Finite Mixture and Markov Switching Models
The prominence of finite mixture modelling is greater than ever. Many important statistical topics like clustering data, outlier treatment, or dealing with unobserved heterogeneity involve finite mixture models in some way or other. The area of potential applications goes beyond simple data analysis and extends to regression analysis and to non-linear time series analysis using Markov switching models.It is the first time that the Bayesian perspective of finite mixture modelling is systematically presented in book form. It is argued that the Bayesian approach provides much insight in this context and is easily implemented in practice. Although the main focus is on Bayesian inference, the author reviews several frequentist techniques, especially selecting the number of components of a finite mixture model, and discusses some of their shortcomings compared to the Bayesian approach. The aim of this book is to impart the finite mixture and Markov switching approach to statistical modelling to a wide-ranging community. This includes not only statisticians, but also biologists, economists, engineers, financial agents, market researcher, medical researchers or any other frequent user of statistical models. This book should help newcomers to the field to understand how finite mixture and Markov switching models are formulated, what structures they imply on the data, what they could be used for, and how they are estimated.
Field and service robotics : Results of the 6th international conference
This book presents the results of the sixth edition of Field and Service Robotics, FSR07, held in Chamonix, France, on 9th - 12th July 2007. The conference provided a forum for researchers, professionals and robot manufacturers to exchange up-to-date technical knowledge and experience. This book offers a collection of a broad range of topics including: Underwater Robots and Systems, Autonomous Navigation for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Simultaneous Localization and Mapping, Climbing Robotics, Sensor Fusion.
Feature Extraction : Foundations and Applications
This book is both a reference for engineers and scientists and a teaching resource, featuring tutorial chapters and research papers on feature extraction. "This book compiles some very promising techniques, coming from an extremely smart collection of researchers, delivering their best ideas in a competitive environment."
Feasibility and Infeasibility in Optimization : Algorithms and Computational Methods
Feasibility and Infeasibility in Optimization is a timely expository book that summarizes the state of the art in both classical and recent algorithms related to feasibility and infeasibility in optimization, with a focus on practical methods. All model forms are covered, including linear, nonlinear, and mixed-integer programs. Connections to related work in constraint programming are shown. Part I of the book addresses algorithms for seeking feasibility quickly, including new methods for the difficult cases of nonlinear and mixed-integer programs. Part II provides algorithms for analyzing infeasibility by isolating minimal infeasible (or maximum feasible) subsets of constraints, or by finding the best repair for the infeasibility. Infeasibility analysis algorithms have arisen primarily over the last two decades, and the book covers these in depth and detail. Part III describes applications in numerous areas outside of direct infeasibility analysis such as finding decision trees for data classification, analyzing protein folding, radiation treatment planning, automated test assembly, etc.
Evolvable Machines : Theory & Practice
Methods for the artificial evolution of active components, such as programs and hardware, are rapidly developing branches of adaptive computation and adaptive engineering. "Evolvable Machines" reports innovative and significant progress in automatic and evolutionary methodology applied to machine design. This book presents theoretical as well as practical chapters concentrating on Evolvable Robots, Evolvable Hardware Synthesis, as well as Evolvable Design.
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Covers both theoretical contributions and practical applications in security system design by applying the Internet of Things (IoT) and CI. It further explains the application of IoT in the design of modern security systems and how IoT blended with computational intel- ligence can make any security system improved and realizable. Key features: Focuses on the computational intelligence techniques of security system design Covers applications and algorithms of discussed computational intelligence techniques Includes convergence-based and enterprise integrated security systems with their applications Explains emerging laws, policies, and tools affecting the landscape of cyber security Discusses application of sensors toward the design of security systems This book will be useful for graduate students and researchers in electrical, computer engineering, security system design and engineering
Evaluation and Decision Models with Multiple Criteria : Stepping stones for the analyst
The purpose of Evaluation and Decision Models: A Critical Perspective is to provide a critical thinking framework for all individuals utilizing decision and evaluation models, whether it be for research or applications. It is axiomatic that all evaluation and decision models suffer some limitations. There are situations where a decision model will not perform to expectations. This book argues that there is no best decision or evaluation model, but that decision-makers must understand the principles of formal evaluation and decision models and apply them critically. Hence, the book seeks to deepen our understanding of evaluation and decision models and encourage users of these models to think more analytically about them.
Entropy and Energy : A Universal Competition
Entropy and Energy- a Universal Competition" is a students textbook as well as a scientific monograph. The concepts of entropy and energy embody the effects of random walk in a body and of deterministic strife respectively, and are therefore often in competition. The book gives instructive examples from elementary thermodynamics and physico-chemistry and extrapolates the notion to non-standard thermodynamic subjects like shape memory, dissipation of the earth's atmosphere, and sociology
Enterprise Management with SAP SEM™
In order to make strategy happen there is a need for powerful management information systems. SAP focuses on the application of modern business administration concepts, e.g. Value Based Management, the Balanced Scorecard, the Management Cockpit or flexible planning methods. The book describes the methodology and implementation of a powerful tool for enterprise management. Practical examples show how SAP Strategic Enterprise Management/Business Analytics (SAP SEM/BA) can help to improve cross functional planning, reporting and analyzing. SAP SEM/BA is a leading edge IT-solution for top management and related departments in large enterprises and groups. It demonstrates the state of the art of modern management information and decision support systems.
Enterprise Knowledge Infrastructures
Success of an organization is increasingly dependent on its capability to create an environment to improve the productivity of knowledge work. This book focuses on the concepts, models and technologies that are used to design and implement such an environment. It develops the vision of a modular, yet highly integrated enterprise knowledge infrastructure and presents an ideal architecture replete with current technologies and systems. The most important streams of technological development that are covered in the book are computer-supported cooperative work, document and content management, e-learning, enterprise portals, information life cycle management, knowledge management, mobile computing, and the Semantic Web. It includes learning goals, exercises and case examples that help the reader to easily understand and practice the concepts.
Engineering Stochastic Local Search Algorithms. Designing, Implementing and Analyzing Effective Heuristics ; International Workshop, SLS 2007, Brussels, Belgium, September 6-8, 2007, Proceedings
Stochastic local search (SLS) algorithms enjoy great popularity as powerful and versatile tools for tackling computationally hard decision and optimization pr- lems from many areas of computer science, operations research, and engineering. However, in recent years it has become evident that at the core of this development task there is a highly complex engineering process, which combines various aspects of algorithm design with empirical analysis techniques and problem-specific background, and which relies heavily on knowledge from a number of disciplines and areas, including computer science, operations research, artificial intelligence, and statistics. This development process needs to be - sisted by a sound methodology that addresses the issues arising in the various phases of algorithm design, implementation, tuning, and experimental eval- tion.
Energy and Environment
Energy and Environment is a volume on energy and environmental modeling that describes a broad variety of modeling methodologies, embodied in models of varying scopes and philosophies, ranging from top-down integrated assessment models to bottom-up partial equilibrium models, to hybrid models.
Elements of Mathematics for Economics and Finance
Based on over 15 years’ experience in the design and delivery of successful first-year courses, this book equips undergraduates with the mathematical skills required for degree courses in economics, finance, management and business studies. The book starts with a summary of basic skills and takes its readers as far as constrained optimisation helping them to become confident and competent in the use of mathematical tools and techniques that can be applied to a range of problems in economics and finance
Eigenvalues, Inequalities, and Ergodic Theory
A problem of broad interest – the estimation of the spectral gap for matrices or differential operators (Markov chains or diffusions) – is covered in this book. The area has a wide range of applications, and provides a tool to describe the phase transitions and the effectiveness of random algorithms. In particular, the book studies a subset of the general problem, taking some approaches that have, up till now, only appeared largely in the Chinese literature.Eigenvalues, Inequalities and Ergodic Theory serves as an introduction to this developing field, and provides an overview of the methods used, in an accessible and concise manner.
Effective Computational Geometry for Curves and Surfaces
Computational geometry emerged as a discipline in the seventies and has had considerable success in improving the asymptotic complexity of the solutions to basic geometric problems including constructions of data structures,convex hulls, triangulations, Voronoi diagrams and geometric arrangements as well as geometric optimisation. The goal of this book is to take into consideration the multidisciplinary nature of the problem and to provide solid mathematical and algorithmic foundations for effiective computational geometry fo rcurves and surfaces. This book covers two main approaches. In a first part, we discuss exact geometric algorithms for curves and s- faces. We revisit two prominent data structures of computational geometry, namely arrangements (Chap. 1) and Voronoi diagrams (Chap. 2) in order to understand how these structures, which are well-known for linear objects, behave when de?ned on curved objects.
Economists Mathematical Manual
In particular, we have included some key concepts and results from trade theory, games of incomplete information and combinatorics. In addition there are scattered additions of new formulas in many chapters. Again we are indebted to a number of people who has suggested corrections, - provements and new formulas.
Dynamic General Equilibrium Modelling : Computational Methods and Applications
Modern business cycle theory and growth theory uses stochastic dynamic general equilibrium models. Many mathematical tools are needed to solve these models. The book presents various methods for computing the dynamics of general equilibrium models. In part I, the representative-agent stochastic growth model is solved with the help of value function iteration, linear and linear quadratic approximation methods, parameterised expectations and projection methods. In order to apply these methods, fundamentals from numerical analysis are reviewed in detail. Part II discusses methods for solving heterogeneous-agent economies. In such economies, the distribution of the individual state variables is endogenous. This part of the book also serves as an introduction to the modern theory of distribution economics. Applications include the dynamics of the income distribution over the business cycle or the overlapping-generations model.
Dynamic brain : From neural spikes to behaviors ; 12th International Summer School on Neural Networks, Erice, Italy, December 5-12, 2007, Revised Lectures
The volume presents 12 thoroughly revised tutorial papers based on lectures given by leading researchers at the 12th International Summer School on Neural Networks in Erice, Italy, in December 2007.
Digital Enterprise Technology : Perspectives and Future Challenges
Digital engineering methods and systems are vitally important for performing key technical and business functions of global enterprises in a distributed and collaborative manner. The product design and engineering systems are gradually being developed to include a variety of tools for DfX, as well as incorporate aspects of digital manufacturing.The chapters presented in this book are contributed by world class leaders in the field. This volume includes relevant examples of current state-of-art in the development and use of systems and methods for the digital modelling of global development and realization processes in the context of life cycle management.
Digital Control Systems : Design, Identification and Implementation
Digital Control Systems demonstrates in detail how to design and implement high-performance model-based controllers combining system identification and control design techniques extensively tested in industrial milieux. The effective use of these techniques is illustrated in the context of various systems including: d.c. motors, flexible transmissions, air heaters, distillation columns and hot-dip galvanizing. Topics covered include: • essentials of computer-based control systems; • controller design methods (robust pole placement, long-range-predictive control, state space, digital PID, etc.); • system identification techniques; • practical aspects of system identification and digital control.



















