic idea of our approach is to reduce the original problem into a series of decoupled two-dimensional fourth-order problems first, by using the cylindrical coordinate transformation and Fourier expansion, and then adopt the standard spectral method to solve the decoupled problems. A new essential pole condition is proposed to overcome the difficulty caused by the introduction of singularity and variable coefficients in cylindrical coordinate transformation. Existence and uniqueness of the weak solution and the discrete numerical solution are proved, and error estimates of the spectral method are derived. Furthermore, the efficient implementation of our algorithm is discussed, where a set of effective basis functions are constructed to ensure the sparsity of the mass matrix and stiffness matrix. Numerical examples are presented to validate the theoretical findings and the efficiency of our algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In software-defined networking (SDN), the traffic forwarding delay highly depends on the latency associated with updating the forwarding rules in flow tables. With the increase in fine-grained flow control requirements, due to the flexible control capabilities of SDN, more rules are being inserted and removed from flow tables. Moreover, the matching fields of these rules might overlap since multiple control domains might generate different rules for similar flows. This overlap implies dependency relationships among the rules, imposing various restrictions on forwarding entries during updates, e.g., by following update orders or storing entries at specified locations, especially in flow tables implemented using ternary content addressable memory (TCAM); otherwise, mismatching or packet dropping will occur. It usually takes a while to resolve and maintain dependencies during updates, which hinders high forwarding efficiency. To reduce the delay associated with updating dependent rules, in this paper, we propose an updating algorithm for TCAM-based flow tables. We formulate the TCAM maintenance process as an NP-hard problem and analyze the inefficiency of existing moving approaches. To solve the problem, we propose an optimal moving chain for single rule updates and provide theoretical proof for its minimum moving steps. For multiple rules arriving at a switch simultaneously, we designed a dynamic approach to update concurrent entries; it is able to update multiple rules heuristically within a restricted TCAM region. As the update efficiency concerns dependencies among rules, we evaluate our flow table by updating algorithms with different dependency complexities. The results show that our approach achieves about 6% fewer moving steps than existing approaches. The advantage is more pronounced when the flow table is heavily utilized and rules have longer dependency chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the constrained minimax location problem with the closest distance. Some properties concerning the existence and uniqueness of the optimal solution are provided. To achieve these results, we apply non-smooth approach that allow us to give the explicit solution structure of the constrained problem. Moreover, we develop an effective algorithm for solving this class of problems and we provide its convergence under some mild assumptions. At the end, some computational test problems are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the method and certify the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine learning (ML) is evolving rapidly and has made many theoretical breakthroughs while widely applied in various fields. ML allows systems the ability to access data and use it to enable computers to execute cognitive processes such as learning and improving from previous experiences and solving complicated issues. Many first-order stochastic optimization methods have been used to solve the optimization model of ML. These algorithms adopt Barzilai-Borwein (BB) step size instead of fixed or diminishing step size to improve performance. However, the BB step size format involves fractional calculation, which inevitably leads to a zero denominator, especially when the objective function is non-convex. The BB technique will be violated if the denominator is near 0 or even negative. To improve the computation of the step size, a Positive Defined Stabilized Barzilai-Borwein (PDSBB) approach is introduced in this paper. Integrating PDSBB with the stochastic variance reduced gradient (SVRG) approach, a new method SVRG-PDSBB is proposed. Numerical experiments have shown that the new algorithm has stabilized the performance of the new step size, which successfully avoiding zero denominators and effectively solving the common problems in machine learning. The convergence of SVRG-PDSBB is theoretically and numerically proven, and the effectiveness of the new algorithm is shown by comparison with other algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: With the promotion and application of IPv6 in the world, there is a growing demand for IPv6 alias resolution. How to resolve IPv6 alias efficiently and accurately becomes an urgent problem to be solved. After analyzing the features of IPv6 addresses, this paper proposes a large‐scale adaptive IPv6 alias resolution method based on fingerprint information by combining Too‐Big Trick, UAv6, APD, and other alias resolution algorithms. It sends ICMPv6 probe packets to different types of IPv6 addresses to get the fingerprint information of target hosts. After filtering the classified addresses, our proposed alias resolution method is adaptively selected to resolve alias addresses. In the experiment, we use multi‐thread method to resolve the aliases of large‐scale IPv6 addresses, which greatly improves the efficiency of detection. Meanwhile, we use IPv6 datasets collected from the organizations RIPE and CAIDA. By comparing with Speedtrap and Too‐Big Trick, we confirm the accuracy of this method and obtain more alias pairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a real application of a popular swarm-intelligence optimisation method. The aim is to analyse the efficiency of various settings of the marine predator algorithm (MPA). Four crucial numerical parameters of the MPA are statistically analysed to propose the most efficient setting for solving engineering problems. Besides population size, particle velocity parameter P, Lévy flight parameter β , and fish aggregating device (FAD) probabilities are studied. Finally, 193 various settings, including fixed values and dynamic changes of the MPA parameters, are experimentally compared when solving 13 engineering problems. Standard statistical approaches are employed to highlight significant differences in various MPA settings. The setting of two MPA parameters (P, FADs) significantly influences MPA performance. Three newly proposed MPA settings outperform the original variant significantly. The best results provide the MPA variant with the dynamic linear change of P from 0.5 to 0. These parameters influence the velocity of prey and predator individuals in all three stages of the MPA search process. Decreasing the value of P showed that decreasing the velocity of individuals during the search provides good performance. Further, lower efficiency of the MPA with higher FAD values was detected. It means that more occasional use of fish aggregating devices (FADs) can increase the solvability of engineering problems. Regarding population size, lower values ( N = 10 ) provided significantly better results compared with the higher values ( N = 500 ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an effective approach for solving economic load dispatch problems contemplating the scheduling a set of thermal generating units to produce a specific power at low consumption costs. These problems can be thought of as nonlinear, non-convex, and highly constrained optimization problems with a large number of local minima. To cope with the above issues in solving such problems, a new meta-heuristic named capuchin search algorithm was adopted. To boost the search performance of this algorithm as well as to mitigate its early convergence and regression to the local optimum, it was hybridized with another algorithm and improved using several positive amendments. First, a memory element was added to this algorithm to ameliorate its position and velocity update mechanisms in order to exploit the most encouraging candidate solutions. Second, two adaptive parametric functions were used to manage the exploration and exploitation features of this algorithm and balance them appropriately. Finally, the hybridization was made using the gradient-based optimizer to strengthen the intensification ability of this algorithm and balance its searching ability to fulfill sensible search performance. The proficiency of the proposed algorithm was divulged by assessing it on computationally difficult economic load dispatch problems under 6 different tests with a generator of 3, 13, 40, 80, and 140 units, each with different constraints and load conditions. The proposed algorithm provided the best performance among many other competitors. Its superiority and practicality were revealed by obtaining optimal solutions for large-scale test cases such as 40-unit and 140-unit test systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]