Adaptability Tradeoffs in the Design of Self-Organizing Systems

Author(s):  
James Humann ◽  
Newsha Khani ◽  
Yan Jin

Self-organizing systems have great potential for adaptability, but as complex systems, they can also be prone to unpredictable behavior, cascading failures, and sensitivity to perturbations. Also, designing systems for adaptability may introduce overhead that reduces their performance. This paper investigates the design tradeoffs between adaptability and performance in the context of a box-pushing task. Using a genetic algorithm to optimize a parametric behavioral model, we are able to test systems optimized under different conditions for performance and reliability. It was found that a system optimized in the face of random initial conditions and internal perturbations was more robust than a system optimized without these perturbations, showing a higher overall fitness over diverse trials, but it could not take advantage of particular initial conditions that would have allowed it to achieve a one-off high fitness in a repeatable environment. A system optimized with predesigned initial conditions was found to achieve a very high fitness, but when it was retested with random initial conditions, its performance plummeted, indicating that it was fit to the ideal initial conditions but not robust.

Informatics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
William F. Lawless

Rational models of human behavior aim to predict, possibly control, humans. There are two primary models, the cognitive model that treats behavior as implicit, and the behavioral model that treats beliefs as implicit. The cognitive model reigned supreme until reproducibility issues arose, including Axelrod’s prediction that cooperation produces the best outcomes for societies. In contrast, by dismissing the value of beliefs, predictions of behavior improved dramatically, but only in situations where beliefs were suppressed, unimportant, or in low risk, highly certain environments, e.g., enforced cooperation. Moreover, rational models lack supporting evidence for their mathematical predictions, impeding generalizations to artificial intelligence (AI). Moreover, rational models cannot scale to teams or systems, which is another flaw. However, the rational models fail in the presence of uncertainty or conflict, their fatal flaw. These shortcomings leave rational models ill-prepared to assist the technical revolution posed by autonomous human–machine teams (A-HMTs) or autonomous systems. For A-HMT teams, we have developed the interdependence theory of complementarity, largely overlooked because of the bewilderment interdependence causes in the laboratory. Where the rational model fails in the face of uncertainty or conflict, interdependence theory thrives. The best human science teams are fully interdependent; intelligence has been located in the interdependent interactions of teammates, and interdependence is quantum-like. We have reported in the past that, facing uncertainty, human debate exploits the interdependent bistable views of reality in tradeoffs seeking the best path forward. Explaining uncertain contexts, which no single agent can determine alone, necessitates that members of A-HMTs express their actions in causal terms, however imperfectly. Our purpose in this paper is to review our two newest discoveries here, both of which generalize and scale, first, following new theory to separate entropy production from structure and performance, and second, discovering that the informatics of vulnerability generated during competition propels evolution, invisible to the theories and practices of cooperation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Newsha Khani ◽  
James Humann ◽  
Yan Jin

Dealing with unforeseeable changing situations, often seen in exploratory and hazardous task domains, requires systems that can adapt to changing tasks and varying environments. The challenge for engineering design researchers and practitioners is how to design such adaptive systems. Taking advantage of the flexibility of multi-agent systems, a self-organizing systems approach has been proposed, in which mechanical cells or agents organize themselves as the environment and tasks change based on a set of predefined rules. To enable self-organizing systems to perform more realistic tasks, a two-field framework is introduced to capture task complexity and agent behaviors, and a rule-based social structuring mechanism is proposed to facilitate self-organizing for better performance. Computer simulation-based case studies were carried out to investigate how social structuring among agents, together with the size of agent population, can influence self-organizing system performance in the face of increasing task complexity. The simulation results provide design insights into task-driven social structures and their effect on the behavior and performance of self-organizing systems.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 88-97
Author(s):  
Aouadj Sid Ahmed ◽  
Nasrallah Yahia ◽  
Hasnaoui Okkacha ◽  
Khatir Hadj

AbstractThe forest of Doui Thabet is one of the forests of the Mounts of Saida (Western Algeria) which is experiencing a dynamic regressive. Located in the semi-arid bioclimatic stage, it is located at the edge of two phytogeographic sub-sectors: atlas Tellien Oranais (O3) and high plateau subsector (H1). Among the factors that threaten to curb this fragile and weakened ecosystem, in addition to drought and climate aridity and which has become a structural ecological phenomenon; the overgrazing is also a major limiting factor. This current study provides a qualitative and quantitative assessment of anthropogenic pressure exerted in this area zone. The methodology adopted in this study is that of Le Houerou (1969) and Montoya (1983), which it is based on the calculation of the annual needs of the herd in forage units, the estimate of the feed potential of production, the coefficient of overgrazing and in addition to the anthropogenic pressure index. The result of the forage balance in the forest rangelands of the studied area has a forage deficit (overload) of (96.64%) (a sylvopastoral imbalance), in addition to that, the coefficient of overgrazing is (92.3%) and the anthropogenic pressure index is very high (28). The conservation and the restoration of this area is a major concern in the face of global changes, taking into account their mode of reproduction and their dynamics, for the development of restoration strategies and more effective ways of protection.


Author(s):  
Swati Singh ◽  
Litesh Singla ◽  
Tanya Anand

Abstract Esthetics has been an ever-evolving concept and has gained considerable importance in the field of orthodontics in the last few decades. The re-emergence of the soft tissue paradigm has further catapulted the interest of the orthodontist. So much so that achieving a harmonious profile and an esthetically pleasing smile has become the ideal goal of treatment and is no longer secondary to achieving a functional dental occlusion and/or a rigid adherence to skeletal and dental norms. Esthetics in the orthodontic sense can be divided into three categories: macroesthetics, miniesthetics, and microesthetics. Macroesthetics includes the evaluation of the face and involves frontal assessment and profile analysis. The frontal assessment involves assessment of facial proportions, while the profile analysis involves evaluation of anterior–posterior position of jaws, mandibular plane, and incisor prominence and lip posture. Miniesthetics involves study of the smile framework involving the vertical tooth–lip relationship, smile type, transverse dimensions of smile, smile arc, and midline. Microesthetics involves the assessment of tooth proportions, height-width relationships, connectors and embrasures, gingival contours and heights, and tooth shade and color. The harmony between these factors enables an orthodontist to achieve the idealized esthetic result and hence these parameters deserve due consideration. The importance placed on a pleasing profile cannot be undermined and the orthodontist should aim for a harmonious facial profile over rigid adherence to standard average cephalometric norms. This article aims to give an overview of the macro, mini, and microesthetic considerations in relation to orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning.


Human Affairs ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 328-342
Author(s):  
László Bernáth ◽  
János Tőzsér

AbstractOur paper consists of four parts. In the first part, we describe the challenge of the pervasive and permanent philosophical disagreement over philosophers’ epistemic self-esteem. In the second part, we investigate the attitude of philosophers who have high epistemic self-esteem even in the face of philosophical disagreement and who believe they have well-grounded philosophical knowledge. In the third section, we focus on the attitude of philosophers who maintain a moderate level of epistemic self-esteem because they do not attribute substantive philosophical knowledge to themselves but still believe that they have epistemic right to defend substantive philosophical beliefs. In the fourth section, we analyse the attitude of philosophers who have a low level of epistemic self-esteem in relation to substantive philosophical beliefs and make no attempt to defend those beliefs. We argue that when faced with philosophical disagreement philosophers either have to deny that the dissenting philosophers are their epistemic peers or have to admit that doing philosophy is less meaningful than it seemed before. In this second case, philosophical activity and performance should not contribute to the philosophers’ overall epistemic self-esteem to any significant extent.


Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Amaya Osácar ◽  
Juan Bautista Echeverria Trueba ◽  
Brian Meacham

There is a trend in Europe towards increasing the quality and performance of regulations. At the same time, regulatory failure has been observed in the area of building fire safety regulation in England and elsewhere. As a result, an analysis of the appropriateness of fire safety regulations in Spain is warranted, with the objective being to assess whether a suitable level of fire safety is currently being delivered. Three basic elements must be considered in such analysis: the legal and regulatory framework, the level of fire risk/safety of buildings that is expected and the level which actually results, and a suitable method of analysis. The focus of this paper is creating a legal and regulatory framework, in particular with respect to fire safety in buildings. Components of an ”ideal” building regulatory framework to adequately control fire risk are presented, the existing building regulatory framework is summarized, and an analysis of the gaps between the ideal and the existing systems is presented. It is concluded that the gaps between the ideal and the existing framework are significant, and that the current fire safety regulations are not appropriate for assuring delivery of the intended level of fire risk mitigation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Behrang Beiranvand ◽  
Mehdi Komasi

AbstractIn the present study, using instrumentation data regarding vertical and horizontal displacement of the dam have been analyzed. Also, the largest and most critical section of the Marvak earth dam is modeled with the behavioral model of the Mohr–Coulomb by GeoStudio software. Numerical modeling of the dam has been done considering the actual embankment conditions and to analyze the changes of the immediate settlement during construction and the consolidation settlement just after construction and initial impounding. The outcomes of instrumentation and numerical analysis at the end of Marvak dam construction showed a settlement between 20 and 500 mm. The results show that the settlement will occur during the construction at the upper levels and the end of construction at the middle levels of the dam. By comparing observed and predicted data, multivariate regression and the explanation coefficient criterion (R2) was found to be R2 = 0.9579, which shows a very good correlation between observed and predicted data, and represents a good match for the settlement points and their location with the initial conditions of the design, and the behavior of the dam in terms of the settlement is found to be stable.


1995 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Daan

The analysis of motivational systems underlying temporal organisation in animal behaviour has relied primarily on two conceptual functional frameworks: Homeostasis and biological clocks. Homeostasis is one of the most general and influential concepts in physiology. Walter Cannon introduced homeostasis as a universal regulatory principle which animals employ to maintain constancy of their ‘internal milieu’ in the face of challenges and perturbations from the external environment. Cannon spoke of “The Wisdom of the Body”, the collective of responses designed to defend the ideal internal state against those perturbations.


2010 ◽  
Vol 426-427 ◽  
pp. 432-435
Author(s):  
De Gong Chang ◽  
J. Zhang ◽  
M.L. Lv

The larger variation of the construction and performance of the low-carbon steel joints was caused by the high temperature of the puddle welding of the joint. Therefore, the braze welding rather than the puddle welding was applied to the welding production of low-carbon steel. The 08 steel parts were joined in a furnace using pure copper solder paste as brazing filler metal. According to the obtained results, the ideal technical parameters are as follow: brazing temperature: 1100-1150°C; holding time: 5-10min; joint clearance: 0.03-0.05mm.


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