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Appropriate Solution (appropriate + solution)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Humanities and Social Sciences25%
Engineering25%

Selected Abstracts

Public Investment, the Stability Pact and the ,Golden Rule'

FISCAL STUDIES, Issue 2 2000
Fabrizio Balassone
Abstract The fiscal rules set in the Treaty of Maastricht and in the Stability and Growth Pact have sometimes been criticised as an excessively binding constraint for appropriate counter-cyclical action. The risk that the rules may permanently reduce the public sector's contribution to capital accumulation has also been pointed out. In this framework, the adoption of a ,golden rule' has been suggested. Starting from the recent debate, this paper tackles two questions: (a) the implications of the Pact for public investment and (b) the pros and cons of introducing a golden rule in EMU's fiscal framework, given the objectives of low public debts and adequate margins for a stabilising budgetary policy. The analysis suggests that the rules set in the Treaty and in the Pact may negatively influence public investment spending. However, the golden rule, although intuitively appealing, does not seem to be an appropriate solution to the problem. [source]

Change the Analyst and Not the System: A Different Approach to Intelligence Reform

FOREIGN POLICY ANALYSIS, Issue 2 2008
Uri Bar-Joseph
Recent intelligence failures, including first and foremost the mistaken estimate of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) prior to the war, show that a prime source of such failures is the adherence by analysts to preconceptions (or mind-sets) which entail the rejection of new information that contradicts it. The source of this kind of problem lies in well known psychological mechanisms. Yet official investigations into intelligence blunders have typically ignored this problem or have not suggested an appropriate solution thus far. Our paper suggests an original approach based on the fact that certain types of personalities are more likely than others to fall victim to these biased judgments. Existing psychological tests can help determine individual susceptibility to such tendencies. Therefore we suggest that intelligence organizations should pay far more attention to these personality characteristics, especially an analyst's level of openness, in recruitment, training, and promotion. Such attention would help create more effective reforms in intelligence than organizational models which advocate "devil's advocate" kind of solutions. [source]

Approximate knowledge modeling and classification in a frame-based language: The system CAIN

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, Issue 6 2001
Colette Faucher
In this article, we present an extension of the frame-based language Objlog+, called CAIN, which allows the homogeneous representation of approximate knowledge (fuzzy, uncertain, and default knowledge) by means of new facets. We developed elements to manage approximate knowledge: fuzzy operators, extension of the inheritance mechanisms, and weighting of structural links. Contrary to other works in the domain, our system is strongly based on a theoretical approach inspired from Zadeh's and Dubois' works. We also defined an original instance classification mechanism, which has the ability to take into account the notions of typicality and similarity as they are presented in the psychological literature. Our model proposes consideration of a particular semantics of default values to estimate the typicality between a class and the instance to classify (ITC). In that way, the possibilities of the typicality representation proposed by frame-based languages are exploited. To find the most appropriate solution we do not systematically choose the most specific class that matches the ITC but we retain the most typical solution. Approximate knowledge is used to make the matching used during the classification process more flexible. Taking into account additional knowledge concerning heuristics and elements of cognitive psychology leads to the enrichment of the classification mechanism. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source]

On the convergence of the finite integration technique for the anisotropic boundary value problem of magnetic tomography

MATHEMATICAL METHODS IN THE APPLIED SCIENCES, Issue 9 2003
Roland Potthast
The reconstruction of a current distribution from measurements of the magnetic field is an important problem of current research in inverse problems. Here, we study an appropriate solution to the forward problem, i.e. the calculation of a current distribution given some resistance or conductivity distribution, respectively, and prescribed boundary currents. We briefly describe the well-known solution of the continuous problem, then employ the finite integration technique as developed by Weiland et al. since 1977 for the solution of the problem. Since this method can be physically realized it offers the possibility to develop special tests in the area of inverse problems. Our main point is to provide a new and rigorous study of convergence for the boundary value problem under consideration. In particular, we will show how the arguments which are used in the proof of the continuous case can be carried over to study the finite-dimensional numerical scheme. Finally, we will describe a program package which has been developed for the numerical implementation of the scheme using Matlab. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Parameter identification with weightless regularization,

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2001
Tomonari Furukawa
Although the regularization increased the popularity of parameter identification due to its capability of deriving a stable solution, the significant problem is that the solution depends upon the regularization parameters chosen. This paper presents a technique for deriving solutions without the use of the parameters and, further, an optimization method, which can work efficiently for problems of concern. Numerical examples show that the technique can efficiently search for appropriate solutions. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Video tracking system optimization using evolution strategies

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMAGING SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 2 2007
Jesús García
Abstract A video-based tracking system for airport surveillance, composed by modules performing vision tasks at different levels, is adapted for operational conditions by means of Evolution Strategies (ES). An optimization procedure has been carried out considering different scenes composed of representative trajectories, supported by a global evaluation metric proposed to quantify the system performance. The generalization problem (the search of appropriate solutions for general situations, avoiding over-adaptation to particular conditions) is approached considering evaluation of ES-individuals over combinations of trajectories to build the fitness function. In this way, the optimization procedure covers sets of trajectories representing different types of problems. Besides, alternative operators for aggregating partial evaluations have been analysed. Results show how the optimization strategy provides a sensitive tuning of performance related to input parameters at different levels, and how the combination of different situations improves the generalization capability of the trained system. The global performance final system after optimization is also compared with representative algorithms in the state of the art of visual tracking. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 17, 75,90, 2007 [source]

A pre-event configuration for biological threats: Preparedness and the constitution of biosecurity events

AMERICAN ETHNOLOGIST, Issue 3 2009
LIMOR SAMIMIAN-DARASH
ABSTRACT Drawing on an inquiry into Israel's preparedness for biological threats, in this article I suggest a new analysis of biosecurity events. A complex and dynamic assemblage emerges to prepare for biological threats, one that I call a "pre-event configuration." The assemblage is composed of three core elements,the scientific element, the security element, and the public health element,each of which diagnoses threats and suggests appropriate solutions. This configuration also determines what will be perceived as an event for which preparation is needed and what will remain a nonevent. I maintain that the constitution of an event takes place beyond the actual time of its occurrence and is determined by the pre-event configuration in the "time of event." Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of events should combine an examination of actual events and their aftermath with an inquiry into their potentialities as determined by the pre-event configuration. [biosecurity, preparedness, events, disasters] [source]

Computational optimal control of the terminal bunt manoeuvre,Part 2: minimum-time case

OPTIMAL CONTROL APPLICATIONS AND METHODS, Issue 5 2007
S. Subchan
Abstract This is the second part of a paper studies trajectory shaping of a generic cruise missile attacking a fixed target from above. The problem is reinterpreted using optimal control theory resulting in a minimum flight time problem; in the first part the performance index was time-integrated altitude. The formulation entails non-linear, two-dimensional (vertical plane) missile flight dynamics, boundary conditions and path constraints, including pure state constraints. The focus here is on informed use of the tools of computational optimal control, rather than their development. The formulation is solved using a three-stage approach. In stage 1, the problem is discretized, effectively transforming it into a non-linear programming problem, and hence suitable for approximate solution with DIRCOL and NUDOCCCS. The results are used to discern the structure of the optimal solution, i.e. type of constraints active, time of their activation, switching and jump points. This qualitative analysis, employing the results of stage 1 and optimal control theory, constitutes stage 2. Finally, in stage 3, the insights of stage 2 are made precise by rigorous mathematical formulation of the relevant two-point boundary value problems (TPBVPs), using the appropriate theorems of optimal control theory. The TPBVPs obtained from this indirect approach are then solved using BNDSCO and the results compared with the appropriate solutions of stage 1. The influence of boundary conditions on the structure of the optimal solution and the performance index is investigated. The results are then interpreted from the operational and computational perspectives. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]