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This paper presents a novel learning algorithm for efficient construction of the radial basis function (RBF) networks that can deliver the same level of accuracy as the support vector machines (SVMs) in data classification applications. The proposed learning algorithm works by constructing one RBF subnetwork to approximate the probability density function of each class of objects in the training data set. With respect to algorithm design, the main distinction of the proposed learning algorithm is the novel kernel density estimation algorithm that features an average time complexity of O(n log n), where vi is the number of samples in the training data set. One important advantage of the proposed learning algorithm, in comparison with the SVM, is that the proposed learning algorithm generally takes far less time to construct a data classifier with an optimized parameter setting. This feature is of significance for many contemporary applications, in particular, for those applications in which new objects are continuously added into an already large database. Another desirable feature of the proposed learning algorithm is that the RBF networks constructed are capable of carrying out data classification with more than two classes of objects in one single run. In other words, unlike with the SVM, there is no need to resort to mechanisms such as one-against-one or one-against-all for handling datasets with more than two classes of objects. The comparison with SVM is of particular interest, because it has been shown in a number of recent studies that SVM generally are able to deliver higher classification accuracy than the other existing data classification algorithms. As the proposed learning algorithm is instance-based, the data reduction issue is also addressed in this paper. One interesting observation in this regard is that, for all three data sets used in data reduction experiments, the number of training samples remaining after a naïve data reduction mechanism is applied is quite close to the number of support vectors identified by the SVM software. This paper also compares the performance of the RBF networks constructed with the proposed learning algorithm and those constructed with a conventional cluster-based learning algorithm. The most interesting observation learned is that, with respect to data classification, the distributions of training samples near the bound- aries between different classes of objects carry more crucial information than the distributions of samples in the inner parts of the clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A greedy algorithm for a class of convex optimization problems is presented in this paper. The algorithm is motivated from function approximation using sparse combination of basis functions as well as some of its variants. We derive a bound on the rate of approximate minimization for this algorithm, and present examples of its application. Our analysis generalizes a number of earlier studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) is a promising technology for last-mile Internet access, particularly in the areas where wired infrastructures are not available. In a WiMAX network, call admission control (CAC) is deployed to effectively control different traffic loads and prevent the network from being overloaded. In this paper, we propose a framework of a 2-D CAC to accommodate various features of WiMAX networks. Specifically, we decompose the 2-D uplink and downlink WiMAX CAC problem into two independent 1-D CAC problems and formulate the 1-D CAC optimization, in which the demands of service providers and subscribers are jointly taken into account. To solve the optimization problem, we develop a utility- and fairness-constrained optimal revenue policy, as well as its corresponding approximation algorithm. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed WiMAX CAC approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, low-complexity joint power assignment algorithms are developed for multi-source multi-destination relay networks where multiple sources share a common relay that forwards all received signals simultaneously to destinations. In particular, we consider the following power optimization strategies: (i) Minimization of the total transmission power of the sources and the relay under the constraint that the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) requirement of each source-destination pair is satisfied, and (ii) Maximization of the minimum SINR among all source-destination pairs subject to any given total power budget. Both optimization problems involve K power variables, where K is the number of source-destination pairs in the network, and an exhaustive search is prohibitive for large K. In this work, we develop a methodology that allows us to obtain an asymptotically tight approximation of the SINR and reformulate the original optimization problems to single-variable optimization problems, which can be easily solved by numerical search of the single variable. Then, the corresponding optimal transmission power at each source and relay can be calculated directly. The proposed optimization schemes are scalable and lead to power assignment algorithms that exhibit the same optimization complexity for any number (K) of source-destination pairs in the network. Moreover, we apply the methodology that we developed to solve a related max-min SINR based optimization problem in which we determine power assignment for the sources and the relay to maximize the minimum SINR among all source-destination pairs subject to any given total power budget. Extensive numerical studies illustrate and validate our theoretical developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In evolutionary multiobjective optimization, the task of the optimizer is to obtain an accurate and useful approximation of the true Pareto-optimal front. Proximity to the front and diversity of solutions within the approximation set are important requirements. Most established multiobjective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) have mechanisms that address these requirements. However, in many-objective optimization, where the number of objectives is greater than 2 or 3, it has been found that these two requirements can conflict with one another, introducing problems such as dominance resistance and speciation. In this paper, two diversity management mechanisms are introduced to investigate their impact on overall solution convergence. They are introduced separately, and in combination, and tested on a set of test functions with an increasing number of objectives (6–20). It is found that the inclusion of one of the mechanisms improves the performance of a well-established MOEA in many-objective optimization problems, in terms of both convergence and diversity. The relevance of this for many-objective MOEAs is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using surrogate models in evolutionary search provides an efficient means of handling today's complex applications plagued with increasing high-computational needs. Recent surrogate-assisted evolutionary frameworks have relied on the use of a variety of different modeling approaches to approximate the complex problem landscape. From these recent studies, one main research issue is with the choice of modeling scheme used, which has been found to affect the performance of evolutionary search significantly. Given that theoretical knowledge available for making a decision on an approximation model a priori is very much limited, this paper describes a generalization of surrogate-assisted evolutionary frameworks for optimization of problems with objectives and constraints that are computationally expensive to evaluate. The generalized evolutionary framework unifies diverse surrogate models synergistically in the evolutionary search. In particular, it focuses on attaining reliable search performance in the surrogate-assisted evolutionary framework by working on two major issues: 1) to mitigate the 'curse of uncertainty' robustly, and 2) to benefit from the 'bless of uncertainty.' The backbone of the generalized framework is a surrogate-assisted memetic algorithm that conducts simultaneous local searches using ensemble and smoothing surrogate models, with the aims of generating reliable fitness prediction and search improvements simultaneously. Empirical study on commonly used optimization benchmark problems indicates that the generalized framework is capable of attaining reliable, high quality, and efficient performance under a limited computational budget. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce an approach for the design of electromagnetic devices based on the use of Estimation of Distribution Algorithms (EDAs), coupled with approximation-based local search around the most promising solutions. The main idea is to combine the power of EDAs in the solution of hard optimization problems with the faster convergence provided by the local search using local approximations. The resulting hybrid algorithm is tested on a numerical benchmark problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to develop discrete stochastic approximation algorithms that adaptively optimize the spreading codes of users in a code-division multiple-access (CDMA) system employing linear minimum mean-square error (MMSE) receivers. The proposed algorithms are able to adapt to slowly time-varying channel conditions. One of the most important properties of the algorithms is their self-learning capability-they spend most of the computational effort at the global optimizer of the objective function. Tracking analysis of the adaptive algorithms is presented together with mean-square convergence. An adaptive-step-size algorithm is also presented for optimally adjusting the step size based on the observations. Numerical examples, illustrating the performance of the algorithms in multipath fading channels, show substantial improvement over heuristic algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image interpolation is a key aspect of digital image processing. This paper presents a novel interpolation method based on optimal recovery and adaptively determining the quadratic signal class from the local image behavior. The advantages of the new interpolation method are the ability to interpolate directly by any factor and to model properties of the data acquisition system into the algorithm itself. Through comparisons with other algorithms it is shown that the new interpolation is not only mathematically optimal with respect to the underlying image model, but visually it is very efficient at reducing jagged edges, a place where most other interpolation algorithms fail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we prove some convergence properties for a class of ant colony optimization algorithms. In particular, we prove that for any small constant ∈ > 0 and for a sufficiently large number of algorithm iterations t, the probability of finding an optimal solution at least once is P* (t) ≥ 1 -- ∈ and that this probability tends to 1 for t → ∞. We also prove that, after an optimal solution has been found, it takes a finite number of iterations for the pheromone trails associated to the found optimal solution to grow higher than any other pheromone trail and that, for t → ∞, any fixed ant will produce the optimal solution during the tth iteration with probability P ≥ 1 -- ∈ (τ[submin], τ[submax]), where τ[submin] and τ[submax], are the minimum and maximum values that can be taken by pheromone trails. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Device-to-Device (D2D) networks impose a significant challenge on delay-sensitive crowdsourcing due to the highly non-deterministic and intermittent network connectivity. Under this setting, the paper investigates a participant recruitment problem in which an initial set of recruited nodes, which we call seeds, need to make an optimal decision on what other nodes to recruit to perform the crowdsourcing task. These seeds face the dilemma that recruiting more nodes increases their own payment but on the other hand also increases the risk of being excluded from the crowdsourcing task. As a first attack to this problem, we propose a dynamic programming algorithm. However, it is a centralized solution and hence the practicality is compromised. Therefore, we introduce two distributed alternatives. One is based on the divide-and-conquer paradigm by first partitioning a network into a set of opportunistic Voronoi cells and then running an optimization algorithm in each cell. The other is a task-splitting scheme which recursively delegates the recruitment task to newly joined nodes. We implemented our proposed solutions on an Android-based prototype and built a testbed using 25 Dell Streak tablets. Our experiments which lasted for 24 days demonstrate that the distributed schemes approximate the theoretical optimum with affordable complexity. Moreover, we conducted simulations with a much larger scale and more diverse settings. The simulation results corroborate the experimental data and confirm that our proposed distributed solutions closely approach the performance of the centralized solution while satisfying the optimization goal under different network configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Algorithms that make use of the gradient, i.e., the direction of maximum improvement, to search for the optimum of a single-objective function have been around for decades. They are commonly accepted to be important and have been applied to tackle single-objective optimization problems in many fields. For multiobjective optimization problems, much less is known about the gradient and its algorithmic use. In this paper, we aim to contribute to the understanding of gradients for numerical, i.e., real-valued, multiobjective optimization. Specifically, we provide an analytical parametric description of the set of all nondominated, i.e., most promising, directions in which a solution can be moved such that the objective values either improve or remain the same. This result completes previous work where this set is described only for one particular case, namely when some of the nondominated directions have positive, i.e., nonimproving, components and the final set can be computed by taking the subset of directions that are all nonpositive. In addition we use our result to assess the utility of using gradient information for multiobjective optimization where the goal is to obtain a Pareto set of solutions that approximates the optimal Pareto set. To this end, we design and consider various multiobjective gradient-based optimization algorithms. One of these algorithms uses the description of the multiobjective gradient provided here. Also, we hybridize an existing multiobjective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA) with the various multiobjective gradient-based optimization algorithms. During optimization, the performance of the gradient-based optimization algorithms is monitored and the available computational resources are redistributed to allow the (currently) most effective algorithm to spend the most resources. We perform an experimental analysis using a few well-known benchmark problems to compare the performance of different optimization methods. The results underline that the use of a population of solutions that is characteristic of MOEAs is a powerful concept if the goal is to obtain a good Pareto set, i.e., instead of only a single solution. This makes it hard to increase convergence speed in the initial phase using gradient information to improve any single solution. However, in the longer run, the use of gradient information does ultimately allow for better fine-tuning of the results and thus better overall convergence. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper studies a problem of image restoration that observed images are contaminated by Gaussian and impulse noise. Existing methods for this problem in the literature are based on minimizing an objective functional having the \ell^1 fidelity term and the Mumford–Shah regularizer. We present an algorithm on this problem by minimizing a new objective functional. The proposed functional has a content-dependent fidelity term which assimilates the strength of fidelity terms measured by the \ell^1 and \ell^2 norms. The regularizer in the functional is formed by the \ell^1 norm of tight framelet coefficients of the underlying image. The selected tight framelet filters are able to extract geometric features of images. We then propose an iterative framelet-based approximation/sparsity deblurring algorithm (IFASDA) for the proposed functional. Parameters in IFASDA are adaptively varying at each iteration and are determined automatically. In this sense, IFASDA is a parameter-free algorithm. This advantage makes the algorithm more attractive and practical. The effectiveness of IFASDA is experimentally illustrated on problems of image deblurring with Gaussian and impulse noise. Improvements in both PSNR and visual quality of IFASDA over a typical existing method are demonstrated. In addition, Fast_IFASDA, an accelerated algorithm of IFASDA, is also developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High availability communication networks with very low failure rates are often designed by using physical diversity, i.e., the traffic between a given pair of nodes is routed by using several physically disjoint paths. The selection of the pair of routes that maximizes the connectivity of a node is not an easy problem, because such connectivity cannot be expressed as an additive function of the availability of links and nodes in the path pairs. Previous algorithms for searching the optimal route use additive costs, which can be a loose assumption either when high failure rates can be locally present, or when fully disjoints paths do not exist. In this paper, we construct a Bayesian network to encode the probabilistic relation between the connectivity of a node and the availability of nodes and links. The problem of selecting an optimal pair of routes becomes equivalent to optimizing the structure of the Bayesian network. By introducing appropriate approximations on the double route availability equations, we propose a new algorithm, which outperforms other classical methods when there are sporadic high error rate elements in the network. Simulations and an application example in an electric transport telecontrol network show the performance of the method when compared to standard search. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic spectrum management (DSM) has been recognized as a key technology to significantly improve the performance of digital subscriber line (DSL) broadband access networks. The basic concept of DSM is to coordinate transmission over multiple DSL lines so as to mitigate the impact of crosstalk interference amongst them. Many algorithms have been proposed to tackle the nonconvex optimization problems appearing in DSM, many of them relying on a standard subgradient based dual decomposition approach. In practice however, this approach is often found to lead to extremely slowconvergence or even no convergence at all, one of the reasons being the very difficult tuning of the stepsize parameters. In this paper we propose a novel improved dual decomposition approach inspired by recent advances in mathematical programming. It uses a smoothing technique for the Lagrangian combined with an optimal gradient based scheme for updating the Lagrange multipliers. The stepsize parameters are furthermore selected optimally removing the need for a tuning strategy. With this approach we show how the convergence of current state-of-the-art DSM algorithms based on iterative convex approximations (SCALE and CA-DSB)can be improvedby one order of magnitude. Furthermore we apply the improved dual decomposition approach to otherDSM algorithms (OSB, ISB, ASB, (MS)-DSB, and MIW) and propose further improvements to obtain fast and robust DSM algorithms. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the improved dual decomposition approach for a number of realistic multiuser DSL scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ℓ0 norm based algorithms have numerous potential applications where a sparse signal is recovered from a small number of measurements. The direct ℓ0 norm optimization problem is NP-hard. In this paper we work with the the smoothed ℓ0 (SL0) approximation algorithm for sparse representation. We give an upper bound on the run-time estimation error. This upper bound is tighter than the previously known bound. Subsequently, we develop a reliable stopping criterion. This criterion is helpful in avoiding the problems due to the underlying discontinuities of the ℓ0 cost function. Furthermore, we propose an alternative optimization strategy, which results in a Newton like algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assuming that evolutionary multiobjective optimization (EMO) mainly deals with set problems, one can identify three core questions in this area of research: 1) how to formalize what type of Pareto set approximation is sought; 2) how to use this information within an algorithm to efficiently search for a good Pareto set approximation; and 3) how to compare the Pareto set approximations generated by different optimizers with respect to the formalized optimization goal. There is a vast amount of studies addressing these issues from different angles, but so far only a few studies can be found that consider all questions under one roof. This paper is an attempt to summarize recent developments in the EMO field within a unifying theory of set-based multiobjective search. It discusses how preference relations on sets can be formally defined, gives examples for selected user preferences, and proposes a general preference-independent hill climber for multiobjective optimization with theoretical convergence properties. Furthermore, it shows how to use set preference relations for statistical performance assessment and provides corresponding experimental results. The proposed methodology brings together preference articulation, algorithm design, and performance assessment under one framework and thereby opens up a new perspective on EMO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of multiobjective optimization is to find a set of best compromise solutions for typically conflicting objectives. Due to the complex nature of most real-life problems, only an approximation to such an optimal set can obtained within reasonable (computing) time. To compare such approximations, and thereby the performance of multiobjective optimizers providing them, unary quality measures are usually applied. Among these, the hypervolume indicator (or S-metric) is of particular relevance due to its favorable properties. Moreover, this indicator has been successfully integrated into stochastic optimizers, such as evolutionary algorithms, where it serves as guidance criterion for finding good approximations to the Pareto front. Recent results show that computing the hypervolume indicator can be seen as solving a specialized version of Klee's Measure Problem. In general, Klee's Measure Problem can solved with O(n log n + nd/2 log n) comparisons for an input instance of size n in d dimensions; as of this writing, it unknown whether a lower bound higher than Ω (n log n) be proven. In this paper, we derive a lower bound of Ω (n log n) for the complexity of computing the hypervolume indicator any number of dimensions d > 1 by reducing the so-called UNIFORMGAP problem to it. For the 3-D case, we also present matching upper bound of O (n log n) comparisons that is obtained by extending an algorithm for finding the maxima of a point set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how recursive partitioning methods can be adapted to the bipartite ranking problem. In ranking, the pursued goal is global: based on past data, define an order on the whole input space X, so that positive instances take up the top ranks with maximum probability. The most natural way to order all instances consists of projecting the input data onto the real line through a real-valued scoring function s and use the natural order on ℝ. The accuracy of the ordering induced by a candidate s is classically measured in terms of the ROC curve or the AUC. Here we discuss the design of tree-structured scoring functions obtained by recursively maximizing the AUC criterion. The connection with recursive piecewise linear approximation of the optimal ROC curve both in the L1-sense and in the L∞-sense is highlighted. A novel tree-based algorithm for ranking, called TREERANK, is proposed. Consistency results and generalization bounds of functional nature are established for this ranking method, when considering either the L1 or L∞ distance. We also describe committee-based learning procedures using TREERANK as a "base ranker," in order to overcome obvious drawbacks of such a top-down partitioning technique. Simulation results on artificial data are also displayed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a motion-compensated de-interlacing algorithm using the Markov random field (MRF) model is proposed. The de-interlacing problem is formulated as a maximum a posteriori (MAP) MRF problem. The MAP solution is the one that minimizes an energy function, which imposes discontinuity-adaptive smoothness (DAS) spatial constraint on the de-interlaced frame. The edge direction information, which is used to formulate the DAS constraint, is implicitly indicated by weight vectors (weights for 16 digitized directions). Generally, large weights are assigned to along-edge directions and relatively small weights are assigned to across-edge directions. As a local statistical-based method, the proposed weighting method should be more robust than traditional edge-directed interpolation methods in deciding local edge directions. The proposed algorithm is implemented by an iterative optimization process, which guarantees convergence. However, a global optimal solution is not guaranteed due to computational complexity concern. Simulation results compare the proposed algorithm to other motion compensated de-interlacing algorithms. Significant improvements of de-interlaced edges are observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proper choice of mapping used in space-mapping optimization algorithms is typically problem dependent. The number of parameters of the space-mapping surrogate model must be adjusted so that the model is flexible enough to reflect the features of the fine model, but at the same time is not over flexible. Its extrapolation capability should allow the prediction of the fine model response in the neighborhood of the current iteration point. A wrong choice of space-mapping type may lead to poor performance of the space-mapping optimization algorithm. In this paper, we consider a space-mapping optimization algorithm with an adaptive surrogate model. This allows us to adjust the type of space-mapping surrogate model used in a given iteration based on the approximation/extrapolation capability of the model. The technique does not require any additional fine model evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While noise is a phenomenon present in many real-world optimization problems, the understanding of its potential effects on the performance of evolutionary algorithms is still incomplete. This paper investigates the effects of fitness proportionate Gaussian noise for a (1 + 1)-ES with isotropic normal mutations on the quadratic sphere in the limit of infinite search-space dimensionality. It is demonstrated experimentally that the results provide a good approximation for finite space dimensionality. It is shown that overvaluation as a result of failure to reevaluate parental fitness leads to both reduced success probabilities and improved performance. Implications for mutation strength adaptation rules are discussed and optimal resampling rates are computed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel parametric representation for bidirectional texture functions. Our method mainly relies on two original techniques, namely, multivariate spherical radial basis functions (SRBFs) and optimized parameterization. First, since the surface appearance of a real-world object is frequently a mixed effect of different physical factors, the proposed sum-of-products model based on multivariate SRBFs especially provides an intrinsic and efficient representation for heterogenous materials. Second, optimized parameterization particularly aims at overcoming the major disadvantage of traditional fixed parameterization. By using a parametric model to account for variable transformations, the parameterization process can be tightly integrated with multivariate SRBFs into a unified framework. Finally, a hierarchical fitting algorithm for bidirectional texture functions is developed to exploit spatial coherence and reduce computational cost. Our experimental results further reveal that the proposed representation can easily achieve high-quality approximation and real-time rendering performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study network optimization that considers power minimization as an objective. Studies have shown that mechanisms such as speed scaling can significantly reduce the power consumption of telecommunication networks by matching the consumption of each network element to the amount of processing required for its carried traffic. Most existing research on speed scaling focuses on a single network element in isolation. We aim for a network-wide optimization. Specifically, we study a routing problem with the objective of provisioning guaranteed speed/bandwidth for a given demand matrix while minimizing power consumption. Optimizing the routes critically relies on the characteristic of the speed–power curve f(s), which is how power is consumed as a function of the processing speed s. If f is superadditive, we show that there is no bounded approximation in general for integral routing, i.e., each traffic demand follows a single path. This contrasts with the well-known logarithmic approximation for subadditive functions. However, for common speed–power curves such as polynomials f(s) = \mu s^\alpha, we are able to show a constant approximation via a simple scheme of randomized rounding. We also generalize this rounding approach to handle the case in which a nonzero startup cost \sigma appears in the speed–power curve, i.e., f(s) = \cases0, & if $s=0$\cr \sigma + \mu s^\alpha,& if $s>0$. We present an O((\sigma /\mu)^1/\alpha)-approximation, and we discuss why coming up with an approximation ratio independent of the startup cost may be hard. Finally, we provide simulation results to validate our algorithmic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We consider the optimal control of mechanical systems on Lie groups and develop numerical methods that exploit the structure of the state space and preserve the system motion invariants. Our approach is based on a coordinate-free variational discretization of the dynamics that leads to structure-preserving discrete equations of motion. We construct necessary conditions for optimal trajectories that correspond to discrete geodesics of a higher order system and develop numerical methods for their computation. The resulting algorithms are simple to implement and converge to a solution in very few iterations. A general software implementation is provided and applied to two example systems: an underactuated boat and a satellite with thrusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A globally convergent optimization algorithm for solving large nonlinear optimal power flow (OPF) problems is presented. As power systems become heavily loaded, there is an increasing need for globally convergent OPF algorithms. By global convergence, one means the optimization algorithm being able to converge to an OPF solution, if at least one exists, for any choice of initial point. The globally convergent OPF presented is based on an infinity-norm trust region approach, using interior-point methods to solve the trust region subproblems. The performance of the proposed trust region interior-point OPF algorithm, when applied to the IEEE 30-, 57-, 118-, and 300-bus systems, and to an actual 1211-bus system, is compared with that of two widely used nonlinear interior-point methods, namely, a pure primal-dual and its predictor-corrector variant. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The goal of the sparse approximation problem is to approximate a target signal using a linear combination of a few elementary signals drawn from a fixed collection. This paper surveys the major practical algorithms for sparse approximation. Specific attention is paid to computational issues, to the circumstances in which individual methods tend to perform well, and to the theoretical guarantees available. Many fundamental questions in electrical engineering, statistics, and applied mathematics can be posed as sparse approximation problems, making these algorithms versatile and relevant to a plethora of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multiple-swarm multiobjective particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, named dynamic multiple swarms in multiobjective PSO, is proposed in which the number of swarms is adaptively adjusted throughout the search process via the proposed dynamic swarm strategy. The strategy allocates an appropriate number of swarms as required to support convergence and diversity criteria among the swarms. Additional novel designs include a PSO updating mechanism to better manage the communication within a swarm and among swarms and an objective space compression and expansion strategy to progressively exploit the objective space during the search process. Comparative study shows that the performance of the proposed algorithm is competitive in comparison to the selected algorithms on standard benchmark problems. In particular, when dealing with test problems with multiple local Pareto fronts, the proposed algorithm is much less computationally demanding. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the proposed algorithm is insensitive to most of the user-specified design parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reconstruction algorithm is detailed for three-dimensional full-vectorial microwave imaging based on Newton-type optimization. The goal is to reconstruct the three-dimensional complex pemittivity of a scatterer in a homogeneous background from a number of time-harmonic scattered field measurements. The algorithm combines a modified Gauss—Newton optimization method with a computationally efficient forward solver, based on the fast Fourier transform method and the marching-on-in-source-position extrapolation procedure. A regularized cost function is proposed by applying a multiplicative-additive regularization to the least squares datafit. This approach mitigates the effect of measurement noise on the reconstruction and effectively deals with the non-linearity of the optimization problem. It is furthermore shown that the modified Gauss—Newton method converges much faster than the Broyden—Fletcher—Goldfarb—Shanno quasi-Newton method. Promising quantitative reconstructions from both simulated and experimental data are presented. The latter data are bi-static polarimetric free-space measurements provided by Institut Fresnel, Marseille, France. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important issue in multiobjective optimization is the quantitative comparison of the performance of different algorithms. In the case of multiobjective evolutionary algorithms, the outcome is usually an approximation of the Pareto-optimal set, which is denoted as an approximation set, and therefore the question arises of how to evaluate the quality of approximation sets. Most popular are methods that assign each approximation set a vector of real numbers that reflect different aspects of the quality. Sometimes, pairs of approximation sets are considered too. In this study, we provide a rigorous analysis of the limitations underlying this type of quality assessment. To this end, a mathematical framework is developed which allows to classify and discuss existing techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we show that when targets are closely spaced, traditional tracking algorithms can be adjusted to perform better under a performance measure that disregards identity. More specifically, we propose an adjusted version of the joint probabilistic data association (JPDA) filter, which we call set JPDA (SJPDA). Through examples and theory we motivate the new approach, and show its possibilities. To decrease the computational requirements, we further show that the SJPDA filter can be formulated as a continuous optimization problem which is fairly easy to handle. Optimal approximations are also discussed, and an algorithm, Kullback–Leibler SJPDA (KLSJPDA), which provides optimal Gaussian approximations in the Kullback–Leibler sense is derived. Finally, we evaluate the SJPDA filter on two scenarios with closely spaced targets, and compare the performance in terms of the mean optimal subpattern assignment (MOSPA) measure with the JPDA filter, and also with the Gaussian-mixture cardinalized probability hypothesis density (GM-CPHD) filter. The results show that the SJPDA filter performs substantially better than the JPDA filter, and almost as well as the more complex GM-CPHD filter. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Formulated as a least square problem under an \ell_0 constraint, sparse signal restoration is a discrete optimization problem, known to be NP complete. Classical algorithms include, by increasing cost and efficiency, matching pursuit (MP), orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP), orthogonal least squares (OLS), stepwise regression algorithms and the exhaustive search. We revisit the single most likely replacement (SMLR) algorithm, developed in the mid-1980s for Bernoulli–Gaussian signal restoration. We show that the formulation of sparse signal restoration as a limit case of Bernoulli–Gaussian signal restoration leads to an \ell_0-penalized least square minimization problem, to which SMLR can be straightforwardly adapted. The resulting algorithm, called single best replacement (SBR), can be interpreted as a forward–backward extension of OLS sharing similarities with stepwise regression algorithms. Some structural properties of SBR are put forward. A fast and stable implementation is proposed. The approach is illustrated on two inverse problems involving highly correlated dictionaries. We show that SBR is very competitive with popular sparse algorithms in terms of tradeoff between accuracy and computation time. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this brief, we consider extracting generalized eigenvectors in parallel for the generalized eigendecomposition problem. The problem is formulated as an optimization problem of minimizing an unconstrained quartic cost function based on the weighted rule. It is shown that the proposed weighted cost function has a unique global minimum, which corresponds to the principal generalized eigenvectors. In order to estimate the principal generalized eigenvector matrix efficiently, we simplify the quartic cost function as a quadric one by making an appropriate approximation, and then derive a fast algorithm for extracting the principal generalized eigenvector in parallel. We also show the application of the proposed algorithm in blind source separation. Numerical simulations are performed, and the results demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pole pieces of a permanent-magnet system for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are optimized for maximum magnetic field homogeneity in the imaging volume. Axisymmetric and nonaxisymmetric optimized pole piece designs based on the same geometrical parameterization are presented. The optimization algorithm demonstrated is based on field calculations by the three-dimensional finite-element method and takes into account the nonlinearity of the magnetic materials involved. The necessity of the nonaxisymmetric design in obtaining suitable field homogeneity over a large imaging volume is demonstrated through comparison of various pole piece designs for a novel biplanar permanent-magnet assembly with reduced pole dimensions as required in the development of an integrated linear accelerator and MRI system for real-time image-guided adaptive radiotherapy. The sensitivity of the field inhomogeneities to geometrical variations in the nonaxisymmetric design surface is explored and statistical parameters quantifying this sensitivity are approximated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maximum differential backlog (MDB), or “backpressure” control policy of Tassiulas and Ephremides has been shown to adaptively maximize the stable throughput of multihop wireless networks with random traffic arrivals and queueing. The practical implementation of the MDB policy in wireless networks with mutually interfering links, however, requires the development of distributed optimization algorithms. Within the context of code-division multiple-access (CDMA)-based multihop wireless networks, we develop a set of node-based scaled gradient projection power control algorithms which solves the MDB optimization problem based on the high-signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) approximation of link capacities using low communication overhead. We investigate the impact of the high-SINR approximation and the nonnegligible convergence time required by the power control algorithms on the throughput region achievable by the iterative MDB policy. We show that the policy can achieve at least the stability region induced by the high-SINR capacity region. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Many real world optimization problems turn out to be multi-objective optimization problems revealing a remarkable number of locally optimal solutions corresponding to the chosen objective function. Therefore, it seems desirable to detect as many of those solutions with as few objective function calls as possible. A Niching Higher Order Evolution Strategy (NES) can successfully be applied to locate a large number of these local solutions during a single optimization run. Additionally, it turns out that all of these solutions can be found next to the front of non-dominated solutions. Therefore, evaluating more than one objective function (in parallel or in series) yields a good approximation of the Pareto-optimal front. The proposed method will be tested against several test functions and then applied to the solution of a magnetic shunting problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a set of clusters, we consider an optimization problem which seeks a subset of clusters that maximizes the microaverage F-measure. This optimal value can be used as an evaluation measure of the goodness of clustering. For arbitrarily overlapping clusters, finding the optimal value is NP-hard. We claim that a greedy approximation algorithm yields the global optimal solution for clusters that overlap only by nesting. We present a mathematical proof of this claim by induction. For a family of n clusters containing a total of N objects, this algorithm has an O(n²) time complexity and O(N) space complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fourier rebinning (FORE) is the most widely used rebinning algorithm to reorganize 3-D PET data into 2-D sinograms. In Fourier transform (FT) domain, data from oblique sinograms are assigned to transaxial ones at a proper axial displacement given by the frequency-distance relation. Approximation accuracy falls at low frequencies, where only low-copolar angles can be exploited by means of single slice rebinning (SSRB). Usually, an abrupt partition by a square region centered on DC is applied, which does not weight accuracy in the sinogram FT domain and copolar angle dependence, and can introduce artifacts due to the sharp transition. In this work we propose a simple index which maps the frequency-distance relation validity in the sinogram FT domain. Two new criteria were tested on this basis: 1) an abrupt transition based on validity map contours and 2) a gradual transition following the monotonical validity increase with frequency. In both criteria copolar angle dependence was introduced. Standard, abrupt, and gradual partitions were compared on different phantoms acquired with ECAT EXACT HR+ scanner, characterized by a large span = 9 (saved sinograms group 4 or 5 acquired sinograms, by averaging) and by a low maximum copolar angle (6°). In this condition the methods provided similar tradeoffs of SNR optimization against blur and artifact appearance, thus confirming the validity of the frequency-distance relation at low copolar angles. A simulation study emulating an hypothetical scanner with span = 3 and larger acceptance copolar angle (25.5°) conversely showed more clear improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of two-channel linear-phase nonuniform-division filter (NDF) banks' constructed by infinite impulse response (IIR) digital allpass filters (DAFS) in the sense of L∞ error criteria is considered. First, the theory of two-channel NDF bank structures using two IIR DAFs is developed. Then, the design problem is appropriately formulated to result in a simple optimization problem. Utilizing a variant of Karmarkar's algorithm, we can efficiently solve the optimization problem through a frequency sampling and Iterative approximation method to find the coefficients for the HR DAFs. The resulting two-channel NDF banks can possess approximately linear-phase response without magnitude distortion. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is achieved by forming an appropriate Chebyshev approximation of a desired phase response and then to find Its solution from a linear subspace in a few Iterations. Several simulation examples are presented foi illustration and comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a canonical model for coded code-division multiple access (CDMA) with random spreading, where the receiver makes use of iterative belief-propagation (BP) joint decoding. We provide simple density-evolution analysis in the large- system limit (large number of users) of the performance of the BP decoder and of some suboptimal approximations based on interference cancellation (IC). Based on this analysis, we optimize the received user signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) distribution in order to maximize the system spectral efficiency for given user channel codes, channel load (users per chip), and target user bit-error rate (BER). The optimization of the received SNR distribution is obtained by solving a simple linear program and can be easily incorporated into practical power control algorithms. Remarkably, under the optimized SNR assignment, the suboptimal minimum mean-square error (MMSE) IC-based decoder performs almost as well as the more complex BP decoder. Moreover, for a large class of commonly used convolutional codes, we observe that the optimized SNR distribution consists of a finite number of discrete SNR levels. Based on this observation, we provide a low-complexity approximation of the MMSE-IC decoder that suffers from very small performance degradation while attaining considerable savings in complexity. As by-products of this work, we obtain a closed-form expression of the multiuser efficiency (ME) of power-mismatched MMSE filters in the large-system limit, and we extend the analysis of the symbol-by-symbol maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) multiuser detector in the large-system limit to the case of nonconstant user powers and nonuniform symbol prior probabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]