Elimination Of Inconsistencies Research Articles

A hierarchical planning system for energy intensive production environments

This paper describes a hierarchical production planning approach with decision support features for energy intensive industries with particular reference to a tile manufacturing factory. In the tiling industry, the facilities which contribute most to the consumption of energy (and, hence, to the production costs) are usually the kilns where the curing operation is carried out. Frequently, the kilns are also the bottleneck in terms of capacity utilization. Thus, in order to save on energy costs, a planning approach which aims at minimizing the number of active kilns throughout the year is needed besides optimizing the process design in the curing department. To achieve the latter goal, it is necessary to take into account demand fluctuations as well as detailed capacity restrictions while deciding on the lot sizes of the products and the kilns on which the products are loaded. Rather than adopting a monolithic mathematical model for developing a desirable production plan, a hierarchical approach which decomposes the problem into two sub-problems is preferred. In the first level, products and capacity are aggregated over the planning horizon to achieve an overall consideration of demand fluctuations over time. Then, the solution provided by the aggregate solution for the current planning period is disaggregated into a detailed lot sizing and loading solution. The disaggregated problem is difficult to solve and hence, a heuristic is proposed here. This planning approach is sustained by a Decision Support System which enables the elimination of possible inconsistencies in the production plan by providing an effective interaction with the decision maker.

A fuzzy interpolation of multidimensional experimental results of 80 Ni-20 Cr alloy

Relations among different parameters of alloys are very complex, integrated, difficult to measure and therefore relatively ill-known. A fuzzy knowledge base is a flexible framework for acquisition of vague, sparse and inconsistent knowledge. The fuzzy reasoning is to some extent equivalent to a conventional interpolation algorithm capable of interpolating among variously accurate non-equidistant points in a multidimensional space. The pooling of the experimental records represents a trade off between minimal modification of the original data and elimination of obvious inconsistencies among all sets of data. This is an ad hoc and time consuming process that requires highly qualified field experts and knowledgeable engineers. A sequence of several modifications is needed to decrease the expected inconsistencies. A general theoretical background for the methodology of pooling does not exist. Therefore the paper presents a detailed description of a subset of data, based on a relatively homogeneous set of measurements (six variables and 120 fuzzy conditional statements). No a priori knowledge of fuzzy mathematics is assumed.

The extension of data abstraction to database management

The long-term goal of the User Software Engineering (USE) project at the University of California, San Francisco, is to provide an integrated homogeneous programming environment for the design and development of interactive information systems. Realization of this goal involves the development of new software tools, their integration with existing tools, and the creation of an information system development methodology in which these tools are systematically used [1,2]. The successful construction of interactive information systems requires the utilization of principles of user-centered design [3,4,5], combined with features traditionally associated with the separate areas of programming languages, operating systems, and data base management [6]. It has become increasingly clear that the key to being able to provide such a unified view lies in providing a unified view of data [7]. The potential benefits of such a unification are considerable, including: 1) conceptual simplification of the system structure permitting, for example, joint design of data structures and data bases 2) the elimination of duplication or inconsistencies among diverse software components 3) the ability to achieve greater reliability in systems because of reduced dependence upon multiple software systems

The extension of data abstraction to database management

The long-term goal of the User Software Engineering (USE) project at the University of California, San Francisco, is to provide an integrated homogeneous programming environment for the design and development of interactive information systems. Realization of this goal involves the development of new software tools, their integration with existing tools, and the creation of an information system development methodology in which these tools are systematically used [1,2]. The successful construction of interactive information systems requires the utilization of principles of user-centered design [3,4,5], combined with features traditionally associated with the separate areas of programming languages, operating systems, and data base management [6]. It has become increasingly clear that the key to being able to provide such a unified view lies in providing a unified view of data [7]. The potential benefits of such a unification are considerable, including: 1) conceptual simplification of the system structure permitting, for example, joint design of data structures and data bases 2) the elimination of duplication or inconsistencies among diverse software components 3) the ability to achieve greater reliability in systems because of reduced dependence upon multiple software systems

The extension of data abstraction to database management

The long-term goal of the User Software Engineering (USE) project at the University of California, San Francisco, is to provide an integrated homogeneous programming environment for the design and development of interactive information systems. Realization of this goal involves the development of new software tools, their integration with existing tools, and the creation of an information system development methodology in which these tools are systematically used [1,2]. The successful construction of interactive information systems requires the utilization of principles of user-centered design [3,4,5], combined with features traditionally associated with the separate areas of programming languages, operating systems, and data base management [6]. It has become increasingly clear that the key to being able to provide such a unified view lies in providing a unified view of data [7]. The potential benefits of such a unification are considerable, including: 1) conceptual simplification of the system structure permitting, for example, joint design of data structures and data bases 2) the elimination of duplication or inconsistencies among diverse software components 3) the ability to achieve greater reliability in systems because of reduced dependence upon multiple software systems

An Analysis of the EEOCC “Four-Fifths” Rule

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Coordinating Council is responsible for the elimination of inconsistencies among the operation of the agencies and departments that enforce Federal equal employment opportunity laws. It has recently promulgated quantitative guidelines to determine if employee selection and promotion rules have a disporportionate impact on a racial, ethnic, or sex group. These guidelines state that if the observed promotion or selection rate for any group is less than four-fifths of the rate for the group with the highest rate, then disproportionate impact will be concluded. In this paper a quantitative analysis of the guidelines is performed which demonstrates that their application in many situations can lead to large statistical errors of both kinds: type I errors (concluding that there is disproportionate impact on a group when in fact all groups have the same probability of passing) and type II errors (concluding that there is no disproportionate impact on a group when in fact there is). Thus, a large number of actual cases of discrimination will go undetected and truly nondiscriminatory practice will be erroneously deemed discriminatory a substantial fraction of the time. Type I and type II errors are presented for a range of actual passing rates for samples from two groups and three groups. Also presented, for up to ten groups, are the numbers of applicants per group required such that the expected minimum observed passing rate is at least four-fifths of the expected minimum observed rate, given that all groups have the same actual passing rate.

The recognition and elimination of inconsistencies among syllogistically related beliefs: Some new light on the Socratic effect.

The recognition and elimination of inconsistencies among syllogistically related beliefs: Some new light on the Socratic effect.

The recognition and elimination of inconsistencies among syllogistically related beliefs: Some new light on the Socratic effect.

The recognition and elimination of inconsistencies among syllogistically related beliefs: Some new light on the Socratic effect.

Elephants and Ethnologists

IN the book which is before us Prof. Elliot Smith has reverted to a subject upon which he enlarged in NATURE some years ago (1915-16). By bringing together under one cover the full evidence upon which he relies in his argument, he has endeavoured once for all to dispose of what he calls the “stereotyped form of criticism,” and finally to defeat those who do not endorse his views as to the Asiatic origin of certain items in the culture of Central America. He has succeeded in producing a readable and interesting treatise which is focussed upon a special feature in the art of Copan, and he offers this confidently as a test case in support of his major and more generalised theory. His argument is developed with skill, and he uses all his power as an advocate. But his handling of a much-debated and still debatable problem is, unfortunately, marred by frequent reliance upon dogmatic assertion. The Bellman's axiom, “What I say three times is true,” may serve to limit discussion during a Snark-hunting expedition, but is unlikely to be accepted as finally convincing in scientific debate, and serves rather to stimulate than to allay criticism. Prof. Elliot Smith's doctrine would have gained strength, and possibly adherents, had he urged it less aggressively and devoted himself to the elimination of inconsistencies and to the more careful analysis of the evi-dence upon which he relies.assertion that the case is proved, seems to suggest that further argument needless. In spite of that, after reading carefully in many ways able “discussion on one sharply defined issue,” one still feels that scientific proof of the main hypothesis is yet to be found and that the problem remains unsolved.