The linear ordering problem (LOP), which consists in ordering M objects from their pairwise comparisons, is commonly applied in many areas of research. While efforts have been made to devise efficient LOP algorithms, little was done to verify if the obtained solutions are valid and thus if they have a meaningful interpretation. To remedy this problem, we propose to characterize the reliability of the LOP solutions by adopting a probabilistic perspective where the results of pairwise comparisons are modeled as Bernoulli variables with a common parameter which we estimate from the observed data. Estimation by brute-force enumeration has a prohibitive complexity of O(M!) we thus reformulate the problem and introduce a concept of Slater's spectrum which generalizes Slater's index, and next, devising an efficient algorithm to find the spectrum, we lower the complexity to O(M22 M ) which is manageable for moderate-size LOPs. Furthermore, with a minor modification of the algorithm, we are able to find all solutions of the LOP. Numerical examples on synthetic and real-world data are shown and the Python-implemented algorithms are publicly available.

This volume contains thirty-one papers presented at the Twelfth Scientific Meeting of the IFIP Working Group on Reliability and Optimization of Structural Systems which took place in Aalborg, Denmark, from May 22-25, 2005. The Working Group Conference was organized by the IFIP (International Federation for Information Processing) Working Group 7.5 of the Technical Committee on Modelling and Optimization. The purpose of the Working Group is to promote modern structural system reliability and optimization theory and its applications, to stimulate research, development and application of structural system reliability and optimization theory, to assist and advance research and development in these fields, to further the dissemination and exchange of information on reliability and optimization of structural systems, and to encourage education in structural system reliability and optimization theory.

Safety, Reliability, Risk and Life-Cycle Performance of Structures and Infrastructures contains the plenary lectures and papers presented at the 11th International Conference on STRUCTURAL SAFETY AND RELIABILITY (ICOSSAR2013, New York, NY, USA, 16-20 June 2013), and covers major aspects of safety, reliability, risk and life-cycle performance of str

Safety and Reliability of Industrial Products, Systems and Structures deals with risk assessment, which is a fundamental support for decisions related to the design, construction, operation and maintenance of industrial products, systems and infrastructures. Risks are influenced by design decisions, by the process of construction of systems and inf

It is very well known that differential equations are related with the rise of physical science in the last several decades and they are used successfully for models of real-world problems in a variety of fields from several disciplines. Additionally, difference equations represent the discrete analogues of differential equations. These types of equations started to be used intensively during the last several years for their multiple applications, particularly in complex chaotic behavior. A certain class of differential and related difference equations is represented by their respective fractional forms, which have been utilized to better describe non-local phenomena appearing in all branches of science and engineering. The purpose of this book is to present some common results given by mathematicians together with physicists, engineers, as well as other scientists, for whom differential and difference equations are valuable research tools. The reported results can be used by researchers and academics working in both pure and applied differential equations.

More and more, the advanced technological systems of today rely on sophisticated control systems designed to assure greater levels of safe operation while optimizing performance. Rather than assuming always perfect conditions, these systems require adaptive approaches capable of coping with inevitable system component faults. Conventional feedback control designs do not offer that capability and can result in unsatisfactory performance or even instability, which is totally unacceptable in complex systems such as aircraft, spacecraft, and nuclear power plants where safety is a paramount concern. Reliable Control and Filtering of Linear Systems with Adaptive Mechanisms presents recent research results that are advancing the field. It shows how adaptive mechanisms can be successfully introduced into the traditional reliable control/filtering, so that, based on the online estimation of eventual faults, the proposed adaptive reliable controller/filter parameters are updated automatically to compensate for any fault effects. Presenting a new method for fault-tolerant control (FTC) in the context of existing research, this uniquely cohesive volume, coauthored by two leading researchers — Focuses on the issues of reliable control/filtering in the framework of indirect adaptive method and LMI techniques Starts from the development and main research methods in FTC to offer a systematic presentation of new methods for adaptive reliable control/filtering of linear systems Explains the principles behind adaptive designs for closed-loop systems in normal operation as well as those that account for both actuator and sensor failures Presents rigorous mathematical analysis of control methods as well as easy-to-implement algorithms Includes practical case studies derived from the aerospace industry including simulation results for the F-16 The authors also extend the design idea from linear systems to linear time-delay systems via both memory and memory-less controllers. Moreover, some more recent results for the corresponding adaptive reliable control against actuator saturation are included. Ultimately, this remarkably practical resource, offers design approaches and guidelines that researchers can readily employ in the design of advanced FTC techniques offering improved reliability, maintainability, and survivability.

This book addresses fault detection and isolation topics from a computational perspective. Unlike most existing literature, it bridges the gap between the existing well-developed theoretical results and the realm of reliable computational synthesis procedures. The model-based approach to fault detection and diagnosis has been the subject of ongoing research for the past few decades. While the theoretical aspects of fault diagnosis on the basis of linear models are well understood, most of the computational methods proposed for the synthesis of fault detection and isolation filters are not satisfactory from a numerical standpoint. Several features make this book unique in the fault detection literature: Solution of standard synthesis problems in the most general setting, for both continuous- and discrete-time systems, regardless of whether they are proper or not; consequently, the proposed synthesis procedures can solve a specific problem whenever a solution exists Emphasis on the best numerical algorithms to solve the synthesis problems for linear systems in generalized state-space form (also known as descriptor systems) Development of general synthesis procedures relying on new computational paradigms, such as factorization-based design based on filter updating techniques and nullspace-based synthesis Availability of a comprehensive set of free accompanying software tools for descriptor systems, which allows readers to easily implement all synthesis procedures presented in the book and ensures that all results are reproducible This book is primarily intended for researchers and advanced graduate students in the areas of fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control. It will also appeal to mathematicians with an interest in control-oriented numerics.

Focusing on fundamental principles, Hydro-Environmental Analysis: Freshwater Environments presents in-depth information about freshwater environments and how they are influenced by regulation. It provides a holistic approach, exploring the factors that impact water quality and quantity, and the regulations, policy and management methods that are necessary to maintain this vital resource. It offers a historical viewpoint as well as an overview and foundation of the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics affecting the management of freshwater environments. The book concentrates on broad and general concepts, providing an interdisciplinary foundation. The author covers the methods of measurement and classification; chemical, physical, and biological characteristics; indicators of ecological health; and management and restoration. He also considers common indicators of environmental health; characteristics and operations of regulatory control structures; applicable laws and regulations; and restoration methods. The text delves into rivers and streams in the first half and lakes and reservoirs in the second half. Each section centers on the characteristics of those systems and methods of classification, and then moves on to discuss the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of each. In the section on lakes and reservoirs, it examines the characteristics and operations of regulatory structures, and presents the methods commonly used to assess the environmental health or integrity of these water bodies. It also introduces considerations for restoration, and presents two unique aquatic environments: wetlands and reservoir tailwaters. Written from an engineering perspective, the book is an ideal introduction to the aquatic and limnological sciences for students of environmental science, as well as students of environmental engineering. It also serves as a reference for engineers and scientists involved in the management, regulation, or restoration of freshwater environments.

This volume contains papers presented at the 11th scientific meeting of the IFIP working group on reliability and optimization of structural systems. The purpose of Working Group 7.5 is to promote modern structural system reliability and optimization theory and its applications; stimulate research, development, and application; assist and advance research and development; further the dissemination and exchange of information; and encourage education. The main themes include structural reliability methods and applications, engineering risk analysis and decision-making, new optimization techniques and various applications in civil engineering.