An Economic Model-Based Matching Approach Between Buyers and Sellers Through a Broker in an Open E-Marketplace

A broker in an open e-marketplace enables buyers and sellers to do business with each other. Although a broker plays an important role in e-marketplaces, theory and guidelines for matching between buyers and sellers in multi-attribute exchanges are limited. Therefore, a challenge for a broker’s responsibility is how to maximize a buyer’s total satisfaction degree as its goals under the consideration of trade-off between a buyer’s buying quantity and price paid to a seller, and other attributes. To solve this challenge, this paper proposes an economic model-based matching approach between a buyer’s requirements and a seller’s offers. The major contributions of this paper are that (i) a broker can model a seller’s price policy as per a buyer’s buying quantity through communication between a broker and a seller; (ii) due to each buyer’s different quantity demand, a broker models a buyer’s satisfaction degree as per a buyer’s buying quantity based on communication between a broker and a buyer; and (iii) to carry out a broker’s matching processes, an objective function and a set of constraints are generated to help a broker to maximize a buyer’s total satisfaction degree. Experimental results demonstrate the good performance of the proposed approach.     

A differential game model for a developing and a developed country

A differential game (DG) model for a developing and a developed country is considered. Each player makes decisions about how much resource to be used to restrict the opponent's development so as to maximize his weighted sum of current consumption and final output. Current consumption is assumed to be preferred to final output for both players. The developing country is assumed to have a higher economic growth rate and a higher preference to final output, whereas the developed country is assumed to have a higher initial income and a higher efficiency in restricting his opponent. This problem is investigated under three kinds of information structures, i.e., a zerosum, a nonzero-sum, and a Stackelberg game. Open-loop equilibrium solutions are obtained for all the three cases. Economic implications of the result are provided. The research is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 70771118 and 70371030 and the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars, State Education Ministry under Grant No. 2006.331.     

Application of the Search Conference methodology to planning in higher education

An adaptation of a First-World planning method was successfully used to help solve the problematic situation confronted by a Third-World higher education institution. The Search Conference is a method which enables the necessary conditions for a set of individuals to engage into a comprehensive process of reflection and design over a specific social system or domain. While preserving its essential characteristics, the Search Conference has been adapted to respond to a Third-World organizational environment. The realization of a “massive” conference in a Mexican public university triggered a participative strategic planning process of long-lasting consequences. The university community designed a desired future for the institution which became the guiding force to mobilize it in the agreed-upon direction. They also learned how to plan and carry on projects participatively. Some tangible results are the identification of students' regional demand, with the consequent creation of four new bachelors degrees and two masters degrees; the creation of a program to support those faculty members who would be willing to undertake masters and doctoral studies in outside prestigious universities; the increase in enrollment as a result of combined actions; and the opening of two extension centers off campus to improve the external community's involvement. In conclusion, a change of attitude emerged from the conference, which has been instrumental for the continuing involvement of the internal community in the creation of a new university agreeable to all.     

Genetic algorithm for pareto optimum-based route selection

A quality of service (QoS) or constraint-based routing selection needs to find a path subject to multiple constraints through a network. The problem of finding such a path is known as the multi-constrained path(MCP) problem, and has been proven to be NP-complete that cannot be exactly solved in a polynomial time. The NPC problem is converted into a multiobjective optimization problem with constraints to be solved with a genetic algorithm. Based on the Pareto optimum, a constrained routing computation method is proposed to generate a set of nondominated optimal routes with the genetic algorithm mechanism. The convergence and time complexity of the novel algorithm is analyzed. Experimental results show that multiobjective evolution is highly responsive and competent for the Pareto optimum-based route selection. When this method is applied to a MPLS and metropolitan-area network, it will be capable of optimizing the transmission performance.     

Generating semi-algebraic invariants for non-autonomous polynomial hybrid systems

Hybrid systems are dynamical systems with interacting discrete computation and continuous physical processes, which have become more common, more indispensable, and more complicated in our modern life. Particularly, many of them are safety-critical, and therefore are required to meet a critical safety standard. Invariant generation plays a central role in the verification and synthesis of hybrid systems. In the previous work, the fourth author and his coauthors gave a necessary and sufficient condition for a semi-algebraic set being an invariant of a polynomial autonomous dynamical system, which gave a confirmative answer to the open problem. In addition, based on which a complete algorithm for generating all semi-algebraic invariants of a given polynomial autonomous hybrid system with the given shape was proposed. This paper considers how to extend their work to non-autonomous dynamical and hybrid systems. Non-autonomous dynamical and hybrid systems are with inputs, which are very common in practice; in contrast, autonomous ones are without inputs. Furthermore, the authors present a sound and complete algorithm to verify semi-algebraic invariants for non-autonomous polynomial hybrid systems. Based on which, the authors propose a sound and complete algorithm to generate all invariants with a pre-defined template.     

将仿真/仿真设施改造成高层体系结构兼容的应用系统

将现有的仿真／仿真设施改造成HLA兼容的应用系统，是为了让它们成为HLA联邦开发过程中可重有的单元，能参与新的仿真，省时省力地实现新的仿真目标，本文讨论了将现有的仿真／仿真设施改造HLA兼容的应用系统的一般原理与方法，重点讨论了完成改造的两个关键活动：仿真对象模型（SOM）的开发和HLA接口的开发，并给出了改造基于Matlab/Simulink所建立的仿真为HLA兼容的一个实例。     

一种封闭B样条曲线的扫描线填充算法

给出了一种封闭B样条曲线的填充算法,算法思路与多边形扫描线填充算法思路相似。该算法中使用了水平线与自由曲线的求交算法,水平边的判定方法和给定坐标系下自由曲线极点的判定方法。算法具有较高的效率和广泛的应用价值。     

大点数FFT的多DSPs并行处理算法及实现

在FFT变体的基础上 ,提出一种新的并行算法 :先将数据在几片DSPs上并行地进行前几级蝶型运算 ,然后将结果汇总到另一片DSPs进行后几级蝶型运算 ,以实现大点数的FFT。该算法便于流水处理 ,只有一次简单的数据通讯 ,而且旋转因子规律简单易于将大点数FFT拆分成小点数FFT。应用该算法在多DSPs系统上 (5片TI公司的高速DSP芯片 :1片C6 2 0 2和 4片C6 70 1)实现 2 5 6K点复数FFT只需用 4 9ms,说明该算法有并行度高和易于实现的特点。     

基于仿射混杂系统控制设计的机器人导航控制

根据单纯形仿射混杂系统的可达性分析设计控制律,使机器人在平面任意两点间运行,保证其安全性并考虑其最优性.对机器人的状态空间进行三角划分,根据目标吸引原理来建立其对偶图,针对对偶图提出路径规划算法得到最短路径穿越的三角形序列.然后根据仿射系统在单纯形中的性质,提出运动规划算法,得到机器人的角速度和线速度,控制机器人穿越给定的三角形序列到达目标点.仿真结果表明了方法的有效性.     

Reflection-in-Action: Modeling a specific organization through the Viable Systems Model

The purpose of this project is to explore a way for systems practitioners to learn the skills necessary to employ a particular systems model in practice. Reflection-in-Action is one way to embark on a double-loop learning cycle and, thus, develop the tacit skills and inarticulate knowledge needed to employ a particular systems model. Through Reflection-in-Action, a Viable Systems Model (VSM) of the San Francisco Zoo was constructed. This project involved three phases of research; for each, a VSM using the data available was constructed. During each phase, the questioning of current assumptions and operating norms led to changes in the direction of the research. This led to the construction of significantly different VSMs for each phase.     

From Researching Regions at a Distance to Participatory Network Building: Integrating Action Research and Economic Geography

This paper describes the change in a researcher's practices from one of studying regional industrial development at a distance to one of working closely with a network of agri-food managers. This is accompanied by a discussion of the methodological and theoretical possibilities for an action research inspired economic geography. Some of the core characteristics of a pragmatic conceptualization of action research are revised. It is argued that theoretical developments within economic geography make possible a dialogue between researchers and local actors and that economic geography is challenged to accept that knowledge is generated through such a dialogue. Attempts to create a dialogue between action research and economic geography in a specific Norwegian industrial and geographical context are described. These attempts indicate that the researcher's methodological approach has been transformed from a narrow one relying solely on conventional social science methods to a broader one including participatory action research.     

Qualifying Function in SSM Modeling—A Case Study

In a previous paper the author introduced a concept called qualifying function as a conceptual tool for modeling and design. The concept was incorporated into the modeling phase of soft systems methodology (SSM), with the purpose of addressing some of the criticism directed toward the methodology, such as its tendency to result in regulatory, rather than radical, agendas for change. It was argued that the concept had the potential to help people in a particular problem situation to view the situation from new and different perspectives and that it could enrich the conceptual models by giving the transformation process a direction. The aim of this paper is to apply the concept, embedded in SSM, to a case study involving two projects, focused on creating new work opportunities, to explore the practical applicability and usefulness of the concept, both in general and as a part of the modeling phase of SSM.     

基于观测器的不确定非线性系统L1自适应控制

针对一类严格块反馈型不确定非线性系统,采用反步设计方法提出了一种新的基于滑模状态观测器的L1自适应控制方案。由于系统状态不完全可测,首先设计滑模观测器对系统状态进行估计,并分析观测器的收敛性,在此基础上,通过反步法得到系统的理想控制律。为了消除反步控制中的“项数膨胀”,引入非线性跟踪微分器来提取理想控制律的微分信号。为提高系统响应的瞬态性能,消除控制输入的高频振荡,引入L1自适应控制对控制律进行改进,通过理论推导证明了闭环系统的稳定性。最后通过数值仿真算例验证了所设计控制方案具有快速的收敛性、良好的跟踪性等期望性能。     

基于eM-Plant的参数化虚拟组合设备

由于大直径晶圆的加工具有严格的逗留时间约束和时间波动, 使得组合设备的调度及其可行性的验证存在很大的困难, 而仿真是一个有效的方法. 如果组合设备的调度存在可行性, 那么, 通过仿真能够找到系统的可行调度. 利用eM-Plant建立了虚拟的单臂组合设备, 该系统是可重配置的. 不同类型的晶圆加工具有不同的晶圆流模式和加工时间, 该虚拟组合设备能够模拟不同的晶圆加工, 而参数化的虚拟组合设备实现了可重用性. 为了实现可视化, 建立了三维模型的虚拟组合设备. 对于操作组合设备的工程人员来说, 该系统是直观和有效的. 最后,通过例子验证了虚拟组合设备是可行的.     

一般系统结构理论及其应用（Ⅱ）

在文献［１］的基础上首先通过对一般系统结构模型的数学分析，揭示一般系统原理及规律，从而从数学上取得一种新的面向问题、数学表达的一般系统理论，即一般系统结构理论；然后，应用一般系统结构理论研究一类专门系统——信息存储单元，包括：①推导存储单元结构模型；②揭示与存储单元工作速度有关的因子以及它与这些因子之间的数学关系；③提出改善存储单元工作速度的途径和方法．     

基于 ITFN 信息关联输入的改进群体 MULTIMOORA 决策方法

提出基于直觉梯形模糊数(intuitionistic trapezoidal fuzzy number, ITFN)极小、极大期望值的序关系判别准则, 并引入风险系数构建ITFN相对完善的带有决策者风险偏好的运算规则, 在此基础上定义直觉梯形模糊Bonferroni (intuitionistic trapezoidal fuzzy Bonferroni, ITFB)平均算子, 验证其相关性质. 针对决策者之间、属性之间分别存在关联关系且权重均未知的多属性群决策问题, 提出基于ITFN信息关联输入的改进群体MULTIMOORA决策方法. 首先, 构建直觉梯形模糊决策矩阵序列, 予以标准化处理, 并将其转化为极小期望决策矩阵序列; 其次, 综合利用基于熵权法和考虑决策者偏好关联的基于2-可加模糊测度与Choquet积分联合的主客观赋权法确定决策者权重及属性权重; 最后, 分别引入WITFB平均算子及ITFN的Hamming 距离以改进传统MULTIMOORA决策方法, 基于优势理论可对方案展开综合排序以确定最优方案. 通过算例分析验证本文方法的可行性及有效性.     

Consumer-Driven Group Buying: Trick or Treat to Retail Stores?

Group buying (GB) has emerged and evolved into various forms over the past decade. We investigate a distinct form of GB, namely consumer-driven group buying, whereby some consumers form purchase groups to visit stores together and negotiate for discounts. We refer to these consumers as GB consumers that differ from regular consumers who visit stores individually and pay regular prices. Visited by a purchase group, a store has to make an immediate decision to serve their demand in its entirety. Turned down by the first store it visits, the purchase group continues to visit the other store. After accommodating GB demand, the stores use remaining stocks to serve regular consumers. We demonstrate that GB can be a treat to stores that adopt proper policies to utilize it as an instrument to reach consumers. The stores are able to accommodate group demand at a price lower than regular price in most circumstances but still manage to earn stable profits. The presence of regular consumers has a subtle effect on equilibrium formation, by strengthening the stores’ power in negotiating with GB consumers to make group price weakly increase with group size. Moreover, competing stores are able to manipulate the interactions between purchase groups and collectively earn a higher total profit than a monopolist store when GB consumers account for a small fraction of market base and competition is intense.     

基于拍卖方偏好揭示的多属性网上拍卖模型

为了揭示拍卖方偏好对多属性网上拍卖的影响,研究由一个买方和多个卖方组成的多属性网上拍卖模型.根据模型,在多属性拍卖开始时,买方需要揭示偏好信息,给出每个属性的期望值和保留值.在拍卖过程中,买方Agent和卖方Agent分别代表拍卖双方进行评标和投标,由买方Agent控制拍卖协商过程.最后用一个多人参与的算例说明了该模型的有效性.这种方法能够避免多属性加权和模型的缺点,并且可以有效的控制拍卖过程.     

Management as a technical practice: Professionalization or responsibilization?

This paper attempts to make sense of the apparent paradox of the successful representation of management as a technical practice coexisting with a lack of success in management sustaining a project of professionalization. The success of the former has, for many occupations, been the key to the latter, especially when allied with university licensing. The main issues and debates relating to management as a technical practice, management as a profession, and the role of the management academy are outlined. This leads to an alternative interpretation of their relation, in which the representation of management as a technical practice is envisaged not as a failed professionalization of management but rather as a successful responsibilization of managers.     

一种消费者品牌偏好的模糊排序方法

为将消费者对品牌属性的模糊评判信息转化为消费者的品牌偏好信息,首先将模糊语义转化为三角模糊数,然后利用模糊数的广义加法、近似乘法及标量乘法计算,从而将消费者对属性的离散意见转化为对某一品牌的综合意见.然后通过定义一种模糊数综合排序指标来确定消费者的品牌偏好顺序.最后还通过一个算例来说明方法的实用性和有效性.