AppliedMath

The Mexico City Metrobus is one of the most popular forms of public transportation inside the city, and since its opening in 2005, it has become a vital piece of infrastructure for the city; this is why the optimal functioning of the system is of key importance to Mexico City, as it plays a crucial role in moving millions of passengers every day. This paper presents a model to simulate Line 1 of the Mexico City Metrobus, which can be adapted to simulate other bus rapid transit (BRT) systems. We give a detailed description of the model development so that the reader can replicate our model. We developed various response variables in order to evaluate the system’s performance, which focused on passenger satisfaction and measured the maximum occupancy that a passenger experiences inside the buses, as well as the time that he spends in the queues at the stations. The results of the experiments show that it is possible to increase passenger satisfaction by considering different combinations of routes while maintaining the same fuel consumption. It was shown that, by considering an appropriate combination of routes, the average passenger satisfaction could surpass the satisfaction levels obtained by a 10% increase in total fuel consumption. Full article

In this article, some prescriptions to define a distribution on the set $Q_0$ of all rational numbers in $[0,1]$ are outlined. We explored a few properties of these distributions and the possibility of making these rational numbers asymptotically equiprobable in a suitable sense. In particular, it will be shown that in the said limit—albeit no absolutely continuous uniform distribution can be properly defined in ${\mathbb{Q}}_0$—the probability allotted to every single $q\in {\mathbb{Q}}_0$ asymptotically vanishes, while that of the subset of ${\mathbb{Q}}_0$ falling in an interval $[a,b]\subseteq {\mathbb{Q}}_0$ goes to $b-a$. We finally present some hints to complete sequencing without repeating the numbers in ${\mathbb{Q}}_0$ as a prerequisite to laying down more distributions on it. Full article

This paper is concerned with the existence of solutions of a class of Cauchy problems for hyperbolic partial fractional differential inclusions (HPFD) involving the Caputo fractional derivative with an impulse whose right hand side is convex and non-convex valued. Our results are achieved within the framework of the nonlinear alternative of Leray-Schauder type and contraction multivalued maps. A detailed example was provided to support the theorem. Full article

Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems are increasingly being deployed in decentralized environments where they interact with other AI systems and humans. In these environments, each participant may have different ways of expressing the same semantics, leading to challenges in communication and collaboration. To address these challenges, this paper presents a novel hybrid model for shared conceptualization in decentralized AI systems. This model integrates ontology, epistemology, and epistemic logic, providing a formal framework for representing and reasoning about shared conceptualization. It captures both the intensional and extensional components of the conceptualization structure and incorporates epistemic logic to capture knowledge and belief relationships between agents. The model’s unique contribution lies in its ability to handle different perspectives and beliefs, making it particularly suitable for decentralized environments. To demonstrate the model’s practical application and effectiveness, it is applied to a scenario in the healthcare sector. The results show that the model has the potential to improve AI system performance in a decentralized context by enabling efficient communication and collaboration among agents. This study fills a gap in the literature concerning the representation of shared conceptualization in decentralized environments and provides a foundation for future research in this area. Full article

When there is uncertainty in the value of parameters of the input random components of a stochastic simulation model, two-level nested simulation algorithms are used to estimate the expectation of performance variables of interest. In the outer level of the algorithm n observations are generated for the parameters, and in the inner level m observations of the simulation model are generated with the values of parameters fixed at the values generated in the outer level. In this article, we consider the case in which the observations at both levels of the algorithm are independent and show how the variance of the observations can be decomposed into the sum of a parametric variance and a stochastic variance. Next, we derive central limit theorems that allow us to compute asymptotic confidence intervals to assess the accuracy of the simulation-based estimators for the point forecast and the variance components. Under this framework, we derive analytical expressions for the point forecast and the variance components of a Bayesian model to forecast sporadic demand, and we use these expressions to illustrate the validity of our theoretical results by performing simulation experiments with this forecast model. We found that, given a fixed number of total observations $nm$, the choice of only one replication in the inner level ($m=1$) is recommended to obtain a more accurate estimator for the expectation of a performance variable. Full article

The simple assembly line balancing (SALB) problem is a significant challenge faced by industries across various sectors aiming to optimise production line efficiency and resource allocation. One important issue when the decision-maker balances a line is how to keep the cycle time under a given time across all cells, even though there is variability in some parameters. When there are stochastic elements, some approaches use constraint relaxation, intervals for the stochastic parameters, and fuzzy numbers. In this paper, a three-part algorithm is proposed that first solves the balancing problem without considering stochastic parameters; then, using simulation, it measures the effect of some parameters (in this case, the inter-arrival time, processing times, speed of the material handling system which is manually performed by the workers in the cell, and the number of workers who perform the tasks on the machines); finally, the add-on OptQuest in SIMIO solves an optimisation problem to constrain the cycle time using the stochastic parameters as decision variables. A Gearbox instance from literature is solved with 15 tasks and 14 precedence rules to test the proposed approach. The deterministic balancing problem is solved optimally using the open solver GLPK and the Pyomo programming language, and, with simulation, the proposed algorithm keeps the cycle time less than or equal to 70 s in the presence of variability and deterministic inter-arrival time. Meanwhile, with stochastic inter-arrival time, the maximum cell cycle is 72.04 s. The reader can download the source code and the simulation models from the GitHub page of the authors. Full article

We propose a Quantum Neural Network (QNN) for predicting stabilization parameter for solving Singularly Perturbed Partial Differential Equations (SPDE) using the Streamline Upwind Petrov Galerkin (SUPG) stabilization technique. SPDE-Q-Net, a QNN, is proposed for approximating an optimal value of the stabilization parameter for SUPG for 2-dimensional convection-diffusion problems. Our motivation for this work stems from the recent progress made in quantum computing and the striking similarities observed between neural networks and quantum circuits. Just like how weight parameters are adjusted in traditional neural networks, the parameters of the quantum circuit, specifically the qubits’ degrees of freedom, can be fine-tuned to learn a nonlinear function. The performance of SPDE-Q-Net is found to be at par with SPDE-Net, a traditional neural network-based technique for stabilization parameter prediction in terms of the numerical error in the solution. Also, SPDE-Q-Net is found to be faster than SPDE-Net, which projects the future benefits which can be earned from the speed-up capabilities of quantum computing. Full article

As a class of non-Newtonian fluids with yield stresses, Bingham fluids possess both solid and liquid phases separated by implicitly defined non-physical yield surfaces, which makes the standard numerical discretization challenging. The variational reformulation established by Duvaut and Lions, coupled with an augmented Lagrange method (ALM), brings about a finite element approach, whereas the inevitable local mesh refinement and preconditioning of the resulting large-scaled ill-conditioned linear system can be involved. Inspired by the mesh-free feature and architecture flexibility of physics-informed neural networks (PINNs), an ALM-PINN approach to steady-state Bingham fluid flow simulation, with dynamically adaptable weights, is developed and analyzed in this work. The PINN setting enables not only a pointwise ALM formulation but also the learning of families of (physical) parameter-dependent numerical solutions through one training process, and the incorporation of ALM into a PINN induces a more feasible loss function for deep learning. Numerical results obtained via the ALM-PINN training on one- and two-dimensional benchmark models are presented to validate the proposed scheme. The efficacy and limitations of the relevant loss formulation and optimization algorithms are also discussed to motivate some directions for future research. Full article

Time series of financial data are both frequent and important in everyday practice. Numerous applications are based, for example, on time series of asset prices or market indices. In this article, the application of fractal interpolation functions in modelling financial time series is examined. Our motivation stems from the fact that financial time series often present fluctuations or abrupt changes which the fractal interpolants can inherently model. The results indicate that the use of fractal interpolation in financial applications is promising. Full article

We have studied how the readability of a text can change in translation by considering Matthew’s Gospel, written in Greek, translated into Latin and 35 modern languages. We have found that the deep-language parameters $C_P$ (characters per word), $P_F$ (words per sentence), $I_P$ (words per interpunctions), $M_F$ (interpunctions per sentence) and a universal readability index $G_U$ of each translation are so diverse from language to language, and even within a given language for which there are many versions of Matthew—such as in English and Spanish—that the resulting texts mathematically seem to be diverse. The several tens of versions of Matthew’s Gospel studied appear to address very diverse audiences. If a reader could understand all of them well, he/she would have the impression of reading texts written by diverse authors, although all of them tell the same story. Full article

This research employs computational methods to analyze the velocity and mixture fraction distributions of a non-reacting Propane jet flow that is discharged into parallel co-flowing air under iso-thermal conditions. This study includes a comparison between the numerical results and experimental results obtained from the Sandia Laboratory (USA). The objective is to improve the understanding of flow structure and mixing mechanisms in situations where there is no involvement of chemical reactions or heat transfer. In this experiment, the Realizable k-ε eddy viscosity turbulence model with two equations was utilized to simulate turbulent flow on a nearly 2D plane (specifically, a 5-degree partition of the experimental cylinder domain). This was achieved using OpenFOAM open-source software and swak4Foam utility, with the reactingFoam solver being manipulated carefully. The selection of this turbulence model was based on its superior predictive capability for the spreading rate of both planar and round jets, as compared to other variants of the k-ε models. Numerical axial and radial profiles of different parameters were obtained for a mesh that is independent of the grid (mesh B). These profiles were then compared with experimental data to assess the accuracy of the numerical model. The parameters that are being referred to are mean velocities, turbulence kinetic energy, mean mixture fraction, mixture fraction half radius (L_f), and the mass flux diagram. The validity of the assumption that w߰ = v߰ for the determination of turbulence kinetic energy, k, seems to hold true in situations where experimental data is deficient in w߰. The simulations have successfully obtained the mean mixture fraction and its half radius, L_f, which is a measure of the jet’s width. These values were determined from radial profiles taken at specific locations along the X-axis, including x/D = 0, 4, 15, 30, and 50. The accuracy of the mean vertical velocity fields in the X-direction (U_mean) is noticeable, despite being less well-captured. The resolution of mean vertical velocity fields in the Y-direction (V_mean) is comparatively lower. The accuracy of turbulence kinetic energy (k) is moderate when it is within the range of U_mean and V_mean. The absence of empirical data for absolute pressure (p) is compensated by the provision of numerical pressure contours. Full article

An algebraic system is introduced which is very useful for performing scattering calculations in quantum field theory. It is the set of all real numbers greater than or equal to −m² with parity designation and a special rule for addition and subtraction, where m is the rest mass of the scattered particle. Full article

We show how both smaller and more reliable p-values can be computed in Bell-type experiments by using statistical deviations from no-signalling equalities to reduce statistical noise in the estimation of Bell’s S or Eberhard’s J. Further improvement was obtained by using the Wilks likelihood ratio test based on the four tetranomially distributed vectors of counts of the four different outcome combinations, one 4-vector for each of the four setting combinations. The methodology was illustrated by application to the loophole-free Bell experiments of 2015 and 2016 performed in Delft and Munich, at NIST, and in Vienna, respectively, and also to the earlier (1998) Innsbruck experiment of Weihs et al. and the recent (2022) Munich experiment of Zhang et al., which investigates the use of a loophole-free Bell experiment as part of a protocol for device-independent quantum key distribution (DIQKD). Full article

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the primary liver cancer that occurs the most frequently. The risk of developing HCC is highest in those with chronic liver diseases, such as cirrhosis brought on by hepatitis B or C infection and the most common type of liver cancer. Knowledge-based interpretations are essential for understanding the HCC microarray dataset due to its nature, which includes high dimensions and hidden biological information in genes. When analyzing gene expression data with many genes and few samples, the main problem is to separate disease-related information from a vast quantity of redundant gene expression data and their noise. Clinicians are interested in identifying the specific genes responsible for HCC in individual patients. These responsible genes may differ between patients, leading to variability in gene selection. Moreover, ML approaches, such as classification algorithms, are similar to black boxes, and it is important to interpret the ML model outcomes. In this paper, we use a reliable pipeline to determine important genes for discovering HCC from microarray analysis. We eliminate redundant and unnecessary genes through gene selection using principal component analysis (PCA). Moreover, we detect responsible genes with the random forest algorithm through variable importance ranking calculated from the Gini index. Classification algorithms, such as random forest (RF), naïve Bayes classifier (NBC), logistic regression, and k-nearest neighbor (kNN) are used to classify HCC from responsible genes. However, classification algorithms produce outcomes based on selected genes for a large group of patients rather than for specific patients. Thus, we apply the local interpretable model-agnostic explanations (LIME) method to uncover the AI-generated forecasts as well as recommendations for patient-specific responsible genes. Moreover, we show our pathway analysis and a dendrogram of the pathway through hierarchical clustering of the responsible genes. There are 16 responsible genes found using the Gini index, and CCT3 and KPNA2 show the highest mean decrease in Gini values. Among four classification algorithms, random forest showed $96.53\%$ accuracy with a precision of $97.30\%$. Five-fold cross-validation was used in order to collect multiple estimates and assess the variability for the RF model with a mean ROC of $0.95\pm 0.2$. LIME outcomes were interpreted for two random patients with positive and negative effects. Therefore, we identified 16 responsible genes that can be used to improve HCC diagnosis or treatment. The proposed framework using machine-learning-classification algorithms with the LIME method can be applied to find responsible genes to diagnose and treat HCC patients. Full article

In the first part of this article, we present a new proof for Korn’s inequality in an n-dimensional context. The results are based on standard tools of real and functional analysis. For the final result, the standard Poincaré inequality plays a fundamental role. In the second text part, we develop a global existence result for a non-linear model of plates. We address a rather general type of boundary conditions and the novelty here is the more relaxed restrictions concerning the external load magnitude. Full article

In this work, we derive a generalized series expansion of the acrtangent function by using the enhanced midpoint integration (EMI). Algorithmic implementation of the generalized series expansion utilizes a two-step iteration without surd or complex numbers. The computational test we performed reveals that such a generalization improves the accuracy in computation of the arctangent function by many orders of magnitude with increasing integer M, associated with subintervals in the EMI formula. The generalized series expansion may be promising for practical applications. It may be particularly useful in practical tasks, where extensive computations with arbitrary precision floating points are needed. The algorithmic implementation of the generalized series expansion of the arctangent function shows a rapid convergence rate in the computation of digits of $\pi$ in the Machin-like formulas. Full article

Based on the geometry of a radial function, a sequence of approximations for arcsine, arccosine and arctangent are detailed. The approximations for arcsine and arccosine are sharp at the points zero and one. Convergence of the approximations is proved and the convergence is significantly better than Taylor series approximations for arguments approaching one. The established approximations can be utilized as the basis for Newton-Raphson iteration and analytical approximations, of modest complexity, and with relative error bounds of the order of ${10}^{-16}$, and lower, can be defined. Applications of the approximations include: first, upper and lower bounded functions, of arbitrary accuracy, for arcsine, arccosine and arctangent. Second, approximations with significantly higher accuracy based on the upper or lower bounded approximations. Third, approximations for the square of arcsine with better convergence than well established series for this function. Fourth, approximations to arccosine and arcsine, to even order powers, with relative errors that are significantly lower than published approximations. Fifth, approximations for the inverse tangent integral function and several unknown integrals. Full article

Our research involves analyzing the latest models used for electricity price forecasting, which include both traditional inferential statistical methods and newer deep learning techniques. Through our analysis of historical data and the use of multiple weekday dummies, we have proposed an innovative solution for forecasting electricity spot prices. This solution involves breaking down the spot price series into two components: a seasonal trend component and a stochastic component. By utilizing this approach, we are able to provide highly accurate predictions for all considered time frames. Full article