This book, originally published in 1970, concerns the new technique of computer simulation in psychology at the time. Computer programs described include models of learning, problem-solving, pattern recognition, the use of language, and personality. More general topics are discussed including the evaluation of such models, the relation of the field to cybernetics, and the problem posed by consciousness. Today it can be read and enjoyed in its historical context.

This book examines the historical roots and evolution of simulation from an epistemological, institutional and technical perspective. Rich case studies go far beyond documentation of simulation 's capacity for application in many domains; they also explore the "functional" and "structural" debate that continues to traverse simulation thought and action. This book is an essential contribution to the assessment of simulation as scientific instrument.

This volume features original contributions and invited review articles on mathematical statistics, statistical simulation and experimental design. The selected peer-reviewed contributions originate from the 8th International Workshop on Simulation held in Vienna in 2015. The book is intended for mathematical statisticians, Ph.D. students and statisticians working in medicine, engineering, pharmacy, psychology, agriculture and other related fields. The International Workshops on Simulation are devoted to statistical techniques in stochastic simulation, data collection, design of scientific experiments and studies representing broad areas of interest. The first 6 workshops took place in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1994 - 2009 and the 7th workshop was held in Rimini, Italy, in 2013.

Examines classic algorithms, geometric diagrams, and mechanical principles for enhancing visualization of statistical estimation procedures and mathematical concepts in physics, engineering, and computer programming.

The book provides a bottom-up approach to understanding how a computer works and how to use computing to solve real-world problems. It covers the basics of digital logic through the lens of computer organization and programming. The reader should be able to design his or her own computer from the ground up at the end of the book. Logic simulation with Verilog is used throughout, assembly languages are introduced and discussed, and the fundamentals of computer architecture and embedded systems are touched upon, all in a cohesive design-driven framework suitable for class or self-study.

The use of simulation modeling and analysis is becoming increasingly more popular as a technique for improving or investigating process performance. This book is a practical, easy-to-follow reference that offers up-to-date information and step-by-step procedures for conducting simulation studies. It provides sample simulation project support material, including checklists, data-collection forms, and sample simulation project reports and publications to facilitate practitioners' efforts in conducting simulation modeling and analysis projects. Simulation Modeling Handbook: A Practical Approach has two major advantages over other treatments. First, it is independent of any particular simulation software, allowing readers to use any commercial package or programming language. Second, it was written to insulate practitioners from unnecessary simulation theory that does not focus on their average, practical needs. As the popularity of simulation studies continues to grow, the planning and execution of these projects, more and more engineering and management professionals will be called upon to perform these tasks. With its simple, no-nonsense approach and focus on application rather than theory, this comprehensive and easy-to-understand guide is the ideal vehicle for acquiring the background and skills needed to undertake effective simulation projects. Features Presents step-by-step procedures for conducting successful simulation modeling and analysis Addresses every phase of performing simulations, from formulating the problem to presenting study results and recommendations Uses approaches applicable regardless of the specific simulation or software used Includes a summary of the major simulation software packages and discusses the pros and cons of using general purpose programming languages

In order to satisfy the needs of their customers, network utilities require specially developed maintenance management capabilities. Maintenance Management information systems are essential to ensure control, gain knowledge and improve-decision making in companies dealing with network infrastructure, such as distribution of gas, water, electricity and telecommunications. Maintenance Management in Network Utilities studies specified characteristics of maintenance management in this sector to offer a practical approach to defining and implementing the best management practices and suitable frameworks.
Divided into three major sections, Maintenance Management in Network Utilities defines a series of stages which can be followed to manage maintenance frameworks properly. Different case studies provide detailed descriptions which illustrate the experience in real company situations. An introduction to the concepts is followed by main sections including:

A Literature Review: covering the basic concepts and models needed for framework design, development and implementation.
Framework Design and Definition: developing the basic pillars of network utilities maintenance management framework.
Performance Evaluation & Maturity: focusing on the reliability concept and maturity models from different viewpoints.

By establishing basic foundations for creating and maintaining maintenance managements strategies, Maintenance Management in Network Utilities acts a practical handbook for all professionals in these companies and across areas such as network development, operations management and marketing.
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Digital fringe projection (DFP) techniques are used for non-contact shape measurement of 3D images. In the rapidly expanding field of 3D high-speed imaging, the demand for DFP continues to grow due to the technology's fast speed, flexibility, low cost, and high accuracy. High-Speed 3D Imaging with Digital Fringe Projection Techniques discusses the generation of digital fringe with digital video projection devices, covering a variety of core technical aspects. The book begins by establishing the theoretical foundations of fringe pattern analysis, reviewing various 3D imaging techniques while highlighting the advantages of DFP. The author then: Describes the differences between digital light processing (DLP), liquid crystal display (LCD), and liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) Explains how to unwrap phase maps temporally and spatially Shows how to generate fringe patterns with video projectors Demonstrates how to convert phase to coordinates through system calibrations Provides a detailed example of a built-from-scratch 3D imaging system Incorporating valuable insights gained during the author's 15+ years of 3D imaging research, High-Speed 3D Imaging with Digital Fringe Projection Techniques illuminates the pathway to advancement in high-speed 3D optical imaging using DFP.

In this monograph, a new process modelling approach for the public sector is described: the PICTURE method. The approach takes into account the specific characteristics of public administrations. Hence several advantages are derived: increased modelling speed, improved user acceptance and enhanced analysis capabilities.

This book covers some important topics in the construction of computable general equilibrium (CGE) models and examines use of these models for the analysis of economic policies, their properties, and their implications. Readers will find explanation and discussion of the theoretical structure and practical application of several model typologies, including dynamic, stochastic, micro-macro, and simulation models, as well as different closure rules and policy experiments. The presentation of applications to various country and problem-specific case studies serves to provide an informed and clearly articulated summary of the state of the art and the most important methodological advancements in the field of policy modeling within the framework of general equilibrium analysis. The book is an outcome of a recent workshop of the Italian Development Economists Association attended by a group of leading practitioners involved in the generation of CGE models and research on modeling the economy and policy making. It will be of interest to researchers, professional economists, graduate students, and knowledgeable policy makers.

This text is about spreading of information and influence in complex networks. Although previously considered similar and modeled in parallel approaches, there is now experimental evidence that epidemic and social spreading work in subtly different ways. While previously explored through modeling, there is currently an explosion of work on revealing the mechanisms underlying complex contagion based on big data and data-driven approaches. This volume consists of four parts. Part 1 is an Introduction, providing an accessible summary of the state of the art. Part 2 provides an overview of the central theoretical developments in the field. Part 3 describes the empirical work on observing spreading processes in real-world networks. Finally, Part 4 goes into detail with recent and exciting new developments: dedicated studies designed to measure specific aspects of the spreading processes, often using randomized control trials to isolate the network effect from confounders, such as homophily. Each contribution is authored by leading experts in the field. This volume, though based on technical selections of the most important results on complex spreading, remains quite accessible to the newly interested. The main benefit to the reader is that the topics are carefully structured to take the novice to the level of expert on the topic of social spreading processes. This book will be of great importance to a wide field: from researchers in physics, computer science, and sociology to professionals in public policy and public health.

Abstract Biological vision is a rather fascinating domain of research. Scientists of various origins like biology, medicine, neurophysiology, engineering, math ematics, etc. aim to understand the processes leading to visual perception process and at reproducing such systems. Understanding the environment is most of the time done through visual perception which appears to be one of the most fundamental sensory abilities in humans and therefore a significant amount of research effort has been dedicated towards modelling and repro ducing human visual abilities. Mathematical methods play a central role in this endeavour. Introduction David Marr's theory v DEGREESas a pioneering step tov DEGREESards understanding visual percep tion. In his view human vision was based on a complete surface reconstruction of the environment that was then used to address visual subtasks. This approach was proven to be insufficient by neuro-biologists and complementary ideas from statistical pattern recognition and artificial intelligence were introduced to bet ter address the visual perception problem. In this framework visual perception is represented by a set of actions and rules connecting these actions. The emerg ing concept of active vision consists of a selective visual perception paradigm that is basically equivalent to recovering from the environment the minimal piece information required to address a particular task of interest."

The complexity of specifications and the number of materials options available today for concrete production mean that the traditional procedure of making trial mixes is now unnecessary, expensive and time consuming. Using J.D Dewar's research, this book shows how a small amount of materials data can be used confidently to predict the composition of the ideal product.

This book explores systems-based, co-design, introducing a "Decision-Based, Co-Design" (DBCD) approach for the co-design of materials, products, and processes. In recent years there have been significant advances in modeling and simulation of material behavior, from the smallest atomic scale to the macro scale. However, the uncertainties associated with these approaches and models across different scales need to be addressed to enable decision-making resulting in designs that are robust, that is, relatively insensitive to uncertainties. An approach that facilitates co-design is needed across material, product design and manufacturing processes. This book describes a cloud-based platform to support decisions in the design of engineered systems (CB-PDSIDES), which feature an architecture that promotes co-design through the servitization of decision-making, knowledge capture and use templates that allow previous solutions to be reused. Placing the platform in the cloud aids mass collaboration and open innovation. A valuable reference resource reference on all areas related to the design of materials, products and processes, the book appeals to material scientists, design engineers and all those involved in the emerging interdisciplinary field of integrated computational materials engineering (ICME).

This volume explores the complex problems that arise in the modeling and simulation of crowd dynamics in order to present the state-of-the-art of this emerging field and contribute to future research activities. Experts in various areas apply their unique perspectives to specific aspects of crowd dynamics, covering the topic from multiple angles. These include a demonstration of how virtual reality may solve dilemmas in collecting empirical data; a detailed study on pedestrian movement in smoke-filled environments; a presentation of one-dimensional conservation laws with point constraints on the flux; a collection of new ideas on the modeling of crowd dynamics at the microscopic scale; and others. Applied mathematicians interested in crowd dynamics, pedestrian movement, traffic flow modeling, urban planning, and other topics will find this volume a valuable resource. Additionally, researchers in social psychology, architecture, and engineering may find this information relevant to their work.

This book presents a collection of chapters describing the state of the art on computational modelling and fabrication in tissue engineering. Tissue Engineering is a multidisciplinary field involving scientists from different fields. The development of mathematical methods is quite relevant to understand cell biology and human tissues as well to model, design and fabricate optimized and smart scaffolds. The chapter authors are the distinguished keynote speakers at the first Eccomas thematic conference on Tissue Engineering where the emphasis was on mathematical and computational modeling for scaffold design and fabrication. This particular area of tissue engineering, whose goal is to obtain substitutes for hard tissues such as bone and cartilage, is growing in importance.

Research into the methods and techniques used in simulating crowds has developed extensively within the last few years, particularly in the areas of video games and film. Despite recent impressive results when simulating and rendering thousands of individuals, many challenges still exist in this area.

The comparison of simulation with reality, the realistic appearance of virtual humans and their behavior, group structure and their motion, and collision avoidance are just some examples of these challenges. For most of the applications of crowds, it is now a requirement to have real-time simulations which is an additional challenge, particularly when crowds are very large.

"Crowd Simulation "analyses these challenges in depth and suggests many possible solutions. Daniel Thalmann and Soraia Musse share their experiences and expertise in the application of:

. Population modeling

. Virtual human animation

. Behavioral models for crowds

. The connection between virtual and real crowds

. Path planning and navigation

. Visual attention models

. Geometric and populated semantic environments

. Crowd rendering

The second edition presents techniques and methods developed since the authors first covered the simulation of crowds in 2007. "Crowd Simulation" includes in-depth discussions on the techniques of path planning, including a new hybrid approach between navigation graphs and potential-based methods. The importance of gaze attention individuals appearing conscious of their environment and of others is introduced, and a free-of-collision method for crowds is also discussed."

Prevention of Pressure Sores: Engineering and Clinical Aspects collects together material from throughout the literature. The book first discusses the causes of pressure sores and then describes warning signs and behavior to prevent the incidence of pressure sores. It also examines the numerous different devices used to alleviate and prevent pressure sores, including various types of seat cushions, hospital beds, complex pressure relief methods, wheelchair pressure reliefs, and other preventative methods. After comparing the accuracy of various methods of measuring pressure distributions using different types of sensors, the book discusses the treatment of pressure sores. It contains a large number of references, allowing readers to refer back to the important original work in the different fields of this subject.

Much has been written about Building Information Modelling (BIM) driving collaboration and innovation, but how will future quality managers and engineers develop digital capabilities in augmented and video realities, with business intelligence platforms, robots, new materials, artificial intelligence, blockchains, drones, laser scanning, data trusts, 3D printing and many other types of technological advances in construction? These emerging technologies are potential game changers that require new skills and processes. Digital Quality Management in Construction is the first 'how to' book on harnessing novel disruptive technology in construction quality management. The book takes a tour of the new technologies and relates them to the management of quality, but also sets out a road map to build on proven lean construction techniques and embed technologically based processes to raise quality professionals' digital capabilities. With the mountain of data being generated, quality managers need to unlock its value to drive the quality of construction in the twenty-first century, and this book will help them do that and allow those working in construction Quality Management to survive and thrive, creating higher quality levels and less waste. This book is essential reading for quality managers, project managers and all professionals in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry (AEC). Students interested in new and disruptive technologies will also learn a great deal from reading this book, written by a professional quality manager with nearly thirty years' experience in both the public and private sectors.

This book describes issues in modeling unconventional conflict and suggests a new way to do the modeling. It presents an ontology that describes the unconventional conflict domain, which allows for greater ease in modeling unconventional conflict. Supporting holistic modeling, which means that we can see the entire picture of what needs to be modeled, the ontology allows us to make informed decisions about what to model and what to omit. The unconventional conflict ontology also separates the things we understand best from the things we understand least. This separation means that we can perform verification, validation and accreditation (VV&A) more efficiently and can describe the competence of the model more accurately. However, before this message can be presented in its entirety the supporting body of knowledge has to be explored. For this reason, the book offers chapters that focus on the description of unconventional conflict and the analyses that have been performed, modeling, with a concentration on past efforts at modeling unconventional conflict, the precursors to the ontology, and VV&A. Unconventional conflict is a complex, messy thing. It normally involves multiple actors, with their own conflicting agendas and differing concepts of legitimate actions. This book will present a useful introduction for researchers and professionals within the field.

The understanding and control of transport phenomena in materials processing play an important role in the improvement of conventional processes and in the development of new techniques. Computer modeling of these phenomena can be used effectively for this purpose. Although there are several books in the literature covering the analysis of heat transfer and fluid flow, Computer Modelling of Heat and Fluid Flow in Materials Processing specifically addresses the understanding of these phenomena in materials processing situations. Written at a level suitable for graduate students in materials science and engineering and subjects, this book is ideal for those wishing to learn how to approach computer modeling of transport phenomena and apply these techniques in materials processing. The text includes a number of relevant case studies and each chapter is supported by numerous examples of transport modeling programs.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge approaches for decision-making in hierarchical organizations. It presents soft-computing-based techniques, including fuzzy sets, neural networks, genetic algorithms and particle swarm optimization, and shows how these approaches can be effectively used to deal with problems typical of this kind of organization. After introducing the main classical approaches applied to multiple-level programming, the book describes a set of soft-computing techniques, demonstrating their advantages in providing more efficient solutions to hierarchical decision-making problems compared to the classical methods. Based on the book Fuzzy and Multi-Level Decision Making (Springer, 2001) by Lee E.S and Shih, H., this second edition has been expanded to include the most recent findings and methods and a broader spectrum of soft computing approaches. All the algorithms are presented in detail, together with a wealth of practical examples and solutions to real-world problems, providing students, researchers and professionals with a timely, practice-oriented reference guide to the area of interactive fuzzy decision making, multi-level programming and hierarchical optimization.

This book analyses the impact computerization has had on contemporary science and explains the origins, technical nature and epistemological consequences of the current decisive interplay between technology and science: an intertwining of formalism, computation, data acquisition, data and visualization and how these factors have led to the spread of simulation models since the 1950s. Using historical, comparative and interpretative case studies from a range of disciplines, with a particular emphasis on the case of plant studies, the author shows how and why computers, data treatment devices and programming languages have occasioned a gradual but irresistible and massive shift from mathematical models to computer simulations.

'Points, questions, stories, and occasional rants introduce the 24 chapters of this engaging volume. With a focus on mathematics and peppered with a scattering of computer science settings, the entries range from lightly humorous to curiously thought-provoking. Each chapter includes sections and sub-sections that illustrate and supplement the point at hand. Most topics are self-contained within each chapter, and a solid high school mathematics background is all that is needed to enjoy the discussions. There certainly is much to enjoy here.'CHOICEEver notice how people sometimes use math words inaccurately? Or how sometimes you instinctively know a math statement is false (or not known)?Each chapter of this book makes a point like those above and then illustrates the point by doing some real mathematics through step-by-step mathematical techniques.This book gives readers valuable information about how mathematics and theoretical computer science work, while teaching them some actual mathematics and computer science through examples and exercises. Much of the mathematics could be understood by a bright high school student. The points made can be understood by anyone with an interest in math, from the bright high school student to a Field's medal winner.

Concrete-filled stainless steel tubular (CFSST) columns are increasingly used in modern composite construction due to their high strength, high ductility, high corrosion resistance, high durability and aesthetics and ease of maintenance. Thin-walled CFSST columns are characterized by the different strain-hardening behavior of stainless steel in tension and in compression, local buckling of stainless steel tubes and concrete confinement. Design codes and numerical models often overestimate or underestimate the ultimate strengths of CFSST columns. This book presents accurate and efficient computational models for the nonlinear inelastic analysis and design of CFSST short and slender columns under axial load and biaxial bending. The effects of different strain-hardening characteristics of stainless steel in tension and in compression, progressive local and post-local buckling of stainless steel tubes and concrete confinement are taken into account in the computational models. The numerical models simulate the axial load-strain behavior, moment-curvature curves, axial load-deflection responses and axial load-moment strength interaction diagrams of CFSST columns. The book describes the mathematical formulations, computational procedures and model verifications for circular and rectangular CFSST short and slender columns. The behavior of CFSST columns under various loading conditions is demonstrated by numerous numerical examples. This book is written for practising structural and civil engineers, academic researchers and graduate students in civil engineering who are interested in the latest computational techniques and design methods for CFSST columns.